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IndyCar/IMSA: Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Committed to Sustainability

Posted by AR1 staff

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has thrown the “green” flag on sustainability in recent years and its efforts – and those of its partners – are gaining momentum in 2023.

Among those efforts:

  • The Long Beach Convention Center, home of the Lifestyle Expo, generates more than 725 kilowatts of power each day from solar panels and has a “cool roof,” new LED lighting saves more than 62 kilowatt hours annually, motion sensors are utilized throughout the facility, restroom facilities use low-gallon-per-flush models and there are more than 50 recycle bins.
  • Single-use plastic bottles are no longer used at the Convention Center or the Acura Grand Prix racetrack. All water from Grand Prix sponsor Pepsi will be served in 100% recyclable aluminum bottles with a BPA-free liner – which are reusable – and sodas in aluminum cans.
  • The City of Long Beach is bringing its “Quench Buggy” to the Acura Grand Prix which will allow fans to refill their own water containers for free with filtered, City-sourced water.
  • Specialized bins around the track will collect recyclable materials such as aluminum cans, plastic and cardboard.
  • In conjunction with Safety-Kleen, the Grand Prix recycles oil and petroleum waste from the race cars.
  • The Acura Grand Prix encourages race fans to take advantage of Long Beach Transit, Metrolink, the Metro A Line and the Aqualink, which provide fast, convenient service right to the gates of the Grand Prix from virtually anywhere in Southern California.
  • Bike enthusiasts who come to the races enjoy the GoActive LB Hub, where they can safely park their bikes or even rent them.
  • Many others will get dropped off a block from the racetrack by taxi, Uber and Lyft. The official drop-off point is on First St. between Elm and Long Beach Blvd., just one block from the racetrack entrance.

In addition to the initiatives around the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the racing organizations also take sustainability very seriously. This will be the most sustainable season in NTT INDYCAR SERIES history, as the series and its teams continue to work to develop renewable technologies.

Among the highlights are the first use of Shell’s 100% Renewable Race Fuel and continued use of renewable diesel for all INDYCAR team transporters supporting the series. The use of the Firestone Firehawk alternate race tire with a green sidewall, made from sustainable guayule rubber, will expand to all street circuit races after its successful debut last August in the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on the streets of Nashville, Tenn.

Finally, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will continue to prepare for a more sustainable future as development continues with Chevrolet and Honda for the 2024 engine package. Testing of a 2.2-liter turbocharged V-6 with hybrid technology will take place throughout 2023.

At the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, every car in its Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class uses a single-source hybrid powertrain developed by IMSA and its partners at the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and suppliers Bosch, Williams Advanced Engineering and Xtrac.

This hybrid powertrain system is coupled with internal combustion engines using a VP Racing Fuels blend that increases from 60% sustainable content initially. Eventually, the fuel will be 100% sustainable, greatly reducing or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions. New regulations for GTP require the double-stinting of racing tires – which currently contain more than 25% sustainable materials – thereby greatly reducing the sets of tires used during the course of the season.

Additionally, the IMSA Konica Minolta Business Center (KMBC) as well as its at-track business transporter have solar panels that power the units while also providing plug-in Level-2 charging for IMSA’s OEM partners and their vehicles used on site for Hot Laps, media events, product launches, and official safety vehicles, among other applications.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend will feature the third round of the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES along with the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with its all-new GTP (GT Prototype) class, GTD PRO and GTD (GT Daytona) classes, along with doubleheaders from Super Drift Challenge Friday and Saturday nights, Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium SUPER Trucks, Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America and the new-for-2023 Historic F1 Challenge,

Ticket prices range from $38 for a Friday General Admission ticket to $175 for a three-day ticket that includes Saturday and Sunday reserved seating in grandstand upper levels.  Pre-paid parking packages are also available, along with handicapped seating, NTT INDYCAR SERIES Paddock access passes ($70 for three days or $30 per individual day), Super Photo tickets and an array of VIP Club packages. To order, visit gplb.com or call (888) 827-7333.