IndyCar News: Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets Set for 4/10
Visit Long Beach, The Pike Outlets and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will celebrate the venerable race’s 50 Years at Full Speed on Thursday evening, April 10, with the popular Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets.
A free-to-the-public event that annually marks the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend, Thunder Thursday starts at 6 p.m. with activities for the entire family.
Presented by Visit Long Beach, Thunder Thursday will include an NTT INDYCAR SERIES pit stop competition on Shoreline Drive, west of Pine Ave., lighting up the streets at 6:45 p.m. There will be four cars representing four INDYCAR teams competing for a $10,000 prize: in the first round, Alex Palou, driving the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, will take on Christian Rasmussen in the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, while Will Power, driving the #12 Team Penske Chevrolet will go up against Graham Rahal in the #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. The two winning teams will go on to the final round, while the other two teams will face off in a consolation matchup to determine third place overall.
In addition, the always-exciting FreestyleMX freestyle motocross demonstrations will take over Shoreline Drive briefly at 6:30 p.m. and for a full show at 7:45 p.m. Spectator viewing for these events will be in and around the three grandstands north of Shoreline Dr. adjacent to The Pike Outlets (Grandstands 5, 6 and 7 for the race).
“We are thrilled to bring Thunder Thursday Presented by Visit Long Beach back to The Pike Outlets to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach!” remarked Morgan Blank, Director of Shopping Center Marketing for Site Centers. “This year’s free event promises to be bigger and better than ever, with tons of can’t miss activities. It’s an unforgettable night of action, fun, and motorsports that embodies the spirit of Long Beach — come join us and experience the thrill of the race in the heart of Long Beach!”
“Thunder Thursday brings residents and visitors from surrounding areas to mark the start of a four-day celebration of street racing,” said Visit Long Beach President & CEO Steve Goodling. “Visit Long Beach is proud to sponsor this free tradition, which brings the sights and sounds of the Grand Prix to the Long Beach community with fun for all ages.”
Within The Pike Outlets, fans will enjoy interactive photo booths and live music from Emerald Street Band and Manuel The Band on stage in the Main Plaza. Food will also be available in the Main Plaza, as will, for fans 21 and older, a Beer Garden hosted by the Auld Dubliner and sponsored by DQ Property Services and NSWC Mechanical Services.
Other attractions include a classic car show located on The Paseo, with local antique and vintage cars; race cars from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship including the Acura ARX-06 hybrid GT Prototype (GTP) car, and GT America series that will race over the weekend, and for the third time, Iron Goddess, an all-female motorcycle show on Bay Street. Plus, the IMSA and GT America drivers will sign autographs!
Fans will also have an opportunity to pick up an Acura Grand Prix weekend coupon booklet and a chance to win prizes and special retail offers with The Pike Outlet’s street team.
Parking for Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets will be available in the Pike Parking structure at Chestnut Place off Ocean Blvd.
The 50th Anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will take place April 11-13. For more information, visit gplb.com.