This past weekend was the annual Grand Prix of Long Beach, and as the longest-standing street circuit event in the country, it doesn’t disappoint for fans or competitors. The busy streets are not only lined with race cars but also with lots of fans who come from all over to spectate at this prestigious event.
We had much cooler weather than last year’s race at Long Beach, so it was more on par with typical beautiful Southern California weather. We had sunny skies and cool breezes throughout the weekend.
I was working with the JDX team in the Carrera Cup series. The three drivers on the JDX squad had never been to Long Beach before, so it was quite the task getting them up to speed quickly and efficiently.
In order to do so, we did lots of video review and sim time in preparation for the weekend, and then we did the track walk on the day prior to the event. All of that helped solidify the finer points of the track before they actually drove a car around it.
With the vast experience that JDX has, the team was able to start with a great baseline setup for the cars, so the drivers could just focus on driving, and we continued to refine not only the driving but also the setup as the event progressed.
One component that is more pronounced on a street circuit compared to a road course is the amount of rubber that is laid down on the surface from the race tires throughout the event. The track goes from being “dirty” to getting quicker and quicker as the event progresses. This requires not only adaptations to the driving but also continued car setup refinement.
Qualifying was once again extremely tight, and all the JDX drivers were competitive. Elias De La Torre, the youngest on the team and the least experienced at just 17 years old, did a terrific job in race one, advancing positions and knocking on the door to his first top ten.
The streets of Long Beach are lined with busy shopping and restaurants, allowing fans a truly unique experience.
Meanwhile, in race two, teammate Will Martin had a brilliant race and battled for the lead, taking home his first win in only his fourth start of the season! Overall, the team took away two top fives from that race. Elias was running inside the top ten, but he unfortunately had a right rear tire puncture that took him out with less than ten minutes remaining.
Despite the disappointing result for Elias, it was a tremendous weekend for him as he continues to progress in this ultra-competitive series. He went quicker every single time he was out on track, and he met his goal of running inside the top ten.
Up next for the team is another street circuit event, this time at a brand-new venue for the series. We’ll be on the other side of the country at the Formula 1 Grand Prix of Miami in just a few short weeks. The drivers all kept their cars clean throughout the Long Beach weekend, so the team will be prepped and ready for Miami in May!