Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach IndyCar Race qualifying is Saturday: Scott Dixon preps
Qualifying for the featured IndyCar race of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach takes place Saturday along with the conclusion of the drifting competition.
Friday, six-time IndyCar series champion Scott Dixon had the second-fastest practice time of 1:06.9649, just behind Pato O'Ward at 1:06.6999.
The 20-year racing great from New Zealand said he's looking forward to tomorrow's race. "This is a staple, you know, place on the calendar, and one that all of the drivers love and especially the fans," said Dixon.
Dixon won the Indianapolis 500 in 2008 and won in Long Beach in 2015.
It was just announced Friday that Dixon will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America next March in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Dixon won his first series title in 2003 in his second season with Chip Ganassi Racing. He also won in 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020.
Saturday, he talked about all the preparation for race day. "There's a lot of prep that goes into these cars. You know, they're very technical, very detailed. This morning, they'll be going through a lot of setup changes that we decided on overnight from how the car felt yesterday," said Dixon.
To prepare for all these wins … Dixon says a lot of the training now is simulated, virtual. "When I first came into the sport, you know, 20 years ago, we had 60 days almost of testing now we're limited to four or five for budgets. So you know a lot of that now is done on the simulator," said Dixon.
He said he keeps the meals pretty plain right before the race, and throws in a nap to stay calm.
The Historic F1 Challenge race of Formula One cars from the 1970s and 1980s, including many that raced in Long Beach when it was part of the Formula 1 circuit from 1976-83, are also part of Saturday's race day.
A second Historic F1 Challenge race will be held from 10:45 - 11:05 a.m. Sunday.
The 100-minute IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix of Long Beach will be held from 2-4 p.m. with what is billed as "the most advanced, exotic sports cars on the planet."
A Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks race is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. The series for 600-horsepower V-8 engine trucks was founded by former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Robby Gordon, who also drives on the series, and will start from the pole.
Gordon's 15-year-old son Max will start third in the field of 12 drivers. The younger Gordon has been racing since he was 8 years old. He was second in the driver series points standings in 2022, three spots ahead of his father. A second truck race will be held at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
A Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup race will be held from 5:15-5:55 p.m. with drivers racing identically prepared road-based Porsche 911 GT3 cup cars. A second Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup race will be held from 4:20-5 p.m. Sunday.
The final round of the two-round Formula Drift Super Drift Challenge will be held from 7-8:30 p.m.
The Kings of Chaos concert will take place at 6:30 p.m. on the plaza in front of the Long Beach Convention Center's Terrace Theater and is free to Saturday race ticket holders. Space is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The 48th edition of the Grand Prix concludes Sunday, with the IndyCar 85-lap race set to start at 12:45 p.m.
