By Laura Pitts
My Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (GPLB) weekend began in the passenger seat of a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, the safety car for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, with IMSA and TransAm champion Tommy Kendall behind the wheel. And yes, I fully understand how much that sentence captures a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
There's something visceral about experiencing a street circuit at speed from the seat of a Porsche before the crowds officially arrive. It's like seeing the track in its purest form––before the noise, before the chaos, before the big show.
Although, in true Long Beach fashion, the crowds were already there––lined up on public bridges, phones out, watching us flash underneath in a blur.
By the time we hit the main straight for the second time, it all started to sink in. The speedometer was creeping past 150 mph. I was pinned into the seat, trying––mostly failing––to capture the moment. It was equal parts surreal and slightly out of control (at least on my end) in the best possible way.
One lap later, we peeled into the pit lane and rolled to a smooth stop. That's when Kendall casually mentioned it was his first warm-up lap around the Long Beach street circuit in 20 years.
My immediate reaction?
"You could've fooled me."
From there, it was straight into the rhythm of Media Day––working pit lane, photographing Formula Drift builds up close and taking in the mix of competition cars and curated builds that define this event.
The Legacy of Jim Michaelian Carries On
Before we got into GP competition talk, the weekend took a moment to remember a longtime fixture of the event, Jim Michaelian, the Acura GPLB president and CEO who passed away in March.
It was the first Media Day where Michaelian was not addressing media members on stage since the Grand Prix's inception. His absence, but also his influence, was felt everywhere.
To help celebrate his legacy, every car on track––across every series during the GP weekend––will carry a sticker honoring Michaelian. The sense of legacy carried directly into the future of the event during conversations with LBGP leadership.
Jim Liaw, who most recently served as the general manager for PRI, was a familiar presence for our PRI team. He stepped into his role sooner than expected following Michaelian's passing.
Speaking to the press about evolution, Liaw shared how, under new ownership from Penske Corporation, the Acura GPLB is already seeing upgrades––new grandstands, expanded viewing areas, even a double-decker hospitality structure along pit row. There are murals now, too, scattered throughout the circuit, telling the story of a race that has been part of this city since 1975.
And beyond the racing, the Grand Prix Foundation continues to invest back into Long Beach, supporting local students year after year.
It's easy to focus on lap times and results, but weekends like this remind you that major events are ecosystems. They shape cities just as much as they showcase speed.
Inside the Formula Drift Mindset
Then came the Formula Drift press conference. (By the time this reaches readers, the Formula Drift season opener is already in the books, with Conor Shanahan taking the Round 1 win on the streets of Long Beach after a close final against Fredric Aasbø.)
If you want a snapshot of where Formula Drift is right now, it's this: the talent level has never been higher––and everyone knows it.
Reigning champion James Deane didn't sound like someone coasting on five titles, but someone ready to grab his sixth. He talked about watching other drivers' builds in the offseason, about how the overall level keeps rising, and about how competition forces everyone to find new limits.
Sitting just a few seats down, Fredric Aasbø echoed that sentiment. Yes, he believes he can win. But so can everyone else next to him.
That's the theme this year––depth. There are no easy rounds these days. And perhaps no one embodied that intensity more than Matt Field. He walked through his offseason in detail: training, nutrition, reaction work, even blood analysis. Every variable was optimized, he said.
"I've never been more ready," he said.
Of course, not every driver's season will follow a traditional path.
Hiroya Minowa is stepping back to run a partial schedule, shifting focus to rally racing with Toyota Gazoo Racing. Sliding a drift car, he explained, translates naturally to rally. But rally, in turn, sharpens precision, throttle control and decision-making.
It's a reminder of how interconnected motorsports has become, with drivers moving between disciplines, carrying skills from one to another.
Then there's Adam LZ, the driver who exists at the intersection of competition and car culture. He talked about his upcoming role in Sung Kang's movie "Drifter," and what it could mean for the sport.
Not immediately, maybe. But long term.
"The movies I watched when I was 12 or 13 shaped what I wanted to do," he said.
It's a simple idea, but an important one. Motorsports doesn't grow in isolation but through exposure, storytelling, and the next generation finding its entry point.
In hindsight, Shanahan was the driver to watch, building momentum that ultimately carried him to the Round 1 win. At the press conference, he spoke about the challenge of balancing programs across continents––adapting to different cars, tracks and judging styles from one weekend to the next.
"You're going from one side of the world to the other, trying to figure everything out from scratch," he said. "Sometimes you don't even get the perfect practice session, so you're constantly adapting."
With qualifying returning this season, Shanahan noted it should play to his strengths, giving drivers a clearer structure heading into competition.
More Than a Race Weekend
While Formula Drift has already crowned its Long Beach winner, the Grand Prix itself is still ahead, adding another layer of anticipation to a weekend that's already delivered plenty.
This weekend isn't just one race, it's many: NTT INDYCAR Series, IMSA, Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Stadium SUPER Trucks and Historic Sports Car, all converging on the same streets. And for the first time, both marquee events will air on network television, bringing Long Beach to an even broader audience.
But what stayed with me most wasn't any single series.
It was the feeling that everything here––every lap, every upgrade, every tribute––is connected.
The city of Long Beach isn't just hosting motorsports. It's shaping where it goes next––and Long Beach is right at the center of it.
