DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.  IMSAs annual April pivot in direction from Florida to California occurs once more in 2025 with the 50th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend April 11-12.

IMSAs history on the famed 1.968-mile streets of Long Beach a race weekend often called Americas Fastest Beach Party spans to the early 1990s with GTO and GTU racing before being part of the weekend docket consistently since 2006.

Since the WeatherTech Championship unified in 2014, Long Beach has been a part of the calendar all years except 2020 when the race didnt happen due to the global pandemic.

A field of 27 cars from 11 manufacturers are set to tackle the 100-minute race, where pit strategy is one of the biggest keys to win, split among 11 Grand Touring Prototype cars and 16 Grand Touring Daytona cars.

With the 36 Hours of Florida in the books, IMSA heads west to Long Beach to the one of the two shortest races on the calendar: the 100-minute Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. There are five Grand Touring Prototype and nine Grand Touring Daytona manufacturers, with three manufacturers (Aston Martin, BMW, Porsche) competing in both classes.

WICKENS DEBUT

Robert Wickens debut in a GTD entry also stands out; aided by Boschs new electronic hand control braking package installed in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Wickens advances into the WeatherTech Championship for the first time since a one-off appearance in the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Hell share his car with Corvette Racing factory ace Tommy Milner, a four-time Long Beach winner available to drive alongside with Grand Touring Daytona Pro off this weekend.

Wickens makes his first start in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R, which carries a special Bosch electronic hand control braking package. Never satisfied and focused on his driving return since his 2018 accident that left him partially paralyzed, the 2023 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Touring Car class champion races at a track where he raced 18 years ago in Formula Atlantic in 2007, seven years ago in IndyCar in 2018, and where hes coached IndyCar drivers since.

CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE?

The last two GTP winners at Long Beach have opted for the same winning strategy: no tire change on the one scheduled pit stop in the 100-minute race. In both 2023 for Porsche Penske Motorsports and 2024 for Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing, that decision to double stint the starting set of Michelin tires to the finish has proved pivotal to victory. As in 2024, Michelin has brought its soft compound tires for GTP teams to use in the 2025 race.

HALF CENTURY

The Long Beach event celebrates both its 50th running and 50th anniversary in 2025, and sports car racing has been a part of the weekend for more than 20 years. IMSA held races here in the 1990s, while GRAND-AM staged a single race in 2006, the American Le Mans Series competed from 2007 through 2013 and IMSA has raced here since 2014. Who will win this historic trip to The Beach?

Whos Hot?

No. 7 Porsche: Its been a picture-perfect start for the Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr pairing in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, with back-to-back overall and GTP wins in Florida. The Porsche 963 won its first race globally at Long Beach in 2023 with Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet.

Winward, Heart of Racing, Turner, Wright: Through two GTD races, four cars: the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO and No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) are the only cars in class with two top-six finishes in both races.

Whos Good At Long Beach?

Tommy Milner: With GTD PRO off this race, Corvette Racing customer program DXDT Racing enlists Milners services to share the No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Robert Wickens. Milner is the active leader in Long Beach wins with four, all in the former GT Le Mans class.

Cadillac: Although Acura is the race weekend entitlement partner, Cadillac has made Long Beach victory lane feel like home. Cadillac has won six of the last seven top-class prototype races at Long Beach since 2017, losing only in 2023.

Lexus: The Vasser Sullivan Racing team goes for its third straight Long Beach win, with its first two split between GTD PRO in 2023 and GTD in 2024.