No Surprises for IMSA Event at Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Chip Ganassi celebrates with Renger van der Zande who co-drove the #01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V - Series.R to victory with Sebastien Bourdais at Long Beach.  Image Credit: 2024 Edmund Jenks

No Surprises For IMSA Event at  Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Words and Images by: Brandon J. O'Brien / Motor Driven Images, unless otherwise stated

Only two of the five IMSA classes competed at Long Beach.  Along with the top-tier Hybrid Proto-types the GTD PRO/AM drivers were the only other class to compete.  This was due to the limited Pit / Paddock space available at this venue.  Since only PRO/AM drivers were competing this meant the teams were required to shuffle some of the driver combinations in order to have a full complement of GTD cars.  For the same reason, only GTD PRO will race at the Detroit Grand Prix.

The Pole sitting Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series R was driven by Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken.  Image Credit: 2024 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Pipo Derani took the GTP pole position in the #31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R with a 1:11.388 time to get around the 1.968 mile course.  This equated to a speed of 99.234 MPH.  The #89     VassserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3 took the pole for the GTD group.

The GTD class winning Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 was driven by Ben Barnicoat and Parker Thompson.  Image Credit: 2024 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Unlike last year, the start of the race was relatively uneventful within both classes. P. Derani got a good start and held onto the lead.  Prior to Turn-1 S. Bourdais in the #01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R was able to take away 2nd from the #24 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8.

Sebastien Bourdais in the #01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V - Series.R was able to move past the #24 BMW into 2nd place at the start on his way to winning the Long Beach Grand Prix.  Image Credit: 2024 Brandon 
O'Brien / Motor Driven Images 

Within the GTD group the two VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3's were able to maintain 1st and 2nd with Costa Balboa in the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 in 3rd.  On the 4th lap the 2nd place #12 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3 was forced to perform a drive-through penalty for an infringement of the rules prior to the start of the race when he pulled out of position and placed his car behind the pole sitting Lexus.

The Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 was a strong contender throughout the race.  Image Credit: 2024 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

On Lap 8 the yellow flag came out for an incident involving the #70 Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 EVO and the #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.  This incident put both cars out of the race.

The Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R was involved in a mishap with the Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 EVO

Within the lead of the GTP cars the order remained essentially the same until P. Derani came in for his pit-stop.  This put S. Bourdais in the Ganassi Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R in 1st place.  Bourdais was able to increase his lead so that when he went into the pits R. Van der Zande was able to make the overcut work and remained in the lead on his out-lap.

On Lap 30 Louis Delatraz brought out the 2nd yellow when he put the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 into the tire barrier at Turn-1. The 3rd and final yellow was brought out after the #25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid slid into the tire barrier exiting Turn-6.  This final yellow was brought on by three separate incidents involving the BMW.  With about 8 minutes to go the race went back to green. 

The race ended with R. van der Zande / S. Bourdais in the #01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R taking 1st place overall followed by P. Derani / J. Aitken in the #31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R.  The final GTP podium position was taken by D. Cameron / F. Nasr in the #7 Penske Motorsport 963.

1st place in the GTD class went to B. Barnicort / P. Thompson in the #89 Vasser/Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 with R. Foley / P. Gallagher in the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, and 3rd went to M. Skeen / M. Grenier in the #32 Karthoff / Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.

The 2nd Place Turner Motorsports BME M4 GT3 was driven by Robby Foley and Patrick Gallagher.
Image Credit: 2024 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

The 3rd Place GTD Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo was driven by Mike Skeen and Mikael Grenier.
Image Credit: 2024 Brandon O'Brien / Motor Driven Images

Tags: Acura, ARX-06, Ben Barnicoat, Brandon O'Brien, BMW, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac, Cadillac V-Series.R, Ganassi Racing, Inception Racing, Jack Aitken, Lexus, M4 GT3, Motor Driven Images, McLaren, McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, Penske Motorsport, Parker Thompson, Pipo Derani, Porsche, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Porsche 963, Renger van der Zande, Sebastian Bourdais, Turner Motorsport, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti, VasserSullivan, Wright Motorsports