Hot cars and heat: Heatwave bakes Long Beach as Acura Grand Prix gets underway
LONG BEACH, Calif. - It's hot, and we are not just talking race cars! Long Beach hit 100 degrees on Friday, as the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach gets underway.
Practice sessions for the IndyCar and super trucks races and the Historic IMSA GTP Challenge on the 1.97-mile, 11-turn street circuit surrounding the Long Beach Convention Center are on tap Friday.
It’s the first time the event is held during its customary April time, since the pandemic surge of 2019. It just happens that this week has seen a record-breaking heatwave, where even on the sand or next to the water, temperatures are reaching the 80s.
RELATED: Grand Prix of Long Beach: City announces road closures ahead of big race
On Thursday, Long Beach broke the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on April 7: 93 degrees in 1989. And now, in 2022, a whopping 100 degrees.
Not that it stopped the crowds, which showed up in crowds, holding umbrellas and bottles of water.
"It feels over 100," said one pit crew member.
Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.
Keep in mind, they are wearing fireproof suits, but the bags of ice were flowing, and no one was rushing quite the same way as they will once the qualifying begins on Saturday.
The Acura Grand Prix has a full contingent of paramedics and a health area, for any injury, and they are particularly ready for heat exhaustion. They said they worry more about fans not drinking enough water. The convention center itself is open and it's nicely air-conditioned.
It should be cooler this weekend, especially by Saturday night, when the Royal Machines play in front of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center adjacent to the Convention Center. They start at 6 p.m.
Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.