Coronavirus Forces Cancellation of Long Beach Grand Prix
Cancellation of Long Beach Grand Prix part of several cancellations in Long Beach, follows other major sporting events this spring.
The evening of Tuesday, March 11, 2020 will go down in history as one of the strangest, heartbreaking nights in sports history. While the Dallas Mavericks faced-off against the Denver Nuggets, the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz was cancelled shortly after officials learned one of the Jazz players had tested positive for coronavirus.
The cancellation was just the start. Soon, every sporting organization made the decision to either postpone the start of their seasons, close-up for a month, or cancel their biggest sporting events outright. According to Orange County, California newspaper The Orange County Register, one of the events to be cancelled in the wake of March 10 is the Long Beach Grand Prix.
“The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has taken place for the last 45 years,” event organizers said in a statement. “It is the city’s most popular event and is attended by approximately 180,000 people annually. The city looks forward to working with Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, as well as other promoters to find solutions for holding their events at a later date as the situation warrants.”
Scheduled to be held on the weekend of April 17 through 19, the 110-lap event on the streets of Long Beach would have been the third event on the 2020 IndyCar Series calendar, following the event at Barber Motorsports Park on April 5, and the opener in St. Petersburg, Florida March 15. If held as planned, the Long Beach GP would have drawn some 180,000 over the three-day race weekend.
Earlier in the day, Long Beach GP CEO Jim Michaelian told local newspaper Long Beach Press Telegram that the grand prix’s organizers were “looking at various possibilities” regarding keeping the race alive one way or another.
The Long Beach Grand Prix’s cancellation is just one of several cancellations and postpones of major events in Long Beach. As reported by the Long Beach Press Telegram, California governor Gavin Newsom announced March 11 that events with over 250 people should be cancelled or postponed through the end of the month.
It also follows several other cancellations and postponements around the sports world. ESPN reported the NCAA has cancelled both men’s and women’s Division I basketball tournaments, along with all spring championships. Racer says IndyCar will run the aforementioned St. Petersburg GP without spectators. And, of course, NBA.com said the Association suspended the regular season following the cancellation of the OKC-Utah game March 11.
It’s going to be a very quiet March without the sounds of Hondas and Chevrolets. Better the silence now than to allow the coronavirus to snuff out the lives of those we cherish.
Photos: Facebook/Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach”
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