The Long Beach Grand Prix Is The Most Fun and Photogenic Event This Side of the Mississipi

It’s the spring of 2020, and I’m at the old Hi-Fi bar in downtown Tucson with my friends, having a good old-fashioned brunch day with the crew. Being 20-something college kids, you already know that “brunch” entailed next to no food, instead opting to use what little money we have to our name on ~$30 on bottomless mimosas that I’m sure I could find the bottom of. It was either that or they’d drag me away in cuffs, no in-between.

I was sitting there pounding my 13th glass of the fizzy fruity silly sipper, feeling good in my preppy neon green collared shirt with some fly Air Force 1s that had a matching color way when the most important thing of my adult life happened to me: I saw the Daytona 500 on TV blaring behind the collective of drunken, boisterous students, and I locked the hell in.

Watching the 500 that day scratched a long-dormant itch for me that I forgot existed, and I’m so happy that it did. I grew up going to races in Arizona with my dad and the other men in my family, but fell off those trips as I got older. Seeing the race in that bar started an obsessive downward spiral that reminded me who I am and culminated in me binging this new show called Drive to Survive. Much like the bottomless mimosas, I was trying to get to the bottom of that rabbit hole, and that dive into the abyss brought me to this last weekend, where I was photographing the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

A Mercury Capri shooting fire out of its exhaust on Saturday at the 2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach. Credit: Griffin RileyFelix Rosenqvist leads the pack to the green flag during the 2026 Grand Prix of Long Beach. Credit: Griffin RileyCrew members preparing for IndyCar qualifying. Credit: Griffin Riley

I thought moving to Los Angeles would be the nail in the coffin for motorsports, both because of the shuttering of venues like Fontana Motor Speedway and what I assumed would be cultural clashes between the state and the environmental impact of something like racing, but I’m so glad I was wrong. Fifty-one years in, this race has proven to be the closest thing the United States has to the Monaco Grand Prix, and honestly, I think it’s just as photogenic when talented photographers are given access to show it off to the world.

While I think I’m closer to the “talentless” side of the spectrum than I am the “talented,” I’m still choosing to spend my time showing y’all my images from the weekend with some occasional thoughts about them along the way.

Felix Rosenqvist going under the bridges over the back streets of Long Beach’s city streets. Credit: Griffin Riley

This is easily the hardest shot for me and probably several others to get. It’s a long straight that drivers get close to their top speed of ~180 mph, and you’re playing super heavily with extreme contrast from the bright midday sun and blackness underneath the pedestrian bridges. It takes a lot of attempts to land a shot here, but I always find it extremely rewarding when it hits. Here’s another from the same spot:

Sting Ray Robb (his actual name) passing under the pedestrian bridges. Credit: Griffin Riley

Another picture that plays with lighting a bit is this one of a Mustang GT3 coming out of turn six, which is a hilly section that quickly drops to the back straight, pictured in the two above. By exposing for the background environment, you get light that accentuates the curves and aerodynamics of the Mustang as it passes under the spectator crossover bridge.

Credit: Griffin Riley
Credit: Griffin RileyCredit: Griffin RileyCredit: Griffin Riley

Stadium Super Trucks is easily the best spectator sport available to mankind. Racing is already a sensory overload that brings mass joy when you see, hear, and feel a car go buy at nearly 200 miles per, but when you have suped up trucks approaching 150 and hitting jumps placed in the middle of the track and balancing on three wheels as they navigate a 90 degree left hander, you realize just how crazy some of these racers are. Thank you for creating such a fun series, Robby Gordon.

A wrecked SST Truck in the paddock. Credit: Griffin RileyMore battle scars on the hood of a Super Truck. Credit: Griffin RileyIt ain’t got no front tire. Credit: Griffin Riley
Four-time IndyCar champion and Sunday’s race winner, Alex Palou. Credit: Griffin RileyFelix Rosenqvist holding his second-place trophy on the podium. He started from pole for Meyer Shank Racing. Credit: Griffin RileyFans watching the race from an undisclosed location that I won’t name so that I can selfishly hoard the location in future years. Credit: Griffin RileyHow do they get them planes so fast?! Credit: Griffin RileyMarcus Ericcson, driver of the #28 Andretti car. Credit: Griffin RileyPalou, again. Credit: Griffin RileyCool glasses on a crew member. Credit: Griffin RileyLarry Chen! Credit: Griffin RileyAcura team members making last-minute changes on their prototype car before the IMSA race on Saturday. Credit: Griffin RileyRomain Grosjean before IndyCar Qualifying. Credit: Griffin RileyKyle Kirkwood readying up for IndyCar Qualifying. Credit: Griffin RileyCredit: Griffin RileyCredit: Griffin RileyFans losing their frickin’ minds watching Stadium Super Trucks around Turn Seven. Credit: Griffin RileyMore excitement about the Trucks. Credit: Griffin RileyKirkwood readying up (again, but with a wider angle). Credit: Griffin Riley
Mick Schumacher (yes, that Schumacher) getting airborne after taking the curbs too hard at turn nine. Credit: Griffin RileyKyffin Simpson at the apex of turn 10 on final approach to the hairpin. Credit: Griffin RileyPenske’s David Malukas taking turn six with six-time champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing right behind him. Credit: Griffin RileyAndretti’s Kyle Kirkwood taking turn seven down towards the right hander that leads to the back straight of the historic street course. Credit: Griffin Riley
An Aston Martin Valkyrie during IMSA’s Saturday race. It has a naturally aspirated V12 that screams to the high heavens, and I love it dearly. Credit: Griffin RileyFire from the Acura. Credit: Griffin RileyVery jealous of this guy. Credit: Griffin RileyBurnt rubber from Saturday’s nightcap, Formula Drift. Credit: Griffin RileyLike dangerous father, like dangerous son. Credit: Griffin RileyCredit: Griffin RileyThis area is actually harder to get a shot from than the back straight, as this is the front straight that’s much longer, meaning the cars get a lot more speed, and my god, it’s hard to land a shot. Credit: Griffin RileyCredit: Griffin RileyFormula Drifters! Credit: Griffin Riley,some crispy exhaust from one of the Super Trucks. Credit: Griffin RileyOne hell of a view, huh?Credit: Griffin RileyLocked in and ready to race. Credit: Griffin Riley

I took plenty of other photos, but I also walked 30 miles in three days with a bunch of photo gear on me, so I think I’m gonna leave y’all with just this and catch some Zs in the meantime. Until next time, with love,

– Your Estranged Nephew, Griffin.

Top graphic image: Griffin Riley