2022 Grand Prix of Long Beach

The Long Beach Street Circuit (pictured in 2009), where the race was held.

International Motor Sports Association's (IMSA) president John Doonan confirmed the race was part of the schedule for the 2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship (IMSA SCC) in August 2021.[1] It was the eighth year the event was held as part of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the fourteenth annual running of the race, counting the period between 2006 and 2013 when it was a round of the Rolex Sports Car Series and the American Le Mans Series respectively. The 2022 Grand Prix of Long Beach was the third of twelve scheduled sports car races of 2022 by IMSA, the shortest of the season in terms of distance, and it was the first round held as part of the WeatherTech Sprint Cup.[2] The race was held at the eleven-turn 1.968 mi (3.167 km) Long Beach street circuit in Long Beach, California on April 9, 2022.[3]

On March 31, 2022, IMSA released the latest technical bulletin outlining Balance of Performance for the DPi, GTD Pro, and GTD classes. In DPi, the Acura ARX-05 received a 10 kilogram weight break. In GTD Pro and GTD, the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD received a 10 kilogram weight increase, a 0.4mm smaller air restrictor, and a fuel capacity reduction of 4 liters. The BMW M4 GT3 lost 17 horsepower as well a 20 kilogram weight break and a fuel capacity reduction of 8 liters. The Porsche 911 GT3 R was given a 2mm larger air restrictor while the Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 received an increase in turbo boost pressure. The McLaren 720S GT3 was given a 15 kilogram weight break.[4]

Before the race, Tristan Vautier, Richard Westbrook, and Loïc Duval led the DPi Drivers' Championship with 676 points, 11 points ahead of Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor, and Will Stevens in second followed by Tom Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis in third with 663 points.[5] With 668 points, the GTD Pro Drivers' Championship was led by Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet, and Felipe Nasr with a thirteen-point advantage over Antonio García, Jordan Taylor, and Nicky Catsburg.[5] With 672 points, Stevan McAleer and Mike Skeen led the GTD Drivers' Championship, 53 points ahead of Luís Pérez Companc, Simon Mann, and Toni Vilander in second followed by Ryan Hardwick, Jan Heylen, and Zacharie Robichon in third with 615 points.[5] Cadillac, Porsche, and Ferrari were leading their respective Manufacturers' Championships, while JDC-Miller MotorSports, Pfaff Motorsports, and Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports each led their own Teams' Championships.[5]

DPi Drivers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Driver Points 1 3 Alex Lynn Earl Bamber 1005 2 1 Tristan Vautier Richard Westbrook 1002 3 Tom Blomqvist Oliver Jarvis 973 4 2 Filipe Albuquerque Ricky Taylor 940 5 2 Sébastien Bourdais Renger van der Zande 926 Source:[11]

LMP2 Drivers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Driver Points 1 Ben Keating Scott Huffaker Mikkel Jensen 385 2 Frits van Eerd Giedo van der Garde 348 3 Ryan Dalziel Dwight Merriman Kyle Tilley 330 4 Steven Thomas Josh Pierson Jonathan Bomarito 303 5 James McGuire Guy Smith Duncan Tappy 284 Source:[11]

LMP3 Drivers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Driver Points 1 João Barbosa Lance Willsey Malthe Jakobsen 374 2 Ari Balogh Dakota Dickerson Garett Grist 343 3 Daniel Goldburg Rasmus Lindh Cameron Shields 326 4 Lars Kern Kuno Wittmer Orey Fidani 302 5 Jon Bennett Colin Braun George Kurtz 285 Source:[11]

GTD Pro Drivers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Driver Points 1 1 Antonio García Jordan Taylor 990 2 1 Matt Campbell Mathieu Jaminet 960 3 2 Ben Barnicoat Jack Hawksworth 919 4 4 Cooper MacNeil 830 5 5 Ross Gunn Alex Riberas 816 Source:[11]

GTD Drivers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Driver Points 1 Stevan McAleer Mike Skeen 672‡ 2 Luís Pérez Companc Simon Mann Toni Vilander 619‡ 3 Ryan Hardwick Jan Heylen Zacharie Robichon 615‡ 4 Andy Lally John Potter Spencer Pumpelly 609‡ 5 Scott Andrews 587‡ Source:[11]

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for all sets of standings.
• ‡: Points count towards WeatherTech Sprint Cup championship only.

DPi Teams' Championship standings Pos. +/– Team Points 1 3 #02 Cadillac Racing 1005 2 1 #5 JDC-Miller MotorSports 1002 3 #60 Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb-Agajanian 973 4 2 #10 WTR - Konica Minolta Acura 940 5 2 #01 Cadillac Racing 926 Source:[11]

LMP2 Teams' Championship standings Pos. +/– Team Points 1 #52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 385 2 #29 Racing Team Nederland 348 3 #18 Era Motorsport 330 4 #11 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports 303 5 #22 United Autosports 284 Source:[11]

LMP3 Teams' Championship standings Pos. +/– Team Points 1 #33 Sean Creech Motorsport 374 2 #30 Jr III Motorsports 343 3 #38 Performance Tech Motorsports 326 4 #13 AWA 302 5 #54 CORE Autosport 285 Source:[11]

GTD Pro Teams' Championship standings Pos. +/– Team Points 1 1 #3 Corvette Racing 990 2 1 #9 Pfaff Motorsports 960 3 2 #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing 919 4 4 #79 WeatherTech Racing 830 5 5 #23 Heart of Racing Team 816 Source:[11]

GTD Teams' Championship standings Pos. +/– Team Points 1 #32 Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports 672‡ 2 #21 AF Corse 619‡ 3 #16 Wright Motorsports 615‡ 4 #44 Magnus Racing 609‡ 5 #47 Cetilar Racing 567‡ Source:[11]

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for all sets of standings.
• ‡: Points count towards WeatherTech Sprint Cup championship only.

DPi Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Manufacturer Points 1 Cadillac 1122 2 Acura 1089 Source:[11]

GTD Pro Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Manufacturer Points 1 1 Chevrolet 1000 2 1 Porsche 960 3 3 Lexus 949 4 1 Mercedes-AMG 938 5 3 Aston Martin 886 Source:[11]

GTD Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos. +/– Manufacturer Points 1 Ferrari 684‡ 2 Mercedes-AMG 683‡ 3 Porsche 650‡ 4 Aston Martin 628‡ 5 McLaren 598‡ Source:[11]

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for all sets of standings.
• ‡: Points count towards WeatherTech Sprint Cup championship only.