Take a lap around the circuit at the Grand Prix of Long Bach – NBC Los Angeles

A lap doesn't take long on the streets of Long Beach.

Alex Palou set the fastest lap of the 2023 Grand Prix of Long Beach IndyCar race at 67.9469 seconds and an average of 104.270 mph.

The challenging road course is just 1,968 miles long and features 11 turns and a long front straight where drivers reach around 185 mph in an explosion of sound and adrenaline. The fastest section runs along Shoreline Drive and the start-finish line, where fans in the stands can watch the cars zoom by and see what happens when pit road is busy.

From there, drivers brake hard into Turn 1, a race-win or lose overtaking opportunity, before the Dolphin Fountain section and Turns 2 and 3. After navigating Turns 4 and 5, the track parallels one Part of Shoreline Drive – an exciting viewing area on the descent of Turn 6.

Here the drivers prepared to descend the Seaside Way and enter another technical section of the track, which also includes a sweeping left-hander into hairpin turn 11. This final section of the route is another great place to watch the riders prepare for another descent onto Shoreline Drive.

Last year's winner, Kyle Kirkwood, completed the 85-lap race in 1 hour, 43 minutes and 17 seconds, winning from pole position by just 0.99 seconds over his second-placed Andretti Autosport teammate Romain Grosjean.

The top five finishers averaged more than 97 miles per hour on the 11-turn road course. Seven laps were completed under the caution flag, which can make or break a team's afternoon in Long Beach.

Sounds exciting? The IndyCar Experience offers fans the opportunity to ride in a two-seat IndyCar. Take a spin with Colton Herta during his breathtaking qualifying run in 2022.

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach takes place Friday through Sunday. Qualifying events culminate the program on Friday with the IMSA race on Saturday and the IndyCar main event on Sunday.