The latest addition to the slate of high-speed events at this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was announced today with Global Time Attack (GTA) Pro Championship joining the fray during race weekend, Sept. 24-26.

The GTA event will take place with competition laps on all three days. The event will feature 20 cars in three different divisions trying to set the fastest flying lap of the 11-turn, 1.97-mile Long Beach race circuit. It’s the first time Global Time Attack has run at the Acura Grand Prix.

The event was founded with the goal of assembling the world’s fastest dedicated time-attack cars together on a particular circuit. At Long Beach, it will feature the Unlimited, Limited and Street classes. The cars will be sent out five to 10 seconds apart so each can complete a number of flying laps of the circuit—laps with no race traffic—to see which car and team can set the fastest time. The cars are required to be mass-produced street cars that can be modified to GTA specifications. GTA is sanctioned by the SCCA Pro Racing.

“This is an ideal addition to an already action-packed weekend,” said Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. “The rapid fire format and constant action should make for a lot of excitement for our fans and having them compete over the weekend brings even more entertainment to the 2021 Acura Grand Prix.”

Grand Prix spokesman Chris Esslinger said the event appeals to younger race fans, including those who are fans of drift cars.

In addition to Global Time Attack, the 2021 Acura Grand Prix will be headlined by a round of the NTT IndyCar Series and also feature the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, plus doubleheader action from the Super Drift Challenge, Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks and the also new-for-2021 Historic Formula Atlantic Challenge.

Tickets are on sale now at gplb.com, or by phone at 888-827-7333. Ticket prices range from $34 for a Friday General Admission ticket to $155 for a three-day ticket that includes Sat./Sun. reserved seating in grandstand upper levels.  Pre-paid parking is also available, along with handicapped seating, paddock passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of hospitality packages.

Tim Grobaty is a columnist and the Opinions Editor for the Long Beach Post. You can reach him at 562-714-2116, email [email protected], @grobaty on Twitter and Grobaty on Facebook.