Hundreds of exotic car owners drove their specialty cars to the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday morning, April 19, to show off the vehicles they have put hours of hard work and hundreds of thousands of dollars into.
This year, Mornings Car Club took over what used to be the Mothers Car Paddock, which had held an exotic car parade during the Grand Prix for 17 years.
But on Sunday, attendees experienced the new “CARnival,” during which visitors could walk around and view a large array of cars — some older, classic cars with modifications, and some were newer “exotic” cars.
“Mornings has always been about curating an experience — not just a car meet,” Aldo Lihiang, who organizes Mornings events, said in a written statement. “Being part of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach allows us to bring that vision to a larger stage, with a carefully selected lineup that represents the best of automotive culture and community.”
Mothers did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why it did not host the exotic car paddock and parade this year.
The paddock, though, features exotic cars with “an extra dose of style, creativity and automotive enthusiasm to Southern California’s biggest race weekend,” according to a Grand Prix Association of Long Beach press release.
Each vehicle was reviewed by Mornings Car Club and selected to reflect quality, design and overall presence.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the all-new Mornings CARnival to Sunday at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach,” Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Liaw said in a written statement. “This is exactly the kind of high-energy, enthusiast-driven experience that complements our event so well. Mornings has built something truly special within the automotive community, and their CARnival will add even more excitement, personality and fan engagement to an already action-packed weekend.”
Rudy Celaya brought his 2019 Ferrari 488 GTV, which he enhanced to be representative of the “old-school race cars” he watched growing up. The car, which Celaya drives every day, is painted light green and white with “Marlboro” written across the hood.
“This really brings back that nostalgic feeling of Senna racing for Marlboro,” he said. “As a kid, I was like, ‘I’m going to drive to definitely drive a car like that.’”
Celaya said he has two other “exotic” cars and considers this a hobby — but is working toward becoming an influencer.
“It’s a hobby right now, but I am going to start a YouTube channel pretty soon,” he said. “I really want to take this seriously.”
Nearly 300 cars were in the Mornings paddock. But only 30 were selected to drive on the Grand Prix track during the CARnival Parade on Sunday afternoon to the cheers of family and friends.
Lorenzo Strong, from Canyon Lake, has attended the Grand Prix of Long Beach for 30 years — and was one of those selected to do a lap around the track.
Strong is a Porsche enthusiast and is vice president for West Coast Customs.
“We do a lot of customizing and this,” he said, pointing to his car, “is my toy and I get to do whatever I want to do.”
Strong drove his 2001 Porsche 911/996 along the Grand Prix of Long Beach track.
“It was inspiring to understand what these drivers do for many, many laps,” he said. “It was once in a lifetime, but I hope I can do it again.”