The streets of Long Beach were supposed to be filled with the roar of race engines last Sunday.
Instead, they were filled with the sound of silence for the first time in nearly 50 years.
With large gatherings prohibited worldwide because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the 46th edition of the Grand Prix of Long Beach could not go on.
While the cars and drivers of the NTT IndyCar Series never arrived for the popular street race, much of the temporary fencing, grandstands and tire barriers already had been constructed since late February.
Area filmmaker Adrian Hernandez was able to capture drone footage of the empty track before it was taken down, compiling it all together in his short film, A Silent Year.
Flying over the empty course, and without a single human in sight, Hernandez beautifully captured the surreal experience of the desolate track surrounded by condos and the waterfront.
Click the video at the top of the post to watch the full film.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was canceled more than a month ago, but the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg remains a TBA on the IndyCar schedule.
While Long Beach’s course has been disassembled, St. Petersburg has left some of its grandstands up in hopes of securing a date in the fall as the 2020 season finale.
Courtesy of St. Petersburg resident Kris Hansel, here are some recent photos from sections of that race’s layout.
