Eric Smith – INDYCAR Staff Writer
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is a special event, especially this year as Sunday’s race airing at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX marks 50 years of racing on the iconic Southern California street circuit.
The race has been a highlight of the motorsport calendar for all these years, blending the excitement of high-speed street racing with the glamour and allure of racing near Hollywood. The fact that the race has such deep roots in the racing community is a testament to its unique place in motorsports history.
Drivers past and present have lasting Long Beach memories. Some remember breakthrough moments, like their first win or a nail-biting finish. For both seasoned veterans and up-and-coming stars, Long Beach has been a race where careers can be made or broken.
The event’s mixture of high-profile teams, celebrity involvement, and the passionate fan base elevates the atmosphere, making it much more than just a race. Long Beach is a celebration of motorsport, culture, and community, which is why it’s so cherished by everyone involved.
Mario Andretti (1977 F1 Long Beach winner, 1984, 1985, 1987 INDYCAR SERIES Long Beach winner)
“The fondest memories I have racing on the streets of Long Beach are my four victories. I won the second Formula One race at Long Beach in 1977. In 1984, when the event switched from Formula One to INDYCAR, I won for the second time. That began a run of three victories in four years. On top of that, my son Michael had his first and last career INDYCAR wins at Long Beach. This track is obviously a family favorite.”
Chip Ganassi (7-time race winning owner)
“My favorite iconic moment of the race is 1998. (Alex) Zanardi was running dead last. He was so far back that our sponsors were starting to leave already because they didn’t think we had any chance, but he came back and won the race. Some of (our sponsors) had already left, but we ended up winning the race. It was a magical moment, a magical moment of his career in our team’s history — a magical moment I’ll never forget it.”
Bobby Rahal (15-time Long Beach starter, 3-time INDYCAR Champion, 1986 Indy 500 winner)
“Well, my memory is, I went there in 1977 because I just signed on with a team from Connecticut, and we were going to do a race up in Willow Springs, in the high desert in Southern California. Anyway, we had a chance to go to the race. We had a motorhome and of course, ‘77 was the year that Mario won. But the second or third year of the race, (I watched) the race on top of my motorhome and my mother drove out. It was a hell of a race for the last (several) laps. Mario, (Niki) Lauda and Jody Scheckter (battled), and then Scheckter got a flat tire, and Mario won. It was hugely popular being the U.S. Grand Prix and being only second race at Long Beach. So, yeah, that’s my Long Beach memory. It’s a big memory, of course. Then going back in ‘78 in Formula Atlantics and I was on pole. We had (contact) on the pace lap and got a flat tire. I started way behind, like a half of a lap behind the field, and I was almost back in the lead by halfway through the race, and then the drive shaft broke. But it was from that performance that I got the chance to go to Italy to drive for Dallara in its first-ever Formula 3 car. And I raced in Europe that whole summer, as well as from Atlantics. So, 1977 was amazing. To watch that race and then have the 1978 event kind of lit a fire under my career was really special.”
Helio Castroneves (2001 winner, 4-time Long Beach pole winner)
“I have a few pole positions there. I think it was 2017 — it was fantastic. I had a great lap there. And of course, the win (in 2001) was absolutely amazing. The Indianapolis 500 is the ultimate goal that a driver wants to win. However, Long Beach is one of the most prestigious because of everything: the history, how incredible the track is, and how Hollywood is so close. So, if you cannot win the Indy 500 you want to make sure that Long Beach is on your book. When I won the pole in ’17, Roger (Penske) even pulled me aside and asked where that lap came from! It was magical.”
Will Power (2-time Long Beach winner, 3-time Long Beach pole winner, won last Champ Car Race at Long Beach in 2008)
“I’m going to say the favorite Long Beach moment was probably the last Champ Car win. To win that was very nice. Great cars and it was just cool to sort of finish out that chapter of INDYCAR racing like that.”
Scott Dixon (2-time Long Beach winner, defending race winner)
“I’ll probably go with my last one (in 2024) because I think it was the hardest to pull off. I think when we kind of went down that strategy, we thought there would be some cautions later, and obviously there didn’t end up being one. I think with the strategy, one to pull that off, but two, I think just with the pressure, the last 10 laps were pretty intense. So, it’s always nice. I think it’s a full team effort to pull one of those off.”
Kyle Kirkwood (Scored maiden INDYCAR SERIES victory at Long Beach in 2023)
“Long Beach is the biggest race of the year outside of the Indy 500. The history behind it is immense, especially for Andretti Global. We’re always excited to get back there as it always produces a very good opportunity for us to win. When we won back in 2023, it was the biggest moment in my career. The event means so much for the fans and the history of INDYCAR.”
Colton Herta (California native won 2021 Long Beach race)
“That’s the race I grew up going to. I was two weeks old for my first Long Beach Grand Prix. And so, it’s my first INDYCAR race, and it’s the one that I grew up going to the most just because Southern California native. It was super special to be able to win that one, especially from mid-pack. That was really, really cool and really hard.”
James Hinchcliffe (2017 Long Beach race winner)
“Long Beach has so many memories for me. A lot of firsts, like my first Lights win and first INDYCAR top-five (finish) and podium. But for sure the best memory was my win there in 2017. After Indy, Long Beach is the race everyone wants to win because of the history, the atmosphere, and the fans. It’s just a race that lives on a different level.”
Townsend Bell (2001 INDY NXT Long Beach winner)
“I think two things come to mind, and strangely enough, they’re both Indy Lights (INDY NXT) flavored. I remember as a 16-year-old going to Long Beach for the first time, and I happened to walk into the track during Indy Lights practice. I think Bryan Herta was running strong at that time, one of the front runners in the series, and I remember the sound and the ferocity of force of a race car – an open-wheel car with downforce challenging the concrete jungle. I just remember the visceral ‘wow’ factor that instantly caught me, and then through an amazing adventure, I found myself many years later, probably eight years later, winning in Indy Lights on the streets of Long Beach. So those are two special memories to just go as a fan and just blown away at how amazing it looked, sounded, and then to be that guy is kind of wild.”
