 | |
 | |
| IndyCar Series | |
|---|---|
| Location | Long Beach, California 33°45′59″N 118°11′34″W / 33.76639°N 118.19278°W |
| Corporate sponsor | Acura (Honda) |
| First race | 1975 |
| First ICS race | 2009 |
| Distance | 167.28 mi (269.21 km) |
| Laps | 85 |
| Previous names | Long Beach Grand Prix (1975) United States Grand Prix West (1976–1983) Toyota Grand Prix of the United States (1980–1981, 1983) Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (1984–2018) |
| Most wins (driver) | Al Unser Jr. (6) |
| Most wins (team) | Team Penske (7) Ganassi (7) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chassis: Dallara (15) Engine: Honda (21) Tires: Firestone (21) |
| Circuit information | |
| Length | 1.968 mi (3.167 km) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Lap record | 1:05.309 ( Colton Herta, Dallara IR18–Honda, 2022, IndyCar) |
The Grand Prix of Long Beach (known as Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach since 2019 for naming rights reasons) is an IndyCar Series race held on a street circuit in downtown Long Beach, California. It was the premier race on the CART/Champ Car World Series calendar from 1996 to 2008, and the 2008 race was the final Champ Car series race prior to the formal unification and end of the open-wheel "split" between CART and IRL. Since 2009, the race has been part of the unified IndyCar Series.[1][2] The race is typically held in April. It is one of the longest continuously running events in IndyCar racing and is considered one of the most prestigious events on the circuit.
The Long Beach Grand Prix is the longest running major street race held in North America. It was started in 1975 as a Formula 5000 race by event founder Christopher Pook, and became a Formula One event in 1976.[3] In an era when turbocharged engines were starting to come to prominence in Formula One, Long Beach remains one of the few circuits used from the time Renault introduced turbos in 1977 until the last Long Beach Grand Prix in 1983 that never once saw a turbo-powered car take victory.
John Watson's win for McLaren in 1983 holds the Formula One record for the lowest ever starting position for a race winner. In a grid consisting of 26 cars, Watson started 22nd in his McLaren-Ford. That same race also saw Watson's teammate (and 1982 Long Beach winner) Niki Lauda finish second after starting 23rd on the grid. René Arnoux, who finished third in his Ferrari 126C2B, was the only driver to ever finish on the Formula One podium at Long Beach driving a turbocharged car.
In 1984, the race switched from a Formula One race to a CART IndyCar event. Support races over the years have included Indy Lights, IMSA, Atlantics, Pirelli World Challenge, Trans-Am Series, Formula D, Stadium Super Trucks, Formula E, and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. Toyota was a sponsor of the event since its beginning and title sponsor from 1980 to 2018,[4] believed to be the longest continuously running sports sponsorship in the U.S.
The Long Beach Grand Prix has been announced since 1978 by Bruce Flanders (and various guest announcers). The Long Beach Grand Prix in April is the single largest event in the city of Long Beach. Attendance for the weekend regularly reaches or exceeds 200,000 people. In 2006, the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame was created to honor selected past winners and key contributors to the sport of auto racing.
- ^ Morales, Robert (February 27, 2008). "Champ Car finale to roar into L.B." The Long Beach Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on April 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ Steven Cole Smith (2007-11-06). "Champ Car schedule "stable" for 2008". www.autoweek.com. Archived from the original on 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
- ^ Peltz, James F. (April 7, 2019). "Jim Michaelian steers the Long Beach Grand Prix with a steady hand". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-04-10.
- ^ "Toyota ends 44-year title sponsorship of Long Beach GP". RACER. 2018-08-16. Retrieved 2018-10-18.