IndyCar is part of motorsport history this weekend as they prepare to race through Long Beach. The iconic street circuit that runs through the coastal city is celebrating its 50th anniversary of racing.
Celebrating Long Beach: The Grand Prix’s Greatest Moments
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was first introduced as part of the Formula 5000 schedule by event founder Christopher Pook in 1975. The following year, the circuit was added as a track on the Formula 2 calendar.
The last Formula 1 race in Long Beach was held in 1983. The Grand Prix of Long Beach is considered the city’s largest event.
CART Indy Car’s First Running in Long Beach
On March 31, 1984, the street circuit became a part of the CART Indy Car calendar. The first CART driver to take the top step of the podium was none other than Mario Andretti.
Long Beach served as the season opener that year.
Mario Andretti started on pole and led all 112 laps of the race. This made him the only other driver aside from Geoff Brabham to finish the race on the lead lap.
Long Beach was officially added as a part of the IndyCar Series calendar in 2009.
Michael Andretti’s Finds Victory
Mario wasn’t the only Andretti to find success while driving through the streets of Long Beach as his son, Michael, had a very similar experience.
His very first CART career win was the 1986 running of the race. The battle for first place was between him and Al Unser Jr. Thanks to an early pit stop, Andretti had warmer tires than Unser and was able to retake the lead after Unser exited the plan ahead of Andretti on Lap 69.
During the later stages of the race, Andretti, Unser, and Roberto Moreno all found themselves getting a bit too close to comfort. Andretti luckily pulled ahead and won the race by 0.380 seconds.
Andretti’s final win of his career was also in Long Beach in 2002.
Kyle Kirkwood’s Maiden Win
It was a strong weekend from start to finish back in 2023 for Kyle Kirkwood during Long Beach’s race weekend. He qualified on pole, narrowly beating Marcus Ericsson – who raced for Chip Ganassi at the time – for the position.
The race saw multiple lead changes during pit stops. Kirkwood stayed out for an extra lap during the final round of pit stops when most drivers decided to pit. As a result, he was able to overtake both Josef Newgarden and Romain Grosjean for the lead.
The decision to stay out secured him his first IndyCar career win.
Colton Herta’s Homecoming
California native Colton Herta gets to enjoy the pleasure of racing through his home state every year during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. In 2021, this running of the race saw Herta take home the final win of the season.
The 2021 IndyCar was scheduled to work alongside COVID-19 protocols. Because of this, Long Beach took place in September as opposed to its usual date in April.
On lap 34 of the race, Callum Ilott spun into a run-off area, which prompted Helio Castroneves to make a pit stop as the team thought a caution was going to be brought out. Instead, a yellow flag was waved, which allowed Herta to take the lead.
He won the race about half a second ahead of Newgarden and to take home his third win of the year.
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