The 33rd Annual Long Beach Grand Prix has come a long way since the first one!

By James Drew

Photos by James Drew

Formula 5000 style race cars that had famous names like Unser, Andretti, Ongasis and Brian Redman who would win that first year. The next year, Chris Pook got the backing to put on the race with Formula One cars, that 2nd Year the late Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari would win. Mario Andretti who would win the 3nd Annual Formula One race and become the first American to win a Formula one race in the U.S.A. happened at Long Beach in March of 1977. Mario only had to fight off Jody Scheckter and Nicky Laudi. In the 33 year history there have been names we knew, but today with IRL and Champ car fighting it have it least to this fan of open wheel Indy car racing. NOT IRL CART Champ Car.

The car count is a dismal eighteen cars now there were some drivers I had heard of two-time Champ Car champion Sebastian Bourdais, and two, no I mean three times LBGP Champion, Paul Tracy. Hhey I like this guy - he gets into trouble more than me! There was a Rahal but this one was a 2nd gen version who got crashed out in his debut in last week ends Las Vegas debut . But besides these guys I had never heard of any of the others in field. Both these sanction bodies need to get there $@^$ together.

The IRL has some great racing but you could drop missiles into the stands and not hit any one and that is a shame great racing. But again sure I know the big names that defected from CART Champ Car Penske, Andretti Green guys and some others but come May for the greatest open wheel race the Indy 500 where they will barely have enough cars let alone more good cars that could produce a decent bump day let alone maybe win the big one. What Champ car does have our some street races which our on the most part follow the leader races but draw large large crowds to these events! Most that come to the Long Beach Grand Prix though do not know or care who wins any other race, now I know there are some serous fans that follow that are here in Long Beach but most are here to hang out with friends check out the opposite sex and have a few adult beverages. The support races this year making their debut was American Le Mans Prototype cars, Toyota Atlantic series and Speed G.T. series and The Toyota Celeb Race!

AMLS The overall winner ‘s came out of LMP 2 class these run smaller engines then the LMP 1 class that Audi diesel l fueled racers. The Penske Porsche LMP 2 used strategy to pull off the defeat of Also coming in first and second was the dominant Chevrolet Corvettes Who have chased off all the competition in their class came home one-two giving G. M. another Trophy, and got to test some secret new parts before racing in the 24 hour of Le Mans.