Long Beach

The once seedy Long Beach has become a thriving, modern town since racing started here in 1975.

Country

United States

Location

Long Beach, California

Latest Race

2019 Long Beach Grand Prix

First Race

1975 Long Beach Grand Prix

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The once seedy Long Beach has become a thriving, modern town since racing started here in 1975. After a trial Formula 5000 event, promoter Chris Pook attracted the Formula 1 World Championship to the United States Grand Prix West (a cumbersome title that was soon dropped). Clay Regazzoni won that first F1 race but he was badly injured at Long Beach four years later. The rising costs of playing host to the F1 circus led to a switch to the Champ Car World Series in 1984. Subsequent years were dominated by the Andretti family and Al Unser Jr, whose six wins included four in succession. City redevelopment has gradually shortened the course, so that since 2000 Long Beach has essentially been two parallel straights joined by tight and twisting corners at each end. It was here that the last Champ Car race was held in 2008 and it remains a crowd-puller on the Indycar calendar. It is significant that the popularity of Grand Prix racing in North America began to fade when this race was lost to Champ Cars. Formula E visited Long Beach in 2015 and 2016 on a truncated layout that included a chicane on Shoreline Drive and turned right onto Pine Avenue.

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Grand Prix Circuit

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Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

1.968 (Miles)

Description

Turn 6 moved to Pine Avenue

Fastest Race Lap

Josef Newgarden (Dallara DW12-Chevrolet), 1m07.5511, 104.881 mph, Indycars, 2018

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Alexander Rossi (Dallara DW12-Honda), 1m06.4811, 106.569 mph, Indycars, 2019

Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

1.824 (Miles)

Description

New section from Turns 1-6 at the end of Shoreline Drive

Fastest Race Lap

Juan Pablo Montoya (Reynard 99I-Honda), 1m02.779, 104.596 mph Champ Cars, 1999

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Tony Kanaan (Reynard 99I-Honda), 1m01.109, 107.454 mph, Champ Cars, 1999

Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

1.586 (Miles)

Description

Hyatt Hotel underpass bypassed, extended the straight on Seaside Way

Fastest Race Lap

Bobby Rahal (Reynard 98I-Ford), 51.333s, 111.227 mph, Champ Cars, 1998

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Bryan Herta (Reynard 98I-Ford), 50.945s, 112.075 mph, Champ Cars, 1998

Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

1.67 (Miles)

Description

East Hairpin on Shoreline Drive moved away from Ocean Boulevard

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Mario Andretti (Lola T900-Cosworth), 1m05.213, 92.190 mph, Champ Cars, 1985

Type

Temporary street circuit

Length

2.035 (Miles)

Description

Original start straight (Ocean Boulevard) replaced by a complex through the Hyatt Hotel garage and a straight on Seaside Way, run to east hairpin shortened, start moved to Shoreline

Fastest Race Lap

Niki Lauda (McLaren MP4/1C-Ford), 1m28.330, 82.939 mph, F1, 1983

Fastest Qualifying Lap

Patrick Tambay (Ferrari 126C2B), 1m26.117, 85.071 mph, F1, 1983