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<\/p>\nThe gates opened Friday for the 51st annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend.<\/p>\n
Sun-filled skies and temperatures in the mid-70s greeted thousands of race fans entering the famed street circuit. But for the first time since the NTT INDYCAR SERIES event began in 1984, fans weren\u2019t greeted by a familiar face.<\/p>\n
Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, died unexpectedly March 21 at age 83.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got up really early this morning and just spent time walking around and thinking about Jim because he cared so much about this event,\u201d INDYCAR President J. Douglas Boles said. \u201cWalking through the customer experience and the places I\u2019ve interacted with Jim.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, a great event. It just feels a little hollow without him here, and I know he\u2019s here in spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michaelian was a founding staff member of the race. Chris Pook spearheaded the event, with Michaelian serving as controller. He later became chief operating officer and succeeded Pook as president and CEO in December 2001.<\/p>\n
A UCLA graduate with a bachelor\u2019s degree in physics and a master\u2019s degree, Michaelian helped grow the event into one of the most prestigious races in the world.<\/p>\n
Under his leadership, the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach evolved into a cultural festival while continuing to expand. The 2024 race drew a then-record 194,000 spectators, a figure that grew to 200,000 last year.<\/p>\n
Many NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers expressed gratitude for Michaelian\u2019s efforts Friday in Long Beach, recalling how they would often see him walking through the paddock and sharing a laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cJim will be missed,\u201d Graham Rahal said. \u201cHe did it the right way all the time. The promotion and vibe behind the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach was second to none. The energy and notoriety the race has had over the years is unbelievable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just saw Jim recently, so it was a shock to hear about his passing. We appreciate everything he did for our sport. He\u2019s a legend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cars are carrying a decal to honor Michaelian (photo, top) during this weekend.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Power Chasing Emotional First Win With Andretti<\/p>\n
Will Power makes his 20th Long Beach start Sunday (5:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Sports app, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls), the most of any driver in event history.<\/p>\n
Power (photo, above) led the way in Friday\u2019s opening practice session with a lap of 1 minute, 7.6053 seconds in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda, setting the early pace for the weekend.<\/p>\n
Whether that translates into his 46th career INDYCAR SERIES victory remains to be seen, but a win would carry added meaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would be very emotional,\u201d Power said. \u201cIt\u2019d be a big deal. If I could win, I have a chance because the cars are great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Power is in his first season with Andretti Global after 16 full-time seasons with Team Penske, where he won two championships and the 2018 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.<\/p>\n
He enters the weekend 13th in points with one top-10 finish after a challenging start that has included qualifying crashes at St. Petersburg, Phoenix Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park, along with race contact at St. Petersburg and Phoenix.<\/p>\n
Power is a two-time Long Beach winner and has seven consecutive top-10 finishes on the 11-turn, 1.968-mile street circuit. Andretti Global had three cars in the top six of the timing chart with points leader Kyle Kirkwood (No. 27 JM Bullion\/Gold.com) third and Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Allegra Honda) sixth.<\/p>\n
Kirkwood is the defending winner and won two of the last three Long Beach races.<\/p>\n
Rossi Inducted Into Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame<\/p>\n
Alexander Rossi and late Long Beach Mayor Robert \u201cBob\u201d Foster were inducted Thursday into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame.<\/p>\n
Rossi admitted Friday morning that being honored while still an active driver felt unusual.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little bit weird, yeah,\u201d Rossi said. \u201cBut it\u2019s still an honor.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Walk of Fame, a joint project of the City of Long Beach and the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, was created in 2006 to honor key contributors to the sport. Dan Gurney and Phil Hill were the inaugural honorees. Scott Dixon and Michaelian were inducted last year.<\/p>\n
Two of Rossi\u2019s eight NTT INDYCAR SERIES victories have come at Long Beach, in 2018 and 2019. The Nevada City, California, native led a combined 151 of 170 laps in those races, both with Andretti Global, and won the pole each year.<\/p>\n
He is in his second season driving the No. 20 Liquid Science Orange Chevrolet for ECR and makes his 10th Long Beach start Sunday. He has an average finish of 11.3 with five top-10 finishes.<\/p>\n
![\"Alexander](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776521061_605_04-17-Rossi.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Rossi Has New Engineer<\/p>\n
Rossi (photo, above) confirmed a change within his engineering group, with Jack Russell replacing Quentin Montigaud as race engineer.<\/p>\n
Montigaud, who joined ECR this offseason from Formula E, moved into the role after Matt Barnes was promoted to vice president of competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be clear, this was not my decision,\u201d Rossi said. \u201cI was part of the discussion, but it\u2019s an internal change. Quentin is still a very important part of the organization.<\/p>\n
\u201cJack was my assistant engineer, so it\u2019s a pretty easy transition. I work very closely with him, anyway, so it\u2019s probably more of an adjustment for him than for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rossi enters Long Beach 11th in points with three top-11 finishes in four races, including a season-best sixth at Phoenix Raceway. He was 11th quickest (1:08.4703) Friday.<\/p>\n
While a change atop the timing stand can bring uncertainty, Rossi emphasized the team\u2019s collaborative approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think people would be surprised by how much it\u2019s not just one individual influencing the engineering direction of a race car,\u201d he said. \u201cI often refer to it as engineering by committee. There\u2019s a lot of input from different directions. One person makes the final decision, but there are a lot of resources within the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wintersteen Reunites With Penske<\/p>\n
As part of Team Penske\u2019s 60th anniversary celebration this season, George Wintersteen is attending this event this weekend, his first time seeing Roger Penske since the 2019 Indianapolis 500.<\/p>\n
Wintersteen was part of Penske\u2019s first race-winning lineup at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona.<\/p>\n
\u201cRoger and I hugged,\u201d Wintersteen said. \u201cI\u2019m not a hugger, but Roger was.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wintersteen doesn\u2019t give himself as much credit as he should for being the first winner in Team Penske history, but he\u2019s in awe of what his former boss has built since.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s marvelous to see,\u201d Wintersteen said. \u201cHe\u2019s built this empire and that\u2019s he\u2019s still on top of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Team Penske owns 44 driver championships across all forms of motorsports, including 17 in the INDYCAR SERIES. His teams have amassed 247 INDYCAR SERIES wins, including 20 victories in the Indianapolis 500.<\/p>\n
CGR Revives Trading Cards<\/p>\n
Chip Ganassi Racing announced April 8 the return of its trading card program.<\/p>\n
Proceeds benefit DonorsChoose, supporting public school classrooms. The program raised more than $20,000 in 2025.<\/p>\n