{"id":275602,"date":"2026-04-19T13:50:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T13:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/275602\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T13:50:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T13:50:24","slug":"what-will-the-grand-prix-of-long-beach-look-like-in-next-50-years-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/275602\/","title":{"rendered":"What will the Grand Prix of Long Beach look like in next 50 years? \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Chris Pook came up with his idea in the 1970s to run race cars on the streets of Long Beach, many people thought it was \u201ca crazy idea\u201d that would never work.<\/p>\n

But Pook, then a young travel agent in downtown Long Beach, had the vision and fortitude to make the first race a reality in 1975.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t imagine it at the time, but the Grand Prix of Long Beach, now in its 51st year, has become the premier street car race in the United States and the single biggest event in the city\u2019s history, drawing around 200,000 people last year.<\/p>\n

It is a spectacular success story created by Pook and built upon by Jim Michaelian, his successor as president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach.<\/p>\n

Michaelian died unexpectedly on March 21 at 83, just a few weeks away from the final event he planned to oversee before his retirement, at which point he would turn over the race reins to his successor, Jim Liaw.<\/p>\n

Liaw, saddened by the loss of Michaelian, is carrying on running this weekend\u2019s events in honor of his friend.<\/p>\n

After moving here from Miami to become managing editor of the Press-Telegram, I saw my first Grand Prix race in 1979.<\/p>\n

I saw Long Beach alive like I had never seen it. The noise was overwhelming (earplugs are a big help) and the speed of the cars was rip-roaring. In those early years, part of the race course ran on Ocean Boulevard and a thrill for spectators was watching the cars fly on the narrow street that dipped down to Seaside Way. They called it the Linden Leap.<\/p>\n

Since then, I have been to every race, making a total of 47 including this year\u2019s race. In that almost 50-year period, I have seen the Grand Prix grow into a hugely popular, iconic motorsports event.<\/p>\n

The question now is: What can Liaw, his staff and city officials do in the next 50 years to make the racing event even bigger and better?<\/p>\n

Liaw said this week that, in his new job, he will always work to strike a balance, honoring the Grand Prix\u2019s history and tradition, while looking for new ways to grow the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want to rest on the laurels of what Chris Pook, Jim Michaelian and their staffs accomplished,\u201d Liaw said last week. \u201cThey created a strong foundation, which we can continue to build on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The 2026 poster for the ACURA Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A poster honors Jim Michaelian, the longtime president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association who passed away last month, inside the media center at the 51st Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach on Friday, April 17, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Jim<\/p>\n

Jim Liaw, recently named president and CEO of the Long Beach Grand Prix Association, addresses dignitaries and racing fans at the Motorsports Walk of Fame induction ceremony in downtown Long Beach on Thursday, Apr. 16, 2026. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Race<\/p>\n

Race fans check out the Zanardi 96 Indycar vehicle on display in the Expo Center at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach on Friday, April 17, 2026. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Cadillac Whelen GTP car races around the hairpin in the first IMSA practice session during the 51st Grand Prix of Long Beach in Long Beach on Friday, April 17, 2026. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Race<\/p>\n

Race fans view 50 years of winners and posters in the Lifestyle Expo during the Grand Prix of Long Beach on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 6<\/p>\n

The 2026 poster for the ACURA Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News\/SCNG)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

The key question, of course, is finding out what customers want and then satisfying those desires, Liaw said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of people interested in the race, from car enthusiasts to family members wanting to have a good time to corporate and business interests,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is an exciting opportunity to engage even more people in this great event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liaw said he will continue the Grand Prix\u2019s partnership with city officials, community organizations and businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can not only have an immediate economic impact on businesses,\u201d he said, \u201cbut we can also have a residual effect like getting young people interested by going to their schools and working with the Long Beach Unified School District.\u201d<\/p>\n

This past week, students at eight Long Beach schools enjoyed visits from race car drivers and their cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong Beach is so rich in culture and diversity, but there are many people who have never set foot on the Grand Prix circuit,\u201d Liaw said. \u201cWe have to figure out a way to draw more people in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liaw said he was excited by his new job.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much that can be done,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have hit one very high plateau with the race. Now, we have to push even higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pook complimented Liaw on his background.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has considerable experience in racing with his work in Formula Drift and Performance Racing Industry,\u201d he said. \u201cHe can use his already demonstrated talents to grow the event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Liaw was aware of the need for customer satisfaction, including spectators, sponsors and businesses, Pook said.<\/p>\n

\u201cRelations with the city and residential neighbors are really important,\u201d Pook said.<\/p>\n

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson was also complimentary about Liaw\u2019s ability and talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are having a smooth transition with him,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cHe has a deep respect for the race and tradition, but he also has a deep respect for the future. The combination of him and the race\u2019s owner, Penske Entertainment, positions the race to get to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The future of the city, Richardson said, is tied to tourism and getting more people involved. An important issue being worked on is the Shoreline Drive Realignment Project, he said, which would reshape portions of Shoreline Drive to provide more park space adjacent to Chavez Park.<\/p>\n

Also involved are plans to develop the Elephant Lot next to the Long Beach Arena. The lot gets its name from the Ringling Brothers Circus, which used the land for shows. The 14-acre area is used by Grand Prix race crews, among other uses throughout the year.<\/p>\n

The city, Richardson said, will work closely with Grand Prix officials on plans for Shoreline Drive and the Elephant Lot. He praised the impact the Grand Prix has had on the city for decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know it will attract future generations of race fans, too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Steve Goodling, president and CEO of Visit Long Beach, said the Grand Prix\u2019s next half-century \u201cis a great opportunity to improve and enhance the entire race experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can use more music, music, music, for one thing,\u201d he said. \u201cJim Michaelian did a great job in bringing entertainment to the race experience. I\u2019m looking forward to an even greater future for the Grand Prix.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, ticket holders were treated to free music concerts on both Friday and Saturday evenings in front of the Terrace Theater.<\/p>\n

And the race has a greater impact on the city than the immediate effects during race weekend, Goodling said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor instance,\u201d he said, \u201cthis week we are entertaining 100 people from all over the United States who represent potential convention visitors to Long Beach.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time the race is over on Sunday, these people will have been totally immersed in the positive aspects of Long Beach,\u201d Goodling added, \u201cand, hopefully, will think well about bringing their conventions to our city.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan Gooch, a former city employee who helped the Grand Prix get its start in Long Beach in the 1970s and \u201980s, said there were things he would like to see happen in the next 50 years:<\/p>\n

Bring back the pro\/celebrity race.
\nGet more media coverage leading up to the race \u201cto build up excitement.\u201d
\nInvolve Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach City College by engaging their professors to link their specialties, like engineering, communications and marketing, with the race
\nEstablish scholarships for students in high schools, creating a link to the younger generation.<\/p>\n

Also speaking about the future of the Grand Prix was my departed friend, Michaelian. He sent me a note eight years ago, which is appropriate for today\u2019s column.<\/p>\n

\u201cRich, if you feel it is appropriate, it might be good to end your article with something about the years that the Grand Prix has provided the city of Long Beach with a superb event,\u201d he wrote, \u201cwhich continues to grow and that looks to serve the community for many years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Good ending, Jim. Thank you \u2014 and here\u2019s to 50 more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Chris Pook came up with his idea in the 1970s to run race cars on the streets…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":275603,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7,131,28942,133,132,137,100],"class_list":["post-275602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-california","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-grand-prix","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-county","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275602","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275602"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275602\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275602"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275602"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275602"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}