Long Beach Celebrates 50 Years Of Grand Prix Success

Welcome back to The Sunstone Way. 

First things first. We didn’t win. 

The Duke Blue Devils came within three points of playing for the men’s NCAA Division I basketball national championship. It was quite a ride, and a lot of fun. I didn’t win the Sunstone Bracket Challenge, but still… We’ll notify the winners and get those prizes out ASAP. 

50 Years of Zoom 

We jump straight into another major sports event this weekend with the 50^th Anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. This isn’t your regular Sunday afternoon drive. Those folks in the cockpits are athletes, pure and simple. 

I shiver when I think of trying to control a 1,750-pound car doing nearly 200 mph down the straights with my rear end six or eight inches off the ground. In Long Beach, there are 11 turns to negotiate, 23 or 24 other cars to beat and 50 laps to get through. 

It takes less than two hours to cover the 100 miles of the Long Beach race. The IndyCar championship is indeed the climax of the event, but there are three full days of excitement and activities that make this the biggest party of the year for the city. 

Another Public-Private Partnership 

The Grand Prix and all the races and other events surrounding it are put on by the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. That’s a private company launched by Chris Pook (an English immigrant, by the way) and recently purchased by the legendary Roger Penske, one of the biggest names in auto racing history. 

There are more than 100 other companies playing a part in the Grand Prix as vendors, sponsors or both. It takes more than a month to put up all the grandstands, tents, luxury boxes and safety fences that make up the race circuit. 

None of it would happen without the assistance and participation of the city of Long Beach. City officials work closely with the Grand Prix Association to make sure it is safe for the 200,000 or so spectators coming downtown for the three days, as well as all the race teams for the various events, workers and more. 

Parking for all of those people is an art in itself, with most of downtown involved in the plan. The Long Beach Fire Department is an important part of the safety team, as are the police officers on duty. 

Economic Impact 

Last year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach created $100 million in economic impact to the city of Long Beach and the surrounding area – in three days. That’s direct impact like filling hotel rooms and restaurants, putting people to work, tourists buying souvenirs and necessities – you get the picture. 

Then there’s the image value. Talk to the folks at Visit Long Beach, the city’s convention and visitors bureau. Convention planners and travel agents see that Long Beach can put on an international-class event with style and panache, maybe convincing them to bring their events to the city. 

Television viewers see a classy Southern California city on the coast, with the Queen Mary in the background. The Aquarium of the Pacific’s iconic dolphin fountain gets plenty of airtime as cars in every race circle it on every lap. That’s impact. 

Community 

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is a community event with international impact – that’s a pretty cool thing. To have it happen for the last 50 years is a historic thing. 

It takes the entire community to pull it off every year. That kind of partnership should be celebrated. I want to congratulate the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach on reaching this milestone. 

For me, a big part of the Sunstone Way is making the community a better place. The Grand Prix of Long Beach is on that Sunstone Way. See you at the races! 

And remember, always be a Sunstone!