39 Years Ago: The First Long Beach Grand Prix

"Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)" (gaborvajda)
04/12/2014 at 09:54 • Filed to: long beach grand prix, indycar, cart, champ car, f5000, formula 5000, f1, formula 1, formula one

After IndyCar has been confirmed through 2018 to be the main attraction at one of the most prestigious street races in the world - followed by a pseudo-bidding war with F1 -, American open-wheel racing returns for another round to the west coast city of Long Beach this weekend.

Although IndyCar and CART/Champ Car have been the longest dwellers of the event - and some wish !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! till the end of time -, it is undeniable that F1 raised its initial fame to super-stardom, only to become the highest valued street racing event west of Monaco. No wonder F1 tries to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! it back.

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Of course, F1 wrongly thinks about itself being Genesis, as it is just another dweller. One easily forgets that the true originator of the event is the long-dead but otherwise excellent !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! series. In 1975, these open-wheel muscle cars first raced down towards Queen Mary straight into history. Luckily, some amateur footage was spared for us to enjoy the trip down on Memory Lane.

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What racing series - other than the current ones - would you like to see next to IndyCar to take the streets of LB?

DISCUSSION (22)

JDIGGS > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/12/2014 at 14:52

NOTHING ITS GREAT NOW. F1 IS DUMB.

Let them Race at a different time of year, not try to mess up current event.

Get the fuck out of here f1 your shit, your races hardly last long at all. You make the fastest most advanced cars, and then put some tire rules into to make sure the CARS NEVER ATTAIN THEIR CAPABLE PACE. Your weak ass technology goes less distance all season that a single 24 hr race like lemans or daytona. We all need to admit the reality is F1 has the potential to be the best most exciting racing, but it is held back hugely.

F1 cars are rad, the drivers have pure talent. Doesn't matter because it's such a politico contrived bullshit encompassing so many negatives it bites itself in the ass.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > JDIGGS
04/12/2014 at 14:54

Couldn't help it: had to upvote this one.

mynamesteve > JDIGGS
04/12/2014 at 15:08

All you just said can also be applied to IndyCar. And I'm saying this as a fan of both F1 and IndyCar.

dirty soap > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/12/2014 at 16:01

Nice shot of the Linden leap. Would love to see them run that route again

dirty soap > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/12/2014 at 16:09

Love this clip from "76

Steven Phillips Photography > JDIGGS
04/12/2014 at 16:14

Kinja'd!!!

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > mynamesteve
04/12/2014 at 16:20

Honestly, I could only decide whether he likes or hates F1 for the second reading.

G/O Sucks > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/12/2014 at 17:13

I was there, at the tender age of five! I still remember my dad pointing out the black with gold striped car as the best one. The noise was unreal and that day hooked me on F1 and road racing. A framed pic of my brother and I in front of the John Player Special Lotus trailer still exists. What a great memory this brought back!

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > G/O Sucks
04/12/2014 at 17:14

You mean the F5000 or the F1 race?

G/O Sucks > JDIGGS
04/12/2014 at 17:17

Uh, drink much?

When you sober up, consider the long-term prospects and commercial potential of Indy vs F1. The former is weak at very best and the likely scenario is that the LBGP will go away forever WHEN (not if) Indy shuts down.

G/O Sucks > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/12/2014 at 17:54

Ah yes, thank you — I was at the inaugural F5000 race, then the Lotus photos were from the '76 F1 race (which was only about 7 months later I seem to recall). My bowl cut was the same. Ferrari won the F1 race (Clay Regazzoni, I think). Attended each until about 1980, moved away, then moved back as an adult in 2000. I'm now partial to see F1 return...

I remember riding to the inaugural race in the back of my Dad's '66 912 — the child seats really worked — while playing with an F1/F5000 toy I received at breakfast. It's still around here somewhere, as is a program and pics.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > G/O Sucks
04/12/2014 at 17:58

Wow, fascinating pieces of info.

Nimrodical > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/12/2014 at 23:43

Kinja'd!!!

So myself, Magnus Walker, and Patrick Long were all hanging out in the pits today. This is why Long Beach is so cool! I felt bad turning down their autograph request but sheeze man I'm trying to watch the race. Sorry about that Mags and Pat

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Nimrodical
04/13/2014 at 02:46

Wha...? Cool. Can you post some more pictures? Would love to see them.

Prettyboy Superdumb > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/13/2014 at 03:12

If you haven't been to Long Beach in a few years (maybe the split and all the dumb vitriol from both sides at the time, and obsessed internet commenters to this day, turned you off), let me be the first to say... get your ass back to the track.

They've opened up a bunch of new, awesome viewing areas the last few years, and World Challenge and the merged sportscar series are just awesome in support.

I've been going since the early 90s, and the amenities and planning now are seriously better than they have ever been... and thats before I even mention that IndyCar puts on a goddamn great show these days.

I aint paid to say it, I don't even work for any of the teams anymore, just get your ass to Long Beach.

Prettyboy Superdumb > G/O Sucks
04/13/2014 at 03:14

Go back to crapwagon.

IndyCar isn't shutting down, and spending $100 million on an F1 race so Bernie can pilfer the henhouse and leave the race in 3 years, all while losing money ever year with much worse racing and higher ticket prices, is as dumb an economic decision as it is a racing decision.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Prettyboy Superdumb
04/13/2014 at 03:15

Word.

Prettyboy Superdumb > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/13/2014 at 03:59

As an unrelated sidenote, you can see my dad (and his name on the side of the car) in that '75 F5000 video you posted, as Al Unser's chief mechanic. :)

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Prettyboy Superdumb
04/13/2014 at 04:08

Wow, awesome. Can you share some stories?

Jonny683 > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/13/2014 at 10:17

NASCAR. Look, if Canadian NASCAR can compete at Trois Riviras and Toronto, why not get the NASCAR West series to do a few races. Then get the Nationwide cars there. I'dlikd to see some V8's on there.

Nimrodical > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/13/2014 at 10:53

Kinja'd!!!

Yep. Sorry I'm a Porsche guy but here ya go.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Nimrodical
04/13/2014 at 10:56

Many-many thanks, sir! You've elevated the quality of this entry by a large margin.