The 1974 Formula 5000 Dan Gurney All-American Racers Eagle 755, winner of the 1975 Long Beach pole position with Vern Schuppan at the wheel.
Two of Southern California motorsports and automotive institutions are celebrating five decades of racing on the streets of Long Beach.
The green flag will drop on nostalgia when the Petersen Automotive Museum hosts a special exhibit featuring five race cars that are part of the Long Beach grand prix's rich history. The cars represent three eras of racing in Long Beach, which began in the mid-1970s with Formula 5000 and went on to showcase Formula 1 and IndyCar competition with other series packed into the race weekend.
Here are the five cars that will be on display, starting Thursday at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles' Miracle Mile, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Formula 5000 era: The 1974 Formula 5000 Dan Gurney All-American Racers Eagle 755, winner of the 1975 Long Beach pole position with driver Vern Schuppan at the wheel. The car, owned by local businessman Tom Malloy, was also the first car ever to compete on the streets of Long Beach. Formula 5000 racers, high-powered open wheel cars with distinctive aerodynamic designs, competed at the inaugural Long Beach race in 1975.
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Formula 1 era: Formula 1 competed in Long Beach from 1976 to 1983. The period will be represented by two cars at the Petersen Museum, including the 1976 March 761, currently owned by Richard Griot. The car was driven by Italy’s Vittorio Brambilla in 1976 at Long Beach. The second Formula 1 car on display will be the 1980 McLaren M30, driven by Frenchman Alain Prost during the 1980 F1 season and currently owned by Sean Allen.
Indy Car era: The 1981 All-American Racers Eagle 8100, owned by Dennis Firestone and driven by Firestone himself, will be part of the exhibit representing the current series racing in Long Beach. A 1999 Reynard driven by Bryan Herta and owned by Erich Joiner also will be featured.
The exhibit will be open Thursday through April 8 in the museum’s lobby. There is no admission fee to see the lobby exhibit.
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Headlined by the IndyCar series and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, this year's Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach also will feature the Historic Formula Exhibition. Race cars that are part of Long Beach's history will once again roar on Shoreline Drive for a few laps during the three-day motorsports weekend.
"Racing in Long Beach has been an important part of American motorsports for five decades, and this exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum offers a rare opportunity to celebrate its legacy," said Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian. "Fans will not only be able to witness these legendary machines up close but also experience them in action during race weekend."
The events list also features Super Drift Challenge, Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks and GT America Powered by AWS.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is scheduled for April 11-13.
