Two racing legends — Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr. — have been tapped to be the grand marshals during the city’s biggest annual event next year, the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Next year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, scheduled to take place from April 11 to 13, will mark a massive milestone for the event and the city alike, with organizers planning to celebrate with the theme “50 Years at Full Speed.” There will be special fan experiences aimed at celebrating the Grand Prix’s history, among other anniversary-themed aspects.
Adding Andretti and Unser Jr. — both racing legends beloved by fans across the world — to that celebratory lineup is sure whip up a wave of excitement.
“It’s an incredible honor to have Al and Mario as part of this historic celebration,” Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, said in a Monday, Dec. 9, news release. “Their accomplishments on and off the track are legendary, and their presence will make the 50th anniversary event truly unforgettable for fans and participants alike.”
Both Andretti and Unser Jr. have extensive ties to the event, with the former having raced in the first Grand Prix of Long Beach race in 1975. Though he didn’t bag a win on that occasion, Andretti went on to claim the Grand Prix title four times from 1977 to 1987 — giving him the title “King of the Beach.”
Andretti’s first Grand Prix win in Long Beach, according to the GPALB, helped solidify his status as an international star of the sport, but it also gave the budding local event the shine it needed to earn a place as a major international racing event.
“I participated in the first-ever race in Long Beach in 1975,” Andretti said in the announcement. “The Formula 5000 race was hugely successful, paving the way for Formula One officials to place Long Beach on the 1976 schedule just six months after the inaugural race.”
Besides his many wins in Long Beach,…
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