The second most prestigious race on the IndyCar calendar behind the ever-present Indianapolis 500, the future of the Long Beach Grand Prix was uncertain at the start of the year, after the announcement of the sale of the shares of Kevin Kalkhoven, co -owner of the event, died in 2022. His business partner, Gerry Forsythe, then bought Kalkhoven’s shares, in order to guarantee the presence of IndyCar and IMSA at the event in the future.
While NASCAR and Formula 1 were still investigating a possible purchase of the event to integrate it into their calendars, Penske Entertainment announced this Thursday that it had acquired the Long Beach Grand Prix 100%. It is thus certain that IndyCar will continue its journey in California in the years to come, since Penske also owns the championship and the Indianapolis circuit.
“We are incredibly proud to be the new stewards of this beloved and iconic event”said Roger Penske. “This is the most historic and prestigious city race in North America, and we are thrilled to work with Jim Michaelian [président du GPLB] and its formidable Long Beach team to ensure continued long-term success and growth. This race and its loyal fans mean a lot to IndyCar, and we look forward to celebrating the race’s 50th anniversary this April. »
Often nicknamed the “American Monaco”, Long Beach hosted its first race, a Formula 5000 event, in 1975, before organizing the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix West, then an IndyCar event since 1984. Only the 2020 edition had to be canceled, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, preventing races from being held in California that year. The race returned to the calendar as the final of the 2021 championship.
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