REMEMBERING THE 51ST ACURA GRAND PRIX OF LONG BEACH
Aside from being one of the most program-packed yet, the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be remembered as the end of the Jim Michaelian era.
By Christopher Carreiro
Tue, Apr 28, 2026 04:00 AM PST
Featured image above: Adrea Caldarelli and Zachary Vanier drove the No. 46 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3 at the 51st Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach (Christopher Carreiro photograph).
In the Beginning
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is widely considered to be one of the most challenging and exciting street circuits in all of motorsport. It is a true driver’s track—wider than most, with iconic corners like the Aquarium dolphin fountain as well as the brutal hairpin section.
Founded by Chris Pook, the circuits founder envisioned a race that winded through the streets of Long Beach. The track has evolved over the years, first raced as Formula 5000 in 1975, then to Formula One the following year won by Mario Andretti in 1976 as the first American driver to win such a race in a U.S. In 1984, it transitioned to CART and has been race in the Indy series since.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach owes its success and longevity of the Grand Prix of Long Beach to a few key figures along with Chris Pook, such as renowned American racer Dan Gurney for which the Grand Prix Media Center is named.
Jim Michaelian
One person, however, was notably missing from this year’s race—President and CEO Jim Michaelian.
Jim passed just weeks before what was to be his last Grand Prix. He was 83. A true competitor, he raced for nearly three decades, even racing after losing an eye to cancer.
Jim was a believer in bringing open wheel racing to the streets of Long Beach, joining the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach in 1976 eventually becoming the races controller. He later became the Chief Operating Officer before being named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2001.
Jim Michaelian served the Grand Prix at Long Beach for 51 years, frequently seen on race day walking the grounds to get the temperature of the crowd. He was transitioning to a passive role, handing the reins to founder of Formula DRIFT, Jim Liaw. Jim Liaw was to succeed Jim Michaelian as President and CEO starting July 1st, before learning of his passing. Though he didn’t expect to step into his role as soon as he did, Jim Liaw proved ready to fill the shoes of his predecessor and honored the late Jim Michaelian with a special decal displayed on all of the car that raced that weekend.
In the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach 51-year history, it has never rained on race day—something Jim Michaelian contended it would never do. Come Sunday, he proved his stake yet again. The entire weekend was met with blue skies, cool breeze and a headful of sunshine.
Many Splendored Events
The marquee event of the weekend is the NTT Indy Series on Sunday; however, many series take place. The IMSA WeatheTech SportsCar Championship competed in Long Beach in two classes Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). The Porsche Carrera Cup North America made its return to the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach after a two-year hiatus. The Historic Motor Sports Association sanctioned its Historic Sports Car Challenge bringing muscle cars from the 1970’s through 1990’s to the track, what many would consider the Golden Age of racing. Stadium Super Trucks and Super DRIFT challenge offered a broader appeal to race day as well.
Porsche Carrera Cup Returns
Rejoining the 1.97-mile circuit for the first time since 2023, the Porsche Carrera Cup brought fierce competition to the track. This year they brought Porsche 992.2 Cup cars and competed in Pirelli P-Zero tires.
The Pro Class was dominated by Australian driver Tom Sargent winning both races from pole aboard the No. 32 Global Motorsports Group (GMG) Racing Cup car. Tom filled in as a last-minute substitute for Kyle Washington, who had been sidelined by injury. Tom led nearly all laps from flag to flag in the Pro Class securing back-to-back wins. The win is considered a major achievement of GMG Racing a team founded in Orange County who had been racing at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach since 2006 and is considered its “home race.”
Patrick Mulachy swept the Solairus Pro-Am class in the ACI Motorsports Cup Car, while Marco Cirone with ACI Motorsports and ROB Walker with JTR Motorsports Engineering split wins in the Solairus Masters class.
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship
Two classes of some of the most technologically advanced race cars on the planet duel simultaneously On Saturday during the 100-minute battle. While 100kg heavier than their LMP-2 counterparts the Grand Touring Prototypes (GTP) are still lightweight and with their hybrid systems and aerodynamics these purpose-built monsters produce around 700 horsepower making them faster. Racing alongside the GTP class cars are the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class cars. This Pro-Am category features FIA GT-3 race cars a series created from the merger of Grand Am and the American Le Mans Series.
Acura Takes the Flag at their Grand Prix
Acura had many activations throughout the grounds celebrating their 40th Anniversary. They had long been pursuing their first win at the circuit since taking over race sponsorship in 2019.
On Saturday, the team of Nick Yelloly and dutchman Renger van der Zande made good on that pursuit taking home first in the GTP Class with their No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Acura Arx-06 prototype.
A hard-fought win, first losing the lead in traffic only to regain it after pit cycles completed and maintained the lead from then to the checkered flag,
The Hard-Charging GTD Class
The hard-charging GTD Class saw Vasser Sullivan Racing take the podium in their Lexus RC F GT3 car.
Team drivers Aaron Tetlitz and Benjamin Petersen secured the win in their No. 12 Lexus a notble win for Vasser Sullivan Racing.
Team drivers Aaron Tetlitz and Benjamin Petersen take the GTD class win in their No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 car (Christopher Carreiro photograph).
The win comes 30 years after team owner Jimmy Vasser took podium in Long Beach at the Indy Car Grand Prix in 1996, subsequently winning the championship later that year.
Historic Sports Car Challenge
Vintage Trans Am machines took to the Long Beach street circuit racing a doubleheader. Cars represented ranged from the 1970s through 1991, providing a nostalgic lookback at sports racing past.
Cars as iconic as the hand lettered names of racing legends that adorned them paraded the track before taking up residence in Convention Hall for race fans to fawn over.
Famous race car driver Chris Hines took the checkered flag, issuing a masterclass with two wins in his No.33 Paul Newman/Sharp Racing Chevrolet.
NTT Indy Car
Sunday is race day for Indy Car in Long Beach and it could not have had more perfect weather. The morning high cloud cover gave way to 75 degrees and breezy, the type of conditions staked his reputation on.
Drivers saddled up in the paddock, taking time to sign books and take pictures with passersby, a calm that was soon broken by the thunderous clamor of IndyCar engines.
Alex Paloud had a lead in Championship points in the NTT IndyCar Series entering the 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach after his win of Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park. He had yet to win at the prestigious street track, but Alex had victory in his sights, though it would be hard fought.
Qualifiers on Saturday saw Felix Rosenqvist take pole with a fastest lap of the day of 01:07.4635 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda. Pato O’ Ward followed second in the No.5 ARROW McLaren with Alex Palou qualifying third in the No.10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
The U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights performed their canopy jump over the harbor delivering the American flag to the front straight of the track, signaling the open of the Acura Grand Pric of Long Beach.
Pole sitter Felix Rosenqvist took the race and held first position going into Turn One ahead of the iconic Aquarium dolphin turn.
Felix led a race high 51 laps of the 90-lap race. He had an advantage that was unfortunately undone by full course caution, which caused the entire course to pit.
While Rosenqvist had a good pit, Alex Palou pit crew were better and he was able to edge out the lead coming out of pit lane. Rosenqvist was unable to regain the lead from there and for the third time in five races Alex Palou earned his victory, in the No.10 OpenAI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, his first at the Long Beach street circuit.
The End of an Era
The weekend came to a successful albeit somber close. With all the joy and excitement that racing brings, an integral piece of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is now missing.
Jim Michaelian will forever be synonymous with motorsports; a life lived in full throttle.
A memorial service is being held from noon to 2pm June 13th at Cottonwood Church, 4505 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos CA.
About The Author
Christopher Carreiro is a photographer and life long car enthusiast, passions for which he combines around the LA car scene in equal measure. Born in Long Beach, Chris feels lucky to attend the Grand Prix his city hosts at his leisure, however, he prefers checking out the dazzling array of cars that show up annually at the Japanese Classic Car Show, held on the same grounds. Further marrying his hobbies of cars and photography he has turned to writing about the car scene in LA to offer a unique glimpse into the culture from the lens of a native Angeleno.
