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Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame

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Coordinates: 33°45′53″N 118°11′31.7″W / 33.76472°N 118.192139°W / 33.76472; -118.192139
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A ceremony where a retired racing driver receives a plaque from a city official
City of Long Beach City Manager Pat West presenting Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame plaque to Mario Andretti on April 17, 2008

The Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame is a walk of fame located on South Pine Avenue in the downtown waterfront area of Long Beach, California, to recognize those who have made a major contribution to auto racing in Long Beach.[1][2] The project was conceived in late 2005 through talks between the Economic Development Bureau of the City of Long Beach and officials in order to improve and strengthen the city's ties with the open-wheel car racing event, the Grand Prix of Long Beach. It earned support from elected officials, local government and business and auto racing enthusiasts, and was officially dedicated in a ceremony led by Beverly O'Neill, the Long Beach mayor, on April 6, 2006. The Redevelopment Agency of Long Beach provided development funding for the Walk of Fame, and the project set out to inform the public about Long Beach's contribution to auto racing.[3]

Each year, two or three auto racing figures are inducted following a vote by an informal group of individuals such as local officials and Long Beach Grand Prix Association members.[4][5] A 22 in (1.8 ft) bronze medallion plaque, depicting a rendition of each inductee's car and listing their greatest achievements in auto racing, is permanently embedded in the palm-lined concrete sidewalk. The medallions proceed up the sidewalk's center alongside the Grand Prix of Long Beach race circuit in front of the Long Beach Convention Center.[3][6] Members are inducted at a ceremony held outside the Long Beach Convention Center in the week of the Grand Prix;[7] drivers and their families receive a 6 in (0.50 ft) and 3 in (0.25 ft) bronze medallion replica from Long Beach's mayor.[3][8] Mark Vaughn of Autoweek described it as "a venue somewhat similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame".[9]

A total of 39 people from the world of motorsports have been inducted since 2006.[10] The two inaugural members, Dan Gurney and Phil Hill, were inducted in 2006. All but fifteen inductees are from the United States.[1] In 2019, Sébastien Bourdais and Will Power were the first two active IndyCar Series participants to be added to the Walk of Fame.[11] Only one person has been posthumously inducted, Gary Gabelich, the former world land speed record holder in 2008.[12] Katherine Legge became the first woman to be inducted in 2024.[13] There have been three racing teams added to the Walk of Fame.[10] In 2007, Newman/Haas Racing, who were considered one of the most successful squads in Long Beach Grand Prix history, became the first team added to the Walk of Fame;[14] the two other teams are Chip Ganassi Racing, inducted in 2011,[15] and Galles Racing, who was added the following year.[16] Bruce Flanders, Gerald Forsythe, Kevin Kalkhoven, Roger Penske and Christopher Pook are the five non-drivers who are members of the Walk of Fame.[10] The two most recent inductees were Legge and Takuma Sato in 2024.[13]

Inductees

[edit]
Key
† Indicates posthumous induction
Inductees of the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame[10]
Inductee Nationality Year Notes Refs
Dan Gurney  United States 2006 Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, and sports car driver and team owner and Grand Prix of Long Beach co-founder [1]
Phil Hill  United States 2006 1961 Formula One World Champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring winner
Newman/Haas Racing  United States 2007 One of the most successful teams at the Grand Prix of Long Beach [14]
Christopher Pook  United States 2007 Co-founder of the Grand Prix of Long Beach and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach president and CEO
Brian Redman  United Kingdom 2007 1975 Long Beach Grand Prix winner and 13-time Formula One Grand Prix starter [5]
Mario Andretti  United States 2008 Formula One, IndyCar, Indianapolis 500, 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Long Beach GP and Daytona 500 champion [17]
Gary Gabelich†  United States 2008 Dragster and stock car driver who set the world land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1970 [12]
Parnelli Jones  United States 2008 1963 Indianapolis 500, midget car, NASCAR, off-road and sprint car winner [18]
Bobby Rahal  United States 2009 Indianapolis 500, CART and Sports Car Club of America champion and 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring winner [19]
Al Unser Jr.  United States 2009 Double Indianapolis 500, International Race of Champions, CART champion, Grand Prix of Long Beach and 24 Hours of Daytona winner
Michael Andretti  United States 2010 1991 CART champion and two-time Grand Prix of Long Beach winner [9][20]
Danny Sullivan  United States 2010 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner, 1988 CART champion and 1992 Grand Prix of Long Beach winner
Chip Ganassi Racing  United States 2011 Quintuple Grand Prix of Long Beach winning team [15]
Jimmy Vasser  United States 2011 Long Beach Grand Prix driver and winner owner, 1996 CART champion and 2010 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race winner in the Pro class [21]
Galles Racing  United States 2012 Five-time Grand Prix of Long Beach winning squad [16]
Scott Pruett  United States 2012 Pruett drove a wide variety of vehicles, and won at Long Beach in each of Trans-Am and Grand-Am
Adrián Fernández  Mexico 2013 2009 American Le Mans Series at Long Beach class winner and helped increase Hispanic/Latino presence in Long Beach Grand Prix [22]
Paul Tracy  Canada 2013 Four-time Grand Prix of Long Beach winner and 2003 CART champion [23]
Gerald Forsythe  United States 2014 Won the Long Beach Grand Prix twice and the support Atlantic Championship round four times as a car owner [24]
Dario Franchitti  United Kingdom 2014 Quadruple IndyCar Series champion and winner of both the Long Beach Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500 [25]
Kevin Kalkhoven  Australia 2014 Won the 2008 Grand Prix of Long Beach and the 2005 Long Beach Atlantic Championship race as a car owner [8]
Robby Gordon  United States 2015 Winner in each of IndyCar, NASCAR, sports car and off-road racing [26]
Bryan Herta  United States 2015 Won the 1993 Indy Lights Championship and won the 2011 Indianapolis 500 as a car owner
Bruce Flanders  United States 2016 Since 1978, Flanders has announced the Grand Prix of Long Beach and short track events [27]
Roger Penske  United States 2016 Penske led Team Penske to 16 Indianapolis 500 wins, 177 race victories, and 13 IndyCar titles at the time of induction [28]
Emerson Fittipaldi  Brazil 2017 Two-time Formula One and Indianapolis 500 champion, and the 1989 CART winner with 40 race wins in both series [29]
Tommy Kendall  United States 2017 Sports and stock car driver who won multiple Trans-Am Series Championship titles and the IMSA GTU Series Championship [30]
Hélio Castroneves  Brazil 2018 Won the 2001 Grand Prix of Long Beach and the Indianapolis 500 three times [31]
Juan Pablo Montoya  Colombia 2018 Clinched the 1999 Grand Prix of Long Beach en route to claiming the 1999 CART tile and won the Indianapolis 500 twice
Sébastien Bourdais  France 2019 Quadruple Champ Car World Series champion and triple Long Beach race winner [6][11]
Will Power  Australia 2019 Two-time Long Beach Grand Prix winner, and the 2014 IndyCar Series and 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion
Oriol Servià  Spain 2020[a] 1999 Indy Lights champion and CART, American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am and Formula E driver [33]
Willy T. Ribbs  United States 2020[a] Formula Atlantic, IMSA, and NASCAR driver who was the first African American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in 1991
Bill Auberlen  United States 2022 Two-time class Long Beach sports car race winner who won 63 times in IMSA competition at the time of induction [34]
Alex Zanardi  Italy 2022 Double CART, Long Beach Grand Prix champion, 15 wins in American open-wheel racing, and Paralympic handcycling champion [35]
James Hinchcliffe  Canada 2023 Won the 2010 Indy Lights race at Long Beach and the 2017 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach [36]
Ryan Hunter-Reay  United States 2023 Winner of the 2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the 2012 IndyCar Series title and the 2014 Indianapolis 500
Katherine Legge  United Kingdom 2024 First woman to win a major North American open-wheel car race with her victory in the 2005 Long Beach Atlantic Championship event and was the first female Champ Car race leader in 2006. [13]
Takuma Sato  Japan 2024 Double Indianapolis 500 winner who won the 2013 Grand Prix of Long Beach, becoming the first Japanese racer to win an IndyCar Series event.

By nationality

[edit]
Inductees by nationality
Nationality Inductees
 United States 24
 United Kingdom 3
 Australia 2
 Brazil 2
 Canada 2
 Colombia 1
 France 1
 Italy 1
 Japan 1
 Mexico 1
 Spain 1

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Ribbs and Servià had their induction ceremony in September 2021.[32]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Sanchez, Felix (April 6, 2006). "Grand Prix kicks into gear". Press-Telegram. ProQuest 382037900. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ "Power, Bourdais, added to Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame". Racer. April 9, 2019. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "History of the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame". Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  4. ^ Herrero, Daniel (April 10, 2019). "Power, Bourdais to join Long Beach Walk of Fame". Speedcafe. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Jergler, Don (April 10, 2007). "Motor stars honored". Press-Telegram. ProQuest 382050125. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ a b Fiddler, JJ (March 21, 2019). "For the first time, 2 active IndyCar drivers to be inducted in Motorsports Walk of Fame". Long Beach Post. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  7. ^ Malsher-Lopez, David (April 11, 2019). "Bourdais, Power join Long Beach's Motorsports Walk of Fame". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Lewandoski, Dave (April 10, 2014). "Franchitti, Kalkhoven among fame inductees". IndyCar Series. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Vaughn, Mark (April 14, 2010). "Sullivan, Andretti honored in Long Beach". Autoweek. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d "Motorsports Walk of Fame Past Honorees". Visit Long Beach. Archived from the original on March 30, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Morales, Robert (April 11, 2019). "Sebastien Bourdais, Will Power join Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame". Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Pearl, Bill (May 8, 2008). "Gary Gabelich inducted into Motorsports Walk of Fame with other legends". Signal Tribune. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c "Sato & Legge To Be Inducted Into Long Beach Walk of Fame". Speed Sport. March 19, 2024. Archived from the original on April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Swayze, Robert (April 9, 2007). "Actor Race Car Owner Paul Newman, Other Motorsports Legends to be Honored at Walk of Fame in Long Beach". US Fed News Service. ProQuest 469264190. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  15. ^ a b Felton, David (April 15, 2011). "Vasser, Ganassi team join Walk of Fame". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Felton, David (April 13, 2012). "Walk of Fame: Galles, Pruett thrived in LBGP". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  17. ^ Krikorian, Doug (April 17, 2008). "Racing icons net honor". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  18. ^ Felton, David (April 18, 2008). "Cementing their legacies". Press-Telegram. ProQuest 382076059. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  19. ^ Sanders, Mike (April 15, 2009). "Racing Legends Bobby Rahal, Al Unser, Jr to be Honored at Motorsports Walk of Fame". US Fed News Service. ProQuest 472834735. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  20. ^ Kamlan, Edward (April 6, 2010). "Racing Legends Danny Sullivan, Michael Andretti to be Honored at Motorsports Walk of Fame". US Fed News Service. ProQuest 472335188. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  21. ^ Sotero, Ray (April 15, 2011). "Vasser celebrated in Long Beach". The Salinas Californian. p. 7A. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Estrada, Chris (April 19, 2013). "Tracy, Fernandez inducted into Long Beach Walk of Fame". NBC Sports. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  23. ^ McNulty, Dean (March 6, 2013). "Tracy into the walk of fame". The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. C5. ProQuest 2220730814. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  24. ^ Ruiz, Jason (April 10, 2014). "Three Honored at 2014 Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame Induction". Long Beach Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  25. ^ Thomas, Jim (April 10, 2014). "Dario Franchitti speeds onto Long Beach's Motorsports Walk of Fame". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  26. ^ "Motorsports legends Robby Gordon, Bryan Herta to be honored today in Long Beach". Press-Telegram. April 16, 2015. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  27. ^ "Irwindale Announcer to be Honored at Long Beach". Performance Racing Industry. April 11, 2016. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  28. ^ Rivera, Stephanie (March 30, 2016). "Announcer Bruce Flanders, Team Penske to be Inducted into Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame". Long Beach Post. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  29. ^ Morales, Robert (April 7, 2017). "Emerson Fittipaldi, Tommy Kendall enshrined on Walk of Fame". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  30. ^ Gougis, Michael (March 27, 2017). "Trans-Am Legend Tommy Kendall Inducted into Long Beach Motorsports Walk Of Fame". Long Beach Business Journal. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  31. ^ Ramirez, Stephen (April 12, 2018). "Castroneves and Montoya inducted into Long Beach's Walk of Fame". Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on June 1, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  32. ^ Morales, Robert (September 23, 2021). "Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach: Servia, Ribbs inducted into Walk of Fame". Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  33. ^ Lee, Hunter (February 26, 2020). "Two Long Beach racing veterans to be inducted into Motorsports Walk of Fame". Press-Telegram. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  34. ^ "Zanardi, Auberlen to be Inducted into Long Beach Walk of Fame". SportsCar365. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  35. ^ Fryer, Jenna (April 7, 2022). "Zanardi honored at Long Beach with Walk of Fame induction". Toronto Star. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  36. ^ Morales, Robert (April 13, 2023). "Grand Prix of Long Beach: Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe inducted into Walk of Fame". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
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33°45′53″N 118°11′31.7″W / 33.76472°N 118.192139°W / 33.76472; -118.192139


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