Before 1975, sanctioned automobile races through city streets in North America were rare, the only real example being in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, first run in 1967. After the Long Beach Grand Prix showed how it could be done, street racing swept the continent, with some circuits good and others not so, some profitable and others not. Most eventually faded away, but Long Beach remained strong, and its 40th race runs this year. It all came from the mind of Chris Pook, who arrived in America from his native England in May of 1963, soon settling in Southern California and eventually establishing his own travel agency in Long Beach, where he conjured up a vision. VR Associate Editor John Zimmermann recently sat down with Pook—who remains good friends with Bernie Ecclestone and is working to bring Formula One back to Southern California—to discuss how he brought that vision to reality.
What inspired you to create the Long Beach Grand Prix?
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