Historic Can-Am for Long Beach GP

Attendees at next April’s Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will get a taste of the golden age of Can-Am racing, when the historic machines race for the first time on the world-famous seaside circuit.
 They will enjoy a 20-minute race on Saturday, April 8, that’s scheduled to start at approximately noon, just prior to the BUBBA Burger Sports Car Grand Prix.

The Can-Am ran throughout Canada and the U.S. from 1966 to 1974, featuring sleek, high-horsepower cars from McLaren, Porsche, Lola, Shadow and more with world-class drivers such as Bruce McLaren, Denis Hulme, John Surtees, Mark Donohue, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones, George Follmer, Dan Gurney, Phil Hill and Jim Hall, among others.

The historic event at Long Beach will feature cars from the 1966-74 era, and be sanctioned by the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA).

“HMSA is thrilled to be part of the Grand Prix Long Beach, a truly iconic event with a rich motorsports history and a jewel of Southern California,” said Cris Vandagriff, president of the Historic Motor Sports Association. “We are proud to bring the cars from what has been called the greatest series ever created, the original Can-Am. These cars were the fastest racing cars of their day and still make the earth move when they take to the track.”

“This will be the very first time that these exotic racing machines have competed on any street circuit,” said Jim Michaelian, president & CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. “The sounds of these high-powered engines racing down Shoreline Drive will be exhilarating.”

With a wide variety of on- and off-track activities for the entire family, the Grand Prix will be headlined by the second round of the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series, as well as the BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix, featuring the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and its all-new prototype cars. For complete information please visit www.gplb.com