As President and CEO Jim Michaelian begins his final run at the helm, construction crews in downtown Long Beach are once again assembling the street circuit for the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
On Thursday morning, crews celebrated the start of preparations as Mayor Rex Richardson, representatives from Acura and Honda marketing, and members of Laborers’ International Union of North America attended a press conference, marking the beginning of downtown’s transformation for the circuit taking place April 17-19.
Alongside the preparations, Michaelian is preparing to step aside after more than 50 years, passing day-to-day leadership of the event to successor Jim Liaw. Michaelian said his top priority throughout the process was finding a successor who embodies the values of the Grand Prix.
“The important thing to say is this event’s objective has always been to provide three days of entertainment,” Michaelian said. “I really wanted to make sure that whoever my successor was compatible with our organization, the city and our sponsors, and had a full understanding of what this event was all about.”
Liaw, who co-founded the Formula Drift racing series, looks forward to expanding the heritage and legacy Michaelian built for the city since 1975.
“Jim has been a part of this organization for 51 years since day one. It’s kind of the analogy of building sky-rises and building buildings,” Liaw said. “You need a really solid foundation and that’s what Jim and the team really built. I think there’s still a lot of opportunity for the Grand Prix.”
Construction crews are now focused on building out the 1.97-mile, 11-turn street circuit, installing grandstands, safety fencing and barriers along the downtown course. However, looking ahead, Michaelian said he is excited to see a new and improved Grand Prix under new leadership and ownership. Penske Entertainment purchased the race in 2024.
“We have a new owner here called Penske, and now they are starting to invest significant dollars building a huge hospitality complex here along pit lane,” Michaelian said. “We’re gonna replace a lot of the older seats with new aluminum seats, and we’re gonna beautify the circuit.”
While the race is still a month and a half away, fans can purchase tickets online, with children 13 and under receiving free admission. For more information and ticket options, click here.