Grand Prix of Long Beach CEO/Showman Jim Michaelian surveyed the scene at Wednesday’s Roar in the Shore event. “This is what the Grand Prix is all about—the sights, the sounds, the feelings, the vibrations.” Michaelian was interrupted by a wicked wind that wafted the aroma of burnt tires from the motorcycle stunt show across the street. “And even the smells are part of this. It tickles all the senses.”
The eighth annual event brought a display of classic cars, GT4 racing vehicles and a motorcycle stunt show to Belmont Shore. Every parking spot on Second Street from Corona to Covina just happened to be filled by really cool looking cars from Acura, the race’s new sponsor.
Grand Prix racer Nicolai Elghanayan stood near his Marco Polo Motorsports car. He looked a bit tired after spending the day visiting Long Beach grade schools. He figured he had talked with 1,200 schoolchildren who peppered him with questions such as, “What kind of ice cream do race car drivers eat?” (Pistachio)
The biggest attraction was the motorcycle stunts featuring Dustin Hedsand and Webster Whinery. Both men have stunt riding in their blood. Their dads competed in the sport. So both riders had nervous moms, hoping their boys would stay in one piece.(Each have had only three broken bones. So far.)
Hedsand began his stunt career on a Big Wheel trike.
“I did a no-hander off a ramp my dad made. The front wheel fell off. I had a few scrapes but I kept going. I’ve got racing fuel in my blood,” he said.
Whinery was doing bicycle stunts when he was 3 and motorcycle stunts when he was 8 (well out of view of his mom).
To say that Whinery is an adrenaline junkie is an understatement. When he’s not riding his stunt bike he’s snowboarding, or skateboarding, or surfing, or scuba diving, or pretty much anything with a dangerous element.
He said that time slows down when he’s doing a stunt. He’s had his life flash before his eyes during a crash: “I’ve seen a white light and a vision of my mom telling me ‘I love you.’“
And Whinery’s day job? He’s a movie stunt man. He’s been on the set for Pirates of the Caribbean III, Bad Boys 3 and several of the Transformers movies.
Visitors had a chance to sit in the driver’s seat of Grand Prix vehicles.
A racer helped a woman out of his car and he introduced himself.
“My name’s Christine,” she said.
“Like the car?” he asked.
“Yes, but I’m much scarier.”
