Two racing legends — Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr. — have been tapped to be the grand marshals during the city’s biggest annual event next year, the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Next year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, scheduled to take place from April 11 to 13, will mark a massive milestone for the event and the city alike, with organizers planning to celebrate with the theme “50 Years at Full Speed.” There will be special fan experiences aimed at celebrating the Grand Prix’s history, among other anniversary-themed aspects.
Adding Andretti and Unser Jr. — both racing legends beloved by fans across the world — to that celebratory lineup is sure whip up a wave of excitement.
“It’s an incredible honor to have Al and Mario as part of this historic celebration,” Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, said in a Monday, Dec. 9, news release. “Their accomplishments on and off the track are legendary, and their presence will make the 50th anniversary event truly unforgettable for fans and participants alike.”
Both Andretti and Unser Jr. have extensive ties to the event, with the former having raced in the first Grand Prix of Long Beach race in 1975. Though he didn’t bag a win on that occasion, Andretti went on to claim the Grand Prix title four times from 1977 to 1987 — giving him the title “King of the Beach.”
Andretti’s first Grand Prix win in Long Beach, according to the GPALB, helped solidify his status as an international star of the sport, but it also gave the budding local event the shine it needed to earn a place as a major international racing event.
“I participated in the first-ever race in Long Beach in 1975,” Andretti said in the announcement. “The Formula 5000 race was hugely successful, paving the way for Formula One officials to place Long Beach on the 1976 schedule just six months after the inaugural race.”
Besides his many wins in Long Beach, Andretti also won the Formula 1 World Championship in 1978, GPALB said, as well as the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Andretti was inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame in 2008.
“When Long Beach switched to Indy cars in 1984, Andretti won that race, again establishing Long Beach as a world-class event and went on to win twice more over the next three years,” GPALB’s announcement said. “Andretti is widely regarded as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time.”
After the elder Andretti’s retirement, his son Michael carried on the Andretti legacy — securing both his first IndyCar win in 1986 and, later, his 42nd — and final — IndyCar win in 2002 in Long Beach, GPALB said.
“This track obviously is a family favorite. I retired at the end of 1994 after racing for four decades on just about every course imaginable,” the elder Andretti said. “Long Beach is by far the most successful street race ever staged in American motor racing history. It is truly amongst the best I’ve ever seen.”
Unser Jr., meanwhile, is a legend in his own right.
Hailing from the legendary Unser racing family out of New Mexico, Unser Jr. rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s after dominating the Long Beach course.
He is the winningest driver in Long Beach Grand Prix history, with six total victories over an eight-year period — usurping Andretti as the “King of the Beach.”
Unser Jr. first staked his claim as King of the Beach in 1988, when he claimed his first Long Beach title — the first time in five years an Andretti had not won the race. Mario Andretti won the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 1984, ’85 and ’87, while Michael Andretti won in 1986.
Unser Jr. then won four straight, from 1988 to 1991. He officially became King of the Beach when he won his fifth Long Beach Grand Prix in 1994 — and then he successfully defended the crown the next year.
“I’m extremely honored to be co-grand marshal at Long Beach with Mario Andretti,” Unser Jr. said in the release. “It’s always been one of my most favorite races, and certainly it’s the most popular race on the circuit next to the Indianapolis 500.”
Aside from his Long Beach wins, Unser Jr. also won the Indianapolis 500 twice and and is two-time IndyCar champion, GPALB said. And, of course, he was inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009.
“I always tried hard to do well at Long Beach and while we were often very fast there, it was also a lucky track for me – the ball ‘bounced my way’ a lot over the years,” Unser Jr. said. “We were always so excited to win in Long Beach.”
Tickets for the 2025 Grand Prix, meanwhile, are already on sale, and start at $97 for one-day general admission.
For more information, visit gplb.com.
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