Patrick Long in the Williams FW 08C car races through a hairpin during the Historic F1 challenge race on day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
IndyCar pole sitter Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads the field as he takes the green flag to start the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar winner Kyle Kirkwood sprays champagne on his crew in victory lane following the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver and second place finisher Romain Grosjean sprays race fans with champagne in victory lane following the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. Kyle Kirkwood won the race. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads teammate Romain Grosjean through turn 10 during the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads teammate Romain Grosjean into the hairpin during the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads teammate Romain Grosjean through the hairpin onto Shoreline Drive during the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, takes the checkered flag to win the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar winner Kyle Kirkwood, center right, celebrates with second place finisher Romain Grosjean, left center, and thrid place finisher Marcus Ericsson, right center in victory lane following the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar winner Kyle Kirkwood celebrates in victory lane following the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads the field during the early laps of the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Stadium Super Trucks Robby Gordon acknowledges the fans following their race along Shoreline Drive duriing the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar pole sitter Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads the field as he takes the green flag to start the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Stadium Super Trucks Robby Gordon acknowledges the fans with a burnout following their race along Shoreline Drive duriing the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads teammate Romain Grosjean through turn 10 during the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads teammate Romain Grosjean through the hairpin during the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
IndyCar winner Kyle Kirkwood, center right, celebrates with second place finisher Romain Grosjean, left, and thrid place finisher Marcus Ericsson, center left, in victory lane following the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Callum Ilott in the Juncos Hollinger Racing NTT IndyCar (77) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood, 27, leads the field during the early laps of the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday Apr. 16, 2023. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Marcus Armstrong in the Chip Ganassi Racing NTT IndyCar (8) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Marcus Armstrong in the Chip Ganassi Racing NTT IndyCar (11) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Marcus Armstrong in the Chip Ganassi Racing NTT IndyCar (8) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Romain Grosjean in the Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar (28) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Colton Herta in the Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar (26) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Santino Ferrucci, in the A.J. Foyt Enterprises NTT IndyCar (14), leads a train into turn one during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Kyle Kirkwood in the Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar (27) leads the pack on the opening lap of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Kyle Kirkwood won his first Indy Car race Sunday taking first place in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. 2nd place finisher Romain Grosjean and 1st place finisher Kyle Kirkwood celebrate with 3rd place finisher Marcus Ericsson. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Romain Grosjean took second place Sunday in the Indy Car race. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Kyle Kirkwood won his first Indy Car race Sunday taking first place in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Kyle Kirkwood won his first Indy Car race Sunday taking first place in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Josef Newgarden, in the Team Penske NTT IndyCar (2), ahead of Kyle Kirkwood in the Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar (27) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Chris Locke in the Lotus 77 during the Historic F1 challenge race on day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Patrick Long in the Williams FW 08C car races through a hairpin during the Historic F1 challenge race on day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sean Allen in the McLaren M30 car during the Historic F1 challenge race on day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Danny Baker in the McLaren M23 leads a train through turn 10 during the Historic F1 challenge race on day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Chris Locke in the Lotus 77 (5), left, and Doug Mockett in the Penske PC4 (28) race through turn 10 during the Historic F1 challenge race on day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Tim DeSilva in the Alfa Romeo 182 during the Historic F1 challenge race on day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Historic F1 cars race through turn 10 during day three of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Kyle Kirkwood won his first Indy Car race Sunday taking first place in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Kyle Kirkwood won his first Indy Car race Sunday taking first place in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Romain Grosjean took second place Sunday in the Indy Car race. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Kyle Kirkwood celebrates his NTT IndyCar victory at the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday April 16, 2023. It was Kirkwood’s first IndyCar win. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Sundays pre-race festivities included the US Army parachute team. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
The 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Sunday April 16, 2023. Sundays pre-race festivities included the US Army parachute team. (Photo by contributing photographer Chuck Bennett)
Drivers in the NTT IndyCar series make their way through the streets of Long Beach for the 49th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Marcus Ericsson, in the Chip Ganassi Racing NTT IndyCar (8), heads into turn eight during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Kyle Kirkwood in the Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar (27) races through the streets of Long Beach during the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Kirkwood went on to win the race, his first in the IndyCar Series. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Kyle Kirkwood in the Andretti Autosport NTT IndyCar (27) races through the streets of Long Beach during the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. Kirkwood went on to win the race, his first in the IndyCar Series. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Will Power in the Team Penske NTT IndyCar (12) during the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Sunday, April 16, 2023. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
LONG BEACH — Eight minutes before the start of the Historic Formula One Challenge, Patrick Long thought his race was over. There was no way he was going to drive a car in this condition on a narrow, twisty street circuit lined by concrete walls.
When he climbed into the cockpit of his 1983 Williams, he noticed the throttle was stuck flat on the floor.
“And that’s not the most confidence building experience,” Long said.
Luckily the fix was simple. All his crew had to do was free the linkage from some body work. He was back in business, and with the pedigree this car has it was no surprise what happened next.
He dominated the 11-lap race on Sunday at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, beating Danny Baker’s’ 1976 McLaren – originally driven by Brett Lunger and Nelson Piquet – to the finish by more than 7 seconds. Steve Romak placed third in Vittoria Brambilla’s old 1976 March.
“It is always great to come back and race at Long Beach,” Long said. “I just wanted to do the car justice.”
Keke Rosberg piloted this Williams and put it in victory lane in Monaco on his way to finishing fifth in the world championship driver standings in 1983. Long, though, fared much better than the car’s previous owner the last time this Williams was in Long Beach.
Rosberg qualified third but crashed with 50 laps to go and finished 23 in the 26-car field in the ‘83 Long Beach Grand Prix, the final Formula One race on the downtown street circuit.
Most of the cars in Sunday’s race, from the same era as those that competed in Long Beach during F1’s eight-season grand prix run. One of the series’ requirements is that each entry must have period correct livery and sponsor logos.
Even though his car is valued at around $1 million, Long said he loves to take his 3.0 liter, V-8 Ford Cosworth engine to the limit, revving it to 11,500 rpm to let the fans “hear it chip the tires as it dances off the corners.”
Long definitely did that. The only time that anyone got close to him was on Lap 2 after a spinout in Turn 5 left a car sitting in the middle of the track, causing the next four minutes to run under a full-course caution.
When the green flag waved once again with nine minutes and seven laps to go, Long checked out.
He said he crew worked for hours after Saturday’s race retuning his Williams, so he could really “lean on it” during Sunday’s race.
Though he never could mount much of a challenge for a victory, Baker said he had a blast even though the race felt “chopped up” because of the extended caution period.
“It is always fun to drive 40-year-old cars around here in anger,” he said.
HIGH FLYING TRIUMPH
With 2 laps to go in the half-hour long Stadium Super Truck race, Matt Brabham ducked underneath Myles Cheek in Turn 4 to take the lead and held off a spirited challenge from the Anaheim resident to win by 0.6841 of a second.
Brabham was among the most consistent drivers in the race, which uses metal ramps to simulate off-road racing. He spent all but one lap running in the top five, and never ran lower than third after Lap 3.
Gavin Harlien, Robby Gordon and Max Gordon, Robby’s son, rounded out the top five. The elder Gordon had to make furious charge through the field to finish fourth.
On the second lap, Bill Hynes went sideways over a jump and tapped the wall. He was able to turn around and continue, but his wreck knocked the ramp out of place.
Gordon, who owns the series, noticed, stopped his truck and backed up a couple of times to straighten things out, putting him near the back of the pack.
After the results from qualifying and both races held during the weekend were combined, Brabham was the overall winner with Robby Gordon and Harlien completing the podium.
Gordon said there will be five more races on the schedule, including one in September 15-17 during the Sand Sports Super Show at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.
He said he has also been in contact with Auto Club Speedway president David Allen about holding a off road world championship race in Fontana before the 2-mile oval is demolished.
PORSCHE CUP
Will Martin led 20 of the 26 laps run on Sunday at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and cruised to a 1.081 second victory over Tom Sargent to win the second Porsche Deluxe Carrera race of the weekend.
Riley Dickinson, Jimmy Llibre and Alex Sedgwick rounded out the Pro Class podium.
Marco Cirone won the Pro-Am division, finishing 13th overall.
