Shoreline Drive as pictured by Long Beach CA Webcam - Live action - take a peek at what's going right now in Long Beach CA. The ABC Camera is perched high atop the World Trade Center in downtown Long Beach. Images update every three minutes. Image Credit: ABCDallaras on Shoreline Drive - Long Beach & A House United
Last year, at this time, North American Open Wheel Racing (NAOWR) was in a state of confusion and disarray. A merger of the two racing series - IndyCar Series (ICS) and ChampCar World Series (CCWS) had decided to merge just a couple of months from the beginning of the 2008 season and the season, at best, became an exercise of catch-up by the teams and drivers of the CCWS.
The week that the 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was held, the only teams and drivers to compete were the Transition Players being blended into the Indy Racing League and the ICS. It was a final party for the old series that had owned the streets of Long Beach ever since 1984 when the American racing body known as Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART)/Champ Car World Series (CCWS) took over from the European Formula 1 series. This became the last official race for ChampCar and the two year old Panoz DP01 - and the only race where these drivers and teams would compete at a ChampCar venue, with ChampCar equipment, and a ChampCar fan base - while earning IndyCar Series championship points.
Will Power - KV Racing Technology, taking a hard right-hand turn to enter Shoreline Drive on his way to win the final CCWS race ... and the first one to pay out IndyCar Series Championship points. Will Power will be driving for one of the "Established" teams in the IRL this year, Penske Racing, substituting for Helio Castorneves who is taking a leave of absense to attend to personal business held over from his appearance in "Dancing With The Stars" (taxes). Image Credit: Andy Sallee (2008)The other drivers and teams from the ICS were racing Dallaras in Motegi, Japan ... the home track of the IndyCar engine manufacturer, Honda.
This year, Dallaras with Honda engines will be running on Shoreline Drive and the dynamic couldn't be richer for the sport of North American Open Wheel Racing. Racing teams and drivers are all under one banner ... names like Penske, Andretti, Unser, Rahal, Newman/Hass/Lanigan, AJ Foyt, Coyne, Bachelart, Conquest, Ganassi, Kalkovan, Vasser, Dixon, Power, Wilson (to mention a few) will all once again be heard in the racing paddock and streets of Long Beach with one purpose in mind ... to get as many points as possible toward the ICS 2009 championship.
This April 16-19, 2009, the NAOWR cultures will become one after a split of over 13 years when the IRL ran it's first race. This is the year the IRL will be welcomed to the famed streets of Long Beach by a rabid and knowledgeable crowd ... and a house will become united.
Welcome to the 35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach!
LBGP Logo - Image Credit: Grand Prix Association of Long Beach2009 Event Schedule
35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
(Subject to change without notice)
Thursday, April 16
(NOTE: Admission is FREE to Thursday events – no ticket required)
The Long Beach Motorsports Walk Of Fame induction ceremony kicks off a week of motorsports family unification - two cultures become one. This year will feature six-time Long Beach Grand Prix winner and 2009 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Grand Marshal, Al Unser, Jr. and Past CART/CCWS Champion and IRL team owner (Rahal Letterman Racing) Bobby Rahal. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2008)Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame Induction - 11 a.m.
(Pine Ave. at Convention Center)
Lifestyle Expo opens - 3 p.m.
American Le Mans Series (ALMS) practice - 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
RaceMania at Shoreline Village - 3 p.m. – 10 p.m.
ALMS practice - 5 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
Lifestyle Expo closes - 6 p.m.
FREE Admission to “Shark Lagoon,”
Aquarium of the Pacific - 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Tecate “Thursday Thunder on Pine” (Pine Ave., incl.
Miss Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Pageant) - 6:30 p.m.
Tuner Thursday at The Pike - 6:30 p.m.
Friday, April 17
Gates open - 7 a.m.
Lifestyle Expo opens - 8 a.m.
ALMS practice - 9 a.m. – 9:40 a.m.
IndyCar practice - 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Toyota Pro/Celebrity practice - 11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Firestone Indy Lights practice - 12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
IndyCar practice - 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Toyota Pro/Celebrity qualifying - 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
ALMS qualifying - 3:55 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.
IndyCar autograph session - 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
(IndyCar Paddock)
Team Drifting - 5:05 p.m. – 5:25 p.m.
SPEED GT Challenge practice - 5:30 p.m. – 5:55 p.m.
Tecate Light “Fiesta Friday” Concert Starring
“El Tri” - 6 p.m.
Lifestyle Expo Closes - 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 18
Gates open - 7 a.m.
ALMS Warmup - 7:30 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
Lifestyle Expo opens - 8 a.m.
SPEED GT Challenge practice - 8:05 a.m. – 8:35 a.m.
Firestone Indy Lights Qualifying - 8:45 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
IndyCar practice - 10:25 a.m. – 11:25 a.m.
Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race Logo - Image Credit: Grand Prix Association of Long Beach
Toyota Pro/Celebrity RACE - 11:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.
Team Drifting - 12:50 p.m. – 1:10 p.m.
IndyCar qualifying - 2:10 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.
American Le Mans Series Logo - Image Credit: ALMS/IMSA Racing
Tequila Patron American Le Mans Series At Long Beach RACE - 4:15 p.m. – 5:55 p.m.
Lifestyle Expo closes - 6 p.m.
Tecate Light Rock-N-Roar Concert - 6 p.m.
Starring "Puddle of Mudd"
Sunday, April 19
Gates Open - 7 a.m.
Lifestyle Expo opens - 8 a.m.
SPEED GT Challenge qualifying - 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
IndyCar practice - 8:40 a.m. – 9:10 a.m.
Firestone Indy Lights RACE - 9:40 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
Falken Tire Competition Drift Ford Mustang - Image Credit: Formula Drift (2008)
Team Drifting - 11:05 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
IndyCar Pre-Race Activities - 12:30 p.m.
35th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach IndyCar Race (85 laps) - 1:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
SPEED GT Challenge RACE - 4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Lifestyle Expo closes - 5:30 p.m.
Reference Here>>
... notes from The EDJE
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