LONG BEACH (1976-83)

Under the moniker ‘United States Grand Prix West’, it looked as though F1 had found two welcoming homes in the US as the Long

Beach street course in California worked its way into fans’ hearts alongside Watkins Glen. The track opened in 1975 to host Formula 5000, and the grand prix paddock arrived the year after. Packed grandstands plus widespread mainstream media attention became the norm as the layout evolved to suit F1’s needs.

But the business relationship between race promoter Chris Pook and F1 tsar Bernie Ecclestone soured during negotiations in 1982. The event was struggling to turn a profit thanks to annual host fees north of $2million. That figure was only set to rise as the contract rolled on. Ecclestone was immune to attempts to drive the price down, leading Pook to forge a deal for Long Beach to host CART instead and suck up the subsequent dip in coverage and sponsorship.

For the F1 swansong in 1983, the GP attracted another bumper crowd and team bosses came out in support of the venue. Ecclestone then attempted to reopen talks to retain the race.

But it was too late for Pook to renege on the

CART contract, and F1 lost the event.