An earlier attempt to host a second American Formula One Grand Prix at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1972 had been unsuccessful. With the east-coast Watkins Glen circuit in decline after two driver fatalities in successive years and a politically charged 1975 event, a new race was established for 1976 on a street circuit in Long Beach, located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. A Formula 5000 race had already been held there in 1975. The United States thereby became only the second country after Italy (1957) to host two Formula One Championship events in a single season. The 1960 United States Grand Prix had previously been held at Riverside Raceway, approximately one hour from Long Beach.
The Long Beach circuit was an intense test of brakes, suspension, and transmission, typical of street circuits. It was an immediate success, and the typically sunny Southern California weather enhanced its appeal.
The inaugural event was won by Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari, with teammate Niki Lauda finishing second and Patrick Depailler third.
A race-long battle developed between Lauda, South African Jody Scheckter in a Wolf, and American Mario Andretti in a Lotus. Andretti outbraked Scheckter at Queen's Hairpin to take a popular victory; Lauda passed Scheckter to claim second, with Scheckter completing the podium in third.
The start/finish line was moved to Shoreline Drive, altering the race distance to 79.5 laps, with the parade lap running from the pits to the new start position. Argentine Carlos Reutemann won the race; Australian Alan Jones finished second for Williams, the team's first-ever podium.
Queen's Hairpin was narrowed to create a more consistent track width. The race start was disrupted: Reutemann was unable to join the grid after trouble with his Lotus during the warm-up; the field was not stopped; Gilles Villeneuve, who had started from pole in a Ferrari, led the field back to the pits before a restart. Jacques Laffite's engine seized and he took the spare car; Reutemann started half a lap behind the field before retiring with gearbox problems. Jean-Pierre Jarier in the Tyrrell climbed to second but dropped back to sixth. Villeneuve won from teammate Scheckter.
A multi-car accident occurred at the Le Gasomet hairpin when Bruno Giacomelli spun his Alfa Romeo to a stop and then reversed onto the racing line, triggering an accordion-effect pile-up that included Jarier. The most serious incident saw Regazzoni — driving an Ensign — suffer brake failure at 180 mph at the end of Shoreline Drive, striking Ricardo Zunino's stationary Brabham at full speed before hitting retaining barriers at the Queen's Hairpin. Regazzoni survived but sustained severe spinal injuries that left him paralysed from the waist down, ending his Formula One career. Nelson Piquet dominated the race weekend for his first of twenty-three Formula One victories; Emerson Fittipaldi finished third.
Slight course modifications altered one of the left-handers at Pine Avenue from two corners to one. Riccardo Patrese took pole position but dropped back with mechanical problems. Carlos Reutemann made a mistake at Pine Avenue, allowing Jones to move ahead and hold the lead to the flag.
Further circuit changes removed Queen's Hairpin and most of Pine Avenue, introducing a new road section, modified closses, and a chicane on Shoreline Drive; the race was shortened from 79.5 to 75.5 laps. Niki Lauda won for McLaren — his third race since returning from retirement and his first victory since 1978. Keke Rosberg finished second; Villeneuve was classified third but subsequently disqualified because Ferrari had mounted two rear wings, exploiting a then-absent regulation on wing quantity. American Mario Andretti made a one-off appearance for Williams and crashed on lap 20.
Further modifications revised the circuit around the Convention Center area and relocated the pits to Shoreline Drive; Ocean Boulevard's elevated section was removed. John Watson won from 22nd place on the grid — the farthest back from which a driver had won a modern Grand Prix — benefiting from front-runner retirements and an incident between Rosberg and Frenchman Patrick Tambay. Watson's McLaren teammate Lauda finished second from 23rd on the grid.
After 1983, the race was deemed too expensive to sustain. Organizer Chris Pook, who had sought to create a "Monte Carlo of the United States" in Long Beach, concluded that Formula One's shipping costs, equipment logistics from Europe and Brazil, and rising FOCA fees were financially unfeasible, particularly given the prevailing American short-term investment culture. Long Beach had never been paired with another nearby event — in Mexico or elsewhere in the United States — that might have shared costs. Pook was approached by CART and announced after the 1983 race that an IndyCar event would replace Formula One at Long Beach in 1984. The IndyCar race proved a lasting and popular fixture.
In 2013, media speculation arose about a Formula One return to Long Beach in 2016, prompted by IndyCar's contract with the City of Long Beach expiring in 2015 and Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone's stated interest in the Los Angeles market. On 1 April 2014, the Long Beach City Council announced a three-year extension of IndyCar's contract through 2018.
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