Security Keeps Ahead of Pack at Grand Prix

John Jankowski does not have the name recognition of Al Unser Jr. or Mario Andretti or Danny Sullivan or Rick Mears, but his contribution to next weekend’s Long Beach Grand Prix is just about as great.

As the race’s chief of security, Jankowski is responsible for the safety and comfort of more than 200,000 people. And in the eight years since Jankowski took over, spectators have yet to suffer major injury, he said.

“We get fights and drunks and forged credentials,” Jankowski said, “and the occasional stolen wallet or purse. But even that doesn’t happen very often because there’s no place to escape.”

On Wednesday at 9 a.m., Jankowski’s security team will begin shutting down westbound Shoreline Drive. At 6 p.m., eastbound Shoreline Drive will be closed. Shoreline Drive will remain closed to regular traffic until the afternoon of April 13.

On race days, Jankowski sequesters himself in the middle of the crowds, cars and racers in security central, where he hunkers down for 16 hours in front of blinking consoles and waits for walkie-talkie reports from his team of nearly 900 volunteer and professional security officers.

Despite being a big Grand Prix fan, Jankowski has yet to see a race. “Only if I happen to pass it on a television console,” he said, “in between putting out one brush fire after another.”

Jankowski, 55, a 25-year veteran of the Long Beach Police Department, loves the racing but never considered making racing a career. At 6-foot-4 and 275 pounds, “I’m way too big to fit in one of those things,” he said. “But I love it, the speed, the competition, man versus machine. It’s a twofold battle. Man must conquer the machine. Then he must work with the machine to conquer the competition.”

Jankowski sees a similar challenge in his line of work. “Security is like a chess game. You have to stay five or six moves ahead or the whole operation will go down on you,” he said. “When the challenge is over, we evaluate it by who got hurt. If nobody got hurt, security has done its job. Then it’s time to start planning for the next year.”

This year, the 100-lap main event features four-time Grand Prix winner and defending champion Al Unser Jr., along with world-class drivers Mario and Michael Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sullivan, Mears and Bobby Rahal.

Qualifying rounds begin at 8:15 a.m. Friday and continue until 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, qualifying resumes at 8:15 a.m. At 1 p.m. Saturday, the pro/celebrity race begins, followed by the Tide Trans-Am Tour at 4:15 p.m., featuring Chevy Camaros and Ford Mustangs.

On April 12 at 10:30 a.m., aspiring drivers will compete in the Texaco System 3 Challenge race; the Grand Prix main event begins at 1 p.m. At 3:30 p.m., the Toyota Atlantic Championship features open-wheel cars with Toyota engines.

The total purse is more than $1 million, with the Grand Prix champion winning at least $120,000, according to race organizers.

If you go:

From Los Angeles and Orange counties, take the San Diego (405) Freeway to the Long Beach (710) Freeway, then south to its southern end and the race area in downtown Long Beach.

To avoid traffic and congestion, use Long Beach Transit (phone (310) 591-2301) or the Metro Blue Line (phone (213) 626-4455).

Private and public parking lots will be open around the race area for $5 and up. Arrive early to assure adequate parking.

Three-day passes range from $30 general admission to $85 for reserved seats. One-day tickets range from $18 to $40. Call (310) 436-9953 to order.

For more information, call (310) 437-0341.