Long Beach Grand Prix: What’s New for ’92

Course Changes: The 1.59-mile course is expected to be faster this year, thanks to the elimination of three turns. Because of construction on Pine Avenue, the race cars will not be traveling through the Hyatt Regency Hotel garage area. Instead, after Turn 4 at the loop’s west end, there is a gentle curve, now called Turn 5, leading to a straight shot along Seaside Way past the front of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center. The construction in that area involves widening Pine Avenue and preparing for expansion of the convention center. Race officials predict the straighter course will mean lap average speeds in excess of 100 m.p.h. for the first time in Long Beach. Maximum speeds on the straightaways could approach 185 m.p.h.

More Video Screens: There will be five big Diamond Vision video screens placed at prime locations around the circuit. Two of them will be the biggest units available in the video rental market. One will be near the pit entrance across from Grandstands 24 and 25. The other will be near the start/finish line serving Grandstands 29, 30 and part of 31. A smaller truck-mounted screen will be near Victory Circle for Grandstands 26, 27 and 28. Another screen will be at Turn 1 at the west end of Shoreline Drive, while the fifth will be in front of Grandstands 17, 18 and 21 near hairpin Turn 8. The full-color screens will convey race action as well as sponsor messages with clear viewing as close as 250 feet and as far away as one-fourth mile. Last year there were only two video screens.

Trans-Am Tour: The longest-running road racing series in the United States returns to Long Beach after a two-year absence. This one-hour event, sponsored by Liquid Tide and starting at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, will feature big-bore Chevy Camaros, Ford Mustangs and other Detroit muscle cars such as the Olds Cutlass, Buick Regal and Pontiac Firebird. It also will be the debut for a pair of Dodge Daytonas. All run on production-based V-6 and V-8 engines, and are expected to hit speeds of about 160 m.p.h. Drivers will include 1991 Trans-Am champion Scott Sharp from Connecticut. This timed race is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America.

Chevy vs. Ford Rivalry: After a 20-year absence, the Ford Motor Co. is returning to Indy car racing in a joint effort with Cosworth Engineering. Ford’s goal is to challenge Chevy’s dominance in the field, as evidenced by Al Unser Jr.’s Chevy-powered victory in last year’s Long Beach Grand Prix and Chevy victories in every other race of the 1991 season. Ford is entering a technically advanced XB engine that is smaller and lighter (260 pounds) than its Chevy rival. Ford drivers will be Mario and Michael Andretti and Eddie Cheever. New Chevy Indy V-8 B-model engines will be driven by Rick Mears and Emerson Fittipaldi.