Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Records broken in World Challenge [Spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-records-broken-in-world-challenge-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-records-broken-in-world-challenge-s/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-records-broken-in-world-challenge-s/#commentsFiled under:


2010 Toyo Tires World Challenge at Long Beach - Click above for high-res image gallery

The final race of the weekend-long Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was the 2010 Toyo Tires World Challenge event, held at dusk on this downtown/oceanside street course as the crowds streamed out following Ryan Hunter-Reay's IndyCar victory. The track had picked up a lot of rubber during the week, with Indy Lights, ALMS, IndyCar and Drifting demos going on along with the SCCA Pro action. The skies were clear but the track was cooling as the cars lined up for round three of the championship.

The race was the third on the WC schedule following a double-header in St. Petersburg. That set of races had seen Peter Cunningham and Todd Buras sweep in GTS and Touring Class respectively, while GT crowned two winners. Randy Pobst had won from pole position on Saturday, besting teammate Andy Pilgrim to the checkers. On Sunday, it was second-place qualifier, Dino Crescentini who took the win, having dropped out of the first race due to electrical problems.

Long Beach is something of a home-track for several of the racers and everyone seemed pumped to do good in front of their family and friends. Last but not least, by Sunday afternoon it was time to run the final race on the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach card. Follow the jump to see how the race went down and be sure to check out our gallery of pics below.


Gallery: 2010 Toyo Tires World Challenge at Long Beach


Photos by Frank Filipponio and Andre Ravinowich/Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Records broken in World Challenge [Spoilers]

Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Records broken in World Challenge [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GPLBgrand prixGrand Prix of Long BeachGrandPrixGrandPrixOfLongBeachlbgpSCCASCCA World ChallengeSccaWorldChallengeTGPLBToyo Tires World Challenge at Long Beachtoyota grand prix of long beachToyotaGrandPrixOfLongBeachToyoTiresWorldChallengeAtLongBeachWorld ChallengeWorldChallengeThu, 22 Apr 2010 16:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19443698/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-records-broken-in-world-challenge-s/19443698/article-detail.xml 19443698 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/world-challenge2010tgplbo---56_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/world-challenge2010tgplbo---56.jpg <![CDATA[Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Reflecting on America's Monaco]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-reflecting-on-americas-monaco/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-reflecting-on-americas-monaco/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-reflecting-on-americas-monaco/#commentsFiled under: ,


2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Grid Girls - Click above for high-res image gallery

The great thing about a weekend of racing action in Long Beach is that there is so much to see and do besides the already thrilling track action and automotive displays. Vendor alleys, 'extreme sports' demonstrations, free concerts, '50s-style Mexican wrestling with a little extra vavoom thrown in...they all add to the payout on your already value-packed ticket purchase. That last one, though, is something new for the GPLB, via something old.

Dubbed Lucha VaVoom, it's a fairly new show that recalls the burlesque shows and masked wrestling matches of the '50s and '60s, but adds a few modern twists, along with a bunch of comedy and some daredevil antics to keep everyone happy and alert. Why do we bring this up when we're supposed to be covering an auto race? Because there's always more to the scene than just the racecars. Being at an event like the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an experience. Anyone can watch a race on their LCD screen, but actually being at the track, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling the cars is a whole 'nother ball of wax.

A race event can be like having the circus in town. In fact, a whole little city sprouts up for these types of events, with restaurants, hair salons, recruiting centers, auto dealers, chapels, hospitals and entertainment spots galore. Participating in a race weekend is something all auto enthusiasts should do at least once in their lives, if not once a year or more. Long Beach in particular is such a great event because of its proximity to Hollywood, the Pacific Ocean and downtown Long Beach. And if you should ever think that attending a race is just a guy thing, know that there are plenty of families there as well, and plenty of ladies too, giving us all hope that the future of the hobby is in good hands.

This past weekend we were so pleased to find so many young women, in particular, at the track, that we couldn't help but take some pictures of all their smiling faces to prove our point. Take a look at the gallery below and you'll understand why we love Long Beach, and why it's been referred to as America's Monaco.


Gallery: 2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Grid Girls


Photos by Frank Filipponio and Andre Ravinowich/Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Reflecting on America's Monaco originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>booth babesBoothBabesD1driftdriftingFormula DFormula DriftFormulaDFormulaDriftGPLBGrid GirlsGridGirlsindy carIndyCarlbgplong beachLong Beach Grand PrixLongBeachLongBeachGrandPrixTGPLBtoyota grand prix of long beachToyotaGrandPrixOfLongBeachMon, 19 Apr 2010 19:27:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19443699/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-reflecting-on-americas-monaco/19443699/article-detail.xml 19443699 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/gridgirls2010tgplb---00_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/gridgirls2010tgplb---00.jpg <![CDATA[Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Lone caution makes for fast IndyCar action [Spoilers]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-lone-caution-makes-for-fast-indycar/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-lone-caution-makes-for-fast-indycar/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-lone-caution-makes-for-fast-indycar/#commentsFiled under:


2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach - Click above for huge high-res image gallery

Sometimes referred to as America's Monaco, the Izod IndyCar Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach typically means sun, surf, stargazing and sensational street racing action in one weekend-long party. The 2010 edition looked to be no exception as the weather was beautiful and there were plenty of stars in attendance. Some were competing in the weekend's well-known Pro/Celebrity race while others were competing or managing in other series, and others were just there as fans.

Going into this, the fourth round of the 2010 IndyCar Series, Will Power was coming off his first loss of the season in Alabama and looking to regain his invincible status. Several other drivers were glad to see Power falter, giving them some hope that they could claw their way back into contention. After all, the season is far from over. After the first practice session, however, Power was once again on top. The question would be whether or not he could stay there through qualifying and in Sunday's featured event.

Follow the jump to see if Power could make it three-for-four in Long Beach or whether Alabama-winner Helio Castroneves could continue his winning ways, or if maybe, just maybe, somebody else could step up and beat these Penske boys.


Gallery: IndyCar 2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach


Photos by Frank Filipponio and Andre Ravinowich/Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Lone caution makes for fast IndyCar action [Spoilers]

Long Beach Grand Prix 2010: Lone caution makes for fast IndyCar action [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach2010ToyotaGrandPrixOfLongBeachdanica patrickDanicaPatrickGPLBGrand Prix of Long BeachGrandPrixOfLongBeachindy carindycarindycar seriesindycarsIndycarSeriesjustin wilsonJustinWilsonlbgplong beachlong beach gpLong Beach Grand PrixLongBeachLongBeachGpLongBeachGrandPrixryan hunter-reayRyanHunter-reayTGPLBtoyota grand prix of long beachToyotaGrandPrixOfLongBeachwill powerWillPowerMon, 19 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19443694/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/04/19/long-beach-grand-prix-2010-lone-caution-makes-for-fast-indycar/19443694/article-detail.xml 19443694 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/indycar2010tgplbw---17_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/indycar2010tgplbw---17.jpg <![CDATA[SPOILER ALERT: 2009 Long Beach Grand Prix Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-2009-long-beach-grand-prix-toyota-pro-celebrity-r/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-2009-long-beach-grand-prix-toyota-pro-celebrity-r/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-2009-long-beach-grand-prix-toyota-pro-celebrity-r/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at Long Beach - Click above for gallery of high-res pics

One of our favorite events at the annual Long Beach Grand Prix is the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. The slash in its name lets you know that this event features celebrities racing against real pro drivers, as well as a few buy-in drivers. In this case, each entrant gets the chance to pilot an identically prepped and lightly modified Scion tC. Basically, Toyota has removed the mufflers and added racing wheels and StopTech brakes, plus a rollcage and other safety equipment. The pros spot the celebs 30 seconds at the start of this 10-lap race, and then it's every driver for him-or-her-self.

This year's field featured some pretty big names from the entertainment and racing worlds. The race itself sometimes becomes secondary to the mere spectacle, but this year's race featured some pretty good on-track action as well. After jumping out to a huge lead, skateboarding legend and polesitter Danny Way pushed a little too hard trying to hold off the hard-charging Farnsworth Bentley. They tangled, allowing the "pro" triumverate of Al Unser Jr., Johnny Benson and Tom Tudnai through. If that last name doesn't sound familiar, that's probably because Tudnai is the president of a local Toyota dealership - but he won this event once before in 2001, elevating him to pro status.

Just behind the top three, Keanu Reeves inherited the the top celebrity title, just ahead of Ken Baker and Carlos Mencia. Raven Simone finished last after an early shunt ended her run. This means that Little Al now has seven wins at Long Beach, six in an open-wheeler. No wonder he's known as "King of the Beach" in these parts. There's a full rundown after the jump and a gallery available by clicking on any image here.


Gallery: 2009 Toyota Pro/Celeb Race at Long Beach GP


Photos copyright (C)2009 Frank Filipponio / Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: 2009 Long Beach Grand Prix Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race

SPOILER ALERT: 2009 Long Beach Grand Prix Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adrien brodyAdrienBrodyal unseral unser jralex trebekAlexTrebekAlUnserAlUnserJrAnnamarie DeanAnnamarieDeancarlos menciaCarlosMenciacelebrity raceCelebrityRaceCoy GibbsCoyGibbsDouglas FreginDouglasFregineric closeEricClosefonzworth bentleyFonzworthBentleyGPLBGrand Prix of Long BeachGrandPrixOfLongBeachJamie LittleJamieLittlejohnny bensonJohnnyBensonkeanu reevesKeanuReevesken bakerKenBakerlbgplong beachlong beach grand prixLongBeachLongBeachGrandPrixMary Lynn RakskubMaryLynnRakskubProCelebrity RaceProcelebrityRaceraven symoneRavenSymonescionscion tcScionTctim dalyTimDalyTom RudnaiTomRudnaitoyota grand prix of long beachToyota ProCelebrity RaceToyotaGrandPrixOfLongBeachToyotaProcelebrityRaceMon, 20 Apr 2009 12:59:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1521400/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/04/20/spoiler-alert-2009-long-beach-grand-prix-toyota-pro-celebrity-r/1521400/article-detail.xml 1521400 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/tproceleb09_lead_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/04/tproceleb09_lead.jpg <![CDATA[Long Beach Grand Prix: Final Champ Car race gallery]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/23/long-beach-grand-prix-final-champ-car-race-gallery/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/23/long-beach-grand-prix-final-champ-car-race-gallery/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/23/long-beach-grand-prix-final-champ-car-race-gallery/#commentsFiled under:


Click above for huge high-res gallery of Champ Car action from Long Beach

We already told you about the final Champ Car race, how it marks the end of the series while signaling the start of a new era in American open-wheel racing. Although we think that we might have been among only a handful of fans to have noticed the series' demise (with most eyes glued to the Danica Patrick champagne bath over in Japan), we understand that with the reunification about to commence there should be happier times ahead for open top racing aficionados in the States. We didn't want it to pass, however, without a whole bunch of photos to commemorate the occasion. Besides this year's contenders the gallery includes some atmosphere shots of the spectacle surrounding Long Beach: The Queen Mary, C-17 and FA/18 flyovers, historic CART cars and plain old scenery shots. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed taking them.

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Gallery: '08 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

Long Beach Grand Prix: Final Champ Car race gallery originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CARTChamp carChampCarIndyCarIRLlbgplong beachlong beach grand prixLongBeachLongBeachGrandPrixWed, 23 Apr 2008 20:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1175044/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/04/23/long-beach-grand-prix-final-champ-car-race-gallery/1175044/article-detail.xml 1175044 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/lbgp08_450_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/lbgp08_450.jpg <![CDATA[Long Beach Grand Prix: People Gallery]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-people-gallery/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-people-gallery/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-people-gallery/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above for high-res gallery from this weekend's LBGP

American open-wheel racing just had a pretty big weekend, in case you missed it. While one era was beginning in Japan, another was ending at America's Monte Carlo. With reunification finally about to commence, the last Champ Car (nee CART) race ever was held at the street course in downtown Long Beach. While we've already told you the outcome, we also wanted to share some more photos. Although the race should be back on the schedule for '09, this weekend's race was truly the end of an era.

After 25 years of Champ Cars and their predecessors, next year's race will bring us a series that has a female driver who is an honest-to-goodness winner. And not only is she a winner (and a part-time swimsuit model), but she is pretty hardy too. After winning the race at Motegi, she and unfortunate runner-up Helio "Dancing with the Stars" Castroneves hopped on a plane and made it back to LAX and the LBGP by the time things wrapped up on Sunday afternoon.

While we didn't get any pics of Danica or Helio, we did manage to capture a few dozen shots of some of the drivers (mostly ALMS and Champ Car), and a few of the models too. Click below to check out some of the people that made this race weekend a memorable one.

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Gallery: Long Beach Grand Prix: People Gallery

Long Beach Grand Prix: People Gallery originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>champ carChampCardanica patrickDanicaPatrickhelio castronevesHelioCastronevesIRLlbgplong beachlong beach grand prixLongBeachLongBeachGrandPrixTue, 22 Apr 2008 20:03:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1173607/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/04/22/long-beach-grand-prix-people-gallery/1173607/article-detail.xml 1173607 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/lbgppeople_450_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/04/lbgppeople_450.jpg <![CDATA[ALMS at Long Beach]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/alms-at-long-beach/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/alms-at-long-beach/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/22/alms-at-long-beach/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


Click above for high-res gallery of ALMS action from Long Beach

With Champ Car going the way of the dodo bird after this year's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, it looks like the American Le Mans Series is poised to take over top billing at America's Monte Carlo. The street course around downtown Long Beach, California is quite a track, with a long tradition of motorsport excitement. Everything from Formula 1 to CART to Trans-Am have run here, but very few series can match the thrill of four different classes running into the dusk like the ALMS presents. This year's sophomore running of the Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach showed exactly why the series deserves more support and coverage than it gets. Not only was the on-track action enthralling, but the huge crowds that Long Beach always attracts seemed to go ga-ga over the prototypes and GT cars wearing names like Porsche, Aston Martin, Corvette and Ferrari. In case you haven't seen the race yet, the results are after the jump. Don't let that stop you from clicking through the massive high-res gallery however.

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio / Weblogs, Inc.

Gallery: Long Beach Grand Prix: ALMS highlights

Continue reading ALMS at Long Beach

ALMS at Long Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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