When Chris Pook puts his mind to make something happen, he usually achieves it.
Even if it’s a wild idea of putting on an auto race on the streets of a seedy town in the Los Angeles area.
Well, it worked and Pook – who founded the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach – has been recognized for his accomplishment by the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA). He will be presented with the prestigious Bob Russo Heritage Award and serve as the Honorary Chair of the formal gala honoring MSHFA’s Class of 2025 inductees. It is especially fitting coming this year as the Grand Prix celebrates its 50th anniversary. And it must be noted that Long Beach is no longer seedy, thanks in large part to Pook and the Grand Prix.
“It will be with great humility and considerable pride that I will accept this dual honor at the annual Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Induction Ceremony presented by Toyota Racing in March,” Pook said.
“Of particular significance is that it comes on the 50th Anniversary of the first Long Beach Grand Prix, which would not have occurred without the help and support of many people, particularly the late Dan Gurney who embraced and supported the concept from the very start! I would also like to thank MSHFA President George Levy and the entire Board of Directors at the Motorsports Hall of Fame for bestowing this great honor, not only to me, but also indirectly on the City of Long Beach and everyone on the GPALB, Inc. team, past and present, who have shepherded the event to where it is today. Thank you!”
Pook will be honored during the 37th Induction Ceremony Presented by Toyota Racing Tuesday, March 11, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort.
In addition to Pook’s entry into MSHFA as just the 17th Heritage Award recipient in the Hall’s nearly 40-year history, the complete Class of 2025 includes Skip Barber (Sports Cars), Miguel Duhamel (Motorcycles), Carl Haas (Open Wheel), Ed Iskenderian (At Large), Dale Jarrett (Stock Cars), Tony Schumacher (Drag Racing), Bill Stroppe (Off Road), Louie Unser (Historic) and William K. Vanderbilt (Historic).
Inheriting his entrepreneurial spirit from his father, who ran a variety of small businesses, Pook was properly educated at a series of private schools in his native England before attending the Sorbonne University in Paris. He soon set his sights on America in 1963 when he was 22 and – after a day or two in New York City – decided the sunshine and business potential of Southern California better suited him. He settled in Long Beach, just south of Los Angeles, and started a successful travel agency.
Days after watching the Monaco Grand Prix on TV in 1973, Pook was working in his office listening to a mid-week radio broadcast of that May’s rain-delayed Indianapolis 500 and had the idea of a Monaco-style street race in Long Beach. While ideally located between Los Angeles and Orange County in the greater LA region, Long Beach lacked the sunny beach glamour of its neighbors and had instead developed into more of a seaside port town known more for its bars and adult movie theaters.
Unwavering in his focus and even relentless when on a mission, Pook soon convinced both the city of Long Beach and Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone a major open wheel street race would not only work in Long Beach but could transform the city into a Southern California destination similar in appeal to the region’s surrounding locales.
With the powerful support of Orange County-based racing legend Gurney (MSHFA Class of 1991) and other racing greats, Pook was granted a “proving race” that took place in September of 1975 for Formula 5000 cars and was won by Brian Redman (MSFHA Class of 2002). Redman’s winning Lola T332 was owned by the late Carl Haas who joins Pook as one of 2025’s MSHFA honorees as the Open Wheel category inductee.
The success of the 1975 race opened the door to the first Formula 1 event just over six months later in April of 1976. A victory by American Mario Andretti (MSHFA Class of 1990) in the 1977 race provided a major buzz in mainstream U.S. news, and around the world, and the Grand Prix of Long Beach was off and running. Formula 1 headlined at Long Beach for nine years before rising costs compelled Pook to switch to CART and Indy cars in 1984, and the race continued to grow.
Toyota became the race’s title sponsor in 1981 and over the following 38 years was Pook’s most powerful business partner. In that time, Pook’s “crazy idea” to go racing in the streets became a model copied across North America for bringing racing to the people and using it to rebuild flagging urban communities. Today celebrating its 50th anniversary, the now-Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach stands as IndyCar’s second biggest event outside of the Indianapolis 500 and is recognized throughout the world.
The 37th MSHFA Induction Celebration Presented by Toyota Racing takes place March 10 – 11 at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. The black-tie gala is the crowning event of this year’s two-day Induction Celebration. For the complete two-day schedule, additional information and to purchase tickets, visit the MSHFA at www.mshf.com or contact MSHFA President Levy at (248) 895-1704 or glevy@mshf.com.
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