| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Race 7 of 9 in the 1975 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship season | |
 | |
| Date | September 28, 1975 |
| Official name | Long Beach Grand Prix |
| Location | Long Beach, California, United States |
| Course | Temporary street course 2.02 mi / 3.25 km |
| Distance | 50 laps 101 mi / 162.5 km |
| Weather | Temperatures up to 73.9 °F (23.3 °C); wind speeds up to 9.9 miles per hour (15.9 km/h) |
| Pole position | |
| Driver | Tony Brise (Theodore Racing) |
| Fastest lap | |
| Driver | Tony Brise (Theodore Racing) |
| Time | 1:19.905 (on lap of 50) |
| Podium | |
| First | Brian Redman (Haas Racing) |
| Second | Vern Schuppan (Jorgensen AAR) |
| Third | Eppie Wietzes (Formula Racing) |
The 1975 Long Beach Grand Prix was the inaugural running of the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The race was held September 28, 1975, on a 2.02-mile (3.25 km) temporary street circuit. It was race 7 of the 1975 SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship. An estimated 65,000 spectators saw Englishman Brian Redman win the race from Australian Vern Schuppan, with Canadian driver Eppie Wietzes finishing third.
Background
In 1974 the city of Long Beach began a billion-dollar redevelopment program of the downtown area. Chris Pook, a British travel agent working in Long Beach, proposed holding a street course race in the vein of the Monaco Grand Prix. In order to prepare for a Formula One race the following year, the organizers decided to hold a Formula 5000 race that was held at a track in Riverside with an exhibition in Long Beach.
Qualifying
Qualifying times were set in two sessions on Saturday. Seeded drivers had one 45-minute session and one 1 hour, 15 minute session, while non-seeded drivers had two 45-minute sessions. Starting positions were set by two heat races, with the finishers from Heat 1 starting in odd positions and Heat 2 in even positions.
Heat races
Heat 1
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Heat 2
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Race
At the start, Al Unser led from 2nd on the grid. On lap 3, polesitter Tony Brise had taken the lead and Mario Andretti took over second place. Brise led until lap 15, when both Andretti and Unser got by. Brise re-passed Unser on the next lap, and battled with Andretti until he re-took the lead on lap 29. On lap 33, Andretti retired with transmission problems, and one lap later Brise retired with a broken driveshaft. Brian Redman took the lead and pulled away to a nearly 30-second victory over Vern Schuppan and Eppie Wietzes. Redman also clinched the season points championship.
Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Car | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |  Brian Redman
|
Carl A. Haas Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 50 | 1:10:12.042 | 4 |
| 2 | 48 |  Vern Schuppan
|
All American Racers | Eagle 755-Chevrolet | 50 | +29.938 | 7 |
| 3 | 94 |  Eppie Wietzes
|
Formula Racing | Lola T400-Chevrolet | 50 | Running | 10 |
| 4 | 2 |  Chris Amon
|
McCormack/Burke Racing | Talon MR-1A-Chevrolet | 49 | + 1 lap | 12 |
| 5 | 10 | David Hobbs
|
Hogan Racing | Lola T330-Chevrolet | 49 | + 1 lap | 8 |
| 6 | 4 | Warwick Brown
|
McCormack/Burke Racing | Talon MR-1A-Chevrolet | 49 | + 1 lap | 11 |
| 7 | 24 |  Evan Noyes
|
Evan Noyes | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 48 | + 2 laps | 27 |
| 8 | 19 | Bob Earl
|
T. P. Racing | Lola T330-Chevrolet | 48 | + 2 laps | 17 |
| 9 | 46 | John Morton
|
Krinitt Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 48 | + 2 laps | 28 |
| 10 | 30 | Skeeter McKitterick
|
AME Racing | Chevron B24-Chevrolet | 46 | + 4 laps | 20 |
| 11 | 12 | Benny Scott
|
Black American Racers | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 40 | + 10 laps | 22 |
| 12 | 64 | Tony Brise
|
Theodore Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 34 | Driveshaft | 1 |
| 13 | 5 | Mario Andretti
|
Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 33 | Transmission | 3 |
| 14 | 50 | John Korn
|
Jomar Racing | Lola T330-Chevrolet | 33 | Battery | 21 |
| 15 | 3 |  Jody Scheckter
|
Hogan Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 29 | Halfshaft | 6 |
| 16 | 91 | Jon Woodner
|
Interscope Racing | Talon MR-1A-Chevrolet | 27 | Accident | 13 |
| 17 | 33 | Elliott Forbes-Robinson
|
Francisco Mir Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 27 | Camshaft | 9 |
| 18 | 13 | Ron Dykes
|
J. B. Quality Products | Lola T192-Chevrolet | 27 | Suspension | 16 |
| 19 | 28 | Randy Lewis
|
Wrangler Wracing Team | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 20 | Rod | 15 |
| 20 | 51 | Al Unser
|
Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 17 | Suspension | 2 |
| 21 | 00 | Tom Pryce
|
Phoenix Racing | Shadow DN6-Dodge | 14 | Gearbox | 5 |
| 22 | 75 | Bob Nagel
|
Nagel Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 14 | Mechanical | 23 |
| 23 | 55 | Bill Baker
|
Barbara Baker | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 14 | Black flagged | 24 |
| 24 | 20 | Gordon Johncock
|
Patrick Racing | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 11 | Rod | 19 |
| 25 | 39 | John Gunn
|
Racing Consultants | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 9 | Overheating | 25 |
| 26 | 9 | John Cannon
|
Anglo American Racing | March 73A-Chevrolet | 6 | Halfshaft | 14 |
| 27 | 6 | Graham McRae
|
Eddie Lewis | Lola T332-Chevrolet | 1 | Accident | 26 |
| 28 | 45 | George Follmer
|
Lance Smith Racing | Lance LSR1-Chevrolet | 0 | Wheel | 18 |
References
- "1975 Long Beach Grand Prix weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
- "Brian Redman Formula Winner". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. AP. September 29, 1975. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
- "Circuits: Long Beach". Grand Prix Encyclopedia. Inside F1, Inc. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- Richardson, Darcy Leigh (April 13, 2010). "Jim Michaelian: The Man Behind The Grand Prix". Gazettes.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- Huffman, John Pearley (August 2008). "Walking With Giants – Long Beach Grand Prix". Modified. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
- "Schedule of Events". Media package. Long Beach Grand Prix Association. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
- ^ Klopfer, Wolfgang. Allen Brown (ed.). "Long Beach Grand Prix". Old Racing Cars. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
- "Untitled" (PDF). Independent Press-Telegram. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
- ^ "Long Beach F5000 Grid". Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
- Aldrich, Adria Allen (ed.). "SCCA Race Results". Inaugural Formula 5000 Grand Prix Race. California Sports Car Club Region. Archived from the original on August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011. in ""F Sheff at…" Pages". Archived from the original on September 16, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- "Redman Formula Victor". The Leader-Post. Regina, Saskatchewan. AP. September 29, 1975. p. 15. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
- "Long Beach Grand Prix". Ultimate Racing History. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
| Preceded by1975 Atlanta Grand Prix | 1975 SCCA/USAC F5000 Championship | Succeeded by1975 Monterey Grand Prix |
| Preceded byNone | Grand Prix of Long Beach | Succeeded by1976 United States Grand Prix West |