This past weekend was a unique opportunity to not only be a part of the Long Beach Grand Prix, but also to do it with a piece of sports car history from the GTP era of IMSA competition. These cars from the 1980s and early 90s are iconic, and I got to be in one thanks to Mazda Motorsports. I raced the Mazda RX-792P from the 1992 IMSA GTP class.
There is vintage racing at the Long Beach Grand Prix every year, celebrating the long history of that event, dating back to the days when Formula 1 raced there. Long Beach is the longest-running street circuit event in the United States.
Growing up around these race cars really shaped and inspired my interest in racing, and I even had some of them as Matchbox cars when I was a kid. What a special opportunity to actually get to enjoy them on the track in a race!
The 767 and 787 were both part of Mazdas GTP heritage and vintage race offering from the Long Beach weekend.
Long Beach is a really special venue, where not only are there glamorous buildings lining the circuit, with fans crowding the balconies to watch, but the track is also right along the Pacific Ocean. Just over the edge of the hairpin wall is that sandy California beachfront, with restaurants and shopping lining the front straight on Shoreline Drive. I have attended the Long Beach Grand Prix as part of Mazda’s DPi program, but until this year, I never appreciated how integrated the circuit is into a very special area full of activity and life.
This was my first opportunity to drive the 792, although I have been lucky enough to drive other models from Mazda’s historic race car collection. The 792 is certainly the most capable and the fastest of the GTP-era fleet. This 700hp, four-rotor engined beast of a car produces the most unique and incredible scream as it goes through its 10,000rpm rev range. (Click here to take a lap with me – make sure your sound is turned UP!)
The race cars of that era were Space Age at the time, including a complete carbon chassis, but they still had an H-pattern gearbox and no power steering assist or other creature comforts that we have today! The acceleration, speed, and all-around capability of the car is still very impressive, lapping not far off what a modern-day race car can do.
The circuit is lined with incredible views from nearby restaurants and shops, including the Hyatt hotel located inside the circuit perimeter.
I really cherished the opportunity to compete in the historic races against other iconic cars such as the Porsche 962 and the Toyota Eagle MkIII. It was such a special experience for me, and putting the car through its paces was simply a ton of fun. With the nature of a street circuit, there is zero margin of error, so it was important to not only drive the car quickly but also to drive smart in order to preserve this one-of-a-kind piece of history!
I finished second in race one, and it was exciting to be able to actually compete in the car rather than simply doing parade laps. It was inspiring to see how many fans came out to enjoy the racing and all the memories that these iconic cars evoke for them. This weekend and the nature of our races were a great chance for me to really appreciate the fan engagement and to take in the event in a way I’m not normally able to do. I’m grateful Mazda provided this opportunity for me to race such an iconic car at such an iconic event.