Reporter gets the ride of his life in a Formula Drift car
Reporter John Sherrard meets Porsche driver Patrick Long before taking a ride in the Porsche 911 GT3 during the Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Press Day on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
LONG BEACH - The 47th Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will hit the streets April 8-10, but before that happens, hundreds of media met with the drivers, team owners and organizers Tuesday (March 29) for a look behind the scenes.
“It’s really a chance for the media to experience what the drivers experience out on the race track,” said Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Director of Communications Chris Esslinger, after a long day of managing a tradition of meeting with the press. “It serves as a preview of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. We’re trying to show the media what it’s like out there on the race track and give them a little taste of what fans can experience when they come here in 10 days.”
This reporter did get a little taste and a lot more.
The day started with a multitude of cars all in one place – Porsche’s, Acura’s, drift cars and Indy cars.
After a ride in a Porsche GT3, that topped out at 130 miles per hour for a lap, followed by another circuit on the 1.97-mile course in an Acura Pace Car, the final ride of the day for this first-time ride along experience ended just 12 seconds into the run.
That short run was in a Drift car driven by second-year Formula Drift pro Alec Robbins, who took the first turn a little short and ended up in the safety barrier filled with tires. Both driver and passenger were fine and the car itself received minor left-fender damage, that wouldn’t affect his upcoming race.
“I just came in a little too fast into that first corner and I got the back end into the tires a little bit,” he said. “Once you touch the tires with the back end, (tires) suck you in pretty quick.”
The 31-year-old Robbins, who is from Becker, Minnesota and drives the No. 35 Fasetto-sponsored Nissan, shrugged off the minor incident as just another day at the “office” on the asphalt.
Formula Drift driver Simen Olsen stands with his Toyota during the Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Press Day on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
“It’s always fun getting passengers in the car and ripping around and seeing the expressions on their face and when they get out of the car is always fun,” said Robbins, as he inspected the damage back in his pit. “From what I can see, it doesn’t look too bad.”
The expression on this reporter’s face was actually that of exhilaration, not terror. No one was hurt and an understanding of it typically happening now and then during practice runs or in this case, a run with a media-type, was no big deal.
“They come up pretty quick,” said Robbins, of the tire barriers. “Yup, yup, I mean you know there’s guys out here that have been out here for 10-15 years and I saw a couple of them who even went into the wall (Tuesday). It’s kind of part of the sport. You hit something and you break stuff and you fix it and learn from it.”
Another veteran drifter, Kyle Mohan (Norwalk Patriot feature November 25, 2020), who drives the No. 99 Mazda RX-8, has double duty at the big week at the Grand Prix. His car is designed and developed with renowned Mazda rotary engine builder Mazdatrix
In addition to his duties in FormulaD, Mohan drives one of the Pace Cars.
“I’m one of the Pace Car drivers and I think I’m No. 3 or No. 4,” said Mohan, who has his own team – Kyle Mohan Racing – and grew up in Long Beach. “I’ll be out there during the start of the Grand Prix and I’ve done that race multiple years. Technically, Pace Car No. 1 starts the race and we all drop off and help pace the introduction and all of the staging of the events.”
Mohan, 40, has been to every race in his forty years and that includes when his mom was still pregnant with him.
Drivers show off their cars during the Annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach Press Day on Tuesday. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
Porsche GT3 ride along
The first ride of the morning was in a Porsche GT3, driven by Patrick Long, one of the most accomplished sports car drivers of his generation. Long is one of 18 Porsche factory racing drivers and the only American.
“This is a car that you can go down to the local dealership and place an order, but it’s 90 percent race car,” Long said. “We’ll have 35 of these GT3 Cup Cars racing on the Grand Prix weekend, all equally prepared. You can’t change a single part on the car. It’s all about the driver and it’s where we all cut our teeth as aspiring professionals.”
Long, who grew up here in the Los Angeles area, has been racing here at Long Beach since 2005.
“I’ve been racing here ever since,” said Long, as he was driving and talking at the same time going over 90 miles per hour on the 11-turn Long Beach course. “It’s always a special place to race. It’s as home as any race track will be.”
Asked how he can talk and take the hair pin turns at the same time, Long just said, “It’s what I get paid to do.”
On the last turn, Long pointed out a unique statistic.
“Turn 11 is the slowest corner in North American Motor Sports – 25 MPH – and then the straightaway, where the cars get up to 160,” he said.
Grand Prix President/CEO, Jim Michaelian, who has been with the organization since its inception in 1975, talked of the attraction of the race.
“We focus on the idea of providing entertainment, as well as racing,” he said. “You don’t have to be a hard-core race fan to come to the Grand Prix. We want people to come here for what it offers – sun, fun, energy, excitement, racing and entertainment. We have the Life Style Expo, a concert and you can bring the kids to a fun zone and still be a part of the racing action.”
After 2018, the long-time sponsor Toyota, stepped aside and Acura began a new era of sponsorship.
Jon Ikeda, who is Vice President and Acura Brand Officer, knows how important the brand is in the race.
“The brand is on a roll and we have all the new products out, we’re winning trophies in motor sports and we’ve got the Integra coming back,” he added. “What’s amazing about this venue, is that there is so many types of racing going on, it’s more than just racing. It’s L.A.’s race.”
Getting ready to hop in an Indy car was current Mixed Martial Artist, A.J. McKee, who is competing in Bellator’s featherweight division, where he is the current champion. McKee will be defending his title against Patricio Pitbull soon.
“Honestly, it’s a dream come true of mine,” McKee said. “I’m a big speed demon. One day I’d like to do a race myself, like the Baja 1,000 or some sort.
“I’m like a kid in a candy shop. I’m going to get to ride co-pilot in the Indy car and experience what it’s like to have a real race.”