It would be easy to use the day to compare the two. But that would be an erroneous tactic. Instead, fans should watch both to enjoy the contrasts. Street racing is a big part of CART's annual menu and Long Beach is where it first started. After several seasons of hosting Formula One, Long Beach Grand Prix's founder, Chris Pook, switched to CART and has enjoyed a mix of Hollywood, Monaco and road racing finesse ever since.
Drivers say that Long Beach changes the traditional equation.
While a lot of CART tracks require equal application of racing fellow drivers and racing the track itself, Long Beach puts heavy emphasis upon the track. Shoreline Drive provides the speed, while several sections present opportunities for drivers to out-brake one another to complete a pass. Technically challenging may be the proper term to classify Long Beach. But it is the work on pit road that rewards a driver with a win. The quickest way to gain track position is to shave a couple of seconds off a pit stop.