Formula 1 cars from the 1970s and 1980s are coming back to the streets of Long Beach. The Historic F1 Challenge will run two races at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 16–18, 2027. Mario Andretti’s black-and-gold 1977 John Player Lotus is expected in the field.
The Grand Prix Association of Long Beach announced the doubleheader on October 14, 2026. For fans of the era, it means the sound of old Grand Prix cars echoing off the downtown buildings again, on the same weekend as IndyCar.
Here is what the organizers have confirmed so far, and why these particular cars matter to this circuit.
Two 20-minute races on the Historic F1 Challenge schedule
The plan calls for two 20-minute races, according to the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach release. First up is Saturday, April 17, the same day as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race. The second follows on Sunday, April 18, when the NTT IndyCar Series headlines the program.
Sanctioning comes from the Historic Motor Sports Association (HMSA). In other words, these are period cars run under a historic racing body’s rules, not modern Formula 1 machinery. As a result, fans get two chances to see the field in action over one weekend.
RACER’s report on the announcement confirms the same dates and race lengths. It also notes that the weekend carries ten races from six series in all.
The cars organizers expect
Two cars headline the early entry news. First is Andretti’s 1977 John Player Lotus, in its black-and-gold livery. Second is Keke Rosberg’s Williams FW07D, as the release describes it. Rosberg finished second at Long Beach in 1982.
Beyond those two, the organizers say entries from Shadow, Penske, Wolf, McLaren, March and Surtees are still to be announced. Neither the release nor RACER gives a grid size yet. That’s why the full field remains an open question until the organizers publish an entry list.
HMSA President Cris Vandagriff praised the field, and he pointed out that fans get two races to watch it, RACER reports. Meanwhile, Grand Prix Association CEO Jim Liaw tied the cars to the city’s racing heritage.
Why Andretti’s Lotus belongs at Long Beach
Formula 1 raced at Long Beach for eight years, from 1976 to 1983, the release says. The list of winners from that stretch reads like a who’s who of the sport. Clay Regazzoni won in 1976, Andretti in 1977 and Gilles Villeneuve in 1979. Later, Nelson Piquet won in 1980 and Niki Lauda in 1981.
Andretti’s 1977 win was close. The official Formula 1 result shows him winning the USA West Grand Prix on April 3, 1977, after 80 laps in 1:51:35.470. Lauda’s Ferrari finished just 0.773 seconds behind him. Jody Scheckter took third for Wolf, 4.857 seconds back.
The car that won that day was a Lotus 78, chassis JPS17, with a Cosworth DFV V8, according to OldRacingCars’ results archive. However, the 2027 release does not name a type number or chassis for the car coming in April. So treat it as Andretti’s 1977 John Player Lotus, as the organizers describe it, until they say more.
For an American driver, the result carried extra weight. Andretti qualified second, behind Lauda on pole, the same archive shows. Then he beat the Ferrari to the flag on a street circuit in his home country.
Rosberg’s Williams and the 1982 race
The Williams link is just as tidy. In the official 1982 USA West result, Lauda won for McLaren on April 4, 1982. Rosberg finished second for Williams, 14.660 seconds behind, after 75 laps. Riccardo Patrese placed third for Brabham.
That second place helped Rosberg’s season. In fact, he won the 1982 drivers’ championship with 44 points, according to Formula 1’s 1982 standings. Didier Pironi and John Watson tied behind him on 39.
The release does not say the FW07D coming to Long Beach is the exact car Rosberg raced there in 1982. Instead, it simply links the car to Rosberg and his runner-up finish.
Tickets and the rest of the weekend
Ticket prices run from $59 for Friday general admission to $232 for a three-day pass with reserved upper-grandstand seats on Saturday and Sunday, the release says. Sales open online at gplb.com and by phone.
The historic cars also share the bill with other series. The weekend program includes the Super Drift Challenge, Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks and Porsche Carrera Cup North America, according to RACER.
For now, the Historic F1 Challenge has its dates set: Saturday, April 17, and Sunday, April 18, 2027. Fifty years earlier, on April 3, 1977, Andretti won Long Beach by 0.773 seconds.
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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.
