Mario Andretti reveals how Long Beach saved street racing from going "extinct"

The Long Beach Grand Prix is the longest-running street race in the United States, and Mario Andretti was a winner of the race in the IndyCar series. With the Grand Prix soon marking its 50th anniversary, the four-time Long Beach race winner revealed how the street race prevented the trend from disappearing from the United States.

1975 was the first year when a race at Long Beach was held. With the Grand Prix being a success, it paved the path for Formula 1 to get the track on its 1976 fixture and stayed till 1983.

Within these eight years, America witnessed its first home race winner in the F1 grid, in the form of Mario Andretti, a record that stands to this day. The IndyCar and F1 legend then went on to win three more races at Long Beach in the following decade and stamped his name on the fabled track.

While Andretti has been one of the most successful drivers at the track, the 85-year-old equally reciprocated this success by saying that the Long Beach circuit saved street racing from going extinct in the motorsport realm. The four-time race winner at Long Beach asserted (via Press-Telegram):

"I’m one of the few still around, as a driver, of course, who was there from the very beginning. You have to realize, in our sport, street racing at the time was actually becoming extinct in Europe, and all of a sudden, here, it’s becoming a thing in the States. None of the inside experts thought it was going to survive, and it did survive in the best possible way. It blossomed."

Mario Andretti's success at Long Beach has also been complimented by his son, Michael Andretti's victories at the sub-2 mile track.

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Mario Andretti reveals the extent of the importance of the Long Beach Grand Prix in the Andretti family

Mario Andretti at the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Practice and Qualifying - Source: Getty

Between 1984 and 1987, at the IndyCar Long Beach Grand Prix, the winner's trophy remained with the Andretti family. Mario won the race in 1984-85 and 1987; meanwhile, his son brought in the race victory in 1986.

Sharing how Long Beach has been kind to the Andretti bloodline, Mario Andretti said (via IndyCar):

"I’m happy to be serving as co-grand marshal for the 50th anniversary. I participated in the first-ever race in Long Beach in 1975... The fondest memories I have racing on the streets of Long Beach are my victories. And for my son Michael, Long Beach has the distinction of being his first career INDYCAR win (1986) and his final victory as a driver (2002)."

The Golden Jubilee Long Beach Grand Prix will take place on April 13. The IndyCar fixture will work alongside the IMSA race weekend for the American racing doubleheader.