Scott Dixon, Beverly O’Neill and Jim Michaelian inducted into Motorsports Walk of Fame

LONG BEACH — At 44, Scott Dixon has been racing for quite some time now. He therefore thought it cool to start his speech for his induction Thursday into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame with a joke.

“To be celebrating 50 years of the Long Beach Grand Prix, some might have thought I was here for the first one, but I definitely wasn’t,” Dixon said, as the crowd assembled along Pine Avenue in front of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center roared with laughter. “I’ve been racing a little while, but not that long.”

This weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is indeed the 50th edition of the race that first ran in 1975 — there was no race in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Typically, there are only two inductees for the Walk of Fame annually, but there were three this special year. The others were former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill and Jim Michaelian, the longtime CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach who has been with the organization all 50 years.

Dixon has 58 IndyCar victories, six series titles and one Indianapolis 500 victory. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America last year.

Dixon won the IndyCar race here in 2015, and last year, when he deployed a two-stop strategy that included precision saving on fuel and tires.

Michaelian praised Dixon’s smarts.

“Not just a racer, and a very fast one, but probably he’s the most cerebral of all the drivers,” Michaelian said. “And for those of you who have watched IndyCar racing, or certainly were here last year at our ’24 event, you realize that so often announcers are always talking about Scott and his ability to hit the number.

“He’s making the number work. What that really means is he is calculating in his own mind along with the help of his strategist, Mike Hull, what he needs to do.”

Like any racer, Dixon knows only too well how much help he’s had along the way. He gave thanks to the entire Chip Ganassi Racing team, of which he has been a part since 2002.

“Obviously, with Chip and Mike, you know, without them I wouldn’t be here,” Dixon said. “The biggest hope for us is to go back-to-back (here). Almost made that possible in 2015 and then coming back in ’16, but came up a little short in second place.”

Dixon also has two third-place IndyCar finishes in Long Beach, as well as a win in Indy Lights — a support series — in 2000 and a second-place finish in Indy Lights in 1999.

O’Neill, now 94, was elected mayor in 1994 and served three terms. She helped boost the economy after the U.S. Navy’s departure and had a big hand in adjusting the course to accommodate redevelopment, all the while keeping the Grand Prix of Long Beach at the forefront.

Michaelian said O’Neill believes in the three T’s — “Tourism, trade and technology.”

“We are so appreciative of what she’s done,” said Michaelian, who called O’Neill “a huge supporter of the Grand Prix.”

Michaelian admits he was stunned when he learned in January he would be in this year’s class.

“It was a really special moment for me,” he said.

Chris Pook, the race’s original president and CEO, introduced Michaelian at Thursday’s ceremony and said the Grand Prix of Long Beach has become all it’s become because of Michaelian.

Michaelian joined Pook at the Grand Prix Association in Long Beach in 1975. Pook left in 2001, turning over the reins to Michaelian after Michaelian climbed the company’s ladder to be in the position to take over.

“I’m very humbled by the fact that my name is in the Walk of Fame in Long Beach,” Michaelian said. “It’s an honor.”

Michaelian thanked his staff and many volunteers for their work over the years. Then he left the crowd with a special thought.

“Most important of all, we want people to come out and have fun, enjoy themselves in a safe environment and when they walk away, they say, ‘You know what? You’ve exceeded our expectations and we’re coming back for the 51st in 2026,’” Michaelian said. “That’s our goal, that’s our objective.”