Jim Michaelian, the longtime leader of the Grand Prix of Long Beach for the past quarter-century, will step down from that role after this year’s race, the association in charge of the annual three-day event announced on Thursday morning, Jan. 15.
Michaelian’s last day as president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach will be June 30. He will be succeeded by Jim Liaw, the former general manager of Performance Racing Industry, which hosts the largest annual motorsports trade show in the world, the GPALB said in a press release.
For the Grand Prix, the leadership change represents the end of an era.
Michaelian, 82, has been involved in the Grand Prix of Long Beach since its inception in 1975. He saw it grow from a modest curiosity — with some people initially calling founder Chris Pook’s idea for a Long Beach street race “crazy” — to an iconic motorsports event that draws around 200,000 people annually and is widely considered the second-most prestigious IndyCar Series race, behind only the Indianapolis 500.
Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian describes the upcoming 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Thursday, February 20, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President & CEO Jim Michaelian kick off the first full day of construction on the 1.97-mile Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach temporary race circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach. Long Beach February 17, 2015. (Photo by Brittany Murray / Daily Breeze) Parnelli Jones and Jim Michaelian, President/CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach introducing a new TransAm challenge, which is a competition for muscle cars for the 2018 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. February 20, 2018 Photo by Brittany Murray, Press Telegram/SCNG Mayor Bob Foster, right, and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President & CEO Jim Michaelian share a laugh as they kick off the first full day of LBGP track construction in Long Beach, CA on Tuesday, February 11, 2014. Foster and Michaelian pulled up to the event in a 1975 and 2014 Toyota pace cars. The 40th anniversary of the race with take place April 11-13 on the 1.97-mile course. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze) 4/19/09 – Jim Michaelian, President and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach addresses the crowd during opening ceremonies for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach..Photo by Steven Georges/Press-Telegram Jim Michaelian, president/CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, speaks at the Indy Car Series’ Grand Prix of Long Beach auto race, Sunday, April 21, 2013, in Long Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu) Jim Michaelian is inducted in the Motorsports Walk of Fame during a ceremony at the Long Beach Convention Center on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer) Jim Michaelian, right, is joined by fellow honoree Chris Pook during his induction ceremony in the Motorsports Walk of Fame at the Long Beach Convention Center on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer) Jim Michaelian is inducted in the Motorsports Walk of Fame during a ceremony at the Long Beach Convention Center on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer) Jim Michaelian, Grand Prix Association of Long Beach president and CEO, addresses the crowd following the Grand Prix 5K on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Grand Prix Association president and CEO Jim Michaelian walks through the crowd on Sunday, Apr. 6, 2025, prior the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach 5K downtown. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association, left, gets a hug from this year’s Allen Wolfe Spirit Award recipient Rich Archbold on Saturday, Apr. 20, 2024, in the Grand Prix of Long Beach media center. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) From left, LB Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan, LB Grand Prix Driver Colin Braun, LB Grand Prix Driver Colton Herta, LBFD Engineer Tyler Vanderstelt, LBFD Capt. Brian Sher and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President Jim Michaelian pose for a photograph at LB Fire Station 1 on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) Grand Prix Association President and CEO Jim Michaelian, left, is joined by Long Beach Grand Prix founder Chris Pook and his wife, Ellen, at a pre-race celebration for the upcoming 50th incarnation of the event on Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Grand Prix Association President and CEO Jim Michaelian discusses the history of the Long Beach Grand Prix at a pre-race celebration for the upcoming 50th incarnation of the event on Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2025, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia and Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President & CEO Jim Michaelian kick off the first full day of construction on the 1.97-mile Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach temporary race circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach. Long Beach February 17, 2015. (Photo by Brittany Murray / Daily Breeze) Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian poses for a photograph in Long Beach on Thursday, November 14, 2024. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) 02/15/11: Formula Drift driver Joon Woo Maeng, left, speaks with Jim Michaelian, President/CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach on the noise levels Maeng’s Full Tilt Mazda Rx-8 generates. Maeng helped kick off the first full day of construction on Tuesday, February 15, 2011 of the 1.97-mile Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach temporary race circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach. The 37th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will run April 15-17, featuring the IZOD IndyCar Series, Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, American Le Mans Series Presented by Tequila Patrón, SCCA Pro World Challenge Championships, Firestone Indy Lights and Formula Drift..Photo by Diandra Jay/Press-Telegram 04-15-10- Grand Prix Association CEO Jim Michaelian and driver Danica Patrick along with her pit crew were on hand to compete in the Pit Stop Competition at the “Tecate “Thunder Thursday on Pine. ” The event took place on Pine Avenue between First and Fourth streets and was presented by the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA), in collaboration with the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. It also featured stunt shows, live bands and car show.. .Stephen Carr / Press-Telegram Long Beach, Calif., — 02-19-13- From left to right, Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President & CEO Jim Michaelian, Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster, Formula DRIFT President & Co-Founder Jim Liaw and Stephen Papadakis, owner of Papadakis Racing, helped kickoff the first full day of construction on the 1.97-mile Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach temporary race circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach. The Super Drift Challenge, held on Friday and Saturday nights during race weekend. Also the all-new Scion FR-S car,left, will be driven by participants in the 2013 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race….Stephen Carr/ Los Angeles Newspaper Group Show Caption1 of 20Grand Prix Association of Long Beach President and CEO Jim Michaelian describes the upcoming 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Thursday, February 20, 2025. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Press-Telegram/SCNG) ExpandUnder his leadership, the Grand Prix became Long Beach’s biggest annual party, enjoyable for everyone from casual fans to diehard motorsports lovers — and even the competitors. He also led the event through some challenging times, notably the COVID-19 pandemic, and got to celebrate his accomplishments last year during the 50th anniversary of the Grand Prix. Ahead of the golden anniversary, he was inducted into the Motorsports Walk of Fame outside the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.
Michaelian has also helped grow the Grand Prix’s audience. For the past several years since the pandemic, the event’s attendance numbers have increased annually — with the 2025 weekend brining in a record 197,000 visitors.
The race, since its founding, has also become a crucial cornerstone of the local and regional economy. In 2024, the event generated about $100 million worth of economic impact in Southern California.
“Leading the Grand Prix Association and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Michaelian said in a statement. “This event and this community mean a great deal to me, and I’m proud of what our team has built together. Coming off our very successful 50th celebration, I feel this is the right time to make this transition.
“For 50 years,” he added, “I have been given the unique opportunity to merge my passion for motorsports with involvement with the longest-running street race in America, which has been a distinct privilege.”
After this year’s Grand Prix, the GPALB said, Michaelian will transition into a new role with Penske Entertainment, which acquired the Long Beach street race in November 2024. It’s unclear what that role will be.
His successor, meanwhile, has plenty of motorsports industry experience, the association said in its press release, from his former role as general manager of Performance Racing Industry. PRI, the GPALB press release said, advocates for the interests of racers, enthusiasts, builders, tracks, sanctioning bodies and businesses.
Liaw is also a cofounder of Formula Drift, alongside Ryan Sage, and previously served as its president.
“He and Sage were the first to take the unknown motorsport of drifting out of Japan and introduce it to America,” the press release said, “eventually making it the global benchmark for professional drifting. Formula Drift’s invitational ‘Super Drift Challenge’ has been a fixture at the Grand Prix since 2005.”
Liaw’s programs, the press release said, have helped introduce younger audiences to motorsports — something Grand Prix of Long Beach organizers have had their sights on for years.
“I’m honored to join the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach and to help lead one of the most recognized and respected events in motorsports,” Liaw said. “The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is incredibly meaningful to me – it was the first major race I ever attended nearly 30 years ago, and it helped spark a lifelong connection to motorsports. I’m excited to be part of this iconic race and to help shape its future for generations to come.”
Liaw will take on the temporary role of general manager for the upcoming Grand Prix of Long Beach, the press release said — working closely with Michaelian to throughout race weekend to make sure the leadership transition goes smoothly.
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