I expressed my sympathies to Jim Michaelian.

I should have known better about telling this doughty 78-year-old gentleman who has become the heart, soul and driving force of the Long Beach Grand Prix since taking it over from its founder Chris Pook in 2001 that I felt bad for him about its cancellation last spring.

And that I also felt bad about the restrictions imposed by the LB Health Department on those racing aficionados planning to attend Mr. Michaelian's three-day weekend event that commences next Friday---either display proof of Covid-19 vaccination or proof of a Covid-19 negative test---that isn't exactly an attendance booster.

Mr. Michaelian didn't want to hear my sentiments.

In fact, he responded testily, displaying the same resilience and combativeness he has across the years as the president and CEO of the LB Grand Prix and as a competitive sports car driver in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring and at La Mans and The Spa in Europe and as a passionate fitness devotee who once ran a lot of miles daily and now peddles a lot of miles daily on his stationary bike at his home.

``Please, don't feel sorry for me,'' he responded sternly. ``We'll do fine in the race. The people will come out. I don't want to hear any negative talk about what we face because we'll be all right..

``Feel sorry for the millions of people who have suffered during this Pandemic. Feel sorry for the people who have lost their lives and who have gotten sick and suffered. Feel sorry for the people who have lost their businesses, who have lost parents and children and close friends. . .''

I listened in admiration to Mr. Michaelian, who has been with the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach since Mr. Pook, a 32-year-old unknown travel agent from England, came up with this implausible idea in 1973 to stage a car race in downtown Long Beach.

The inaugural competition transpired on September 28, 1975 in a Formula 5000 won by Scott Redman, followed six months later in a Formula One won by Clay Regazzoni in what seamlessly morphed into the most prestigious, most financially beneficial, most popular annual sporting phenomenon in Long Beach.

And, not so coincidentally, what paralleled the success of this astounding development in the ensuing years was the total transformation of the city---the Navy dive bars and The Pike and the depilated film houses were torn down---with the sudden appearance of modern hotels lining Ocean Blvgd. and new restaurants opening throughout the area.

The LB Grand Prix has had it various Series iterations over the decades---eight years of Formula One, 24 years of CART/Champ Car, 12 years of IndyCar---and title sponsors such as Toyota and its current one, Acura, but what never has changed has been its thrilling three-day ambiance of people-gazing, food-gorging, drink-guzzling, race-watching for those 180,000 crowds who routinely showed up every year.

It's doubtful that many people will pass through the turnstiles this time, but don't dare mention that to Jim Michaelian.

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You must understand the man I long ago nicknamed the Energizer Bunny might be the most sanguine person I've ever known, the type who only sees brightness in the darkness of adversity, who refuses to accept negativity even if it engulfs him.

``We're going to have a great race and people are going to have a great time,'' he says. ``Believe me, nothing's changed. I'm just so happy that we're going to have a race where people can see such a great driver as Helio Castroneves, who has won the Indy 500 four times, and see so many other great drivers. And we're going to have the drifting races and the truck races and all the interesting exhibitions in the Convention Center and the fun zone for kids in the Long Beach Arena. It's going to be better than ever.''...