In 1973, when the City of Long Beach was planning a billion-dollar redevelopment for the downtown core, British expatriate and travel agent Christopher Pook had an idea. He felt that Long Beach would never come out of the shadow of nearby Los Angeles without a unique and world-famous event, and what could be a better event than a Formula One race that emulated the Monaco Grand Prix. He eventually met former driver and constructor Dan Gurney, who lived in the area, and loved the idea. The two of them nursed the project through many financial and bureaucratic hurdles.