Jim Michaelian, the longtime President & CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, passed away on March 21. Michaelian began his career with the association in 1975 and joined founder Chris Pook in the vision to bring a motorsports event to Long Beach. He was the event's first controller and served in various functional areas, including finance, operations and marketing. His first pro race was in 1992 and he served in the 1992 Firestone Firehawk race. In 2001, Michaelian took over as president and CEO, taking over from Pook. In 2000, he took over the role of chief operating officer for Long Beach and later played a significant role in the association. In 2015, he competed in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, marking his 16th appearance on the road course.