Christopher Robin Pook is an English-born American motorsports executive widely celebrated as the founder of the Grand Prix of Long Beach and the pioneer of the modern street circuit race in North America. By proving that racing on temporary city streets was commercially viable, he permanently changed the landscape of American open-wheel racing. [1, 2]

Early Life and Background

• Origins: Born and raised in Somerset, England.
• Education: Attended private schools in the UK, studied at the University of London, and attended Sorbonne University in Paris.
• Emigration: Moved to the United States in 1963 at age 22, eventually settling in Long Beach, California.
• Pre-Racing Career: Opened and operated a highly successful local travel agency in Long Beach. [1, 2, 3, 4]

The Grand Prix of Long Beach

In the early 1970s, while watching the Indianapolis 500 from his office, Pook conceived the wild idea of launching a Monaco-style street race through downtown Long Beach. [1, 2]

• The Launch: Alongside racing legend Dan Gurney, Pook mapped out the course on a restaurant napkin and spent 15 months convincing skeptical city officials. [1, 2]
• Inaugural Races: He hosted a Formula 5000 “test” race in September 1975, followed six months later by the first Formula One United States Grand Prix West in 1976. [1, 2]
• The CART Transition: Facing steep F1 hosting costs, Pook boldly switched the event to the CART Champ Car series in 1983. This pivot saved the event and turned it into the premier street race in the U.S., second only in prestige to the Indy 500. [1, 2]

Expansion and Executive Career

• Street Race Architect: Following his success in Long Beach, Pook helped conceptualize or build prominent street circuits across North America, including events in Detroit, Las Vegas, Dallas, Denver, Del Mar, and St. Petersburg. [1, 2]
• Permanent Facilities: He oversaw the development of multi-purpose permanent tracks, specifically Gateway Motorsports Park (St. Louis) and Memphis Motorsports Park. [1, 2]
• CART CEO: Pook served a stint as the CEO of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in the early 2000s during a turbulent era of open-wheel racing politics. [1]
• Global Influence: He served on the FIA Formula 1 Commission and worked as a consultant for global motorsport venues and city commissions. [1]

Awards and Legacy

• Hall of Fame: Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as a recipient of the prestigious Bob Russo Lifetime Heritage Award. [1]
• Long Beach Walk of Fame: Honored with a permanent plaque on the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame. [1, 2]
• Autobiography: He detailed his extensive career and the political battles of open-wheel racing in his book, Chris Pook & The History of The Long Beach GP. [1]

One day, former travel agent Christopher Robin Pook asked himself, “Why not a Monaco-style race on the streets of Long Beach?” From that idea, he became one of the brightest lights in American motorsports history, inventing the modern street race and establishing one of the country’s longest-running and most popular events, whether as a Formula 5000, Formula 1, or since 1984, IndyCar race and the Grand Prix of Long Beach. Inspired by this example, Pook also helped create major street races in Denver, Detroit, Del Mar, Las Vegas, Dallas, Meadowlands, NJ, and St. Petersburg. He oversaw the development of two permanent facilities, St. Louis’ Gateway Motorsports Park and Memphis International Raceway. “What’s the most influential street race in the world?” wrote Road & Track’s Preston Lerner in a 2018 article titled Ten Moments that Transformed Motorsports in the Last 70 Years. “It’s not the Monaco Grand Prix, a glamorous but anachronistic remnant of an era when many races were run on public roads. The correct answer is the Long Beach GP.”

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The 1910 Buick 17

Helling regularly pilots and maintains a historically significant 1910 Buick Model 17. [1, 2]

• The Car: The Buick Model 17 is a legendary “Brass Era” vehicle. In its era, Buick was a powerhouse of early American circuit racing due to David Buick’s revolutionary valve-in-head (overhead valve) engine design. [1, 2]
• Exhibitions: He famously drove this century-old machine at high-profile heritage events, including the 2024 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion during the Ragtime Racers Exhibition at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. [1, 2]

Cultural Impact

Helling gained humorous internet popularity among vintage auto enthusiasts after a moment at Monterey. While displaying his car, he was interviewed by Mike Wolfe from the TV show American Pickers. True to his old-school automotive passion, Helling had absolutely no idea who the television star was because he does not watch TV. [1]

Chris Helling is an accomplished custom fabricator, master mechanic, and vintage automotive restorer based out of Escondido, California. He specializes in the highly demanding niche of “Brass Era” (pre-1920) open-wheel race cars. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Master Restorer and Builder

Helling is known within the vintage car community as a builder who can engineer historic vehicles entirely from the ground up. [1, 2]

• Scratch-Building: Rather than just performing cosmetic updates, Helling specializes in fabricating complete vehicles using only an original frame and wheels as a starting point. [1]
• The 1910 Buick Project: He famously built and fully assembled his period-correct 1910 Buick Racer from its raw original frame in a breakneck timeframe of just under four months. He collaborated with specialized artists like Monica Canilao to apply accurate, time-period paint, wood aging, and authentic patina to the vehicle. [1, 2]
• Versatility: Beyond race cars, he has a reputation for keeping diverse classic machinery alive, including historically maintaining a 1965 Ford Falcon Squire for over a decade. [1]

Racing Career and Accomplishments

As a prominent member of the Ragtime Racers, Helling actively races the vintage cars he restores. He tests these century-old, low-horsepower machines on modern, demanding road courses. [1, 2, 3]

• Vehicle Fleet: In addition to his signature 1910 Buick, he has campaigned a 1912 Packard “30” Racer and a 1917 Ford hillclimb special.
• Award-Winning Heritage Driver: Helling is highly competitive in exhibition racing. He took home the prestigious Class Award for his group at the iconic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the Monterey Car Week exhibition. He also routinely campaigns at major historical tracks like Road America in Wisconsin. [1, 2, 3]

Tommy McCarthy is a third‑generation Bay Area race car driver whose career began at age five and has since evolved into one of the most decorated youth‑to‑pro racing trajectories in Northern California. A native of Mountain View, he’s earned over 600–700 amateur wins, 32 championships, and multiple track records across karting, pavement ovals, dirt tracks, and road‑course racing. McCarthy was honored with the MotorSports Press Association Rising Star Award at age nine and became the youngest NASA and SCCA entrant in 2013, routinely competing—and winning—against adults twice his age. His achievements include seven QMA National Championships, sweeping USAC events, and four SCCA Spec Miata titles, along with podium finishes in Touring Car America and participation in the SRO Toyota GR Cup Series.

Beyond competition, McCarthy runs Tommy McCarthy Racing, providing coaching, trackside support, and professional driver development while continuing to race in NASA WERC enduros and SCCA Spec Miata events. He remains deeply connected to Bay Area motorsport heritage, carrying forward a family legacy tied to Thunderhill Raceway.

In the sun‑washed paddocks of Northern California, where engines echo against the foothills and generations of racers have carved their legends into asphalt and dirt, a young driver emerged with a talent impossible to ignore. Tommy McCarthy, born into a Bay Area family steeped in racing tradition, climbed into his first kart at five years old — and from that moment, speed became his language.

As the years passed, McCarthy didn’t just win races; he dominated them. More than 600 victories, 32 championships, and a trail of shattered track records marked his rise through karting, pavement ovals, dirt tracks, and road‑course racing. By nine, he was already a name whispered in paddocks statewide, earning the MotorSports Press Association Rising Star Award and signaling the arrival of a prodigy.

When he stepped into adult competition, he did so fearlessly. One of the youngest NASA and SCCA licensed drivers in California, McCarthy routinely battled — and beat — veterans twice his age. His mastery carried him through QMA Nationals, USAC events, SCCA Spec Miata championships, and into the demanding world of Touring Car America, NASA endurance racing, and the SRO Toyota GR Cup Series.

But McCarthy’s story isn’t just about trophies. It’s about a driver who understands the craft — the rhythm of a car at the limit, the discipline of racecraft, the quiet intensity of preparation. It’s about a young man who built Tommy McCarthy Racing not just to compete, but to mentor, to teach, and to strengthen the Bay Area motorsport community that raised him.

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Tommy McCarthy — Bay Area Racing Prodigy & Multi‑Discipline Champion

Tommy McCarthy represents one of the most accomplished and versatile racing talents to emerge from the Bay Area in the 21st century, carrying forward a regional motorsport tradition that stretches back to the Del Monte track, the Pebble Beach Road Races, and the early hill climbs of Northern California. Born into a family deeply rooted in local racing culture, McCarthy began competing at age five and rapidly established himself as a generational standout. Over the course of his youth and early professional career, he amassed more than 600 competitive victories, 32 championships, and a collection of track records across karting, pavement ovals, dirt circuits, and road‑course racing — a breadth of mastery rarely seen in contemporary drivers.

By age nine, McCarthy earned the MotorSports Press Association Rising Star Award, marking him as one of the youngest drivers ever recognized by the organization. His progression into adult competition was equally historic: in 2013 he became one of the youngest NASA and SCCA licensed entrants, routinely racing — and winning — against seasoned drivers twice his age. His achievements include seven QMA National Championships, dominant performances in USAC quarter‑midget events, and multiple SCCA Spec Miata titles, where he developed a reputation for precision driving, racecraft maturity, and exceptional consistency.

McCarthy’s professional pursuits expanded into Touring Car America, endurance racing through NASA WERC, and participation in the SRO Toyota GR Cup Series, where he continued to demonstrate adaptability across vehicle platforms and racing formats. Beyond competition, he founded Tommy McCarthy Racing, a Bay Area‑based driver development and trackside support program dedicated to mentoring emerging racers and strengthening the region’s motorsport community.