Bourdais and Power enter Long Beach Walk of Fame

Bourdais checks out his medallion

Sebastien Bourdais and Will Power on Thursday were the first active IndyCar drivers to be enshrined since the inception of the Long Beach Grand Prix Walk of Fame in 2006.

“It’s weird," he said, smiling. “Like, when they told me I was going to be inducted, I was like, ‘Man, did somebody say I retired or something?’ Because usually it comes after that."

“No, no, I’m not," said Bourdais, who will compete in this week’s NTT IndyCar main event at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. “That’s why I was like, ‘Are they sending me a message?’ "

Bourdais, of France, won three consecutive Champ Car races from 2005-07 at Long Beach.

Power checks out his

Bourdais said the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course suits his driving style. Something else is responsible for his success here.

“I’ve got a good feeling around here for whatever reason," said Bourdais, who won the Champ Car series championship four consecutive years starting in 2004. “It wasn’t the case the first years I came, but then I found something and I stick to that feeling and I try and reproduce it. When I feel like that, I know it’s going to be quick."

Power, of Australia, won the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2008 and 2012. The victory in 2008 was the final Champ Car race since the series merged with IndyCar that year.

As he stood on the dais about to address the crowd, Power noticed all the medallions of those enshrined before him embedded into the concrete off Pine Ave. outside the west end of the convention center.

LB Mayor Robert Garcia was one of the dignitaries to speak

“When I think about my first race here in Long Beach in 2006, it really was a dream come true to be racing in the iconic Long Beach Grand Prix," said Power, of Team Penske. “It’s had a very long and rich history in IndyCar racing and Formula One racing.

“When I look at the names along this walk of fame, I never would have dreamed I would have been in among Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Jimmy Vasser."

Power remembered his ’08 win in two ways.

“It was a fantastic day, fantastic win," he said. “It was kind of a sad day as well. It was the last race of Champ Car, so it was really exciting that the two U.S.-based open-wheel series – IndyCar and Champ Car – merged back together.

“And now we have, I would say, probably the most competitive open-wheel series in the world, most versatile."

Jim Michaelian	Rosenqvist and Jones	Cake for the day