Rich Archbold: Nate Jones, Grand Prix of Long Beach head wrangler, keeps his dream alive

Nate Jones, the operations director for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, loves cars. But he has another passion: helping kids.

Nate Jones, a fixture at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach for almost half a century as its operations director, loves the roar of engines and the squeal of tires.

Wearing his weathered cowboy hat, Jones, who calls himself the Grand Prix’s head wrangler, will spend this week roaming the paddock area, where IndyCars and equipment are housed. It’s a critical job to make sure that drivers and their teams meet deadlines for the multiple races during the 49th Grand Prix of Long Beach, which will take place in the city’s downtown from Friday to Sunday, April 19-21.

Jim Michaelian, president and CEO of the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, called Jones “our jack-of-all-trades who fixes any operational problem we have.”

“He has to keep track of a million things,” Michaelian said, “and he’s great at it.”

Jones fell in love with hot rod cars in high school. And in his 20s, Jones built his own tire company in Signal Hill, which has had some big-name clients, including Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld. He has become a recognized expert on wheel balancing and tire truing — a process to make tires perfectly round — so cars run better.

He took on the job of operations director starting during the first race of the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 1975. Jones also invested $5,000 to help get the race started.

“It was risky back then,” Jones said this week, “but it sure has paid off.”

Jones, who just turned 80, was born at Seaside Hospital (now MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center) in 1943.

He has oil and rubber in his veins — but kids in his heart.

While he built his legendary tire and Grand Prix career, he has also had a dream of helping young people use their brains in solving problems.

“Young people today spend too much time on cell phones and video stuff,” Jones told me. “They are afraid to get their hands dirty.”

Over the years, Jones has started some projects with names like “Kids, Hands and Minds Together” and “Kids Motorsports Education,” programs dedicated to teaching young people how to build go-karts so they can develop skills using math, science, art and design.

“We had some success,” Jones said, “but we were using volunteers and never could get enough financial help to keep things going.”

But he has not given up.

He still dreams of acquiring land to build a go-kart race track and have kids build the tiny cars with the help of adults.

“I have a couple of sites in mind that would be good for a track,” Jones said. “Now, I need to find sponsors and donors to purchase a site and build the educational program.”

Jones has the moral support of Michaelian and Don Rodriguez, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach.

“Nate has a great idea in helping kids and we support it,” Rodriguez said. “I hope he can get the financial backing to make it a reality.”

Cars and kids aren’t his only passions, though.

Jones also loves horseback riding.

For years, in fact, he had annually herded horses from the grass prairies of Northern Arizona to Sprucedale, a guest ranch in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona. Until 2014. That year, he rode 100 miles in three days but got worn out. He had a heart attack and needed surgery.

That wasn’t his only health scare. Last year, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. Thankfully, Jones said, he has recovered from that after chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Those health issues have caused Jones to slow down a little — but not much.

“I feel very strongly about helping kids,”Jones said, “and I want to make another push to make it happen while I am still able.”

Jones is a fighter. So if anyone can get that job done, it’s him.

And speaking of getting the job done, Jones is preparing for his other passion: His 49th year as head wrangler in Long Beach, herding IndyCars and other racing vehicles to the starting line.

“Cars and kids,” he said. “I love ‘em.”