Riverside International Raceway (formerly known as the Riverside International Motor Raceway in early years) was an auto racing complex in Moreno Valley, California, within Riverside County. The complex throughout its history featured multiple layouts, including various road course layouts, oval layouts, and a dragstrip. From its opening in 1957 until its closure in 1989, the facility hosted numerous major racing events, including Formula One, NASCAR, and IMSA GT Championship events. The track since its closure has been demolished, with a majority of the former track site now occupied by a shopping district highlighted by the Moreno Valley Mall.
After a failed proposal to build a complex in San Bernardino County the year prior, the West Coast Automotive Testing Corporation, led by Rudy Cleye and John Campbell Edgar, built and completed Riverside International Raceway in 1957. The facility soon fell into financial trouble despite the success of the annual Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, and after a brief stints under various owners, the facility was sold in 1962 to a group led by Edwin Pauley, Fred Levy, and Bob Hope. Under the leadership of longtime track president Les Richter, the track was able to enter financial stability and undergo some renovations. In 1969, with new funding from Lawrence LoPatin, the track underwent further renovations, including a redesign. LoPatin's reign was brief due to financial and organizational troubles with his company American Raceways, Inc., leading to the track's purchase by the Fritz Duda-led Sunnymead Land Investors in 1971.
After Richter's departure as president of the track in 1983, plans were made to build a replacement facility to move all operations of Riverside International Raceway to; however, these plans never materialized. After some delays in the construction of the mall, the track ran its last major events in 1988; demolition started in June of that year. After some local events on a shortened version of the track, the facility ran its final events in 1989.
Description
Layouts and configuration Riverside International Raceway (RIR) had multiple layouts designed by James E. Peterson. In its final iteration, the main layout was measured at with nine turns. Its NASCAR layout, which bypassed the main layout's seventh turn with a straightaway, was measured at . Before the ninth turn was changed in 1969 to include a left-turn kink leading into a sweeping right-handed turn, the main layout was measured at . RIR also featured a dragstrip measured at a .
Amenities RIR was located in Moreno Valley, California, and served by U.S. Route 60 and U.S. Route 395 (now Interstate 215). The track's architecture was designed by William L. Duquette. Permanent seats were constructed in some parts of the track, including turns six and seven alongside the start-finish line.
Track history Planning and construction Failed San Bernardino County proposal On January 26, 1956, the San Bernardino County Planning Commission approved a proposal submitted by the United States Automotive Testing Company (USAT), with preliminary plans set to build "an automotive testing plant and race track" on plot of land near the city of Ontario. The project, the then-named "Los Angeles International Motor Raceway", was officially announced by USAT on March 6, which included plans to build "several tracks inside a major road course" over the span of four years on a budget of $12,000,000 (adjusted for inflation $), with an initial opening date in July 1956. In an interview with the Los Angeles Mirror, USAT president Kermit M. Pollack stated that the project was largely funded by a wealthy Southern California family who invested in "lumber, oil, mining, real estate, and stocks". An initial groundbreaking date was set for April 1. The opening of the track was first delayed mid-fall due to a construction project made to improve the access roads that were meant to serve the track, with track developers describing them as "totally inadequate" for the expected demand. After an opening race was scheduled for September 22, the opening was delayed further in June to the spring of 1957 due to slow progress on the access road improvement project. By July, according to racing historian Dick Wallen, USAT was on the brink of collapse due to multiple project leaders departing the project with no work completed on the track. In August, USAT pulled all support and stopped all work on the project, effectively killing the track. According to Pollack, he suspended the project due to "high costs, unusual site problems, and timing as related to area development, access and construction"; in addition, the land's material consisting of "sand and sandy loam" was unsuitable for road paving.
Riverside County proposal In September 1956, restaurant owner Rudy Cleye, who was involved with the San Bernardino County proposal, began proposing to the Riverside County Planning Commission to build a road course on a plot of land near March Air Force Base. On November 26, the commission approved the proposal by a vote of 3–2. In comparison to the San Bernardino County proposal, Cleye wanted to have "no elaborate press conferences, no expensive public relations treatments, no fancy words, or exaggerated promises". The project, known as "Riverside International Motor Raceway" by December 8, was projected to cost, "without frills", approximately between $750,000 to $1,000,000. As part of the approval, at least $100,000 worth of the track's development was required to be completed within one year. At the time of the approval, Cleye's funding for the facility had run out; soon after, he partnered a frequent visitor at his restaurant, John Campbell Edgar, who invested the initial $100,000 needed.
Work on the facility began in December of that year, with track developers stating hopes of hosting five major events each racing season. Grading on the track was completed by the end of January 1957, with paving of the track starting three months later. By June, master plans had expanded to include a capacity of 200,000, five road course layouts (including a layout), three oval layouts, a restaurant, and a hotel at an expected cost of $3,500,000. In the same month, the track hosted a testing session open to the media, with multiple drivers, including Ken Miles, John McGlaughlin, and John Marcotte participating in the test. On August 11, Paul Wallace of the Press-Telegram announced the first event for the facility: a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) event from September 21–22. Wallace's report was confirmed later in the month by the track's developers, with the races taking place on a completed layout. At the time of its first race, the track had a reported capacity of 7,000. The construction cost varies by source. Sources at the time of its construction list a price of $800,000. This figure is disputed by MotoRacing's Gus Vignolle, who estimated a price of $625,000. The five-mile circuit, which consisted of an approximate circuit at the northeast part of the track, was never constructed due to financial issues.
Early years
Riverside International Motor Raceway opened as scheduled on September 21, 1957, with Chuck Daigh, Richie Ginther, and Ricardo Rodríguez winning the first events at the facility on the 21st and 22nd; Ginther won the first feature event held at the track. After the event, the sixth turn of the track, which was the scene of a fatal accident on the 22nd, was redesigned in time for events in November. The first drag racing event was held two weeks after the first event, hosting a National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) event on October 5–6. Two months later, the first stock car racing event was held, with Jerry Unser Jr. winning a United States Auto Club (USAC) event on December 1. In 1958, the first NASCAR-sanctioned race was held at the facility, with Eddie Gray winning a Grand National (now known as the Cup Series) event on June 1. The first Riverside-hosted event billed as the United States Grand Prix was held four months later, with Daigh winning a sports car race. In 1959, approximately $30,000 worth of renovations were made to the facility, adding 10,000 parking spots, access roads, a "greater paved area around the start-finish line", and improvements to other fan amenities. A year later, the first and only Formula One race hosted at Riverside was held on November 20, with Stirling Moss winning the event.
The facility quickly experienced financial issues. A highly advertised event consisting of three races over three days on the Memorial Day weekend of 1958 lost promoters $50,000 (adjusted for inflation, $) and had a reported combined three-day attendance of 12,000, which was blamed on high ticket prices of $5 (adjusted for inflation, $) per day. During the event, the facility was reportedly paying off creditors involved in the track's construction with ticket sales revenue from the event. Although the newly created Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, an annual professional sports car event first run in 1958, was considered a major success with high attendance starting in its first iteration, Wallen remarked that most of RIR's races were unprofitable, stating that "a few good races couldn't balance the books". He further stated that despite Edgar's funding "between $200,000 and $250,000" for the track by 1960, "even that couldn't stem the red ink".
In January 1960, the facility was sold at an undisclosed price to Dean Mears, an amateur sports car racer. The price was later listed as "about $300,000" according to Wallen. Mears' tenure was short; he soon after left and cut all ties with the facility, and by June 10, Roy G. Lewis was listed as the new owner of the facility according to the Los Angeles Mirror. On June 25, the first oval race was held on a layout which incorporated the ninth turn of Riverside's road course. The following month, Paul Schisser was appointed as general manager of the facility. With his appointment, Schisser stated hopes of expanding the facility to include a replica of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway alongside a shopping and housing area. In September 1960, Fred Levy and Edwin Pauley bought considerable amounts of stock of the facility. According to the Redwood City Tribune, the duo invested "about $1 million". Despite the investment, the facility was reported to still be in financial trouble. The only Formula One race ever ran at the facility, a highly advertised event promoted by Alec Ulmann, had an actual attendance of 25,000 according to the Los Angeles Times; Ulmann expected 100,000. The race, which was considered a financial failure, was moved after one iteration to Watkins Glen International for 1961. In February 1961, Schisser appointed former football player Les Richter as the assistant general manager of the track. According to Richter, he was hired to head the track after it experienced continued financial troubles.
Edwin Pauley, Fred Levy, Bob Hope, and Les Richter years