Legends of Riverside
- Thread starter RALPHIE
- Start date
Great track.
Great track, a lot of good racing and memories. I will never forget the 1986 race,( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPbl8RWYJ18&feature=related ) I was a ford fan then and followed their program for many years before. I wished they were still in it. I wish that track was still there. I think I will go out in the garage and hug my GT.
Great track, a lot of good racing and memories. I will never forget the 1986 race,( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPbl8RWYJ18&feature=related ) I was a ford fan then and followed their program for many years before. I wished they were still in it. I wish that track was still there. I think I will go out in the garage and hug my GT.
Chris A.
GT #32
Triheart7
GT Owner
As with all Carroll's scheduled appearances, I give it a 50/50 chance, although it may be slightly higher as most of the attendees will be drivers and friends of his past. His body is pretty fragile, and he doesn't like crowds of people as he is very susceptible to germs/viruses that can put him back in the hospital easily.
Friday Evening
Well, I had a great time at the meeting of the Legends of Riverside. It is held in a small industrial park, with one of the buildings used as a museum honoring Riverside International Raceway (RIR), shown in the 1st picture about 1958. My friend, Eddie, and I first went to the Friday night reception and dinner, and surprisingly sat at the same table as Jim Jeffords (of Nicky Chevrolet's "Purple People Eater" and Scarab fame). Jim drove one of the two Tipo 61 Birdcage Maseratis (owned by J. Frank Harrison's Chattanooga Glass Company) that Eddie and I worked on in 1960, the other driven by Carroll Shelby. The second picture is me, Jim and Eddie and it was a wonderful reunion at the table, sharing our stories of Riverside and Laguna Seca. After dinner, tributes to lost legends Dave MacDonald, Richie Ginther, Ronnie Bucknum, and Phil Hill were presented by each of their surviving family members - insights into the private portions of our hero's lives, and very heartwarming. It was nice to chat with Alma and Derek Hill at the end of the evening, as I hadn't seen them since before Phil's passing in 2008.
In the museum, there are a number of historic race cars - and they have a small shop area where they work on restorations. Some of the cars loaned and stored there are: a Cobra Daytona Coupe and a roadster, a Ford GT40 Mark IV J-11 (owned by Tom Malloy), a McLaren M6B, Dave MacDonald's King Cobra, MacDonald's original 1955 Corvette, a Maserati MC-12, a 1960 Scarab Formula 1,and a number of others - I'll add pictures in this and following posts.
The owner of the museum built the industrial park, and since the building across the street has yet to be sold or leased, he uses it to store his Maserati collection, of which there are about 40 different street cars. They used this building as the vendor area for the reunion, which mainly included photographer's prints of events taken at RIR during the early and CAN-AM days, some books, a silent auction, and some clothing.
Well, I had a great time at the meeting of the Legends of Riverside. It is held in a small industrial park, with one of the buildings used as a museum honoring Riverside International Raceway (RIR), shown in the 1st picture about 1958. My friend, Eddie, and I first went to the Friday night reception and dinner, and surprisingly sat at the same table as Jim Jeffords (of Nicky Chevrolet's "Purple People Eater" and Scarab fame). Jim drove one of the two Tipo 61 Birdcage Maseratis (owned by J. Frank Harrison's Chattanooga Glass Company) that Eddie and I worked on in 1960, the other driven by Carroll Shelby. The second picture is me, Jim and Eddie and it was a wonderful reunion at the table, sharing our stories of Riverside and Laguna Seca. After dinner, tributes to lost legends Dave MacDonald, Richie Ginther, Ronnie Bucknum, and Phil Hill were presented by each of their surviving family members - insights into the private portions of our hero's lives, and very heartwarming. It was nice to chat with Alma and Derek Hill at the end of the evening, as I hadn't seen them since before Phil's passing in 2008.
In the museum, there are a number of historic race cars - and they have a small shop area where they work on restorations. Some of the cars loaned and stored there are: a Cobra Daytona Coupe and a roadster, a Ford GT40 Mark IV J-11 (owned by Tom Malloy), a McLaren M6B, Dave MacDonald's King Cobra, MacDonald's original 1955 Corvette, a Maserati MC-12, a 1960 Scarab Formula 1,and a number of others - I'll add pictures in this and following posts.
The owner of the museum built the industrial park, and since the building across the street has yet to be sold or leased, he uses it to store his Maserati collection, of which there are about 40 different street cars. They used this building as the vendor area for the reunion, which mainly included photographer's prints of events taken at RIR during the early and CAN-AM days, some books, a silent auction, and some clothing.
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PL510*Jeff
Well-known member
Ralphie -looks like a wonderful reunion. More than a few Good friends and many special cars.
See you and Eddie at the Historics.
See you and Eddie at the Historics.
Saturday (Daytime)
We (Eddie and I) stayed at my daughter's home in Alta Loma, about a 30 minute drive to Riverside. So, on Saturday morning, I let Eddie drive my GT - the 2nd person to now have driven it (other than Ford service personnel). Eddie races a vintage Porsche 911 SWB, and I crew for him at the Monterey Historics, the Wine Country Historics, and other vintage races. Needless to say, he was very impressed with the power, stability and handling of the GT. The smile on his face tells it all in the 1st picture.
Arriving at the museum about 9 am, they served a nice continental breakfast, introduced a number of guests, served a nice catered lunch, a highlight of Cannonball features, and showed a few movie films, "F1 Comparo," "Sound of Speed," a very old winner at the Cannes Film Festival (circa 1965) and narrated by the film's original producer, Bruce Kessler, and "Circuit," a film that has been held from release by legal issues, but one that I recommend everyone try to get ahold of to watch. Everyone then moved to the building across the street for an autograph session of the "Legends of Riverside" including such names as Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, George Follmer, Jerry Grant, Jim Jeffords, Bob Bondurant, Lothar Motschenbacher, Tony Settember, Scooter Patrick, Denise McLuggage, and more.
2nd Pic: (can't remember), Grant, Follmer
3rd Pic: Bonderant with his new (young) fiance - He got quite a bit of static from everyone as he always has had young ladies around him (read his book); this will be his 10th marriage - :eek :thumbsup :willy
4th Pic: Bonderant (& fiance), Gurney, (can't remember)
5th Pic: Shelby
We (Eddie and I) stayed at my daughter's home in Alta Loma, about a 30 minute drive to Riverside. So, on Saturday morning, I let Eddie drive my GT - the 2nd person to now have driven it (other than Ford service personnel). Eddie races a vintage Porsche 911 SWB, and I crew for him at the Monterey Historics, the Wine Country Historics, and other vintage races. Needless to say, he was very impressed with the power, stability and handling of the GT. The smile on his face tells it all in the 1st picture.
Arriving at the museum about 9 am, they served a nice continental breakfast, introduced a number of guests, served a nice catered lunch, a highlight of Cannonball features, and showed a few movie films, "F1 Comparo," "Sound of Speed," a very old winner at the Cannes Film Festival (circa 1965) and narrated by the film's original producer, Bruce Kessler, and "Circuit," a film that has been held from release by legal issues, but one that I recommend everyone try to get ahold of to watch. Everyone then moved to the building across the street for an autograph session of the "Legends of Riverside" including such names as Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, George Follmer, Jerry Grant, Jim Jeffords, Bob Bondurant, Lothar Motschenbacher, Tony Settember, Scooter Patrick, Denise McLuggage, and more.
2nd Pic: (can't remember), Grant, Follmer
3rd Pic: Bonderant with his new (young) fiance - He got quite a bit of static from everyone as he always has had young ladies around him (read his book); this will be his 10th marriage - :eek :thumbsup :willy
4th Pic: Bonderant (& fiance), Gurney, (can't remember)
5th Pic: Shelby
Saturday Evening
We reassembled in the museum for dinner on Saturday evening. Eddie and I sat with Tony Settember, who I remembered as one of the trio of Corvette racers in the late '50's and early '60's: Settember, Bondurant, & MacDonald. Tony told us some amusing stories of his period in Europe, which I had never heard before.
Picture 1 is an additional afternoon signing with John Morton (half hidden) Lothar Motschenbacher, Tony Settember, and Scooter Patrick
During the cocktail period before dinner, the "Legends" assembled for a group picture, seen in Picture 2.
Then, after dinner, we watched a film entitled "America's Greatest Race Car," a story of some of the development of the 1960 Scarab Formula 1 car, Pictures 3 & 4.
A nice surprise was when they asked everyone who had been a driver or crew member at RIR in 1958, 1959, or 1960 to come up and receive a commemorative plaque - I got mine :biggrin
Picture 5: Gurney, with Jeffords in left rear
Finally, the evening concluded with a discussion with Carroll Shelby, the featured guest, regarding various aspects of his career as a racing driver, team manager and automobile constructor. A highlight for everyone who attended, with good humored jabs at his competitors around the room.
We reassembled in the museum for dinner on Saturday evening. Eddie and I sat with Tony Settember, who I remembered as one of the trio of Corvette racers in the late '50's and early '60's: Settember, Bondurant, & MacDonald. Tony told us some amusing stories of his period in Europe, which I had never heard before.
Picture 1 is an additional afternoon signing with John Morton (half hidden) Lothar Motschenbacher, Tony Settember, and Scooter Patrick
During the cocktail period before dinner, the "Legends" assembled for a group picture, seen in Picture 2.
Then, after dinner, we watched a film entitled "America's Greatest Race Car," a story of some of the development of the 1960 Scarab Formula 1 car, Pictures 3 & 4.
A nice surprise was when they asked everyone who had been a driver or crew member at RIR in 1958, 1959, or 1960 to come up and receive a commemorative plaque - I got mine :biggrin
Picture 5: Gurney, with Jeffords in left rear
Finally, the evening concluded with a discussion with Carroll Shelby, the featured guest, regarding various aspects of his career as a racing driver, team manager and automobile constructor. A highlight for everyone who attended, with good humored jabs at his competitors around the room.
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Sunday Morning
On Sunday, after another nice continental breakfast, Eddie and I wandered a bit, picking up items we purchased at the silent auction, and I took a few pictures of some of the Maseratis in the collection.
The morning presentations involved the CanAM/USRRC races of the late 50's, 60's and early 70's, with some telling stories from George Follmer and others. Very interesting!
The pictures here are of some of the Maseratis - the cars behind them are also Maseratis in the collection.
On Sunday, after another nice continental breakfast, Eddie and I wandered a bit, picking up items we purchased at the silent auction, and I took a few pictures of some of the Maseratis in the collection.
The morning presentations involved the CanAM/USRRC races of the late 50's, 60's and early 70's, with some telling stories from George Follmer and others. Very interesting!
The pictures here are of some of the Maseratis - the cars behind them are also Maseratis in the collection.
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Kingman
GT Owner
THamonGT
GT
Great pictures and story. Thanks for shareing this experience with the GT Forum Group. Tomy Hamon
Triheart7
GT Owner
Cobrar
GT Owner
fjpikul
GT Owner
Epilogue
For my college education, I went to the University of Redlands, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles. The Riverside International Raceway (RIR) was located about 20 miles from the University, in the Moreno Valley east of the city of Riverside. I would drive by it on my way to and from school, and, having a sports car at the time, a 1955 Austin Healey, I was naturally interested in sports car racing and road courses. At that time, one of the major races in the US was the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars, which became part of the United States Road Racing Championship of the United States Auto Club (USAC), the forerunner of the CanAm series. During the week prior to the Times Grand Prix, I used to cut all my classes and drive over to the raceway to watch the entrants, who would come out to the track to setup their chassis and engines. I met many of the drivers at the time, and was fortunate to even get an occasional ride around the track in some of the exotic machinery.
During my sophomore year (1960), I was standing in the pit area during the week before the race when an individual approached and asked me if I would like to help them with their team. I accepted the offer, and upon arriving at their transporter, found out that the team included 2 Tipo 61 Birdcage Maseratis, driven by Jim Jeffords (a midwest Champion racer whom I had read about in Road & Track), and Carroll Shelby (known worldwide as a Le Mans winner and a very popular driver throughout the US). Wow - the planets must have really been aligned that day. At the post race team dinner, they asked if I might be able to come to Monterey the following weekend to help them with last race of the series at Laguna Seca, and I said yes. When they asked if I could bring a friend, I enlisted my friend Eddie, and we drove my Healey there on the following Thursday afternoon and evening. To shorten the story, suffice it to say that Shelby finished 5th at Riverside and 2nd at Laguna Seca, clinching the USAC Sports Car Championship, and promptly retired. These were his last two competitive races. Jeffords finished 4th at Riverside and DNF'd at Laguna Seca. At Monterey, during the race, I spend a considerable amount of time talking with Phil Hill (one of my heroes), who unfortunately had a very uncompetitive ride and did not qualify for the main event. A friendship resulted from this chance meeting, and subsequently I would drive to Santa Monica at least one weekend a month to visit with Phil. Eddie and I were then fortunate to get pit passes to the US Grand Prix (Formula 1) from Phil, which as held at RIR that year. Needless to say, I almost flunked out of school that year, but looking back, I wouldn't trade those times for anything. The next year, 1961, I got on Chuck Sargent's Birdcage Maserati crew, as he had purchased the winning 1960 RIR car, driven by Billy Krause (the Tipo 61 Maserati that resides in the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway). Also in 1961, Phil won the World Championship in the Ferrari 156 Sharknose Formula 1. Then, in the spring semester of 1962, I attended the Redlands in Europe campus in Salzburg, Austria. Staying through the summer for travel experiences, I attended most of the Formula 1 and sports car races on the continent (Monaco, Spa, Le Mans & Nürburgring) with the Ferrari team, and felt the thrill of victory when Phil and Olivier Gendebien won the 24 Heures du Mans!!
Without those experiences, I might have chosen other paths of enjoyment as a young man. But for the fact that Riverside International Raceway was so close to my college school, none of the above would have happened, and I would be without all the wonderful memories which they created. Today, I crew for Eddie and some of his friends at vintage races (Laguna Seca, Infineon, Coronado, Seattle, Portland, Fernley, etc) and reminisce the days of my youth. Likely I would not have bought a Ford GT without those past experiences, and not been able to enjoy the company of all the members of this forum. Truly, RIR had a tremendous influence on my life, and provides me with a fulfillment of many wonderful experiences. This is why I attend the Legends of Riverside reunion, and plan to do so for many years to come. The track may be gone, but the memories will always live on.
Ralphie
For my college education, I went to the University of Redlands, about 75 miles east of Los Angeles. The Riverside International Raceway (RIR) was located about 20 miles from the University, in the Moreno Valley east of the city of Riverside. I would drive by it on my way to and from school, and, having a sports car at the time, a 1955 Austin Healey, I was naturally interested in sports car racing and road courses. At that time, one of the major races in the US was the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix for Sports Cars, which became part of the United States Road Racing Championship of the United States Auto Club (USAC), the forerunner of the CanAm series. During the week prior to the Times Grand Prix, I used to cut all my classes and drive over to the raceway to watch the entrants, who would come out to the track to setup their chassis and engines. I met many of the drivers at the time, and was fortunate to even get an occasional ride around the track in some of the exotic machinery.
During my sophomore year (1960), I was standing in the pit area during the week before the race when an individual approached and asked me if I would like to help them with their team. I accepted the offer, and upon arriving at their transporter, found out that the team included 2 Tipo 61 Birdcage Maseratis, driven by Jim Jeffords (a midwest Champion racer whom I had read about in Road & Track), and Carroll Shelby (known worldwide as a Le Mans winner and a very popular driver throughout the US). Wow - the planets must have really been aligned that day. At the post race team dinner, they asked if I might be able to come to Monterey the following weekend to help them with last race of the series at Laguna Seca, and I said yes. When they asked if I could bring a friend, I enlisted my friend Eddie, and we drove my Healey there on the following Thursday afternoon and evening. To shorten the story, suffice it to say that Shelby finished 5th at Riverside and 2nd at Laguna Seca, clinching the USAC Sports Car Championship, and promptly retired. These were his last two competitive races. Jeffords finished 4th at Riverside and DNF'd at Laguna Seca. At Monterey, during the race, I spend a considerable amount of time talking with Phil Hill (one of my heroes), who unfortunately had a very uncompetitive ride and did not qualify for the main event. A friendship resulted from this chance meeting, and subsequently I would drive to Santa Monica at least one weekend a month to visit with Phil. Eddie and I were then fortunate to get pit passes to the US Grand Prix (Formula 1) from Phil, which as held at RIR that year. Needless to say, I almost flunked out of school that year, but looking back, I wouldn't trade those times for anything. The next year, 1961, I got on Chuck Sargent's Birdcage Maserati crew, as he had purchased the winning 1960 RIR car, driven by Billy Krause (the Tipo 61 Maserati that resides in the museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway). Also in 1961, Phil won the World Championship in the Ferrari 156 Sharknose Formula 1. Then, in the spring semester of 1962, I attended the Redlands in Europe campus in Salzburg, Austria. Staying through the summer for travel experiences, I attended most of the Formula 1 and sports car races on the continent (Monaco, Spa, Le Mans & Nürburgring) with the Ferrari team, and felt the thrill of victory when Phil and Olivier Gendebien won the 24 Heures du Mans!!
Without those experiences, I might have chosen other paths of enjoyment as a young man. But for the fact that Riverside International Raceway was so close to my college school, none of the above would have happened, and I would be without all the wonderful memories which they created. Today, I crew for Eddie and some of his friends at vintage races (Laguna Seca, Infineon, Coronado, Seattle, Portland, Fernley, etc) and reminisce the days of my youth. Likely I would not have bought a Ford GT without those past experiences, and not been able to enjoy the company of all the members of this forum. Truly, RIR had a tremendous influence on my life, and provides me with a fulfillment of many wonderful experiences. This is why I attend the Legends of Riverside reunion, and plan to do so for many years to come. The track may be gone, but the memories will always live on.
Ralphie
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fjpikul
GT Owner
Wow, Ralphie, I just thought you were a milktoast engineer that drank Shirley Temples. I was proud to know you under any circumstances, but now I'm impressed.
PS your pants from the posted pictures look lavender on my computer.
PS your pants from the posted pictures look lavender on my computer.