RiversideInternational Raceway

Origins

**Riverside International Raceway** sat on the desert plain 70 km east of Los Angeles, California. Built in **1957** as a regional motorsport facility, it became one of the most demanding road courses in North America — a 5.27 km layout with brutal heat, abrasive surface, fast straights, and a reputation as "the Nürburgring of the West." F1 visited Riverside only **once**, hosting the **1960 United States Grand Prix**. The race was held in November as the season finale, with Stirling Moss winning for Lotus from pole position. F1's only visit was a one-off — the FIA preferred the established Watkins Glen and Sebring venues, and Riverside's distance from the East Coast made repeat visits commercially unattractive.

Layout

The 1960 Riverside F1 layout was **5.272 km, 9 corners**. Key features: - **Turn 6** — high-speed right at the back of the circuit. - **Esses (Turns 7–8)** — fast right-left combination on the descent. - **Turn 9** — the final right-hander before the long start-finish straight. The track ran around the perimeter of the desert site with no elevation change. The straight allowed cars to reach over 280 km/h — exceptional for 1960 — and the back section was rated by drivers as one of the most demanding fast sections in any North American circuit.

Legendary Moments

**1960 — Only F1 race**: Stirling Moss won the United States Grand Prix for Lotus, beating Innes Ireland and Bruce McLaren to the chequered flag. The race was the season finale — Jack Brabham had already wrapped up the championship at Watkins Glen in October. The race was **financially disappointing** — only 65,000 spectators attended, well below the venue's 150,000 capacity. Cold November weather, the long drive from major cities, and F1's relatively modest profile in 1960 American motorsport all contributed.

Quirks & Curiosities

Riverside hosted **NASCAR's Winston Western 500** annually from 1958 to 1988 — one of the few road course races on the NASCAR calendar. The Western 500 became more famous than the F1 race that visited only once. **Carroll Shelby** raced at Riverside extensively in the early 1960s in his Cobra and Mustang programs. The circuit was a key venue for his sportscar development work. The **desert location** meant extreme heat in summer (often 40°C+ during practice sessions) and cold mornings in winter. Tire performance was notoriously variable — a major factor in racing strategy. **Riverside closed in 1988** to make way for a shopping centre development. The site is now a Walmart and adjacent strip malls. Nothing remains of the historic circuit.

Modern Era

Riverside has not existed as a racing facility since 1988. The shopping centre that replaced it is one of the most- discussed examples of California urban sprawl swallowing historic motorsport venues. For F1 history, Riverside is remembered for the **single 1960 race** — Moss's victory and the end of an era when F1 was still actively exploring new American venues. The circuit's broader American motorsport legacy (NASCAR, sportscar, Trans Am) is more substantial than its F1 contribution. The closure in 1988 is often cited as a cautionary tale about long-term venue protection.