Riverside International Raceway
 
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| Location | California 60 and Day Street 22255 Eucalyptus Ave Moreno Valley, California 92388 |
|---|---|
| Capacity | Varies by race and track layout |
| Owner | (1983–1989) Fritz Duda |
| Operator | (1983–1989) Fritz Duda |
| Broke ground | January 1957 |
| Opened | September 22, 1957 |
| Closed | July 2, 1989 |
| Construction cost | $625,000 |
| Architect | William L. Duquette |
| Former names | Riverside International Motor Raceway (1957–1960) |
| Major events |
NASCAR Winston Cup Winston Western 500 (1974–1987) Budweiser 400 (1970–1988) IMSA Los Angeles Times Grand Prix Formula One United States Grand Prix (1960) IndyCar World Series AirCal 500 / L.A. Times 500 (1981–1983) |
| Long Course | |
| Length | 5.3 km (3.3 mi) |
| NASCAR Course | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 4.22 km (2.62 mi) |
| Turns | 9 |
| Lap record | 118.484 miles per hour (Ricky Rudd, , 1988, NASCAR) |
| Short Course | |
| Length | 4.09 km (2.54 mi) |
| Drag Strip | |
| Length | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Oval | |
| Length | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Surface | Asphalt |
Riverside International Raceway (sometimes known as RIV, RIR, or Riverside Raceway) was a race track or road course in Riverside, California. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989. The original course design proved to be dangerous, and it was partially reconfigured in 1969.
The track was built to accommodate several different configurations, depending on the type of car and race length. The three options on Riverside Raceway were the long course (3.27 miles (5.26 km)), the short course (2.5 miles (4.0 km)), and the NASCAR (2.62 miles (4.22 km)) course. The original racetrack had a 1.1-mile (1.8 km) backstretch from 1957 to 1968. When the track was redesigned in 1969, Turn 9 was reconfigured with a wider radius and a dogleg approach added to reduce strain on the cars' brakes.
Before a racing event at RIR, track crews added traffic pylons to close off sections of the track. Track courses are shown in the illustrations below (the 1957 course is in black, while the 1969 course above is in blue).
Diagram notes: The long course (shown below before the 1969 version) had the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) backstretch. This version was used primarily for the track's signature fall sports car event, the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, although the long course was also used for IndyCar racing in the mid-1980s. When the 1969 version was built, the dogleg was added so as to ease the transition into Turn 9 (the track had seen numerous brake failure-induced accidents approaching Turn 9, and this change was made as a safety measure). The NASCAR course, 1st design on the right (light blue illustration), would not use turn 7. In the short course, the track would use turn 7A rather than 8. The "Turn 7-7A" configuration effectively shortened the back straight to just over one-half mile in length. The NHRA drag strip only used the backstretch from the runoff to the Bosch Bridge. The Oval marked in gold (early '60s) used Turn 9, ran counterclockwise, uphill for Turn 1 & 2 and then there was a downhill turn for Turn 3 & 4 (Between the backstretch and Turn 1 of the road course).
1969 to 1989 version of Riverside Raceway, the 1957 to 1968 version is shown beside it
Due to its proximity to the Southern California entertainment industry, RIR was a frequent filming location for Hollywood movies, television series and commercial advertisements.
Scenes from the television shows CHiPs, Simon and Simon, The Rockford Files, Knight Rider, and the HBO program Super Dave Osborne were shot on location at RIR. The television movie adaptation of Gemini Man, Riding With Death, featured as an experiment on the television show Mystery Science Theater 3000, also contains footage of racing at Riverside.
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