A day at the races - IROC 10/1973, Climb aboard the way back machine Options

[KELTY360]

Since joining up with this motley bunch at the end of 2005, I've wanted to post some vintage pics of my day at the long-gone Riverside Raceway. Only problem was, I needed a scanner that would talk to my computer in order to get my ancient 35mm snapshots digitized. Only took me 8+ years to join the 20th century. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

In July of 1973 I was fresh out of a tour in Viet Nam and treated myself to the only new car I've ever owned, a Sunflower Yellow 1973 1.7 914. I named it KELTY because it was like a little motorized backpack with all the nooks and crannies to hold my stuff. was living in SoCal at the time so when I read about the new IROC (International Race of Champions) series coming to Riverside I had to go. The initial concept was to put the best drivers in the world into identically prepared 911 RSRs and have them compete on road courses. Ultimately this proved difficult as it was expensive to prepare thecars and many of the drivers had a tough time handling the potent tail draggers. This was the only year that 911s were used with the series switching to Camaros after year one.

These pictures were shot with an old Yashica point and shoot camera on Kodacolor film. I'd never shot a race before so you'll see that my panning technique was in the developmental stages.

The parking lot had a wide selection of cars including many Porsches. Notice KELTY with her chromies (loved those wheels). During the day I ran out of film and went back to the car to reload, only to discover that I'd locked my keys in the car! I could see them laying on the passenger seat and hunted up a couple of coat hangers to try and hook them and pull them out of the barely cracked window. While ultimately succeeding at this, many Porsche owners came by and tried their keys in the lock.



Positioned on the straight between turn 6 and 7 for the start.





Cool pace car!





Into Turn 7





The list of drivers for this event was incredible: Petty, Foyt, Fittipaldi, Revson, Follmer, Donohue, Unser, Allison, Pearson, Hulme, McCluskey, Johncock. A virtual Hall of Fame on wheels.

Richard Petty actually bought his own 911 just to learn how to drive one prior to the race. Turn 6 was an exciting spot with the drivers powering out of the exit with their RF wheels off the ground.







Mark Donohue proved what an amazing driver he was, winning two of the three races run that day.





Gordon Johncock may have been a winner at Indy, but at Riverside he showed he could only turn left. Seems like every time he came around the track he'd found some new adventure.

[ThePaintedMan]

WOW! That's really cool and even cooler that you remember the events that occurred so well. I can't even remember the month I purchased my car and it was only 2 years ago.

Those old IROC 911s are really cool cars. I have a buddy who has an orange one - in fact it was my first ride on a track ever at PBIR. Phenomenal brakes!

[KELTY360]

There was also a Can Am race that weekend and Saturday was qualifying and practice.







The most awesome race car I've ever seen was no match for the rest of the field with Mark Donohue behind the wheel. The Sunoco #6 917-30 screamed thru the course with the crowd cheering every time he passed by. Breathtaking!





Anybody recognize this short lived relic of the 70s?



The parking lot had some attractions also.



Fresh off the showroom floor.





THE END

[DenjaCol]

Thanks for the pictures. That really takes me back. Donahue was simply amazing. I grew up back East and that was his stomping ground early on. My older brother and I watched him at an early Lime Rock Trans Am race and he gave all the other drivers a clinic on driving in rain. That was when he was running the Javelin. I think he lapped the entire field, or came very close.

[bulitt]

Think Penske prepped all the IROC's ?

[Elliot Cannon]

I spent some time there myself. Riverside was one of the best tracks for spectators. Most of the fences weren't more than 4 ft. high. SLITS spent a LOT of time at the track as well.

[KELTY360]

Think Penske prepped all the IROC's ?

I think that's correct.

[KELTY360]

I spent some time there myself. Riverside was one of the best tracks for spectators. Most of the fences weren't more than 4 ft. high. SLITS spent a LOT of time at the track as well.

So you're saying he could see over the fences? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

[carr914]

Anybody recognize this short lived relic of the 70s?

That would be a Brubaker Box!

[carr914]

[carr914]

Think Penske prepped all the IROC's ?

I think that's correct.

Absolutely Correct & Donahoe Tested every car

[KELTY360]

Anybody recognize this short lived relic of the 70s?

That would be a Brubaker Box!

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

[andys]

Hey, I was at that race too! It was from a time when you could freely walk the pits and talk with the drivers. Way more casual in those days. The Brubaker Box is a no-brainer if you're from that era.

My most fond memory was watching Foyt out-deep Fittipaldi into 7a. Fittiplad locked the brakes and slid past Foyt and into the dirt. I can still see Foyt's huge grin! I gained a new respect for Foyt's ability against the F1 champ.

Andys

[rsrguy3]

Thank you. I was 3. That is one of the races I feel deprived about not being of age for, I'm a huge Donahue fan as I also own my grandfathers 71 javelin sst . Go figure a javelin and a Porsche nut.-G
Guys please share more pics and even more importantly the memories for those of us that missed out on the golden age of road racing. When driving took monster balls . Back before the fia squashed them.

[SLITS]

I spent some time there myself. Riverside was one of the best tracks for spectators. Most of the fences weren't more than 4 ft. high. SLITS spent a LOT of time at the track as well.

So you're saying he could see over the fences? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

Harruumph .... didn't have to. I was in the pits as a member of a 914/6 race team. Later a McLaren MK8E team.

[2mAn]

WOW!

[SKL1]

My brother in law is a professional photographer and was at the IROC race at Daytona where he took tons of pix, including my sister with David Pearson and Peter Gregg- and of course, Mark and all the others including Revson etc around the paddock. Still have a pile of those prints- priceless!!

Remember the first time I saw Donohue at Road America back in the late 60's- marveled at how precise he was at 5 going up under the Corvette bridge, lap afte lap... never forget it.

Must be a few of us old to remember this stuff when it actually happened!!

[sixnotfour]

I have the full coverage on DVD,..yup

Great pics Kelty, about time you shared..

[KELTY360]

I have the full coverage on DVD,..yup

I would love to see that. I still remember watching them power through Turn 6 and the view looking back from 6 towards the the esses was amazing to watch a line of RSRs snaking through there. Wish I had pics of that but I think that was when I ran out of film. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[garrettlee1]

Anyone know if the pace car is still around?g