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> A day at the races - IROC 10/1973, Climb aboard the way back machine
KELTY360
post Mar 10 2014, 03:24 PM
Post #1


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Joined: 31-December 05
From: Pt. Townsend, WA
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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.

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

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Cool pace car!

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Into Turn 7

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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.

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

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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.

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KELTY360   A day at the races - IROC 10/1973   Mar 10 2014, 03:24 PM
ThePaintedMan   WOW! That's really cool and even cooler th...   Mar 10 2014, 03:48 PM
KELTY360   There was also a Can Am race that weekend and Satu...   Mar 10 2014, 03:48 PM
DenjaCol   Thanks for the pictures. That really takes me back...   Mar 10 2014, 04:34 PM
bulitt   Think Penske prepped all the IROC's ?   Mar 10 2014, 04:43 PM
KELTY360   Think Penske prepped all the IROC's ? I thi...   Mar 10 2014, 05:01 PM
Elliot Cannon   I spent some time there myself. Riverside was one...   Mar 10 2014, 04:55 PM
KELTY360   I spent some time there myself. Riverside was on...   Mar 10 2014, 05:03 PM
SLITS   I spent some time there myself. Riverside was o...   Mar 10 2014, 08:52 PM
carr914   Anybody recognize this short lived relic of the...   Mar 10 2014, 05:33 PM
KELTY360   Anybody recognize this short lived relic of th...   Mar 10 2014, 05:39 PM
carr914   RE: A day at the races - IROC 10/1973   Mar 10 2014, 05:38 PM
carr914   Think Penske prepped all the IROC's ? I th...   Mar 10 2014, 05:39 PM
andys   Hey, I was at that race too! It was from a tim...   Mar 10 2014, 06:09 PM
rsrguy3   Thank you. I was 3. That is one of the races I fee...   Mar 10 2014, 06:41 PM
2mAn   WOW!   Mar 10 2014, 10:10 PM
SKL1   My brother in law is a professional photographer a...   Mar 10 2014, 10:15 PM
KELTY360   My brother in law is a professional photographer ...   Mar 10 2014, 11:17 PM
sixnotfour   I have the full coverage on DVD,..yup Great pics ...   Mar 10 2014, 10:18 PM
KELTY360   I have the full coverage on DVD,..yup I would l...   Mar 10 2014, 10:49 PM
garrettlee1   Anyone know if the pace car is still around?g   Mar 10 2014, 11:06 PM
Downunderman   The Donohue car was racing at the Phillip island h...   Mar 11 2014, 12:07 AM
Eric_Shea   The pink car went off track?!? :o   Mar 11 2014, 08:28 PM
KELTY360   The pink car went off track?!? :o Yeah, it ...   Mar 11 2014, 10:32 PM
aircooledtechguy   Nice photos Marc!! Thanks for sharing the...   Mar 12 2014, 09:09 AM
KELTY360   Nice photos Marc!! Thanks for sharing th...   Mar 12 2014, 11:25 AM
Dtjaden   Thanks, Brings back great memories at Road Americ...   Mar 12 2014, 08:06 PM
Kraftwerk   Kelty360, Really cool stuff and great comm...   Mar 15 2014, 09:02 PM
e_artiles   I was at that race and others at RIR...boy does th...   Mar 16 2014, 10:05 AM
KELTY360   I was at that race and others at RIR...boy does t...   Mar 16 2014, 11:46 AM
MMW   I remember as a kid watching these races whenever ...   Mar 16 2014, 10:42 AM
Maltese Falcon   The start finish line, just before turn 1 now exis...   Mar 16 2014, 01:04 PM
Maltese Falcon   1973 Riverside Iroc, Can Am Program. Great reading...   Mar 19 2014, 06:50 PM
Maltese Falcon   1973 Can Am + IROC, and the new '74 914 that g...   Mar 19 2014, 06:56 PM
Maltese Falcon   '73 IROC lineup and 911 specs.   Mar 19 2014, 06:59 PM
Maltese Falcon   And the mighty #6 917/30 for all of us Mark fan...   Mar 19 2014, 07:02 PM
KELTY360   Incredible find Marty! Where did you come up w...   Mar 19 2014, 07:48 PM
Maltese Falcon   Incredible find Marty! Where did you come up ...   Mar 19 2014, 08:05 PM
KELTY360   Incredible find Marty! Where did you come up...   Mar 19 2014, 08:24 PM
KELTY360   [quote name='KELTY360' post='2013175' date='Mar 1...   Nov 24 2014, 07:05 PM
Maltese Falcon   I went to RIR that year for the L.A.Times Gran Pri...   Mar 19 2014, 09:21 PM
Maltese Falcon   Mark Donohue IROC   Mar 23 2014, 04:56 PM
Maltese Falcon   Getting around the Hot Pits cost about $10.00   Mar 23 2014, 04:59 PM
Maltese Falcon   How about this 911R for return- on -investment in ...   Mar 23 2014, 05:02 PM
carr914   RE: A day at the races - IROC 10/1973   Mar 24 2014, 06:09 AM
KELTY360   Great pic! I could be in that one, standin...   Mar 24 2014, 09:50 AM


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