Susan Claudius, the very modest Dave Friedman, Bruce Kessler's friend Richard Meddoff, and Bruce Kessler.

Tony Settember. I don't know who that is talking to him.

I couldn't resist taking this picture, and saying so to EFR; he had a couple of interesting observations about digital photography.

Thanks for the photos! The fellow with eyes closed at Pete Lovely's table is George Keck. Looks like Tom Meehan in white to George's left. Pete, George, Tom, and Ralph Ormsbee were all part of Team Empire (from Seattle) at Riverside in 1958, and were at "Legends". I had hoped to join them, but couldn't find anyone from up here to go with me! George and Tom (and hopefully Pete and Ralph) will be at our Westwood reunion in July, along with Dave Wolin and others. Saw the Team Empire guys race in the Northwest "in the day."

Vince H., Victoria, B.C., Canada

Another of those rich views; aside from the people I fail to name, here are: Scooter Patrick; Patty Newman (I think); Arthur Newman; Dave Gooley.

Is it appropriate that the worst photo I'm willing to post is of Pete Lyons?

At about noon on Saturday I went to the Moreno Valley Community Center, located, according to what I see on aerial photos and old course diagrams, at the infield end of the Champion bridge. Preparations for a wedding reception were in full bloom. It seemed only fair to snap one and leave. That object at the lower center, nearly obscured by the blue box, is a piece of RIR pavement.

(Click for wide image)


View southwest from the southeast corner of the Hampton Inn and Suites property. Approximately 25% in from the left edge is a sand dome located on the "cement plant" land, which can be seen in the following aerial view.

Seems to me the red "d" is on the roof of the Costco building. The SW view photo was taken from the edge of the road directly east of the "d", about halfway between the intersections. The hotel occupies a little more than half the empty space in that block, and its corner is at the north intersection. That makes the hotel closer to Turn Four than Turn Two, I think.

The cement plant is at the top leg of the green carat, left edge.

Scroll down on this page:
http://home.roadrunner.com/~fsheff/rirpicts.htm

Rex McAfee and Joe Playan
Rex McAfee is the son of the late Jack McAfee and Joe Playan raced against his father many times.
Here is a very nice website on Jack McAfee that Rex has to keep the memory of his dad alive:
http://www.jackmcafee.com/


Ricardo Rodriguez and Jack McAfee and Joe Playan
This was at Riverside in 1957. Ricardo was 15 at the time and he won the race after Joe Playan slid out.

Richard: Joe Playan will be 87 on April 16th. He probably should get the award as the oldest living driver who raced at Riverside.

Joe Playan also was one of the founders of the RRR, that was a group devoted to bringing Professional Racing to Southern California. Here is a thread on Joe Playan:
http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php...ight=joe+playan

photo Scuderia Rodriguez

Jerry and Frank, very nice pictures. Glad to hear Bob Bondurant is well. I met him in 97 at Goodwood, he was very friendly and took the time to talk and sign something for me. Paul

Jerry, thanks for the clarification - didn't mean to 'rush' the man... Joe is a very nice fellow and a real gentleman.

Thanks for the pics Frank - blurry or otherwise. Fun to see all those living legends again - last time for me was at the Petersen when they had that massive RIR reunion.

Dick Guldstrand is a real nuts and bolts type of guy, plain spoken and someone who you just know, knows where many of the bones are buried in So. CA racing and all that hot rodding stuff from back when the craze was really taking off in the '50s & '60s.

When I first took to racing back in the late '80s, we rented WSIR for a day and had a private tune & test day. He and Dick Marriott showed up wanting to use some track time. Dick had built a Ferrari Daytona replica (on a corvette chassis natch) for Mr. Marriott and they were there to shake the thing down. Huth told them, they'd have to talk to us, as we had the track for the day. "Mr. Corvette" was practically insistent in his offer to help out with some of the track costs (in retrospect, he might have had Mr. Marriott's checkbook in his hand ;-y)... Sorry we said, your money is no good here - have fun out there... So, he and Mr. Marriott flogged that 'Ferrvette' around for an hour or so and had lunch with our group. He shared some stories with us from back in the day. That was one fun afternoon.

Richard: Dick Guldstrand is the Salt of the Earth as they say. He was a great competitor in the day and he is a Great Ambassador of Racing in the Present.

He sure is Jerry, there is nothing like being table-side when he and his pals get to bench racin' and telling stories from way back when...

And here's something for those "until pics BS" folks - From that day in 1987.


Dick Guldstrand driving with Dick Marriott at WSIR

Hello Jerry,
JIM GESSNER here. I so enjoyed the LEGENDS OF RIVERSIDE. I have known many of the heros for many years, and it was a treat to be included. I was the guy who found Tony Settember for you all. He was hiding in Reno, NV. for the last 6 years or so.

I had breakfast on Sunday with Tony, Dick Guldstrand (my roommate for the weekend), and Jim Jeffords when Bob Bondurant walked in and joined us. Then Peter Brock pulled up a chair.

I realized that Tony, Dick, Jim, and Bob all drove at LeMans, and three of them in Corvette. Tony in a 62 in 62. The only Corvette that year. A very interesting story. That car has been restored. Larry Bowman owns it.

Dick and Bob in the Dana Chevrolet 67 coupe L-88. One of only 20 L-88 cars made in 67. That car was found and restored in 1987. Harry Yeaggy owns it.

Jim Jeffords 1960 Camarodi Corvette was driven by Fred Gamble and Lee Lilley, and Jim drove a Birdcage Maserati in the 1960 LeMans. He also drove that Corvette in the Havana Cuba Grand Prix in February 1960. The last Cuba Grand Prix. Jim won class and was 8th OA. He toured the track with Fidel's son holding the checker. Many great stories here, some unprintable. That car was found in 1995 and brought back to America and restored and is Phoenix, AZ.

It was pure pleasure setting the conversation up, and watching all the stories unfold. Pete kicked a tire or two, that got us all laughing. When we got up to head over to the event on Sunday, everyone broke into applause.

I look forward to more gatherings like this.

Regards,
Jim Gessner
PS: Met Dick Martin who was the original owner of a C.S. Mead 58 Corvette that he raced back in the day. I knew where the car is today, and reunited all the owners back to day one. What a weekend !!!

Jim: Welcome to the Forum. I am putting up lots more pictures from the event. I have gone back and added some that I was waiting for. My Camera wasn't working that great and I have lots more great pictures of the weekend to go.

I am sure when this site is done people will understand the effort put forward by the Magnon's and Dave Wolin and all the helpers.

I would equate this event the same as a 50th year school reunion.

I believe Dean Geddes, who was 1959 West Coast SCCA B Production champ in a Corvette, might have Joe beat on that count! Dean raced at Riverside in 1958, and turned 87 last October 18. He is the oldest realtor in Washington state. Please see this thread for more info:

http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php...&highlight=Webb

and other photos here:

http://www.racingsportscars.com/photo/1959...-10-25p-213.jpg

http://www.rspubs.com/photo75.htm

And welcome Jim Gessner. I hope you can help find Dean's old Corvette race car. Also, the Corvette Ray Rairdon drove in the national championship in 1960. Ray passed away in February.

Vince H.

Peter and Lois Bryant at the Legends of Riverside

Vince: I have worse news to report. Peter Bryant who was at the Legends of Riverside, has suddenly passed away.

Peter had a booth with his books and his wife wife Lois was there helping him at this great event.

Peter will be missed for the fun guy he was. He also helped many in motor racing.

Photo Albert Wong - copyright 2009 Albert Wong

Vince,
I have never met Dean, but Hooper, Guldstrand and Tony Settember were all asking about him, and no one knew. Glad to hear he is well. I would love to get his phone so I can visit with him. I have a friend that owns a 60 white / black fuel injected car that was raced in So. Cal. It has the very rare 24 gallon large gas tank. Car is all restored, but we can't find the history. Sure looks like Dean's car.

Thanks for the lead and courtsey. Great show last weekend.
Regards,
JIM GESSNER

Joe Playan telling the crowd about the good Ol Days
Peter Brock and Andy Porterfield and Tony Settember waiting their turns to talk.
That is Dave Wolin acting as Master of Ceremony.

photo Albert Wong

Arlene Sidaris introducing her husbands film "Stacey."

Lothar Motschenbacher had a part in this movie and it opened with a CanAm type racing scene. Arlene Sidaris's husband Andy Sidaris also directed the movie "The Racing Scene."
He was also famous for inventing the sideline camera for NFL football telecast. He also worked on Wide World of Sports for many years.

photo Albert Wong

Dan Gurney telling the crowd about his racing
Michael Lynch on the left and Ed Justice Jr asking the questions. Amazingly, Dan Gurney seemed to know all the answers on his racing experiences. If he didn't know them, then who did.



photo Albert Wong

Jerry,
Just amaizing stuff.

There was another thread here years ago about putting up a memorial to all those who raced at Riverside out somewhere near the actual track. Anything ever come of that?
ZOOOM

Ok, gang, the shaky pic of me has forced me to join up. I've resisted, enjoying the Forum as a lurker, but...the time has come. So here's an image-stabilized photo taken by my wife, Lorna, of me on the stage (thankfully, briefly) at the Riverside gathering, introducing the DVD "Can-Am Thunder"



And here's one of Lorna and myself at the petelyons.com "store" that Mssrs. Magnon and Wolin kindly let us set up there to sell our historic racing photos (credit this shot to Mr. Tripod)



I clambered up a ladder—yes, at my age—to get this shot of what the Film Festival itself looked like, in the cavernous museum normally filled with Doug Magnon's Maseratis and other classics. Note the Scarab F1 and Gurney Eagle Formula Ford in the right foreground. Visible elsewhere are some of the other race cars brought in for the occasion by generous owners; Andy Boone's McLeagle is just to the right of the right-hand screen, partly obscured by the guest in the blue shirt (Jerry Entin, is that you?).



A great weekend. Long live dear old Riverside!

Sam Contino and Bob Bondurant and Arthur Newman
This was from the Friday night party honoring Paul Newman. Arthur was Paul's brother.

Pete and Lorna: Welcome to the forum.
Lorna seems to have done alot better job on your picture then Frank Sheffield did, he did apologize for it being out of focus.

Pete: That was me walking by.



photo Albert Wong - copyright 2009 Albert Wong

Pete, Great to have you as a participant on TNF. Look forward to seeing some of your great photos (hint, hint) Very nice article you wrote for AUTOWEEK online about Peter:
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090401/free/904019978



I just got this email from Tony Adamowicz and thought I would share it with TNF: great video

Hi all,
We are all fortunate that Geoff Zimmerman did a weekend F 5000 video last season at Watkins Glen, NY
Peter Bryant was in " Rare Form" , I'm sure you will want to see him in action with the RIAM Gurney Eagle.
His humor was one of a kind, singing his Satchmo impersonation prior to me going on the track.
He especially made a point of connecting with me after my first '"pit stop" coming out of the porta potty. Proof positive he said that Avodart does work...

Go to : http://www.checkeredflagfilms.com/ select video gallery tab, then select
Tony Adamowicz at drop down
Enjoy the film, we had tons of mechanical issues that weekend and in the race we only had 4th and 5th gear, leaving us at a distinct disadvantage.
Thank You Peter Bryant for your unique character and friendship, Thank You Steve Knoll for getting Peter there for the Glen, otherwise this would not have been recorded.

" Keeping the Legends Alive "

Cheers ! a2z

Tony a2z Adamowicz

Pete Lyons? Now a TNF member? Geeezzz... We'll let anybody in. :\



Welcome, Pete! Great to have you aboard. In your 'sky shot', I believe that I recognize an Eagle FF in the lower right-hand corner, #48. I remember competing against one in the old AFFA series with Dave Loring up. By the time I got to the checkered, he was having a shower and counting the money.

This is a terrific thread.

Wow - Pete Lyons on TNF!

It just keeps getting better and better around here!

Our newest Forum members Pete and Lorna Lyons with event organizer Doug Magnon.


Pete Lyons and Bruce Kessler signing Posters for the Event.
Tom Meehan on Bruce's left and George Keck is next to Pete Lyons, that is Scooter Patrick on the other side of the table. All the drivers pitched in and signed these Posters for the event.


photos Albert Wong - copyright 2009 Albert Wong.

Peter Brock and Jerry Entin and Howden Ganley and Lothar Motschenbacher and Tony Adamowicz.
On the other side Elliott Forbes-Robinson and Bob Bondurant.

photo Albert Wong - copyright 2009 Albert Wong

Let's talk about what a wonderful circuit Riverside was, fast, wide and challenging for cars, drivers—and engines. This photo, taken from the boilerplate wall atop the banked Turn 9 (older and wiser now, I shudder to think I stood there...but I'm glad I did), shows the 1.1-mile long straight in the original track layout, before a kink was added and the radius of Turn 9 was enlarged. Yes, this is the 1968 Can-Am and that's the Bruce and Denny Show lapping John Cannon, hero of the previous rain-drenched race up north at Laguna Seca, but outgunned here. Note the enormous design difference between Cannon's 1966-model M1C McLaren and the new M8s in just two years. That's just one reason the Can-Am held such fascination for me, at least. As you can see from the aerial view someone else posted, this entire landscape is now covered in houses, condos and shopping malls. They even remade the very contours of the ground. Sad.

Thanks Pete - and a belated welcome
I look forward to more

Mr. Lyons - Welcome and thank you for, what I hope, is the first of many posts. I started seriously following the sport in the mid-sixties when I was 7) years old. Your name has been a constant throughout. Thanks for all your work and dedication to this sport I love so much.

Brian Brown

Pete Lyons with his Legends of Riverside Medallion.



photo Albert Wong - copyright 2009 Albert Wong

Welcome to TNF Mr Lyons.

To say that I enjoyed your Can-Am contributions to Autosport as a youngster would be an understatement.

Your Grand Prix reports weren't that bad either......(second only to Jenks in my humble opinion).

I hope you are able to find the time to at least occasionally share with us your views and experiences of what - for a lot of us here on TNF - were the "Golden Days" of the mid-to-late sixties and early seventies of motor racing.

Thanks Pete . I so enjoyed your seminar on the CAN AM cars.

I have been around the sport since 1959, and watched from the pits these magnificant machines roar to the grid........and make their way around a track with great vigor. Problem I always had, is when racing or crew, you could never dedicate the time to enjoy these cars.

Your show last week answered many, many questions. And the film was 1st class. Look forward to more education in the future.

How'd you get to be so goddamn buff and slim at this age!.

I still remember devouring Pete Lyons's race reports in Autoweek as a kid, more than three decades ago. His writing always had a vividness and rhythm that made it, for me, unforgettable. And much later, I also realized that he was a very accomplished photographer.

Pete, I cannot tell you how delighted I am to see you here!

The young guy on the left is forum member Pete Lyons a mere 37 years ago.




photo - Larry Neuzel - www.yesterdaysneuz.com

Agreed absolutely. If I happen to be looking through my Autosports of the time and come across Pete's race reports I always re-read them. They were (and still are) wonderful stuff.

Great thread. Jerry, thanks for starting it.

Cris

Bruce Kessler receiving the Cooper Award from Doug Stokes.
Doug Stokes really pitched in and made this event great.


Bruce Kesler receiving the Harry Morrow award

Harry Morrow was the owner of Autobooks in Burbank and also was a Cooper 500 racer. Bruce Kessler was friends with Harry Morrow and raced against him often. Doug Stokes is also presenting this award to Bruce Kessler.


photos- Albert Wong

Jerry has been posting some great shots from the event. Here are some more from the RIAM website
http://www.legendsofriverside.com/09photos.htm

Here is an interview Peter Bryant did on Saturday after he had received his Legends of Riverside Medal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7M5bdP0olQ

I'd like to add my belated thanks to Pete Lyons for joining TNF.

In the days when television coverage of Grands Prix was minimal, PL's GP reports had the happy knack of making you feel that you had actually been there, and in many ways were far superior to the so-called "in-depth" coverage we enjoy today.

Autosport used to arrive at 06:30 at our house in the seventies, and the paperboy used to nervously push it though the letterbox, knowing that it would be snatched from his hands by an expectant teenager. I used to read "Pit and Paddock" over my cornflakes, the club race reports etc on my way to school/work, but the real treat was lunchtime... Then I could sit back and enjoy the Pete Lyons GP report - written by a true enthusiast...

Do keep in touch with us all, Pete.

hi from czech republic,
fantastic photos
thank you all

This year's "Legends" is set for the last weekend of March. Carroll Shelby is the honoree.

Legends of Riverside, 2010 edition

Today's update:

Dear friends of RIAM

I am excited to tell you that the Long Beach MG Club is coming to the Riverside International Automotive Museum. This is a club that has very deep roots at Riverside Raceway. They were a major part of flagging and scoring at the raceway throughout it's history. All of these folks will have a lot of memories to share and stories to tell. They will be at the museum on Saturday, January 16 at about 1:00 p.m.


So, don't miss this chance to meet with some old racers and race fans.

Well, living in the Confederate States of America (CSA) does hamper ones travel.

http://www.legendsofriverside.com/schedule.htm

Henry