Buddy Baker contemplates the fragility of IROC Camaro spoilers when compared to buried-tire course limiters. South end of the "Tower" imposes.

A.J. Foyt and George Follmer exchange views.
Per Pete Biro: "Shav glick w/red pants, Foyt talking to Follmer."

Look! the "Tower" overlooks. The starter's Stand stands below the flag. And those clothes!

Buddy Baker contemplates the fragility of IROC Camaro spoilers when compared to buried-tire course limiters. Center section of the "Tower" imposes.

This picture cries out for a caption.

David Pearson, NASCAR racer and Foster Grant™ poster guy. Behind Pearson, at his right, you can see a Union 76 tanker truck at the gate allowing large vehicles access to the track and pit/garage entrances.

My very first detail at RIR was checking passes at the pedestrian gate in that location. Back then it separated the paddock from the pits, no "tower." One of the very first people whose pass I checked was Jill St. John, who made eye contact and a pleasant remark. Amazing, and at 7-something in the morning. Times GP, 1960?

Plus, there's the "Tower" North End, with its crown of camera facilities.

Steve McQueen as a young man leans on a car I haven't identified*. The fence extending to his right at face level is directly above the infield end of the Turn One tunnel. Way off in the background is the foot of our familiar old pal, "Box Springs Mountain (915 meters)." Photo by unknown photographer, "won" in an eBay auction.

See Darren Wright's McQueen pages, where there is access to similar photos in color.

*My eye and (usually) reliable source "Turbo" (Mike Smith) tell me this is a McLaren M20 as raced in the 1966 United States Road Racing Championship by Skip Hudson. See Skip in action and buy the photos at Turbo's Racing Photos site. See Skip in another kind of action at Pits 5.

My other source shows a different era and car for "McLaren M20." Who you going to believe? It looks to me like a Lola. Something. Results show Skip finished second at Riverside in a Lola-Chevrolet, came third in the Championship, Lola T70. Neener.

James Byron Dean, sometime auto racer and movie star, full-time legend. There is plenty of material about his short life and his shorter career as an SCCA novice racer. This photo by an unknown photographer, "won" in an eBay auction must have been made at the Palm Springs event: the car number matches that in the program and the pavement matches an airport.

  RACING Site Map                        WHOLE Site Map                 PERSONAL Site Map