Eight -a- of the RIR Pictures Pages
A lap of RIR in 8mm VegaKam frames

- a -  Turns One through Four

This could be a very, very long load at 28.8:
maybe as much as 22 seconds.
Your mileage may vary
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Click THIS TEXT to see the original laps on YouTube.

From the far left at Turn 9's exit, the line crosses over to the wall under the starter's stand on the right, then back to left-hand Turn 1 the beginning of which we see at the upper left.

Up a noticeable rise to its apex, just out of sight around the Armco, with the merge from pit lane on the other side of the fence at right, where it interfered with the line of only faster cars.

Past that Turn One apex and over the tunnel, with the merge visible at right, we can see to Turn Two and beyond, to the tower. The tower was at Start-Finish early in RIR's history, having begun its career as the control tower at LA International Airport. I understand the tower provided a good view of the track. And I am told it was the only place in the area where you could catch a bit of a breeze on a hot day. Tower photo by Rich Navarro

For me, this was the high point of every lap: my car was going nearly as fast as it could; the road disappeared around a hill; what I saw ahead was dirt rutted and scarred by the wheels and rollbars of those who had miscalculated; I had verified by experience an instructor's assertion that the surface could "...turn slicker'n snot with no warning." An opposite-direction view from the grandstand.

There it is, the Turn Two apex. The anguish isn't over, though: we're still going pretty fast and on the edge of traction, and have to bend in to the right to make Turn 3 without contributing to the topography outside the turn.

That little lump in the edge of the pavement at left is Turn 3. By this point you have a good sense of whether you are going to make it or go out there and get one of those brown-dust suits I've seen drivers wearing at RIR.

Turning in at Turn 4. In a car with some accelleration potential this is another Turn 2, apprehension-wise. The Vega scrubbed off enough speed in Two and Three that it was just fun, and a challenge to lose as little momentum as possible, conserving it for the run down to 5.

No sooner out of Four than we see the prospect of a real challenge: the Five-Six complex coming up. Five isn't much of a "turn" in a Vega, but it does make setting up for Six a little more problematic. Turn Six grandstand visible at upper left.

Click this text to see the Kammback in Turn Five

NEXT:  RIR Lap - b -
To ARRC 1964

There is a wonderful resource for photos of early 60s California sports car racing and these RIR locations at Tam's Old Race Car Site.