USGP Memories: Riverside
- George Hively: Riverside, 1960
- The biggest thrill I had at the Riverside GP in 1960 was leaving the track Saturday night after practice and qualifying and following the Cooper team down Boxsprings grade the 8 miles into the town of Riverside. They let them drive the racecars on the public highway, in traffic, at night with no lights to their garages at the local car dealerships. One of the mechanics who was driving waved at me to get in front of him so he could follow me and have some light.
|
Sebring Riverside Watkins Glen Long Beach Las Vegas Detroit Dallas Phoenix Indianapolis |
- Frank Sheffield: Riverside, 1960
- The US Grand Prix at Riverside was on the long, 3.275-mile course, subsequently known as the "Grand
Prix" course. I have described some of my experiences then and there on my site at and around
home.san.rr.com/fsheff/.
Here's a priceless Riverside GP story from Frank's site:
I was Jack-of-all-specialties at Turn Seven on Wednesday or Thursday. I was the only one there: I had a headset, a fire extinguisher, and a set of flags, so I was Observer, Flagman, Turn Marshal, and Emergency Crew, all in one. By Sunday I had promoted myself through flagman at several different turns to Turn Marshal at Eight, for the competition.
Near the end of that race Stirling Moss was a minute or so ahead of the second place man, and with about four laps to go I reckoned he (and I, and everyone else) was bored and marking time to the finish. I had been using the blue flag ("look out for overtaking traffic") conscientiously for the entire run. I just casually strolled a step or two closer to the course and flipped the flag out so Moss could see it. He did, and I saw him give a quick look in his mirrors and nod his head. I thought, "Ho, good joke!"
Next time he came by he was travelling perceptibly faster than in the immediately previous laps, and at just a critical point, he was out of shape and his car was sliding right at me! I jumped and scrambled, and he gathered it up and motored around, head back and laughing.
Ho, better joke.