Riverside International Raceway
Riverside, CA, USA
Track History
Riverside International Raceway in Southern California was a road course that brought a different dimension to the Cup Series from the early 1960s through 1988. The 2.62-mile circuit in the San Bernardino foothills featured elevation changes, high-speed sweepers, and a demanding character that rewarded driving versatility. Riverside was one of only two road courses on the Cup schedule for most of its existence, making it a rare and valuable opportunity for road racing specialists to compete at the highest level of stock car racing. The track produced unlikely heroes and dramatic finishes, as the road course format shuffled the competitive order and created opportunities for drivers who struggled on ovals. Riverside's eventual closure to make way for real estate development was a loss for the sport, removing a venue that had been challenging and delighting Cup competitors for nearly three decades.
Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference
Top Drivers at Riverside International Raceway
Bobby Allison leads all drivers at Riverside International Raceway with 6 wins across 43 starts.
All-time stats across Cup, O'Reilly & Trucks (min 3 starts)
| Driver | Races | Wins | Avg Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Allison | 43 | 6 | 10.7 |
| Dan Gurney | 9 | 5 | 8.8 |
| Darrell Waltrip | 27 | 5 | 12.1 |
| Richard Petty | 45 | 5 | 12.9 |
| Tim Richmond | 14 | 4 | 12.5 |
Race Winners (1958-1988)
Riverside International Raceway has crowned 20 different Cup Series winners since 1958.
| Year | Race | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Budweiser 400 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1987 | Winston Western 500 | Rusty Wallace |
| 1987 | Budweiser 400 | Tim Richmond |
| 1986 | Budweiser 400 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1986 | Winston Western 500 | Tim Richmond |
| 1985 | Budweiser 400 | Terry Labonte |
| 1985 | Winston Western 500 | Ricky Rudd |
| 1984 | Budweiser 400 | Terry Labonte |
| 1984 | Winston Western 500 | Geoffrey Bodine |
| 1983 | Budweiser 400 | Ricky Rudd |
| 1983 | Winston Western 500 | Bill Elliott |
| 1982 | Budweiser 400 | Tim Richmond |
| 1982 | Winston Western 500 | Tim Richmond |
| 1981 | Winston Western 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1981 | Winston Western 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1981 | Warner W. Hodgdon 400 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1980 | Winston Western 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1980 | Warner W. Hodgdon 400 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1979 | NAPA Riverside 400 | Bobby Allison |
| 1979 | Winston Western 500 | Darrell Waltrip |
| 1978 | NAPA Riverside 400 | Benny Parsons |
| 1978 | Winston Western 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1977 | NAPA Riverside 400 | Richard Petty |
| 1977 | Winston Western 500 | David Pearson |
| 1976 | Winston Western 500 | David Pearson |
| 1976 | Riverside 400 | David Pearson |
| 1975 | Tuborg 400 | Richard Petty |
| 1975 | Winston Western 500 | Bobby Allison |
| 1974 | Winston Western 500 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1974 | Tuborg 400 | Cale Yarborough |
| 1973 | Tuborg 400 | Bobby Allison |
| 1973 | Winston Western 500 | Mark Donohue |
| 1972 | Winston Western 500 | Richard Petty |
| 1972 | Golden State 400 | Ray Elder |
| 1971 | Winston Golden State 400 | Bobby Allison |
| 1971 | Winston Western 500 | Ray Elder |
| 1970 | Falstaff 400 | Richard Petty |
| 1970 | Motor Trend 500 | A.J. Foyt |
| 1969 | Motor-Trend 500 | Richard Petty |
| 1968 | Motor Trend 500 | Dan Gurney |
| 1967 | Motor Trend 500 | Parnelli Jones |
| 1966 | Motor Trend 500 | Dan Gurney |
| 1965 | Motor Trend 500 | Dan Gurney |
| 1964 | Motor Trend 500 | Dan Gurney |
| 1963 | Riverside 500 | Dan Gurney |
| 1963 | Golden State 400 | Darel Dieringer |
| 1961 | 102 Miles at Riverside International Raceway | Lloyd Dane |
| 1958 | Crown American 500 | Eddie Gray |
Race Dynamics
Road courses favor drivers with sports car or open-wheel backgrounds. Rain can dramatically shuffle the field. Qualifying position matters less — overtaking opportunities are plentiful through braking zones and varied corner types.
Top Rated Drivers at Riverside International Raceway
No NR-Rating driver data available for this track yet.
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Track similarity data not yet available.
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