With NASCAR heading to Sonoma this weekend, it seems like as good of a time as any to look back at some of the history of NASCAR in California. Despite NASCAR being a predominantly Southeastern sport, there were two race tracks that now no longer exist that once hosted NASCAR in Riverside International Raceway and Ontario Motor Speedway. We at the Daily Downforce will take a look at both of these race tracks, and first up is Riverside International Raceway.
Riverside International Raceway was opened in 1957. The track had four different layouts, but NASCAR raced on the “Short Circuit”, which was 2.62 miles long and nine turns. The track featured a long back straightaway and the iconic esses from turns two through six.
The track began hosting every series in existence immediately after the opening of the track. NASCAR ran its’ first event at the track in 1958, and IndyCar ran a few races there as well. The track also held the Formula One United State Grand Prix in 1960, a race won by Stirling Moss.
However, NASCAR was the main attraction of the track as NASCAR came there every year. After one-off races in 1958 and 1961, Riverside became a permanent fixture on the calendar beginning in 1963. With its’ location in Southern California, Riverside became a popular early season stop on the NASCAR calendar with races being run in later January or early February through the 1960s. With that, a NASCAR tradition was born.
In the early days of the sport, NASCAR had trouble getting a road course permanently on the schedule. NASCAR had run races at tracks such as Road America, Watkins Glen, and even at Linden Airport. Riverside was the first one to catch on, and from 1967 onwards, it became the only road course on the schedule.
Riverside became a playground in those early days for “Road Course Ringers” with drivers such as Mark Donahue, A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones, and Dan Gurney all winning races there. All five of Gurney’s NASCAR wins came at Riverside.
Beginning in 1970, Riverside started hosting two races per year with one race in January and one race in June. While NASCAR fans traditionally think of Daytona as being the season opener, from 1970 until 1981, Riverside was the track that opened the season. In 1981, the track also began to host the season finale with the closing of another California race track in Ontario Motor Speedway.
What happened with the June date that year may you ask? Well, NASCAR kept that June date in addition to the season opener meaning that Riverside hosted three Cup Series events in 1981. With it being the only road course on the schedule, it was pretty much the only track NASCAR could justify doing this at.
Beginning in 1982, Riverside went back to two races per year as the season opener was moved to its’ now traditional spot, the Daytona 500. Riverside kept the finale and its’ June date, however, and, during this time, became the host to some incredible NASCAR moments.
While many think of the “Pass in the Grass” as Dale Earnhardt in the 1987 All-Star Race, he duplicated the feat at Riverside that year as well. Not only did he duplicate it, but he actually topped it.
In 1982 and 1983, Riverside was also the host of three first time winners in its’ four races. Tim Richmond, Ricky Rudd, and Bill Elliott each got their first career victories at this race track.
Because of its’ placement in the season finale, Riverside was also the site of championship moments. Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, and Terry Labonte all clinched championships at the track during the season finale.
Unfortunately, Riverside was not a track that was sustainable for long. Gradually, through the late 1980s, it began to lost its’ grip on the local community and in NASCAR.
From 1967 until 1985, Riverside was the only road course on the Cup Series schedule. In 1986, that changed with Watkins Glen International being added to the schedule permanently.
Also in 1987, the season finale was moved to Atlanta Motor Speedway. An understandable change since ending a predominantly oval schedule on a road course is a strange concept. This took some of the luster off of Riverside, but it was far from the only thing Riverside was concerned with.
During the 1980s, Southern California’s population was expanding, and Riverside International Raceway was in the way. The track was not as well-loved by locals as time went on because of the noise and pollution. Real estate began closing in on it, and that was it for the race track.
In 1988, Riverside was relegated to just one Cup Series race in June, a race won by Rusty Wallace. That was the last time the Cup Series raced at Riverside. It’s June date was given to what is now known as Sonoma Raceway near San Francisco, and Riverside International Raceway closed shortly thereafter.
From 1988 until 1996, Southern California did not have a Cup Series race until Roger Penske opened Auto Club Speedway. While Riverside is now gone and will not come back, it is a track with a rich history, and it was the Cup Series’ first permanent road course. For that reason alone, it is worth being remembered.
Joe Gibbs Racing has added to its lawsuit filed against former Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart, filing to add Spire as a co-defendant, and to prevent Gabehart from continuing his work at Spire.
JGR initiated this lawsuit on February 19, alleging Gabehart, a long-time Crew Chief, most recently for Denny Hamlin, and the team’s now former Competition Director, “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR.”
That direct competitor, Spire Motorsports, which currently employs Gabehart as their Chief Motorsports Officer, is now a co-defendant in this lawsuit, via an amended complaint filed Tuesday.
Per the latest filing from JGR, which employed Gabehart as Competition Director last season, is asking the court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction with seven key requests.
Key to these requests is that Gabehardt cease providing Spire with “services for Spire similar to those he provided to JGR” for 18 months following his February 9 formal termination from JGR.
JGR also requested that Spire stop accepting Gabehart’s work as per the noncompete obligation of his termination.
The filing also has several requests regarding the team information Gabehart allegedly retained from JGR.
These include Gabehart returning this information alongside the devices that store this information and “cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”
From JGR’s filing:
c. Gabehart immediately cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets
d. Gabehart return any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets in his possession to JGR;
e. Gabehart transfer to the custody of JGR’s counsel any device used to store the Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and, through an agreed upon Court ordered process, allow the forensic preservation and review of these devices for identification of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, the return of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to JGR, and the removal of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets from the devices;
f. Gabehart cease and desist from using or disclosing JGR’s Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to third parties;
As of press time, Gabehart has commented on the lawsuit in a post to X on February 20, where he claimed a third-party investigator “examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit.”
What’s Happening? Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit against former competition director Chris Gabehart, alleging he took confidential team information…
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The NASCAR rumor mill is heating up as a new rumor suggests that a former series champion and an active NASCAR Cup Series driver could be in line to drive for Legacy Motor Club in 2027.
What’s Happening? NASCAR drivers, much like any athletes, have a period of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Based on information…
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is well underway, while teams and drivers are still settling into their new lineups and seats, others are already prepping for next season.
Most expect the 2027 NASCAR Silly Season to be one of the wildest in years, with many major names on contract seasons, and top seats looking for new drivers.
One story that will likely carry through the 2026 season, and into the offseason, is Legacy Motor Club, which is expanding to three full-time cars in 2027 via the acquisition of a charter from Rick Ware Racing, which is currently leased to RFK Racing for their No. 60 entry.
While many storylines could stem from this transaction, one that is already playing out is LMC’s driver search, as the team looks to add a new face to their roster alongside drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.
Though we are nearly a year away from what would be the first race for this third car, per recent rumors, a few names are already emerging as top candidates.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
Monday afternoon, a post from a well-known NASCAR rumor account made the rounds on social media, naming two drivers as possible options for LMC.
In their post, the user claimed that 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst and Richard Childress Racing prospect Jesse Love were “early contenders” for the ride.
Of course, this is just a rumor, and even if they are possible candidates, things can change. However, both of these options come with their own storylines and questions.
The first thing that likely comes to mind when hearing this rumor is that both of these drivers would have to depart their current spots, something that most have suspected will happen by next season.
For Herbst, he is facing the impending promotion of top NASCAR prospect Corey Heim to full-time competition.
This year, Heim, the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, is racing part-time with 23XI Racing, with almost every rumor and blurb suggesting next year will be his first full-time season in NASCAR’s highest level.
While 2026 Daytona 500 Champion Tyler Reddick is reportedly on a contract season, most see Herbst as the clear weak link at 23XI, though, in the somewhat unlikely event Reddick were to jump ship, there could be a world where a spot opens for Heim without affecting Herbst.
Regarding Love, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion is in his third full-time year with RCR in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and, for some time now, has been rumored to be looking for a promotion, beyond his part-time Cup Series schedule.
This is not the first time Love and LMC have been tied together in the rumor mill, as in June 2025, when LMC was in the midst of a lawsuit to get their third charter by this season (something that never came to be), a report from Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports suggested there could be interest in Love as that third driver at LMC.
As of right now, Love has yet to score a full-time Cup Series ride. But there is a chance a slot opens in-house as RCR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch is on a contract year, a situation that could leave Love with a difficult decision between staying in a familiar spot or returning ot the Toyota camp.
But the biggest decision could come down to RCR, which, in the event Busch excels this year, could face deciding between a NASCAR legend and keeping their best prospect in some time.
Nonetheless, all of this is hypothetical, as the gears are just now turning on what could be a NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season for the ages.
What’s Happening? Some recent developments in NASCAR Silly Season rumors and reports have some NASCAR fans wondering if Spire Motorsports could…
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Denny Hamlin fires off on Carson Hocevar, Sheldon Creed finally gets his long-awaited breakthrough, and 13-year-old Keelan Harvick makes a massive career move. From sharp words on a podcast to a feel-good victory and a headline-grabbing development deal, this episode covers three very different stories that could all have long-term ripple effects.
There’s controversy, redemption, and a glimpse at the next generation all wrapped into one packed show. Some reputations are being tested, others are being rebuilt, and one young driver may have just taken the first major step toward the Cup Series.
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