MotorTrend 500: NASCAR Heads West

The opening chapter dives into the origins of Riverside International Raceway and the MotorTrend 500. Car culture was booming in California in the 1950s and a group of investors built a place where that enthusiasm could thrive. Riverside brought together NASCAR and MotorTrend Magazine to put on the biggest stock car race east of the Mississippi.

Riverside International Raceway was the site of nearly two dozen deaths in its 30-plus year run. The track was dangerous and put drivers’ bravery to the test throughout every lap. During the MotorTrend 500 era, NASCAR champion Joe Weatherly was killed. AJ Foyt faced death at Riverside as well.

Chapter 3 is the story of flat-out dominance displayed in the MotorTrend 500 by Dan Gurney, a superstar road racer from Riverside who was the master of his hometown track. Gurney teamed with the Wood Brothers, one of NASCAR’s all-time great race teams in a perfect combination of disciplined, meticulous, and innovative competitors.