Did you know the unique grandstand base at Riverside International Speedway is no accident? The huge mound of earth the grandstand sits on was by design. The following was published in The Evening News May 16, 1969, just two days before the grand opening…


Grandstand Designed to Keep Chilly Winds Away From Fans

The grandstand at the Riverside Speedway here was built on a huge mound of earth that was hauled there for the purpose.

The owner, John Chisholm, said he had visited other tracks where an all steel grandstand had been built and wasn’t satisfied.

He felt that the earth would act as a windbreak and thus cut down on chilly breezes.


The same design was used when the track was rebuilt in 2006, adding to the great mound of earth to make it higher and longer, allowing for greater seating capacity, and still help protect fans from the wind.

Installment #2 – ris 50 throwback thursday celebrations

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