After taking a week off to observe Memorial Day, the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli will create a new chapter at a long-lost circuit as the Trans Am by Pirelli Esports Championship will return to action at Riverside International Speedway Saturday, May 30 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern.
The virtual resurrection of the historical circuit will see the Classic Riverside road course configuration play host for the next round of the Trans Am esports championship. The track has been gone for more than 30 years, but will be injected with a new life as drivers get to experience the famously dusty Southern California on virtual terms.
Drivers will continue to race identically prepared Corvette C7.r GTLM machines hosted on the ‘World’s Fastest Gamer – SIM edition’ JV with Torque Esports and Assetto Corsa for Round 5 of the esports championship as the series visits a legendary facility that introduced the United States to famous Trans Am drivers so many decades ago.
“Many of the drivers on the esports roster were not even born yet when Trans Am hosted its last race at Riverside,” said Trans Am Racing Company President John Clagett. “The Assetto Corsa and Torque Esports team designed a virtual course for our drivers to experience a bit of Trans Am’s past. Watching practice has brought back a lot of great memories for me and we hope that it will for our long-time fans as well.”
Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles, the Riverside International Speedway held major races from 1957 through 1988, falling victim to development and closing on July 2, 1989, to become a shopping center. The circuit’s signature event throughout its existence was the Los Angeles Times Grand Prix, a race that included USRRC, Can-Am and Camel GT sports cars.
Trans Am played a major role at Riverside, competing 10 times at the circuit. It hosted the finale of the 1966 inaugural season, won by Jerry Titus in a Ford Mustang fielded by Carroll Shelby. The following year, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion David Pearson won, driving a Mercury Cougar fielded by NASCAR car owner Bud Moore.
Riverside hosted the season finale from 1969 through 1971, three of Trans Am’s “Golden Years.” Mark Donohue won the 1969 race in Roger Penske Chevrolet Camaro, taking his sixth-consecutive start. Ford turned the tables in 1970, with Parnelli Jones winning his fifth race of the campaign in Moore’s championship-winning Ford Mustang. Penske returned to the top step in 1971, with George Follmer and Vic Elford making it a one-two finish for Penske’s AMC Javelins.
Riverside returned to the Trans Am calendar in 1980, with Greg Pickett winning in a Corvette. David Hobbs took his fourth and final triumph in his 1983 championship season in a DeAtley Budweiser Camaro. DeAtley switched Chevrolet brands for 1984, with Darin Brassfield winning his second race of the year in a Budweiser Corvette.
Trans Am opened its 1986 campaign at Riverside. Scott Pruett drove from the back to the front to win in a Jack Roush Motorcraft Mercury Capri in the final Trans Am race held at the classic circuit.
Riverside’s accolades include hosting the second Formula One race in the U.S., won by Stirling Moss in 1960; being the only track to hold three NASCAR Cup Series races in one year (1981); and holding races for Can-Am (1966-73), IMSA Camel GT (1975-87), NASCAR (1963-88), USAC Indy cars (1967-69) and CART Champ Car (1981-83). Its final race was a NASCAR Cup Series event won by Rusty Wallace in June, 1988. The property was then sold and turned into the Moreno Valley Mall.
Live coverage of the Trans Am by Pirelli Esports Championship Round 5 begins Saturday, May 30 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern with live commentary from Jonathan Green and Ben Cissell, featuring a swift qualifying followed by two 20-minute main events. For added excitement, the second round will be an inverted field.
Fans can stream the action by downloading the free Trans Am by Pirelli Racing app (https://bit.ly/3dxc6Lg). The live stream will also be available on the series Facebook (www.facebook.com/gotransam) and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheTransAmSeries), as well as UMG TV Esports Network on Mobile (IOS and Android), Apple TV, Fire TV and ROKU.
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
- NHRA announces eight-race schedule for 2024 NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series - January 17, 2024
- Forgeline and Pratt Miller Motorsports Announce New Multi-Year Partnership - January 17, 2024
- TAG Heuer Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein converts narrow pole to commanding win in the Season 10 opener of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the 2024 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix - January 16, 2024