>> RIVERSIDE PARK SPEEDWAY WAS BUILT IN 1948, IN ONE OF THE TOP
TOURIST DESTINATIONS.
FOR 50 YEARS, ITEST HOSTED AUTO RACES AND NASCAR.
TONIGHT, DAVE FRASER TALKS WITH AUTO RACING HISTORIAN, AL FINI,
AND GARY DANGO, AND BOB POLVERARI ABOUT THE GLORY DAYS
OF RIVERSIDE SPEEDWAY GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.
>> WELL, I KIND OF GOT INTO RACING ONCE I GOT MY LICENSE AT
16.
I DECIDED TO BRING MY OWN CAR THERE, SO I STARTED RUNNING THE
NUMBER 7-11.
I PICKED THAT UP FROM MY DAD USED TO TAKE ME UP TO THE
SPRINGFIELD PLAZA, AND THEY HAD THE PLANES, AND A LITTLE DICE ON
THE SIDE, AND 711.
I PICKED UP THAT NUMBER, AND STARTED RACING TO RIVERSIDE IN
1954.
AND MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS.
I SPENT 700 IN TWO YEARS, AND THAT WAS A LOT OF MONEY AT THAT
TIME.
>> I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN YOU JUMP IN THE RACE CAR, AND IT'S LIKE
SITTING IN YOUR CHAIR, I AM SO COMFORTABLE IN THERE, ONCE IN A
WHILE, YOU GET SLAMMED.
I REMEMBER RAY MILLER ONCE HIT ME SO BAD IN THE BACK THAT MY
HELMET, MY HELMET WAS LOOSE, AND IT WENT DOWN OVER MY EYES.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE, WE LAUGHED ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.
HE DID NOT MEAN IT.
WHATEVER HE WAS DOING, AND WE HAD GOOD YEARS AT RIVERSIDE PARK
>> I GREW UP GOING TO A SHORT TRACK, AND THEN MY BROTHER AND I
AND FATHER, WE STARTED TO GO TO RIVERSIDE PARK IN 1975, AND I
HEARD THE VOICE COME ON, UP IN THE BROADCAST BOOTH.
MIKE SAYING, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO RIVERSIDE PARK
SPEEDWAY.
I AM MIKE JOY, AND I SAID THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO
DO.
I NEVER WANT TO BE A RACE CAR DRIVER, LOVED RACING BUT I LOVED
THE BROADCAST, AND IT WAS BEGINNING OF 1994, AND IN DODGE,
WHICH WAS ON THE RIVERSIDE PARK SPEEDWAY, AND HE GAVE ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ANNOUNCE AT RIVERSIDE AND I WENT ON TO OTHER
SHORT TRACKS, AND RIVERSIDE WAS A FUN, SHORT TRACK, A LOT OF
GOOD COMPETITION THERE, AND MY JOB WAS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE
DAY TO GO DOWN THROUGH THE PIT AREA, AND GET MY NOTES AND FIND
IT ON THE RACE CARS, AND CHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK, AND
SOMETIMES I WOULD DO SOME PIT REPORTING, AND I WAS OF THE EYES
BACK IN THE PIT AREA, TO LET THE FANS KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON,
WHERE THEY COULD NOT SEE THE RACE CARS AND TALK TO THE CREW
CHIEFS OR THE DRIVERS, AND BROUGHT MORE TO THE FANS, SO I
MADE THEM FEEL MORE LIKE THEY WERE, ACTUALLY, IN THE PIT AREA
WITH ME.
>> SOME GUYS HAD DIFFERENT NAMES, AND THE REASON THAT THEY
DID, THEY DID NOT WANT THEIR BOSSES TO KNOW THAT THEY WERE
DRIVING OR UNDER A CONTRACT.
SOME OF THE GUYS IN THE SERVICE.
>>> AND ONE OF THE GUYS SITTING ON THE PANEL RIGHT HERE RIGHT
NOW, DID SUCH A THING, I DON'T KNOW WHY BUT HE HAD -- HE CAME
UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME.
>> YEAH.
>> AND IN MINE, IT WAS REGARDING A BANK LOAN, AND USED TO HAVE TO
SIGN IN, THE DISCLOSURE, FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES, TO HAVE A
LINE OF CREDIT, AND ETC., THAT SAYING YOU WOULD NOT APPLY A
PRIVATE AIRPLANE, WOULD NOT RACE CARS, SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS
IF YOU HAD TO SIGN OFF ON, SO, BUT THE NAME I CHOSE, AND A LOT
OF PEOPLE, IT WAS A FUN NAME, RED CAR.
>> WE SPELLED THE NAME CARR.
RED CARR.
IT WAS NEAT, AND AT THE TIME, MYSELF EVEN RACING THEN, I
DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WAS AL FINI, WHO I KNEW.
THROUGH BUSINESS WE KNEW EACH OTHER.
THAT WAS KIND OF INTERESTING.
>> THE FANS, THEY WERE PASSIONATE.
YOU HAD YOUR POLERARI'S IN ONE SECTION, AND THEN THE NEXT
SECTION MIGHT BE SOMEBODY FROM A PERSON THAT WAS MAYBE LESS
LIKELY, LIKE THE DRIVERS HAD TO ACCIDENTALLY TOUCH EACH OTHER,
AND THE PLACE WENT CRAZY.
>> HOW MANY RACETRACKS HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND CLOSED?
BASICALLY, YOU WENT BACK THE NEXT YEAR AND THERE WAS NO
RACING.
>> ONE THING, I SAY, SIX FLAGS, WE KNEW THAT OCTOBER 17 WOULD BE
THE LAST RACE, AND WE GOT READY FOR IT, AND WE HAD NIGHTS AHEAD
OF TIME AND A HALL OF FAME REN -- RENDITION.
WE WERE PREPARED FOR, I WAS PSYCHED FOR IT, AND IT TURNED
OUT TO BE A GREAT NIGHT.
HERE I WAS A YOUNG KID.
AND BEING ON THE BROADCAST, I GOT TO ANNOUNCE BOBBY AT THE
FINAL RACE OF RIVERSIDE PARK SPEEDWAY, WHICH WAS IN OCTOBER
OF 1999.
I REMEMBER THE SUN WAS SETTING, AND YOU LOOKED UP HERE, AND YOU
KNEW IT WAS THE LAST NIGHT.
AND LIKE HE SAID, IT WAS NOT MY NAME TO WIN A RACE.
I WAS GOING TO COME IN THIRD, AND EDDIE JUNIOR, AND BRAD GOT
TANGLED ABOUT PROBABLY FIVE LAPS TO GO, AND FOR SOME REASON, I
WON THAT RACE, AND IT WASN'T MINE TO WIN, BUT BECAUSE OF THE
YEARS WE WERE AT THE PARK, I GUESS THAT IT WAS JUST MEANT TO
BE.
BUT, IT WAS KIND OF NICE.
I WILL NEVER FORGET IT.