8 replies to this topic

[miko]

Piece of of the Riverside International Raceway
 
I have attended many races with my late brother Willy at the Riverside International Raceway since the 1960s up to the closing of the track in 89. I believe it sat dormant for a couple years and in '91 my son Miko (14) and my daughter Breanna (11) decided to go see if any of the track was still there.

To my surprise much of the long straightaway and the right hand sweeping turn was still there. The remaining track was fenced off from the housing development that was going on to the east side. As we were looking through the fence at the remains of the track my son found a small opening in the fence which he went through to get a closer look at the track.

I shouted to him, "Bring me a few pieces of the the straightaway." He proceeded to get me a couple of chunks of the track about 8-12 inches in diameter. In 1992 I cut one of the pieces of track into about 20 or so 1-inch size pieces and mounted them in small plastic containers and gave them out as race prizes for a series we ran at Slots of Fun raceway in Fountain Valley, CA. That left me with the one piece of track which I still have today. I have no other proof that the pieces of pavement are what I say they are except for mine and my son's word and the description of how we obtained it. He remembers well that day he went through the fence to retrieve the pieces of the raceway.

I wonder if anyone else thought of saving any pieces of the track? Are there any at the Riverside International Raceway Museum?  Is there anyone here on Slotblog that was in the race series at Slots of Fun in FV that still may have the race prize that I gave out??
 
I'm interested in selling this piece but not quite sure how much to ask it? Or how to go about to prove its provenance other than this story of how and from where it was obtained. 
 
Thanks for reading.
 
Marinko

[Cheater]

Miko,

To establish provenance, I'd suggest executing a notarized statement with both you and your son testifying how the pavement chunk was acquired.

As to value, going to be really hard to put a number on something like this. Today, putting an item up for auction on eBay is about the best approach to determine actual value, i.e. what someone is willing to pay for it.

There was a Riverside International Automotive Museum, but after the death of its founder Doug Magnon in 2015, it was closed in mid-2016.

[Bill from NH]

Many tar roads here in the Northeast have such tar chunks laying along their sides. We have a heart-shaped piece at my house, and I live on a dirt road.  

 

Provenance is apt to be difficult.

[TSR]

It's a bit too late to establish provenance, and now it's all hearsay for a potential amateur. Thing is, just like for Indy where there were two million bricks, how much is anyone willing to pay for a chunk of asphalt? Ten bucks? five bucks? One buck? What do you do with it?

There are things on which you can only place a sentimental value, but virtually zero monetary value... 

My souvenirs from Riverside are old race tickets, photographs, and this, one of the very first trophies if not the very first, won there by Dave MacDonald  with his Corvette for fast ET in the first drag meeting in 1958. Sentimental value there, too... 

 

[Ramcatlarry]

Not to mention the legal implication concerning a notarized statement of criminal trespass and property theft...

[MattD]

Dave MacDonald was a great driver killed before he won all he should have. Well worth researching and reading about, like many of the men who died when the sport separated the men from the boys.

[Tom Eatherly]

Marinko,

 

I would simply keep it for sentimental reasons. You and I probably have a lot of reasons to remember the great track that was Riverside.

 

Keep it for yourself, Marinko. You have a tiny piece of history there. Put it on the mantle and remember.

 

Take care, my friend.

[miko]

Tom,

 

You are absolutely correct my friend, it is a tiny piece of history from the race track I used to visit as a young man with my brother Willy. I have many fond memories of attending many races there and I have a piece of it!  

 

There are only three people who know the authenticity of this chunk of asphalt: my daughter, son and I. I will keep it, enjoy it and pass it down to the two of them to enjoy and remember.

 

All the best to you Tom.

 

Thanks everyone for your comments.

 

Marinko

[TSR]

Marinko,

Well said, and just like my brick from the Indy Speedway, just a reminder of how some people screwed our lives for pure greed...