Riverside in Corpus

[thumper]

I was wondering if anybody remembers the dirt track in Corpus called Riverside?I know how it got its name,a canal ran alongside of it.I saw a sprint car and a sportsman car go underwater on seperate occasions.I almost did myself once.I remember the car count was good in all classes and the racing was good and fast.I loved watching the late models with the giant sideboards which did work,I had one on my outlaw ministock.I remember a sprint car burning to the ground one nite because the magnizum was buring ang there was not enough firefighting chemicals to stop it.It burned all nite while the races were going on and the flame was white hot.I remember Lawerence in the # 17 and Royce Danner from here in Harlingen along with Flanigan and others I dont remember.I raced a wedge VW outlaw and my brother raced a modified Ascott racer called the flying nun because it was a VW rail with a body and fenders added.Both were black with white numbers.The track was doing really good until the owner died in a plane accident.With a new dirt track opening now it would be nice to remember what it was like back then.Some of the racing families are still active today,though many are children or grandchildren from that eara.I know how I felt when some of my competetors would say "my dad raced with you" but now Im hearing "my grandpa raced with you".If someone has photos of Riverside,would they please post them so we can see them?

[fullview]

Lawrence Mikulencak's billboard dirt wedge.About 83 or 84 at Riverside Speedway.Sponsors really loved these cars.Sorry if the picture is'nt that good.My scanner is not what it's cracked up to be.

[thumper]

Thanks,fullview.I dont know why they quit using the sideboards.You could throw one of these cars hard in the turn and the sideboards would keep the car from spinning out.It was cheap handeling to be sure.And really fun to watch.Maybe South Texas Speedway can bring them back.

[PAPA]

I would think the "Sponsers" would love them. More sponsers equal more cars. More cars equal more peps in the stands. And so-on. Plus they look "COOL"

[Mike Riley]

Can't remember who it was, but in the early 80's I remember someone being black flagged, pulling into the infield, getting out of their car, getting on the roof and throwing dirt clods at the flagman while the race was still going. Anyone remember this and who it might have been.

[Flyin34]

Hey Riley, how about when the winner of a fight (voted by the fans) got a free pit pass the next week.

 

I found some pictures at Riverside. Just need to scan them and get them on here.

[oldguy]

The guy throwing the dirt clods was also lawerence, I wasn't there but I saw a video of it. He was throwing clods because the flagman wouldn't put out the yellow and the car was right beside the track.

[Mike Riley]

I thougth it might be him, but I didn't want to accuse him without knowing for sure.

[CC_RIDER]

i remember going to a race there along time ago, if i remember right Rick Rapp, Terry Labonte we're also in it, it was a big race and alot of out of towners, i distinctly remember a car #2 George England was also there, i remember him going off the track i believe it was turns 1 and 2, a few secs later he came back onto the track, and still won the race! i was hooked since. only other memories i have from Riverside were Slick Yoemans driving a red and black jack daniels #24, i believe he won alot out there.

[thumper]

My scareist moment happened in the pits.There was no wall in the turns and the pits were behind 1&2.We were parked facing the track on the first row.Trailers were parked in another aera,track rules.It was practice,and my brother and I were standing in front of our trucks facing away from the track when we heard people yelling and running.We turned around just in time to see a sportsman car stop about 10 feet from our front bumper and us.After that we turned the trucks around so if they got hit we could still drive home.It was still 135 miles away.And never had out backs to the track while someone was running on it.

[oldguy]

That George England car #2 was really fast but the scales said it was almost 600lbs too light. When they are that much faster than the others there is usually a reason. It sure was fun to watch though.

[CC_RIDER]

might have been too light, but it was flying! great show

[97car]

Did he run at the track at Kilgore back in 84 over Memorial day weekend,I seem to remember a car like that back then up there,was outlaw rules.

[Flyin34]

White Flag....Dad, Bruce Beddoe, Steve Whiteaker, and Darrel Phelps.

[Flyin34]

This is coming out of 4. One of the best finishes I have ever seen. This was a cool race to watch.

[Flyin34]

Checkers!!

[Boerneracehounds50]

Im having a brain fart here, where was this track located??

[Mike Riley]

In Corpus Christi, all the way out Greenwood, south of Saratoga.

[top_shelf_12]

Was Riverside the one near the city dump or was that Cuddihay? I think I'm a little too young to remember which one is which. I know you can still see the outline of the track whichever one was by the city dump and I think CC Speedway is using some of the bleachers from that other track.

[50Gage]

This there an aerial shot of Riverside Speedway.

[TobaGuy]

Riverside was across the street from the dump, but the same side as the waste water treatment site. I think they made it on the wrong side myself. If you werent smelling trash you were smelling something worse!

[txtom]

Here is an overhead shot of what rermains at Riverside. This was originally posted by jason about 2 years ago.

Riverside

[txtom]

And here it is in color:

Riverside

[50Gage]

You know there is something kind of eerie or spooky about an old racetrack. 50Gage.

[top_shelf_12]

You're right Gage, I got that same weird feeling when I was standing on the remains of the old Pan-Am Speedway in San Antonio a couple of years ago, eventhough I never went there. Get the same feeling driving by the old Longhorn Speedway, the Dirt track here before it re-opened, and even CC Speedway when I drove by there the other day. Its just weird to go by an empty racetrack, especially knowing some of what has happened there before.