1963 NASCAR Grand National Series Golden State 400 at Riverside International Raceway

The 1963 Golden State 400 at Riverside Internarional Raceway was the 55th and final race of the 1963 NASCAR Grand National Series season which took place on November 3, 1963!
All credit goes to ​⁠‪@movracefan‬for uploading the “Stock Car Classics Vol 1” video on his channel, this is where he got the race from!

[@douglasdixon524]

I love these cars, beautiful with alot of character.

[@ronfox5519]

Fully agreed.

[@rideshareog]

Big power in big cars. What fun that must have been!

[@alanploetz7100]

I enjoyed this. It reminds me of when I was a kid in the 60s and lived for catching anything racing on ABC's Wide World of Sports.

[@roberthevern6169]

And they wrestled those 4000# cars around that road course probably withoit power steering! Imagine the arm strength! Those boys were unlike anything we have today! I'm 69yrs and didn't become aware of 'stock car racing' until 1965 or so. I was big Indy 500 fan, though!

[@ConemantheBarbarian]

I noticed many driving with one arm out or on the window .

[@607rocket]

They must of been a handful.

[@donjennings9034]

427's unleashed! Big block racing, nothin like it.

[@josephadams7106]

Loved that track. Now its a shopping mall. The only thing left is the structure that held the R I R sign near the 60 freeway.

[@Naniss1965]

This is honesty some Beautiful footage of NASCAR at Riverside in the 1960's!😍 The cars were absolutely gorgeous during this era! Ford racing teams like the Wood Brothers and Holman-Moody were crushing the competition!🏁 Absolutley love hearing those Big Block 427 ford V8 engines Roaring at Riverside!🔥💪🏼🏁 love this video Ian!

[@IanPerez1227_YT2]

Gotta give a shoutout to movracefan for uploading the documentaries with the races!

[@Naniss1965]

@@IanPerez1227_YT2 Agreed👍🏽

[@zzzzxxxxxz6017]

#121 never knew numbers went that high

[@ronfox5519]

This was before metric.

[@roberthevern6169]

Dave MacDonald (RIP) was a heckuva racer! I knew he raced sports cars, but didn't know he was a 'roa d course ringer' as well! Great post, thanks! I subscribed!

[@dickhertz5973]

I was fortunate enough to go to Riverside a couple times towards the end in the 80's, how about that driver in one of the Fords with his arm out the window just on a Sunday drive.

[@carlsaganlives6086]

Short sleeve, too! Maybe even a smoke in the ashtray next to the working lighter.

[@cobracharmer6178]

@@carlsaganlives6086😆👍

[@johnmcmullen456]

Really loved when had actual factory bodies. Have to laugh though at the dubbed in sound track, especially the fake tire squealing.

[@tommccallan8802]

Heavy full-size V8 American Muscle hell yes

[@Ray56z]

American Muscle except I didn't see a chevy, Pontiacs yes, not 1 impala.

[@the_lost_navigator]

This is before Chris Economaki broadcasts! Shows like Car & Track (Bud Lindemann) didn't cover these early races - thanks for posting eh! This is Gold - Subscribed knowing History regardless - bring us more, Ian! The Bonderant crash corner was the one that took out Weatherly two years later... I stopped watching NASCAR when Davey Allison died, but - "Boogity boogity boogity let's go racing boys and girls!" Respect, eh.

[@IanPerez1227_YT2]

Thanks for the positive feedback! All credit goes to movracefan for uploading the Stock Car Classics documentary!

[@davdhartung9817]

This was a game card show. Local businesses handed out game pieces with numbers. You saw if your numbers matched with show as it went along.

[@willwills3915]

Those were days,all those famous names,,,not like today

[@robertsklenka5823]

I loved the big red-white -blue Merc.. AMT made a model of that ..always meant to buy it never did. Mr. Penske himself competed in these races..in a Pontiac. It’s in a museum I’m Az. However it made have been in 64.

[@matthewsmith6486]

The Golden Age of Stock Car Racing!

[@brycefugate4416]

I use to love going to riverside racetrack.

[@timothycarley7348]

The same track that took Joe Weatherlys' life (1) yr.later

[@larrygray3765]

Actually Joe weatherly died there only 2 months later in January of 1964. This Golden State 400 was in November of 1963. I was sitting in turn 6 in both races.

[@roberthevern6169]

​@@larrygray3765 wow, how lucky were you!! You must have seen some 'stuff' in your years, my friend!

[@davidmlbmotorsportsfan]

@@larrygray3765 If I remember correctly, Eddie Gray also flipped over the wall at Darlington that same year but was okay. That race at Darlington had 3 drivers go over the wall, and your dad was one of them I think.

[@larrygray3765]

@@davidmlbmotorsportsfan yes, Jack smith, Eddie pagan, and Dad all went through the wall and over the embankment in the southern 500 at Darlington in 1958. It knocked my dad unconscious and when the safety workers got to the car they thought he was dead. He finally regained consciousness in the ambulance on the way to the hospital with only minor injuries. None of the other two drivers were hurt it all.

[@larrygray3765]

@@roberthevern6169 yes, my dad, Eddie Gray, won the Nascar Pacific Coast late model championship three times in 1958, 1961, and 1962. He actually won the first NASCAR Riverside 500 in 1958.

[@christophersanders5007]

I used to go to Riverside Raceway back in the 70's and 80's, and it was kind of out in the middle of nowhere. Riverside Raceway must have been way out in the middle nowhere in 1963.

[@davidcoggins8891]

Back when CA was a good place to live or visit

[@rahkinrah1963]

We lived just north of the track. Went there a bunch as a kid.

[@robschannel4512]

You had telephone poles to dodge.

[@becca9593]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful footage!

[@IanPerez1227_YT2]

Big thanks to movracefan!

[@maxr4448]

...Only if it was like this today!!!

[@plantfeeder6677]

Darrell Derringer was my favorite driver back then. Loved it when he ran the Mercury Comet against the big Galaxies Also had to laugh when the announcer listed the favorites. The first race of the season was the Motor Trend 500 throughout the 1960s. Enter one Daniel Sexton Gurney, the OG Road Racing Ringer Dave MacDonald would die at the Indianapolis 500 a year later in the fiery first lap crash that took the life of the great Eddie Sachs.

[@petesmodelcarcustoms584]

What a great race. I love this period of racing,very exciting stuff.👍😃 Thanks for showing and best wishes from jolly old England 👍😎Pete. 🤓New sub to your channel and I'll be looking for more vids👍😎

[@IanPerez1227_YT2]

Thanks! But shoutout to movracefan for uploading old racing documentaries that have those old races

[@petesmodelcarcustoms584]

@@IanPerez1227_YT2 Cool👍😎

[@georgehorn1970]

I remember going to Riverside as a kid, my father raced motorcycles there in the 70’s. I’ll never forget the smells of the fuel. There was another raceway closer to us OCIR. Do you have any video of that track?

[@IanPerez1227_YT2]

I don’t, sadly. I got this from movracefan

[@georgehorn1970]

@@IanPerez1227_YT2 ok thanks for this one 🏁

[@IanPerez1227_YT2]

@georgehorn1970 you’re welcome! You should thank movracefan tho ;)

[@georgehorn1970]

@@IanPerez1227_YT2 this is true. Thank you #movracefan

[@alparker8661]

Loved coming home smelling like oil.

[@maxr4448]

Mercury WIN!

[@scotthart4071]

Big Block 4ever

[@maxr4448]

Ford killer, sorry Cheby