Amid a spinning world circling a diminutive star within a swirling galaxy in a cosmos filled with countless galaxies, the boundary between a place and nowhere hinges on viewpoint. Car enthusiasts often pursue the ideal of a perfect nowhere: a locale devoid of neighbors, roads that meander without defined purpose, and expansive wilderness where sports cars can test their limits. These areas promise opportunity without repercussions, serving as sanctuaries for automotive lovers.
The Emergence of Riverside Raceway
Tracks born from nowhere eventually morph into destinations. There exists a critical juncture between recognizing a nowhere’s promise and its transformation by development. In 1950, Riverside County, Southern California, was sparsely populated, with roughly 170,000 residents spread across 7,300 square miles. Characterized by scrubland southeast of Los Angeles—difficult to cultivate, arid, and scorching—it was an isolated expanse with accessible highway routes.
In the mid-1950s, Rudy Cleye, an amateur racing driver, recognized potential in Riverside County’s emptiness. A 640-acre desert parcel near Route 60, outside the unincorporated Edgemont, was prepared to evolve into a venue. Proximity to March Air Force Base existed, though the military showed no opposition. Cleye sought approval from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, securing permission to develop the land. His creation became a legendary racetrack, nurturing iconic talents.
Situated roughly 50 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Riverside Raceway drew both spectators and the daring drivers fueling Southern California’s automotive culture. Racer Dan Gurney told Vintage Motorsport in 2002 that “before Riverside, there wasn’t anything else near Los Angeles” regarding the 3.25-mile circuit.
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When Riverside opened in 1957, it remained a remote locale, so infrequently visited that the Los Angeles Mirror published directions for readers. Over its 31-year lifespan, the track accommodated diverse motorsports: drag races, NASCAR competitions, intense SCCA Can-Am and Trans-Am contests, and even a Formula 1 Grand Prix. For many Southern Californians, this eastern desert destination became their inaugural venture into racing. Commuters gradually grew accustomed to venturing toward what was later termed the Inland Empire.
The San Bernardino Freeway was incorporated into the transcontinental Interstate 10, while Route 60 expanded into the Pomona and Moreno Valley Freeways. Los Angeles property values escalated, yet the Inland Empire remained affordable. Rapid population growth pushed Riverside County’s tally past 660,000 by 1980. Edgemont was rechristened and incorporated as Moreno Valley in 1984. In part, this expansion stemmed from the track’s influence. Riverside Raceway had transformed into the heart of a burgeoning region, sealing its own fate.
The Enduring Legacy of Nowhere
Urban sprawl eventually consumed the area. In 1988, Riverside held its last event, the NASCAR Budweiser 400. Structures now occupy much of the former track, including the Moreno Valley Mall, which opened in 1992 directly beside highway routes. Riverside County remains arid yet has grown into the nation’s tenth-most populous, surpassing 2.5 million residents. Moreno Valley itself exceeds 200,000 inhabitants. This expansion was partly driven by the track’s legacy.
The Unbroken Somewhere
Riverside County continues to endure heat and dust, now home to over 2.5 million people. Moreno Valley’s population tops 200,000, its growth intertwined with the track’s legacy. Should the mall be demolished, no legends will linger, no tales of Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones, Carroll Shelby, or Ken Miles shopping at Macy’s. Yet the soil will never return to nowhere. Sanctified by decades of racing, it remains forever marked as somewhere.
