>From the March 29 issue of Autoweek:

RIVERSIDE REVIVAL

Assuming there are no problems with the environmental impact statement, 
officials of the proposed Riverside Motorsports Park anticipate groundbreaking in 
September and the facilitiy's inaugural race in the fall of 2005.

Riverside takes its name and the basic shape of its 3.0 mile road course from 
the former Riverside International Raceway near Los Angeles, but the revival 
will take shape adjacent to the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater.

In addition to the road course, the 1200-acre facility will include a 7/8 
mile high-banked oval, shorter paved and dirt ovals for weekly races, off-road 
and motocross courses, go-kart tracks and a separate drag strip.

Riverside Motorsports Park LLC (www.RMPRacing.com) is led by founder and 
chief executive officer John Condren and president and general manager Michael 
Yurick, whose résumé includes stints at Las Vegas, Sears Point and Indianapolis 
Raceway Park.

Condren raced in junior formula cars before building his career in marketing 
and software development.  His children out of college, he wanted to get back 
into racing and discovered GT America, a road-racing series for ASA-style 
stock cars (www.GTAmerica.com)

GT America's West Coast division races at the Infineon (Sears Point), Laguna 
Seca and Thunderhill tracks, but track time is scarce at the big tracks and 
Thunderhill is a four-hour drive from San Francisco, Condren says.  Atwater is 
just northwest of Merced, some 80 d architect William Duquette, who planned the 
buildings at Riverside International and still had blueprints that included 
the specific track layout.

Strong reminders of the original Riverside remain, including the track's 
original "Driver's left" pit-road setup.

Condren says larger ovals become much more expensive and that their success 
relies on securing a Nextel Cup or IRL date.  On the other hand, a slightly 
shorter track can accomodate larger events (See Richmond and Bristol) while also 
being attractive to NASCAR West, USAC, ASA and ARCA series competitors.