Time Machine - Riverside 1986

TIME MACHINE: 1986 - FROM SHOP TO VICTORY LANE IN 3.0 DAYS

FONTANA, Calif. (March 29, 2005) --- As the April 27, 1986 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix of Endurance approached, the team owned by Rob Dyson didn't have a car or lead driver chosen for the Riverside International Raceway event. What's a guy to do? For Dyson, it could not have turned out much better as when he decided to share the driving duties with Price Cobb in a Porsche 962 that was finished on Thursday, just one day prior to qualifying for the event.

An hour into the six-hour event, a spectacular accident took place in turn one and took out some of the race's top contenders and would take more than 70 minutes to clean up as the field slowly circled the course under caution.

The lead changed hands 13 times among seven cars during the first three hours. On lap 125, the Dyson/Cobb machine took the lead. By hour four, there were only four cars on the lead lap with Al Holbert and Derek Bell out front with a 29-second advantage over Dyson/Cobb. Transmission problems that had the Holbert/Bell entry locked in fourth gear allowed Dyson/Cobb to cut into the lead, at a rate of six seconds per lap. On lap 137, Holbert/Bell pulled off the course with an ultimate finish of 28th place.

Dyson/Cobb were home free and shot across the finish line with a lead of nearly two laps over second-place Darin Brassfield and Jochen Maas. The Dyson-owned car was only three days old and fresh out of the race shop. Paolo Barilla/Bob Wollek, Bob Akin/James Weaver and Jack Baldwin/Jim Miller finished third through fifth, respectively.

Stay tuned for more great racing moments as California Speedway looks back at Riverside International Raceway's rich history. Next up, Elliot Forbes-Robinson and Hurley Haywood make a lasting impression in the final race at Riverside, the 1987 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix of Endurance.

Great road racing continues to thrive in Southern California at the home of California Speedway. Join Grand American for the Rolex Sports Car Series 400 and Grand-Am Cup Series 200 on April 1-3, 2005. Tickets are available as both weekend packages and individual tickets. For ticket and event information, call 800-944-RACE [7223] or visit www.californiaspeedway.com.

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