The Motor Trend 500: John Lamm's Remembrance of a Special Race
Recollections offered valuable insight into Riverside from trackside.
In conjunction with NASCAR Productions, the MotorTrend Group recently pulled together a documentary on the Motor Trend 500 called The MotorTrend 500: NASCAR Heads West,about the legendary stock car race held at the Riverside International Raceway, in Riverside, California. The Motor Trend 500 ran from 1963 to 1971, and was foundational to the westward and eventual international expansion of the budding series known as the National Association for Stock Car Racing. In the early 60s, NASCAR was still in its infancy, a mostly southern United States racing series, nowhere near the racing juggernaut it is today. NASCAR races were not yet broadcast on TV, or even nationally on radio. It was only regional newspapers and some national, special-interest automotive magazines that covered such esoteric racing sports.
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MotorTrendwas one such magazine, and during the creation of this documentary, I was asked to comment on various aspects of the race, from its inception and popularity to the sponsorship by MT. There was only one problem: the last Motor Trend 500-mile race was held five years before I was born. I needed help.
One of the resources I turned to was John Lamm, the celebrated automotive photojournalist who passed away from lymphoma on October 5, 2020. John got his start at MotorTrend in the late sixties and attended the last few races as its official photographer (NOTE: the photos in this story from the MT500 were shot by him). I called him a couple of times in August of 2020, and while he declined to appear on camera for health reasons, he was gracious enough to provide insight over the phone and via email.
I pressed him for context on how the MT500 came into being: what led Petersen Publishing founder Robert Petersen to pony up the cash to sponsor this big stock car race, 60-miles west of Los Angeles, in the orange fields of Riverside? I asked if he could provide a first-person account of what it was like to be trackside at the legendary Riverside International Speedway, and to see greats like Gurney, Parnelli, Foyt, and Andretti risk it all on that treacherous track?
Ever modest and unfailingly helpful, John wrote back: "I was not on the inside of the talks that led to the race so I can't comment on that. What you read is what I experienced, which was very enjoyable. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful with this piece and I understand if it slides under the delete key..."
The following are his notes of the Motor Trend 500, provided at the time on background.
Motor Trend 500
It would be ski jacket-cool in the morning, oftentimes a bit of haze hanging about. Not necessarily what you'd expect at a NASCAR race. No concern about snow here in January at Riverside Raceway in southern California
Unlike most NASCAR races there was no oval track enclosed by stands but a wide paved surface that seemed to meander into the distance. A perfect venue for the Motor Trend 500.
Seems a little odd now, naming a race after an automotive publication. Would we have had a Car and Driver 500? Likely not. But those were the times.
Of the major car publications such as Car and Driver and Sports Cars Illustrated, Motor Trend was the one that centered its testing and interest on Detroit automobiles. Chevrolets, Fords, Chryslers, Mercurys, Dodges, et al. Readers enjoyed Motor Trend because of its emphasis on those American cars whether a feature on a new Lincoln or Cadillac or a vintage "Retrospect" story about a Ford Model A or Model J Duesenberg.
It so happened NASCAR's 500-mile race at Riverside featured the latest version of such cars, big Detroit iron. They'd had their interiors hollowed out, engines at full horsepower and volume, big fat tires, the car's large exteriors covered with advertising. Full-race versions of the sort of cars Motor Trend loved and tested. A great fit.
Better yet, Motor Trend was headquartered in the heart of LA: Hollywood.
Executives from both sides teamed up and for nine years 1963-1971 the race at Riverside wore that title: Motor Trend 500. King of the ranch was Dan Gurney who won 6 times.
Somewhere around 50,000 spectators would make the early morning of around 50 miles from LA to the rather arid circuit, but it was worth it. To see Gurney slither up the broad esses, Parnelli Jones under hard braking for the esses, Curtis Turner sweeping through Turn 9. That cool morning often turned into a hot, windy afternoon, but it was also a welcome part of the Motor Trend 500. - John Lamm
In Memoriam
I have no business being in a documentary on the MotorTrend 500, especially among the motorsports giants the NASCAR Productions team was able to interview on camera. I can think of at least two dozen people more qualified than I to speak on behalf MT and this era (because I tried contacting them all) and John was at the top of that list. His notes and support were extremely helpful during my preparation, and I told him so. He wrote back: "Thanks Ed, I need that sort of reply these days... Regards from an infusion bed at City of Hope. Now go wash your hands... John."
Thanks again, John. Rest in peace.
John is survived by his devoted wife Scheri; children Christopher, Lisa, Holly and Angela; many grandkids; and godson Derek Hill. The Lamms have been strong supporters ofSt. Jude's Children's Research HospitalandCity of Hope.
I used to go kick tires with my dad at local car dealerships. I was the kid quizzing the sales guys on horsepower and 0-60 times, while Dad wandered around undisturbed. When the salesmen finally cornered him, I'd grab as much of the glossy product literature as I could carry. One that still stands out to this day: the beautiful booklet on the Mitsubishi Eclipse GSX that favorably compared it to the Porsches of the era. I would pore over the prose, pictures, specs, trim levels, even the fine print, never once thinking that I might someday be responsible for the asterisked figures "*as tested by Motor Trend magazine." My parents, immigrants from Hong Kong, worked their way from St. Louis, Missouri (where I was born) to sunny Camarillo, California, in the early 1970s. Along the way, Dad managed to get us into some interesting, iconic family vehicles, including a 1973 Super Beetle (first year of the curved windshield!), 1976 Volvo 240, the 1977 Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagon, and 1984 VW Vanagon. Dad imbued a love of sports cars and fast sedans as well. I remember sitting on the package shelf of his 1981 Mazda RX-7, listening to him explain to my Mom - for Nth time - what made the rotary engine so special. I remember bracing myself for the laggy whoosh of his turbo diesel Mercedes-Benz 300D, and later, his '87 Porsche Turbo. We were a Toyota family in my coming-of-age years. At 15 years and 6 months, I scored 100 percent on my driving license test, behind the wheel of Mom's 1991 Toyota Previa. As a reward, I was handed the keys to my brother's 1986 Celica GT-S. Six months and three speeding tickets later, I was booted off the family insurance policy and into a 1983 Toyota 4x4 (Hilux, baby). It took me through the rest of college and most of my time at USC, where I worked for the Daily Trojan newspaper and graduated with a biology degree and business minor. Cars took a back seat during my stint as a science teacher for Teach for America. I considered a third year of teaching high school science, coaching volleyball, and helping out with the newspaper and yearbook, but after two years of telling teenagers to follow their dreams, when I wasn't following mine, I decided to pursue a career in freelance photography. After starving for 6 months, I was picked up by a tiny tuning magazine in Orange County that was covering "The Fast and the Furious" subculture years before it went mainstream. I went from photographer-for-hire to editor-in-chief in three years, and rewarded myself with a clapped-out 1989 Nissan 240SX. I subsequently picked up a 1985 Toyota Land Cruiser (FJ60) to haul parts and camera gear. Both vehicles took me to a more mainstream car magazine, where I first sipped from the firehose of press cars. Soon after, the Land Cruiser was abandoned. After a short stint there, I became editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Sport Compact Car just after turning 30. My editorial director at the time was some long-haired dude with a funny accent named Angus MacKenzie. After 18 months learning from the best, Angus asked me to join Motor Trend as senior editor. That was in 2007, and I've loved every second ever since.
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