October 13-14, 1962 - Dave MacDonald races the new 1963 split-window Corvette Stingray in the Riverside 3hr Enduro. This race marked
the historic, and highly anticipated, first-ever meeting between Chevrolet's new Corvette Stingray & Carrol Shelby's new Ford Cobra Roadster.
Chevorlet vs Ford, Corvette vs Cobra, Duntov vs Shelby ... it was the highlight of the 62 season.
Cheverolet offered the first four Z06 Stingray's to prominant US Corvette racers Dave MacDonald, Bob Bondurant, Jerry Grant and Doug
Hooper. Then, two weeks before this Riverside race, Zora Duntov flew Bondurant, Grant and Dave & Sherry MacDonald out to the Chevrolet
plant in St. Louis to personally pick up their cars. GM gave Z06 #1 to Dave MacDonald. The group then drove the cars back to the west coast.
(Hooper and Mickey Thompson (Hooper's race sponsor) trucked their Stingray back to LA two weeks earlier).
Dave had just 2 short weeks to race prep and paint his Stingray for Riverside. Below: Dave takes it to the track for a few practice laps on the
Friday before the race. Jack Brabham's Sunbeam Alpine (#4) in the background. Photo Dave Friedman
Ditto for Carroll Shelby's new Cobra Roadster. Crewmember brings it to the track for driver Bill Krause. (Shelby seated wearing sunglasses)
Krause and MacDonald continue shakedown laps of these two iconic sports cars. Photo Dave Friedman
Another photo of Friday's practice as cars from a mix of classes enter turn 6. This was a GM promo photo for their new sports car.
Race Day for Saturday's 3hr Enduro. Huge throng of spectators invade Riverside - 39,000 for Sat 3hr Enduro & 73,200 for Sun LA Times GP
A couple of race beauties hanging out by MacDonald's Stingray before the race. Photo Dave Friedman
Miss Corvette is also on hand for today's race. Photo Dave Friedman
Mickey Thompson (kneeling) & Dave MacDonald (left of woman) talk with Bill Krause before he moves out to the grid. Photo Dave Friedman
MacDonald & Hooper stand next to their cars before moving them out to the grid. Notice the fat tires on Hoopers car. Photo Dave Friedman
Drivers begin to pull thier cars out to the starting grid. Photo Dave Friedman
Bondurant, MacDonald & Grant's new Stingray's sit side by side prior to the LeMans style start. Photo Dave Friedman
Bruce McLaren brings his Sunbeam Alpine toward the grid. Photo Dave Friedman
Stingrays of Bondurant, MacDonald & Grant, Krause's Cobra, Bob Kirby's Porsche & Dick Guldstrand's Vette (56). Photo Dave Friedman
Drivers huddle after the cars are placed in their final grid positions. Photo Dave Friedman
Drivers look to the starter as they get ready to race to their cars. Photo Dave Friedman
Drivers sprint to their cars at the sound of the gun!
The following sequential pictures at the start of the race were taken by legendary photographer Dave Friedman.
Photo Dave Friedman
Photo Dave Friedman
The athletic MacDonald was a fast runner and if you look closely you can see he has his Stingray moving off the line first. The #7 Genie driven by
Art Snyder looks even with MacDonald but he, like many in Le Mans style starts, stalled and didn't immediately get off the line. Photo Friedman
Dave MacDonald roars onto the track first. Photo Dave Friedman
Photo Dave Friedman
Photo Dave Friedman
Photo Dave Friedman
Photo Dave Friedman
Dave MacDonald roars out to a great start and pulls away while Grant & Bondurant get their Stingrays onto the track. Photo Dave Friedman
Here you can see Billy Krause and the Cobra getting off to a middle of the pack start in this 38 car field. Photo Dave Friedman
Dave MacDonald blasting into Riverside's turn 6 with a big lead on lap 1. Photo Dave Friedman
Krause goes by Jerry Titus & now prepares to pass Dick Guldstrand as he rapidly moves his Cobra through the field. Photo Dave Friedman
Lap 3 and Krause is now running 2nd but still a half lap behind the streaking MacDonald. Photo Dave Friedman
But MacDonald's Stingray lost all power on lap 4 and he was forced to pull off the track. Luckily Dave is a top-notch mechanic and when he
opened the hood he noticed right away that the coil wire had come loose. He quickly reconnected it and jumped back into the race. The delay
allowed Krause to completely close the gap and by lap 5 the high profile showdown was fully engaged. Photo Dave Friedman
10 laps in the books and it's still MacDonald in the new Stingray followed closely by 1960 Times Grand Prix winner Krause in the new Cobra
Ken Miles and his Sunbeam Alpine (#50) in a dogfight with John Masterson's Mercerdes going through turn 7. Photo Dave Friedman
The Corvette/Cobra battle rages on as Dave MacDonald and Billy Krause are putting on a wild show. Photo Dave Friedman
Running 5 & 6 at this point are Jerry Grant & Bob Bondurant in Stingrays. Photo Dave Friedman.
MacDonald & Krause still far ahead of the field and racing nose to tail as they exchange the lead with one another. Photo Dave Friedman
MacDonald & Krause begin lapping slower cars and put Argentina's Tony Priedrabuena and his MG Special a lap behind. Photo Dave Friedman
Corvette star Dick Guldstrand has his Corvette running towards the middle of the pack. Photo Dave Friedman.
Bondurant into turn 6 now running 5th behind MacDonald, Krause, Grant & Hooper. Here he laps Norm Smith. Photo Dave Friedman
30 minutes into the race it's still MacDonald's Stingray and Krause's Cobra far out front and running 1-2. Photo Dave Friedman
However minutes later the Cobra's rear axle splits and Krause is forced to pit. You can see the Cobra leaning back left. Photo Friedman
The debut of the Shelby Ford Cobra, while promising, is logged as a DNF. Photo Dave Friedman
Doug Hooper does a 180 as he and Bondurant mix it up. Hooper was able to quickly get his Stingray turned around and back in the race but not
before Bruce McLaren (top) came down and went by him. (Hooper spun 3 seperate times here in turn 7). Photo Dave Friedman
Dave MacDonald now well in front of the field comes round and puts a lap on Doug Hooper & Lew Spencer. Photo Dave Friedman
After going by Jerry Grant & Bob Bondurant, Dave MacDonald is now a full lap ahead of the entire field. Photo Dave Friedman
Unfortunately a few laps later MacDonald's Stingray losses a rear wheel and Dave limps toward the pits for repairs.
MacDonald scrapes past Hooper's pits as Mickey Thompson rushes out to get a look. The initial assessment is not good. Photo Dave Friedman
The crew optimistically adds fuel while they gauge the damage to the axle and rear suspension. Photo Dave Friedman
The determination is made that the damage is to great to return and MacDonald parks his Stingray for the day. Photo Dave Friedman.
With MacDonald out Ed MacKey inherits the lead. But at the 1hr 15 min mark Hooper passes MacKey and is now race leader. Photo Friedman
Ken Miles (7th place) continues to run a strong race. He's currently the highest running Sunbeam Alpine of a four car team that includes Miles,
Bruce McLaren, Jack Brabham and Jerry Titus. Here Ken prepares to lap the Porsche of Miles Gupton. Photo Dave Friedman
Jerry Grant & Bob Bonderant sling their Stingrays through turn 1 chasing Hooper who's up ahead entering turn 2. Photo Dave Friedman
Race leader Hooper makes his one and only pit stop at the 2 hr mark. Mickey Thompson gives Doug refreshments. Photo Dave Friedman
2 1/2 hr mark and Hooper still leads but Jay Hills has moved his Porsche into 2nd. Both racers prepare to go by Bruce McLaren. Photo Friedman
25 minutes to go and Jay Hills drops out. Hooper is now all alone in the lead as he comes up to lap slower traffic. #145 is Lew Spencer's Morgan,
#11 is Fay Van's Porsche, #66 is Bill Molle's Lotus Mk XXIII Ford and #117 is Bill Larsen's Alpha Romeo. Photo Dave Friedman
This is Doug Hooper's day and he storms across the finish line first to win the inaugural Corvette vs. Cobra battle. Photo Dave Friedman
Hooper takes a well deserved victory lap after finishing more than a lap ahead of 2nd place Bob Kirby in a Porsche. Photo Tom McIntyre
News articles recapping the Oct 14, 1962 3-HR Enduro at Riverside. (A short video clip of this race is in Dave's video section)
