October 13th 1963 - The LA Times Grand Prix. The richest purse in the history of American road racing drew an international field of
world class cars and drivers to Riverside International Raceway.

The worlds greatest drivers set to compete in the LA Times Grand Prix - and young Dave MacDonald offers a bold prediction

The drivers list for this race read like a who's who in motor racing in 1963. Included were American & international racing champions from
all types of racing. Below are photos of several of these great drivers, including 1963 World Driving Champion Jim Clark. Photo Friedman

Graham Hill and Dan Gurney. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Indy 500 Champion AJ Foyt. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

International superstar Pedro Rodriguez. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Parnelli Jones (L). Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Phil Hill. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

1962 LA Times Grand Prix Champion Roger Penske (R) is back to defend his title. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Ken Miles, who would be in Otto Zipper's Dolphin-Porsche for this race. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Dave MacDonald's teammate and driver of the other King Cobra - Bob Holbert. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Former Corvette star Bob Bondurant now with Shelby American will be in a Cobra Roadster. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Scooter Patrick

Hollywood stuntman and veteran modified racer Bob Harris

And youngster Dave MacDonald .. who was confident he could hold his own against this world class lineup. Photo Dave Friedman

Dave MacDonald gets in some practice time at Riverside prior to his qualifying run. This was only the second outing for the beautiful King
Cobra and Dave would be taking on the world's best cars and drivers in the 6th annual LA Times Grand Prix

Dave MacDonald is first of the Shelby American contingent to hit the track and attempt qualifying. Photo Dave Friedman

Dave back in the pits after a blistering qual run of 1:32.6 & 101.167mph. Photo Allen Kuhn - www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com

Bob Holbert follows MacDonald in his King Cobra and clocks a nearly indentical time ... 1:32.7 & 100.970 mph. Photo Dave Friedman

AJ Foyt is next in his Scarab Mk IV Oldsmobile and turns in a solid run of 1:35.1 & 98.422mph. Photo Dave Friedman

Dan Gurney cranks his Genie Mk.8 Ford around the track in 1:33.1 & 100.537mph. Photo Dave Friedman

Jim Hall in his ultra quick Chaparral is fastest of the field with a time of 1:31.9 & 101.849mph. Photo Dave Friedman

MacDonald heads over to friend Bob Harris pits and offers assistance between Bob's qual runs. Harris could not get his Elva Mk.6 up to
speed however and did not qualify for the Grand Prix. Dan Blocker (next to MacDonald) of Bonanza fame looks on. Photo Dave Friedman

Dave's time of 1:32.6 and 101.167mph was 2nd fastest and good for the middle of row 1. Teammate Bob Holbert qualified 3rd fastest.

Shelby happy that his King Cobras have qualified 2-3, relaxes with Hollywood starlet, and Miss California Sports Car, Lori Campbell.
John Surtees & Ken Miles are in the background to Carroll's left. Photo Allen Kuhn www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com

Race day! Scorching 100 degree heat didn't scare off the crowds as a record 85,000 fans invaded Riverside International Raceway to get a
glimpse of the world's greatest drivers. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

This was the largest crowd to ever attend a road race in America. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Just hours before the race and it's all business as last minute preparations are made to the Cobra contingent. Photo Dave Friedman

Dave MacDonald brings the Shelby King Cobra to the starting grid and recieves encouragement from the crew

Top qualifier Jim Hall grabbed the pole position in his Chaparral while Dave MacDonald (98) and Bob Holbert filled out the front row in
King Cobras. The world's best drivers entered the Grand Prix in 63, including AJ Foyt, Jimmy Clark, Rodger Ward, Parnelli Jones, Graham
Hill, Jim Hall, Dan Gurney, Bob Bondurant, John Surtees, Dick Thompson, Pedro Rodriguez, Lloyd Ruby, Billy Krause, Don Wester, Roger
Penske. Richie Ginther, Augie Pabst, Ed Leslie and many others

Race about to go green as drivers wait for the flag to drop

Bob Holbert quickly guns it to get off the line first and grab the hole shot. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Bob Holbert's King Cobra by a nose as the lead cars head to turn 1. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Going through the esses toward turn 6 it's Holbert, MacDonald & Hall. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Unfortunately there's trouble in the rear of the field as three cars get tangled up in the esses.

Cars involved are that of 2-time Indy Champ Roger Ward, Walt Hangsen & Frank Gardner. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

The race goes yellow and the pace car leads the field, minus Hangsen & Gradner, back through the esses on lap 2. Hall, MacDonald and
Holbert still occupy the first row. Hangsen and Gardner would rejoin the race after brief pit stops.

Another view of lap 2 on the yellow shows the dust still settling out of turn 2 and into the esses. Photo: Bill Witcher

Final lap under yellow as the field is in position and ready to go green again. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

On the restart it's Jim Hall who jumps out front this time as he leads the pack out of turn 1. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Lap 4 and Hall leads the field back into turn 7 ... but MacDonald, Penske, Holbert & Gurney have closed the gap. Photo courtesy of Dave
Friedman - The Henry Ford

But on lap 6 Jim Hall's Chaparral developes an electrical malfunction and he pulls his mighty Chaparral to the side - he's done for the day.
Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Lap 8 shows King Cobras of Dave MacDonald & Bob Holbert running 1-2 atop the leaderbord. Roger Penske, Pedro Rodriguez and Dan
Gurney are 3-4-5. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

England's John Surtees powers through turn 7 with his Ferrari GTO 250 running in 6th place. He's just ahead of fellow Englander and 1962
World Driving Champion Graham Hill (7th), in a Lotus 23B and Augie Pabst in 8th. Photo Martin Hill

Still early and on lap 10 Don Wester blasts his Porsche past Richie Ginther's Porsche & AJ Foyt's Lotus and they run 9-10-11.

On lap 15 Skip Hudson driving Jim Hall's 1962 Chaparral 1, heads into turn 1 running 12th on. Photo Dave Friedman

Ron Dykes has his Maserati Tipo 60 running 16th

Lap 17 - MacDonald & Holbert come out of turn 6 with the Shelby King Cobras still in front and running 1-2. Photo Dave Friedman

International superstar Pedro Rodriguez keeps his Genie-Ford ahead of American superstar Dan Gurney and they maintain positions 4 & 5.

On lap 20 Penske moves past Holbert and into 2nd behind MacDonald. Gurney has also passed Rodriguez and now runs 4th. (Martin Hill)

Racing veteran Lloyd Ruby has moved his Harrison Special Ford into 6th. Photo courtesy Dave Friedman

1963 World Driving Champion Jimmy Clark pulls his Lotus past Don Wester's Porsche 718 RS 61 to claim 7th

Miles Gupton's Porsche RS Special gets a little loose in the esses and is already dropping back in the field.

Lap 30 and Dave MacDonald glides into turn 1 off the front straight and has his King Cobra comfortably in front. Photo Allen Kuhn
www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com

1962 Times Grand Prix winner Roger Penske glides his Zerex Special into turn 6 in 2nd place and still chasing MacDonald

Versatile driving ace Dan Gurney, who would join Dave on the Cobra team in 1964, is still running in the top 5. Photo Martin Hill

Chuck Parsons plows his Lotus 23B Ford into the infield and is out on lap 35

Midway through turn 6 Dave is still hard on the accelerator

And to the crowds delight, powers all the way though in a spectacular four wheel drift. Nobody did it better!

After a pit stop on lap 45 Pedro Rodriguez charges back to the track with his Lotus in 8th place. Photo Gordon Chittenden

50 laps in the books and Dave MacDonald has already lapped most of the field. Below he drifts through turn 6. Photo Bob Burbridge

6-time World Motorcycle Champion John Surtees moves into 5th after taking the inside line and going by Gurney. Photo Allen Kuhn

On lap 57, Dave MacDonald gets word that he has stretched his lead to a full minute

Racer Joe Freitas helps Bob Bondurant cool off while his Cobra Roadster gets tires and fuel before heading back out.

Pedro Rodriguez continues to move through the field and now has his Genie Mk.8 Ford up to 3rd.

Surtees has his Ferrari 275 right behind Rodriguez in 4th with 15 laps to go. Photo Martin Hill

Dave MacDonald tearing through the esses on lap 65 and is now multiple laps ahead of everyone but Penske. Photo Dave Friedman

Penske still runs 2nd but it far behind MacDonald. Photo Dave Friedman

Jimmy Clark has taken over 5th but is stil 4 laps behind MacDonald's King Cobra. Photo Allen Kuhn www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com

Bob Bondurant carrying the Cobra flag well and has his Cobra Roadster running 8th, five laps back of MacDonald. It's been a long day for
Bob as he ran, and won, the GT race earlier in the day. Photo Allen Kuhn www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com

Seven laps to go and Carroll Shelby tells Dave MacDonald he has a 1 minute 25 second lead over Roger Penske. Photo Dave Friedman.

Penske goes through turn 6 and fighting hard to keep his Zerex Special on the same lap as MacDonald. Photo Dave Friedman

But with 6 laps to go MacDonald has reeled in Penske and looks to make a move on him. Photo Dave Friedman

MacDonald keeps pushing and on the next lap flies by Penske in the esses to go a full lap ahead of the entire field. Photo: Bill Witcher

All eyes on Dave as he enters turn 6 on the final lap

Dave slides out the back of turn 6 with only a half lap to go. Photo Dave Friedman

MacDonald drifts out of turn 9 and has the finish line in his sights. Photo Dave Friedman

After 2 1/2 hrs of brutal road racing Dave MacDonald waves to the crowd as starter Bud Ehrlich gives the him checkered flag. MacDonald
finished a lap ahead of the international field - he was the first driver to accomplish this feat in the Times Grand Prix.

Dave and Sherry in a tender moment after Dave's dominating performance in the 1963 LA Times Grand Prix. This victory was the first-ever
for Carroll Shelby's mighty King Cobra ... Dave would win the following week as well in the Monterey Pacific Grand Prix at Laguna Seca

Race results for the 1963 LA Times GP. Dave finished several laps ahead of most of the field. Video of this race in Dave's Video section

Carroll Shelby hands Dave refreshments as an LA Times reporter goes for the interview. Photo Dave Friedman

Carroll Shelby and Dave MacDonald congratulate each other on the big win! Photo Dave Friedman

A joyous Shelby American team celebrates with the massive LA Times Grand Prix trophy. Photo Dave Friedman

Post race interview and MacDonald learns he has set a new Times Grand Prix record with an average speed of 96.273 mph. (Friedman)

The LA Times Grand Prix was the crown jewel of American road racing in 1963 and at the post race news conference a beaming Carroll
Shelby poses with the coveted trophy and tells reporters "This is the happiest day of my life! Dave is just the greatest isn't he?" (Friedman)

Dave drives part of his prize money, a new 1964 Ford Thunderbird, over to the winners circle. (Ford actually allowed Dave & Sherry to
pick their new T-Bird from a local Ford dealership). Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Jim Clark comes over to join the festivities and congratulate Dave on his win. Photo courtesy of Dave Friedman

Dave & Sherry's good friend, and future Cobra teammate Joe Frietas lifts Sherry out of the King Cobra after the days events. Photo
courtesy of Dave Friedman

Richie sits in Daddy's winning King Cobra after the race. Photo Dave Friedman

On this day, the worlds greatest drivers were no match for Dave MacDonald as he finished a full lap ahead of the entire field. (LA Times)

More news articles recapping the '63 Times Grand Prix

Closer view of the above front page article on the 1963 Times Grand Prix

CONTINUED - 1963 LA Times Grand Prix article continued

Closer view of the above front page article on the 1963 Pacific Grand Prix

CONTINUED - 1963 Monterey Pacific Grand Prix article continued

Competition Press front page headline on both the 1963 LA Times Grand Prix and the Monterey Pacific Grand Prix

Closer view of the above Competition Press front page article on the 1963 LA Times GP

CONTINUED - Competition Press article on 1963 LA Times GP continued

Dave MacDonald recieves his 1963 LA Times GP paycheck - the richest ever in road racing to that point - and then promptly hands
it over to wife Sherry

Interesting that this LA Times cartoon - published prior to the race - has Dave MacDonald prominately positioned in the center!

Lap records for Riverside International Raceway

Times Grand Prix winners - '58 Chuck Daigh, '59 Phil Hill, '60 Billy Krause, '61 Jack Brabham, '62 Roger Penske, '63 Dave MacDonald

This is the historic Shelby King Cobra today restored to its original beauty by owners Bill & Evelyn Hartman

The car below was modeled after Dave MacDonald's victory at the 1963 LA Times Grand Prix

Another Dave macDonald King Cobra model, this one manufactured by Monogram