From the Archives: Chasing the water truck at Riverside raceway

Sept. 7, 1975: When the water truck went out to wet the dust on the track at Riverside International Raceway, a crowd of spectators chased after the truck to cool off in its spray.

By Scott Harrison

June 28, 2018 1 AM PT

Heat was an inconvenience at the Off Road Vehicle World Championships at Riverside International Raceway. The water truck served a dual purpose: controlling the dust and cooling spectators.

Temperatures were in the low 90s on race day. Roger Mears won his second straight AC-Delco SCORE World Off-Road Racing championship.

Staff photographer Joe Kennedy was covering the race for the Sports section. His standalone photo was published on page three of the Sept. 8, 1975, Los Angeles Times.

Riverside International Raceway closed in 1989.

This article was originally published on Aug. 18, 2015.