Budweiser 500K

{{Infobox motor race |Race title = Budweiser 500K |Track map = 150px |Venue = Riverside International Raceway |Sponsor = |First race = 1967 |Last race = 1983 |Distance = {{convert|313.500|mi|km|abbr=on}} |Laps = 95 |Duration = |Previous names = '''Rex Mays 300''' (1967–1969) '''Los Angeles Times 500''' (1981) '''AirCal 500K''' (1982) '''Budweiser 500K''' (1983) |Most wins driver = Dan Gurney (2) Rick Mears (2) |Most wins team = All American Racers (2) Team Penske (2) |Most wins manufacturer = '''Chassis:''' Eagle (2) Penske (2) '''Engine:''' Cosworth (3) }}

The '''Budweiser 500K''' was an automobile race sanctioned by CART, it was held at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California. The event was held from 1967 to 1969 and again from 1981 to 1983.

==Racing History==

===1967–1969=== From 1967 to 1969 Riverside served as the season-ending USAC championship race, the 1967 race was the last for Jim Clark in USAC before his death in April 1968.<ref name="cite">{{cite web |last1=Miller |first1=Joe |title=MNRL Season 1, Race 6 information- Riverside Int.(Jan 10th) |url=https://cmsracing.com/champion/forums/showthread.php?30510-MNRL-Season-1-Race-6-information-Riverside-Int-(Jan-10th) |website=cmsracing.com |access-date=24 November 2018 |archive-date=24 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181124162534/https://cmsracing.com/champion/forums/showthread.php?30510-MNRL-Season-1-Race-6-information-Riverside-Int-(Jan-10th) |url-status=dead }}</ref> The race was replaced by the California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway for 1970.

===1981–1983=== After Ontario Motor Speedway closed in 1980, Riverside returned in 1981 as a CART event. The series dropped Riverside in 1984. Riverside County would not host another major race for Indy cars until 2024, when The Thermal Club in Thermal, California, in Riverside County, California, was announced as the host of the INDYCAR Thermal $1,000,000 Challenge.

==Past winners== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! rowspan="2"|Season ! rowspan="2"|Date ! rowspan="2"|Driver ! rowspan="2"|Team ! rowspan="2"|Chassis ! rowspan="2"|Engine ! colspan="2"|Race Distance ! rowspan="2"|Race Time ! rowspan="2"|Average Speed (mph) ! rowspan="2"|Report ! rowspan="2"|Ref |- ! Laps ! Miles (km) |- !colspan=12| USAC Championship Car history |- !colspan=12 |Course: 2.600 miles (4.184 km) |- ! 1967 | November 26 | {{flagicon|USA}} Dan Gurney | All American Racers | Eagle | Ford | align="center"| 116 | align="center"| 301.600 (485.378) | align="center"| 2:48:51 | align="center"| 107.170 | Report | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1967_Rex_Mays_300/UO/|title=1967 Rex Mays 300|website=Racing-Reference|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|access-date=30 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=1967 Riverside Indycars|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1967-riverside-indycars/|url-status=live|access-date=March 20, 2025|website=Motor Sport|archive-date=February 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224064529/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1967-riverside-indycars/}}</ref> |- ! 1968 | December 1 | {{flagicon|USA}} Dan Gurney | All American Racers | Eagle | Ford | align="center"| 116 | align="center"| 301.600 (485.378) | align="center"| 2:42:01 | align="center"| 111.689 | Report | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1968_Rex_Mays_300/UO/|title=1968 Rex Mays 300|website=Racing-Reference|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|access-date=30 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=1968 Riverside Indycars|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1968-riverside-indycars/|url-status=live|access-date=March 20, 2025|website=Motor Sport|archive-date=January 19, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250119141221/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1968-riverside-indycars/}}</ref> |- ! 1969 | December 7 | {{flagicon|USA}} Mario Andretti | STP Corporation | Hawk | Ford | align="center"| 120 | align="center"| 312.000 (502.115) | align="center"| 2:50:08 | align="center"| 105.797 | Report | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1969_Rex_Mays_300/UO/|title=1969 Rex Mays 300|website=Racing-Reference|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|access-date=30 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=1969 Riverside Indycars|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1969-riverside-indycars/|url-status=live|access-date=March 20, 2025|website=Motor Sport|archive-date=March 5, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305150710/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1969-riverside-indycars/}}</ref> |- ! 1970–1980 | colspan="12" align=center| ''Not held'' |- !colspan=12|CART Indy Car World Series history |- !colspan=12 |Long Grand Prix Road Course: 3.300 miles (5.311 km) |- ! 1981 | August 30 | {{flagicon|USA}} Rick Mears | Team Penske | Penske | Cosworth | align="center"| 95 | align="center"| 313.500 (504.529) | align="center"| 2:43:40 | align="center"| 108.300 | Report | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1981_Los_Angeles_Times_500/R/|title=1981 Los Angeles Times 500K|website=Racing-Reference|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|access-date=30 August 2016}}</ref> |- ! 1982 | August 29 | {{flagicon|USA}} Rick Mears | Team Penske | Penske | Cosworth | align="center"| 95 | align="center"| 313.500 (504.529) | align="center"| 2:42:14 | align="center"| 115.944 | Report | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1982_AirCal_500/R/|title=1982 AirCal 500|website=Racing-Reference|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|access-date=30 August 2016}}</ref> |- ! 1983 | August 29 | {{flagicon|USA}} Bobby Rahal | Truesports | March | Cosworth | align="center"| 95 | align="center"| 313.500 (504.529) | align="center"| 2:45:28 | align="center"| 113.678 | Report | <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1983_L.A._Times_Budweiser_500/R/|title=1983 Budweiser 500K|website=Racing-Reference|publisher=USA Today Sports Media Group|access-date=30 August 2016}}</ref> |- |}

*'''1983:''' Race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain.

==References== {{Reflist}}

Category:Champ Car races Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1967 Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1969 Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1981 Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1983