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The magnificent flowing Riverside circuit was the venue for the final round of the 1970 Trans-Am Championship. Tony Adamowicz was drafted in to replace Bucknum at Autodynamics, while Jerry Thompson would replace John Cordts in the second T/G Firebird. Gurney announced he was retiring from driving following the Riverside race to spend more time on his managerial duties with AAR.

Jones grabbed pole, and broke the lap record in the process, then charged into the distance at the start, building a healthy lead until he clobbered a back-marker when lapping him. So violent was the hit that the Mustang became airborne as it flew off the track. Jones scrambled to get pointed in the right direction, and set off again, having dropped back to ninth. Follmer led the race, but Jones was on a mission, and he set the fastest lap as the battered Mustang soared back through the field to lie second, then inherited the lead when Follmer slowed.

The two Bud Moore Mustangs placed first and second at the finish, with Donohue third. Posey collected Revson, and the pair had a punch-up after the race. Tempers were frayed.

Behind Ford in the championship, AMC was next, followed by Chevrolet, Dodge, and Plymouth.

And then, following what had been the most dramatic, best supported, most fiercely contested season to date, the Trans-Am fell to bits. Ford announced it was to withdraw from all forms of motorsport. Chrysler decided to concentrate its motorsport efforts on drag racing and Nascar, and dropped the Trans-Am. Jim Hall and Chevrolet just sort of chose not to continue, while Terry Godsall, having lost the central hub of T/G Racing in Jerry Titus, also left. And that just left American Motors and Penske, who won the ’71 Trans-Am at a canter.

Photos courtesy of Dick Weldon