Les Richter, the man who led Riverside Raceway and later oversaw the development and operation of California Speedway in Fontana, California, has died. He was 79 years old. Before getting into the racing business Richter had a successful career as a linebacker with the Los Angeles Rams. Richter was also a driving force in the expansion of NASCAR due to his successful lobbying of the series to head west and run on the famed Riverside road course.

When Roger Penske decided to take the plunge and construct the 92,000 seat California Speedway, he turned to Richter as the guy who could work through the arduous process of getting the project off the ground in the choppy waters of California politics and legalese. His ability to address the issues, politic, and stand up for the project were central to its success.

While Richter never drove a race car in competition, he certainly understood the business and managed to take Riverside from a regionally popular race track to an internationally known circut that was an integral part of American racing for decades. 

Source — LaTimes.com — Les Richter passes at 79