The Impact of California on Motor Racing
The history of motor racing in California runs deep. In fact, the Southern California area was once the heart of the country’s auto racing culture. In the early 1900s, speed-freaks raced their cars on dirt tracks, dry lakes, and city streets.
The area was also home to the Los Angeles Motordrome — the world’s first wooden racetrack. The track was built as a way to attract nearby beachgoers, and the first races were held here in 1910. Back then, you could expect to see helmetless racers fly around the one-mile circular track at speeds nearing 100 mph. It attracted some of the biggest racers in history, including Ralph DePalma, Barney Oldfield, and LA’s own “Terrible” Teddy Tetzlaff.
Sadly, the Motordrome closed due to a fire just three years after it opened. However, the area had acquired a taste for speed that simply wouldn’t go away.
