Board Track
 

Work began on the first board track automobile speedway on Jan. 30, 1910 in Playa del Ray, CA. Wonder if we have any IOW members who ever saw a board track race? I have the book "BOARD TRACK Guts, Gold and Glory" by Dick Wallen, but haven't looked at it in years. I need to reread it, because I've forgotten a lot of it, so it will seem like a new book to me. I also have Crocky Wright's Nutley Velodrome book which deserves my attention.

Re: Board Track
 

I have never seen one but I believe they had one at Soldier Field in Chicago back before Joliet stadium. Someone can add on from there.

Tyler
www.tylershoemakerracing.com

Re: Board Track
 

Ron, the life of the board tracks in this country was roughly from 1915 to 1931. Construction on the CA track may have begun in 1910 but the first board track to open was in Chicago in about 1914. Anyone alive today that is old enough to remember seeing a board track race would be in at least their mid 80's. Come to think of it you might want to ask Marv.:rolling:kookoo:rolling

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I'm sure some of the IOW members have been to Roman chariot races.:O:

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OUCH!!!!!:O:

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They actually had a 1 Mile(!) board track in Charlotte in the 20's. I saw it in a book about Charlotte at the bookstore....cant remember what it was called....

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That was actually a 1.25 mile board track. It was known as the Charlotte Speedway and operated from 1924 - 1927. Most board tracks were a mile or more in length. They were way too fast for the technology available at the time. If you know what a 1920's Indy car looked like just imagine one turning a lap of 138.6 mph on a 1.25 oval. That is exactly what Leon Duray did at the Altoona, Pa. board track in 1926!

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Here's a blog I found about board tracks.


http://thegarageblog.com/garage/wood-you-believe/

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Interesting read Seadog, nice to see Cincinnati mentioned in a racing article. I have a question though, in the pictures of that blog it shows some races. Am I correct noticing that there are two people in these cars? Any reason why they had passengers or were they in the car for a reason?

Re: Board Track
 

Riding Mechanics I would say. They also served as sort of "on board" (no pun intended) spotters for drivers. IIRC, the Cincy board track held a 300 mile race as a substitute for the Indy 500 (World War I) around 1918 or 1919. The track was shown on an old map that I saw from back then and it was less than a mile from my house that I currently live in.

Re: Board Track
 

Riding mechanics they were called. They were a very big part of auto racing in the early days. Ray Harroun, who won the first Indy 500, was the only driver in that 1911 field without a riding mechanic. Indy went to single seaters in the early 1920's but reverted back to the two seaters in the early 1930's. Wilbur Shaw was the last man to win Indy with a riding mechanic in 1937.

Re: Board Track
 

I can't believe anyone would ride along like that. I've always thought the co-drivers in rally cars were nuts, but those guys back then take the cake.

I'd like to say thanks to you "Guys of a certain age" (no offense) for sharing your knowledge. It seems almost everyday I get on here I learn something new from someone. Thanks!

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Here's something about the Cincinnati Speedway.

http://home.fuse.net/kewendel/QCM_TV..._Speedway.html

Thank you itsanonwingthing.

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Another thought just popped into this old brain.:O:Jigger Johnson was the name of Shaw's riding mechanic in 1937 and he was the only riding mechanic to share in two Indianapolis wins. He was with Lou Meyer, I believe, when Meyer won either his 2rd Indy in 1933 or his 3rd in 1936.

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Here is a little more info on the board tracks.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board_track_racing

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This is one cool thread.

Lynn

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Everytime I am around Crocky I have to remind myself that he went to the races at the Nutley Velodrome

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Yes those Riding Mechanics were some brave men, but check out this high quality video of some early Motorcycle races on the 1 mile Board Track @ Daytona. No sound, but the video is amazing, and in the professional race near the end, they are traveling 212 km/h or 131 mph.

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...ideoid=5561686

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:thumb...So what's the big deal? It's only been closed since 1937!:rolling:kookoo:rolling

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Here is a good site with a fair amount of info on Board tracks.

http://www.iowalink.com/users/lball/index.htm

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That is a cool video, it's amazing how far we've come since those days that's for sure. I guess they didn't have the big debate about track prep and dust back on the wooden tracks huh.....:O:

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That it is. Speaking of age, maybe a better way to determine age would be to use as a dividing line those who can recall seeing sprint cars without roll cages and those who are too young to remember them.

I know a few names that could go on the "cageless" list.:thumb

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Seen the bolt on's, Does that count?

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I saw them race even without roll bars for cryin' out loud. Drivers racing in T shirts and jeans and wearing Cromwell helmets. No seat belts or shoulder harnesses. And the drivers had to pump up the pressure in the fuel tanks as they raced.
Offys. AAA. Cincinnati Race Bowl. The old 16th Street Speedway. Dayton Speedway...you now have an idea how long I've been around this.

All I can say is thanks Dad for introducing me to the coolest sport on Earth.

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I have a Silver Cup Trophy (Yea - REAL SILVER about 15" high) from the Cincinnati Speedway. My grandfather finished 3rd in the 'Class E Ford Cars' on May 30, 1917 averaging 72.6 mph. Cool huh!

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There is a hard bound book out by Allen E. Brown (The History of America's Speedways past and present!). It's done state by state! Allen, goes around the tracks selling his National Speedway Directory and books.:rolling

Joe

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That is a great book and has been an important part of my racing library for quite a while.

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I have it on good authority that Fishburger was at that Cincinnati race, seated in section "A", with a Senior Citizen discount, buying 50-50 tickets!!!! :applaud:
Seadog, we are neighbors. I hope we can meet sometime.
:hoffman:

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I heard that same rumor.:applaud: Two people hearing the same thing must make it true.:rolling I wonder what the 50-50 girl looked like back then?:kookoo

Re: Board Track
 

Dwight,

I got out my copy of "BOARD TRACK GUTS, GOLD AND GLORY" and found that the first board track was indeed at Playa del Rey. The inaugural meet was April 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 1910 under AAA Sanction Nos. 132, 133, 134. A 24 hour race was held there on April 7, 1911 and was won by Frank Verbeck.
Here is a list of the board speedways:

NAME LOCATION LENGTH YEARS
(Miles)

Playa del Rey Venice, CA 1.0 1910-13
Oakland Elmhurst, CA 0.5 1911-12
Chicago Maywood, IL 2.0 1915-18
Tacoma Tacoma, WA 2.0 1915-21
Omaha Omaha, NB 1.25 1915-17
Des Moines Des Moines, IA 1.0 1915-17
Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn, NY 2.0 1915-19
Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 2.0 1916-19
Uniontown Uniontown, PA 1.125 1916-22
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, CA 1.25 1920-24
Fresno Fresno, CA 1.0 1920-27
Cotati Cotati, CA 1.25 1921-22
San Carlos San Carlos, CA 1.25 1921-22
Kansas City Kansas City, MO 1.25 1922-24
Altoona Tipton, PA 1.25 1923-31
Charlotte Pineville, NC 1.25 1924-27
Culver City Culver City, CA 1.25 1924-27
Rockingham Salem, NH 1.25 1925-28
Laurel Laurel, MD 1.125 1925-26
Fulford Miami, FL 1.25 1926
Atlantic City Amatol, NJ 1.5 1926-28
Akron Akron-Cleveland, OH 0.5 1926-30
Bridgeville Bridgeville, PA 0.5 1927-30
Woodbridge Woodbridge, NJ 0.5 1928-31

Playa del Rey and Oakland were circular tracks. All others were oval.

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I don't see Daytona in that list of board tracks. This is the first I can remember hearing about one in Daytona. I wonder if that's not somewhere else, but was said to be in Daytona because Daytona Beach was famous all over the world for its speed trials.

There is a documentary film about the history of speed at Daytona, and I don't recall that any mention was made of a board track.

Dick.

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That is, indeed a good book, but he spells his name Allan. We should get him on IOW; he does post on other forums occasionally.

Dick.