Board track racing
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Board track racing was a type of motorsport popular in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s. Competition was conducted on circular or oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks.
Race teams grid-up for the start of a race at Baltimore-Washington Speedway in 1925.
Construction of a board track at Uniontown, Pennsylvania in 1916
1912 Indian Board Track Racer, on display at the California Automobile Museum
Motorcycles racing on a board track in 1911
Los Angeles Motordrome
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The Los Angeles Motordrome was a circular 1-mile wood board race track. It was located in Playa del Rey, California, and opened in 1910. In addition to automobile racing, it was used for motorcycle co
Board track racing
…of extensive grandstands or stadium-style spectator seating surrounding many of the courses. The first board track for motor racing was the circular Los Angeles Motordrome, built in 1910 in the area that would later become the city's Playa del Rey district. Based on the same technology as European velodromes used for…
Los Angeles Motordrome as depicted on a vintage postcard; Ballona watershed visible in background.
Velodrome and board track builder Jack Prince. Photo is from 1916.
The Motordrome incorporated many features that were new ideas at the time, and eventually became common to many race tracks.
A head-to-head grudge match between Barney Oldfield and Ralph DePalma was an opening day attraction.