 It seems man has been competing against man for about as long as history can tell us. Horses, chariot races, foot races, all in the name of competing to see who can be first, quickest, fastest, farthest, and so on. Among those contests, speed evolved to include anything powered by energy sources, wind, steam, and the good old internal combustion engine.
Almost as soon as the automobile was invented the challenge was on to see who had the fastest of those ”new fangled contraptions”. Early contests included activities on what roads there were at the time, but straight stretches were sought out as well. The sands of Daytona Beach, and the dry lake beds including Bonneville, proved popular for these early speed challenges.
Going in a circle seemed to make more sense to others, as witnessed by horse racing, in that a contestant didn’t have to travel forever to get back to the start point, as was the case in the aforementioned beach and dry lake courses. Horse tracks were already in place, and were used early on. However, recognizing the need for automobile only speed courses, prompted the development of venues designed specifically for them. From the simple oval carved out of the side of a hill, or in the pasture west of town, to the high banked board tracks designed to exact every horsepower out of an engine. And finally, the great paved ovals such as Indianapolis (even though originally brick) to the magnificent super speedways of today.
All across America, small tracks, paved and unpaved, were built in small towns to larger cities alike. Colorado was no different, as race courses of the circular kind began to show up soon after the automobile did. Many of those tracks in the larger communities were associated with an amusement park, usually taking their name from that of the park.
 Lakeside Speedway, in Denver, CO, was one of those. That amusement park, built on the east side of West Berkeley Lake, began life as White City Amusement Park, owned and promoted by Adolph Zang, one of Denver’s pioneer brewers. (One of the Zang Brewery buildings still exists, just east of the Valley highway at the 23rd Ave.exit) Located at the northeast outskirts of Denver, at 46th Avenue and Sheridan Blvd., the date was May 30, 1908, and was was called White City because of all the white painted buildings, as well as the thousands of bulbs lighting up both the 150 foot Tower of Jewels (then the tallest building in Denver) as well as other buildings in the Park.
Prospering into the 1920s, the park suffered in the thirties, and by the time the Depression came along, was looking for another owner. Ben Krasner, since 1917 a concessionaire at the park, organized friends and family, and purchased the park in 1933. Under Mr. Krasner’s guidance the park was given new life with a new modern look created by west coast architect Richard Crouther. Re-named LakesidePark, Mr. Krasner also re-named the Lake, Lake Rhoda, after his daughter.
By 1935, Mr. Krasner had added a baseball diamond to the south of the park. One account says that a trial midget race was held on this ball park site that year. However, by 1938, the track was made official, although still unpaved at this point in time. With midget auto racing sweeping the nation in popularity, the grandstands were enlarged and the track paved. The midgets had also been racing at Merchants Park on south Broadway (another ball park). 1939 was the last year at that track as racing was now at the newly paved fifth mile Lakeside Speedway.
Most of the big names of the day raced at Lakeside at one time or another. A stop in Denver seemed a natural as racers moved back and forth across the country, from the west coast to the Midwest racing hotbeds. Ben was not only known to pay appearance money for those traveling racers, but also to provided financial assistance to local car owners to keep their cars running.
All of auto racing in America was put on hold by the government during World War II, but resumed again at Lakeside Speedway in 1946 with racing continuing there for many years to come.
Another form of racing began across the land in the late forties, stock car racing. By the early fifties, this form of racing was mushrooming in popularity, and Lakeside Speedway was chosen by the CARC (Colorado Automobile Racing Club) to hold their programs there beginning in 1952. Prior to then, the CARC had run roadster races at several venues around the area before settling on then unpaved Englewood Speedway south of the metro area as their track. There, the CARC ran both roadsters and stock cars in 1950, and would race stock cars there again in 1951 before moving to Lakeside Speedway.
 Both midget and stock car racing continued at Lakeside, with the RMMRA midgets racing on Saturday evenings, and the CARC stock cars on Sunday evenings. With the growth of stock car racing around the country, the CARC experimented during the mid fifties running two shows a week, a Wednesday program in addition to the regular Sunday program. Some holidays, such as Memorial Day, saw combined RMMRA and CARC programs, touting “500 Laps of Racing”, no doubt taking a cue from the Indianapolis 500 (mile) race.
 Lakeside Speedway is a moderately banked one fifth mile paved oval running north to south. Unlike some narrow hairpin shaped tracks, Lakeside was a wider shapedoval, that along with the banking, allowed for passing on the outside. While not a regular practice, the racing surface was wide enough to accommodate three wide racing for the most daring. (The late great Sam Sauer won a main event doing just that, beginning at the tail end, passing every other competitor three high, one of the most exciting CARC races ever!) Originally a single, then two rail outside guardrail. a third rail was added for the 1953 season. Construction of the guardrail was steel, anchored by heavy wooden posts buried into the ground. This design allowed just enough rail movement to absorb the impact of wayward racecars. A particularly hard hit would occasionally require replacement of one of those posts.
 The flagman’s area at the start/finish line was protected by short sections of the same rail and post design. That flagman's barrier would prove it's value of safety for flagmen many times over the years as shown in this early 60's photo of Tom Pryor, #31, having just been stuffed into the barrier with perhaps some help by the #47. A red/yellow/green lighting system was positioned at the end of each straight to advise drivers of conditions.
A board fence closed in the pit area just outside of the track at the south end. On track entrance from the pits was in turn two, and the track-to-pit exit was at the end of the front straight in turn one. A pit board showing car lineups was stationed between turn one and two, backed up to the guardrail as shown here just behind car owner Roy Edwards, driver Dan Day, and crew of the #73, from 1958.
 During the mid fifties, the Sunday evening CARC races were televised on a half hour program. This TV camera is on a platform just inside the track-to-pit exit.
 
Spectator seating encircled approximately three quarters of the track with the main grandstand on the west side. The announcer’s and race official’s booth was centrally placed high above and to the front of this stand. Seating at the north end in turn four is comprised of the original ball park stands. The ball park announcer’s booth sits above this turn four section. This booth was used by the CARC Powder Puff Club to spin records over the track PA system during breaks in the action. A dog leg shaped grandstand was built around the turn 3 corner.
The east side bleachers were replaced during the late fifties by a covered grandstand built to match the west stands with seat backs for greater spectator comfort. Open bleachers to the south make up the rest of east side seating. Heavy chain link fencing was in place to protect spectators. Also about that time, open seating stands were constructed at the beginning of turn one on the south west corner, in an area that had previously been used as part of the track pit area. (More on that later) With the majority of the stands right up next to the track, there really wasn’t a bad seat in the house.
 Ticket booths, spectator entrance/exit and concession stands were at the north end between the 3rd and 4th turn stands, and north of the west stands,as well as a concession stand south of the new east stands, and another in the pit area. Additional exits on the east (just below the PEPSI sign) and south of thewest stands were used after the races. A recognizable symbol of this facility was this Lakeside Speedway PEPSI sign that hung between the turn three and the eastside stands.
 The placement of stands in turn one eventually proved to be the undoing of racing programs at the speedway. The heavy chain link fence protecting these stands were no match for the bigger and heavier race cars that had evolved through the years, and when a car got into the fence, during a CARC program in 1988, scattering debris through the crowd, a spectator life was lost.
Even though racing was halted, the Lakeside Speedway facility continued to be used for several years for special events. In time, however, the stands deteriorated, the pit fence was removed, and trees and weeds have assumed control. Even before racing ended, the roof of one section of the old ball park stands collapsed. It’s still hard to miss though, when driving by on west 44th Ave, large, still sort of white, but decrepit appearing, a sad testament to a greater time. Old timer’s conversation will occasionally turn to discussion about restoring the track. Lots of “what ifs”, “wouldn’t it be nice if”, and the dreaming goes on. A half century of some of America’s best racing, just a memory now, but a really good memory!
BONUS!!! Check out this video (below) that was provided by Rick Wasilko and posted originally on SoFAST.tv . It's the midgets at Lakeside in the 1950's. You can just smell the Castor Oil can't ya?
JUST ADDED!!! Check out this video (below) that was provided by Rick Wasilko and posted originally on SoFAST.tv . It's the coupes at Lakeside in the 1950's. Amazing video, thanks Rick!
CLICK HERE to discuss Lakeside Speedway and add your own Lakeside Speedway memories in our forums.
Other credits: Mitch Guttormson, Rick Wasilko.
ADDENDUM:
Lest we forget . . .
Lakeside Speedway
A remembrance - by Tom Ellis
For twenty years we have watched what I often
called Lakeside Speedway the "Flagship" of Colorado racing, slowly fall
apart, and diminish like a sinking ship on the ocean. Lakeside Speedway
a place that is ebbing slowly into the past, like the "Dust Devils"
that swirl and dance around sprightly across the dirt surface of the
parking lot, that will flow with a quick disappearance into the future
and progress as quickly as they came.
Lakeside Speedway the place of white wash paint, a big Pepsi sign, gray
colored grandstand seating, the famous south stands where most of us
would look over the side and look for our favorite car or driver maybe
to yell message to a friend or member of a pit crew. You would see the
Powder Puff girl's selling programs, and hawkers pitching for their
popcorn and soda pop sales, and "Beer here!" At the concession stands
you get a Sigman’s "Top Dog" Hot Dog, there wasn't a better hot dog
anywhere, bar none. Don’t forget the gridlock going out of Lakeside's
main parking lot gate to Sheridan Boulevard when the races were over.
Lakeside Speedway where Shirley would play 45's from the top 40 or 50
to keep us entertained before the time trials and between the trophy
dashes, heats, a hooligan for the CARC stock cars, the semi's and
main's, rain and red lights; and the grandstand lights were turned off
during each racing event. And talk about rain, think drying the track
of during or after a rain storm, a couple of times they decided to call
it off because it 9:00 p.m., and "Rain Checks" where honored the next
Sunday, great for spectators, a bummer for the next Sunday's gate
receipts. In the 50's and 60's the ambulance service was provided by
Reed Ambulance, and once in a while by Haley Ambulance Service, they
didn't have vans or "Boxes" no they had the real McCoy - Cadillac's.
Of Lakeside's announcers, I recall Reed Walker the most. Reed called
the action for both the RMMRA and CARC, a very affable fellow who
before the races would walk through the pit area and get the latest
details from the drivers and owners, the CARC officials, then during
the race meet Reed would give us the latest scope about who, what, when
and where. When the RMMRA Midget's turned a four lap trophy dash in 48
seconds, over the loud speaker came Reed’s request, "Run it over again,
give us our money's worth."
Lakeside Speedway and it’s participants combined to make for the
"Greatest show on wheels" - A remembrance of yesterday, and a thought
for today . . .
Now Lakeside Speedway will go into history too, along with the thinning
ranks of our clubs and clan, whether it be the "Hot Dogs" or the
"Chrome-Shoes," and the “Also Ran’s” driver's, owner's, and the loyal
fan's; it causes us to say, "I'm glad I knew them. I‘m glad I was
there, I remember when . . . The stalwart gladiator's with their steeds
of steel, chrome, rubber and paint, put on a race card that was second
to none." This home away from home of competition, a fifth mile oval
with the north turn banked and the south turn flat, a track that to
some was as famed as the "Brick Yard" and maybe Daytona to others.
At Lakeside we watched big wins, and near misses too; there was the
short lived figure-eight racing with that infield "X" of dirt and you
would hear the bumpers "click" - Our favorite driver might crash and
that was it for the night, we would visit the pits and say, "You'll do
it the next time." We have seen the best, the track villain and the
also ran's, each one which provided some real entertainment and good
competition . . . When all is said and done, regardless of whatever we
thought, Lakeside and all who attended or participated are a part of
our past that we will remember.
For today, before all is gone . . .
It has been said that late at night if you are over by Lakeside
Speedway, you can hear the ghosts, the bark of the "Flathead," the zing
of the "Stove bolt 6," the deep throated rumble of the "Offy," the
snarl of the "V8-60," and faintly from the pit PA system hear “Sammy
meet Jingles over at the pit board,” or Reed Walker say, "Ladies and
gentlemen, here is the line up for the main," combined with the echoing
of the cheers and boo's and you remember who.
To some, Lakeside Speedway has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Others came back week after week, year after year. But which ever the
case is, it is always difficult to release each one's grasp on the
pulsating emotion that has been Lakeside Speedway.
The icy winter's will come and go, along with the other season's in the
year's to come, and the area of 44th and Sheridan Boulevard will be
forever changed. May memory of the cheering fans, the roar of the
engines, the driver's, owner's and their cars, under a lazy Colorado
sky bring us back for a moment to the memory of . . .
"To the Greatest show on wheels and the race track where they ran"
Lakeside Speedway
In Memory of
Ben Krasner
Who went from baseball to auto racing.
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and
endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a
success unexpected."
~ Henry David Thoreau ~
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