Olen McGuire
06-06-2009, 01:45 PM
Legion Ascot Speedway (not to be confused with Ascot Park,Gardena,Ca.)
The 5/8 mile Ascot Speedway,near Los Angeles,California, was born on January 20,1924. It was a banked oval dirt track, but occasional applications of what they called "road oil" soon made the surface smooth and hard similar to a paved race track. The cars that raced at Ascot Speedway were cars made for racing in those days,but by 1936 they evolved to what we call today as "sprint cars".
From 1924 there had been several people running the race track, but in 1928 the Glendale American Legion Post started promoting and bringing in cars and drivers from the American Automobile Association (AAA).In those days the AAA conrolled all the major speedways including Indianapolis Speedway.A major speedway was born and it was called Legion Ascot Speedway.Under the promotion of the Legionnaires the crowds soon grew to over 10,000 making large purses and hot
competition.Races were held on Sundays and Wednesday nights under the lights.
The races not only brought in the biggest and best racing stars, but started creating their own stars,such as Bill Cummings, Al Gordon, Ernie Triplett, Kelly Petillo, Rex Mays and Wilbur Shaw.
Some feature races at Legion Ascot paid up to $800,in those days you could buy a house in Los Angeles for that much.Movie stars were attending the races to have their pictures taken with the racing heroes.
Due to the large purses and the speeds they obtained,there came notable and heavy spectacular crashes at the speedway. From 1924 until 1936 at least two dozen drivers lost their lives. Because of this the Glendale American Legion stopped promoting the races in early 1935. They were also losing crowds to the beginning of local midget racing in the area.
The track then became Ascot Motor Speedway and continued racing until tragedy struck a two man Indianapolis car. Al Gordon and his riding mechanic Spider Matlock were killed in a horrible crash.
This ended racing at Ascot and eight months later the grandstands at the abandoned speedway burned down.Ascot was gone forever.
The Multnomah Elementary School and a tract of houses now cover the once famous speedway.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=74&pictureid=505
Legion Ascot Speedway, which opened in 1924 in the hills east of Lincoln Heights,
was not only among the region’s most popular racetracks — it was also one of its most deadliest.
More than 20 people died on what became known as the “Killer Track.”
(Photo Los Angeles Times Library)
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=74&pictureid=506
Frenchman Pierce Bertrand’s car overturns during a 1936 contest at Ascot Motor Speedway.
Bertrand suffered only minor bruises from this crash at the “Killer Track.”
(Photo Bettmann/Corbis--Los Angeles Times Library)
The 5/8 mile Ascot Speedway,near Los Angeles,California, was born on January 20,1924. It was a banked oval dirt track, but occasional applications of what they called "road oil" soon made the surface smooth and hard similar to a paved race track. The cars that raced at Ascot Speedway were cars made for racing in those days,but by 1936 they evolved to what we call today as "sprint cars".
From 1924 there had been several people running the race track, but in 1928 the Glendale American Legion Post started promoting and bringing in cars and drivers from the American Automobile Association (AAA).In those days the AAA conrolled all the major speedways including Indianapolis Speedway.A major speedway was born and it was called Legion Ascot Speedway.Under the promotion of the Legionnaires the crowds soon grew to over 10,000 making large purses and hot
competition.Races were held on Sundays and Wednesday nights under the lights.
The races not only brought in the biggest and best racing stars, but started creating their own stars,such as Bill Cummings, Al Gordon, Ernie Triplett, Kelly Petillo, Rex Mays and Wilbur Shaw.
Some feature races at Legion Ascot paid up to $800,in those days you could buy a house in Los Angeles for that much.Movie stars were attending the races to have their pictures taken with the racing heroes.
Due to the large purses and the speeds they obtained,there came notable and heavy spectacular crashes at the speedway. From 1924 until 1936 at least two dozen drivers lost their lives. Because of this the Glendale American Legion stopped promoting the races in early 1935. They were also losing crowds to the beginning of local midget racing in the area.
The track then became Ascot Motor Speedway and continued racing until tragedy struck a two man Indianapolis car. Al Gordon and his riding mechanic Spider Matlock were killed in a horrible crash.
This ended racing at Ascot and eight months later the grandstands at the abandoned speedway burned down.Ascot was gone forever.
The Multnomah Elementary School and a tract of houses now cover the once famous speedway.
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=74&pictureid=505
Legion Ascot Speedway, which opened in 1924 in the hills east of Lincoln Heights,
was not only among the region’s most popular racetracks — it was also one of its most deadliest.
More than 20 people died on what became known as the “Killer Track.”
(Photo Los Angeles Times Library)
http://autoracingmemories.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=74&pictureid=506
Frenchman Pierce Bertrand’s car overturns during a 1936 contest at Ascot Motor Speedway.
Bertrand suffered only minor bruises from this crash at the “Killer Track.”
(Photo Bettmann/Corbis--Los Angeles Times Library)