L.A.’s Auto Racing Heyday Began Early

Early in this century, Americans were mesmerized by the mere thought of anyone driving one of those newfangled automobiles at speeds of 60 mph, a mile a minute.

When Barney Oldfield drove his race car a mile in 55 seconds flat on a dirt track in 1903, sending up giant roostertails of dirt, thousands in attendance at a track where the Coliseum stands today went wild and mobbed Oldfield.

In the first decades of the century, Indianapolis wasn’t the auto racing capital of the world. Los Angeles was, especially after road racing became popular, first at Corona, then at tracks such as Ascot Park, on Slauson Avenue, south of Exposition Park.

Eighty-five years ago today, an estimated 20,000 spectators packed Ascot to watch speed kings Oldfield and Bob Burman duel in a 50-lap match race around Ascot’s dirt, one-mile track.

Burman trailed Oldfield for most of the 50 laps but his furious rally over the last two laps beat Oldfield by four seconds. According to The Times’ account of the event, it may have been that few saw the finish. The two cars created a sandstorm of dust and grit, greatly reducing visibility.

Burman’s time, 45 minutes 54 seconds, was called a world speed record for 50 miles.

Ascot was the first of many tracks named Ascot in the Southland. Originally built for horse racing, it was razed in 1919 to make way for a tire factory.

As the novelty of automobiles waned and they became utilitarian, so too did road racing begin to fade. The nationally prominent race at Corona, run around the city’s 2.79-mile circular Grand Boulevard, was run for the last time in 1916.

In that final Corona race, Burman was killed when he blew a tire, his car careening through the air, rolling over several times and coming to a stop 176 yards from the blowout.

Oldfield, credited by many with almost inventing the sport of auto racing, was 68 when he died in 1946 in Beverly Hills.

Also on this date: In 1994, former New York Yankee pitcher Allie Reynolds died at 79.