CALIFORNIA (USA)
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1919 - BEVERLY HILLS SPEEDWAY
Beverly Hills Speedway was a board track speedway that was built and opened in 1919, The timber track was 1.25 miles in length and was banked at thirty five degrees.
At the time of its construction, the Beverly Hills area had very few residents, But its demise came about due to the rapid increase in land value, as the local population grew.
The track closed in 1925 and never re-opened.
(Editorial & Re-search: Steve Holmes)
1919 - Beverly Hills Speedway. Photographer: unknown.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1919 - "THE ROARING ROAD"
1919 - Pictured are the cast and crew of the silent movie "The Roaring Road" that was partly filmed at the speedway. Photographer: unknown.
1919 - Car racing on the big high banked timber board track. Photographer: unknown.
1919 - These dare devils would pack the stands with there death cheating antics. Photographer: unknown.
1919 - A Close finish in the car racing. Photographer: unknown.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1920 - BEVERLY HILLS SPEEDWAY
1920 - By 1920 motor racing was in full swing. Photographer: unknown.
1920 - Motor Cars were becoming very popular in America. Photographer: unknown.
1920 - By 1920 Motorcycle racing was introduced to board track. Photographer: unknown.
1920 - Beverly Hills Speedway from the air. Photographer: unknown.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1921 - BEVERLY HILLS SPEEDWAY
1921 - Motorcycle's lined up for a start. Photographer: unknown.
1921 - Many riders in fact would loose there lives on these board tracks. Photographer: unknown.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1922 - BEVERLY HILLS SPEEDWAY
1922 - The 7 car Durrant team. Photographer: unknown.
1922 - And the spectators and there cars had taken up all available space and some were forced onto the infield. Photographer: unknown.
*********************************************************************************************************************************
1925 - BEVERLY HILLS SPEEDWAY
1925 - Beverley Hills Speedway was ranked second, just behind Indianapolis Speedway. Photographer: unknown.
======================================================================================
Steve Holmes recalls: Despite the board tracks being dubbed the Murder Dromes, Beverly Hills Speedway was notable for having only three fatelities, one of these, famously, was Gaston Chevrolet who was killed in there 1920, having just won the Indianapolis 500.
By now Gaston and his brother Louis (founder of the Chevrolet company) and Arthur had established the Fontenac Motor Corparation, building,ironically, cylinder heads for the model T Ford.