Board Track Racing from the early 20th Century

I have become a little obsessed with board or wood track racing from the 20’s. Now I’m not talking about slot car racing, I’m talking about real auto and motorcycle racing on oval tracks made from wood (yes, the track surface was wooden). So as I do research and learn about the history of these motorsport events and tracks, I’ll be posting my findings. Here is my first introduction to the motorsport of board track racing:

Board track racing

Board track racing was a type of racing where the track had a surface of wood boards. The genre was popular in the United States in the early 20th century.

History

The first board track opened at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1909, and numerous tracks up to two miles long had opened by 1912. Tracks popped up because of the ease to construct a track and the low cost of lumber. Cars and motorcycles were both raced on board tracks.

Deaths led to the end of board tracks

Very high speeds and a complete lack of safety precautions lead to spectacular wrecks on the board tracks in the 1910s, often killing a half-dozen competitors and spectators at a time. The 1913 motorcycle championship races were moved to a dirt track because dirt was safer. Board tracks slowly faded away by the early 1920s. Famous racers to die on board tracks included Gaston Chevrolet.

More to come!

Written by Father Bob