ASCOT PARK - GARDENA CA
Ascot Park, first named Los Angeles Speedway, and later New Ascot Stadium, was a dirt racetrack located near Gardena, California. Los Angeles Speedway opened in 1957, on the site of a former city dump. It was built less than 1 mile from the former site of Carrell Speedway, which had been closed in late 1954 to make way for the Artesia Freeway. The track assumed the name it held until its closure, Ascot Park in 1961. J.C. Agajanian promoted major races at the venue, and later leased the track from 1976 until his death in 1984, when his family continued operating the venue. With seating for only 7,500, Ascot Park was smaller than the other tracks of the area. However, the park was equally well-known, due to its being surrounded by freeways for easy access, its regularly scheduled races, and its heavy radio advertising.
Agajanian's radio advertisements ended with the phrase "Come to Ascot, where the 110, the 405 and the 91 freeways collide!". The dirt racetrack hosted races in the United States Auto Club (USAC) sprint car championship, the AMA Grand National Championship motorcycle series. Though he began doing stunt jumps in 1966 at small venues such as fairs and carnivals, Evel Knievel (Robert Craig Knievel) gained international attention with his first televised jump on ABC’s Wide World of Sports at Ascot Park Raceway on March 25, 1967. The venue opened in 1957. The main track was a 1/2 mile dirt banked oval. The infield track was a quarter mile dirt banked oval with provision for figure eight racing. Ascot Park Speedway hosted some of the biggest races and racing names from NASCAR, Indy Car and Dirt racing in over 5000 events.
Three NASCAR Cup races were held there from 1957-1961. The first race was in June of 1957 and records are sparse. What is known however that the race was 150 laps and was shorted to that distance due to extreme dust. Eddie Pagan started first and went on to win the race. The rest of the top five were Lloyd Dane, Chuck Meekins, George Seeger, and Eddie Gray. The second race was scheduled for 500 laps, but was shortened to 487 laps due to rain. Jim Reed started on the pole but blew a motor after only 134 laps and finished 29th. When the rains came; Parnelli Jones was leading and collected one of his four career Cup wins. Lloyd Dane finished second. Two laps back was Marvin Porter in third; followed by Bob Ross five laps back; and Bob Keefe was fifth 28 laps behind the winner. The final Cup event came in 1961. Danny Weinburg started on the pole with Eddie Gray outside. This race was only scheduled for 200 laps, and ran it's entire distance. Gray would go on to win by more than a lap over Don Noel. Weinburg finished third, Jim Blomgren fourth and Ron Hornaday Sr fifth. Hornaday is the father of NASCAR Truck Series Champ Ron Hornaday Jr. ESPN was hosting live races of Thursday Night Thunder sprint car racing from 1988 to the track's closing in November of 1990.
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