CARRELL SPEEDWAY - Los Angeles CA
Carrell Speedway first opened its gates to Dirt track fans in 1940. It was a hot bed of Motorcycle and Car racing for 14 years when the lease on the property expired and the track was bulldozed to make way for a housing development. The speedway was a 1/2 mile dirt oval, and was located at 174th and Vermont in Gardena, CA; just north of its replacement Ascot Park, at 182nd and Vermont. Carrell Speedway was a first class facility and a half mile which Aggy copied for Ascot. The track was paved in 1948 and ran that way until its demise in 1954. In 1951 NASCAR held its first race west of the Mississippi at Carrell Speedway. The track hosted three Cup races in
1951. The first race saw 9,000 people show up to see the 200 lap race. Marshall Teague started second and jumped into the lead on the first lap; and led every circuit to claim the win. Johnny Mantz finish second; followed by George Seeger, Fred Steinbroner and Erick Erickson. In June, two months later, the Cup Series returned to the track. Lou Figaro would start on the pole; and lead every lap to claim his only career Cup win. Chuck Meekins was second and Lloyd Dane third. NASCAR returned for the third time in November. Fonty Flock won the pole and led the first 71 laps, but fell out and finished eleventh. Dick Meyer and Johnny Mantz swapped the lead over the next 110 laps; but with 19
laps to go Bill Norton would move to the top spot and hold it to claim the win. Meyer finished second with Erick Erickson third. The final Cup race was held in 1954. The distance was expanded to 500 laps; but due to a scoring error the race only ran for 496 laps. The race saw three leaders. Danny Letner started on the pole and led the first 105 laps. Lloyd Dane moved into the lead at that point and led for the next 180 laps. John Soares then took the point and led the final 211 laps to claim the win. Dane would finish second one lap down; and Letner was third. America's hero Phil Hill, U.S.A.'s first Formula One
Champion, cut his racing teeth here at Carrell and got himself the notoriety (driving his famous MG TC ) that propelled him to the pinnacle of Motor Racing. The Speedway right next to one of the worlds first Drive In Movie Theaters. (see photo)
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