OAKLAND SPEEDWAY - OAKLAND CA
This track was a 5/8 mile track, with racing events between 1946 and 1955 that featured Big Cars, Sprints, Midgets, Roadsters, and Hardtops. Bob Sweikert won a 50 lap feature in his Thompson Motors Special Roadster at that venue on October 17, 1948. In October 1949 he set the new one lap track record there at 20.78 seconds in a V8 Special. The NASCAR Cup Series raced here in 1951; and twice in 1957. West Coast regular racer Marvin Burke would make his lone Cup start in the 1951 race. Los Angeles driver, Dick Rathman won the pole and led the first 30 laps. Lou Figaro; from Ingelwood, CA took over the lead for 39 laps when Rathman fell out. Robert Caswell took the lead on lap 70; before Burke would take his first turn in the lead. John Soares would lead one lap before Burke retook the lead and led the final 129 laps as he
blistered the field to win by three laps. Caswell finished second, while Woody Brown, Sam Hawks and Dick Meyer made up the top five. So Burke was one-and-done in the Cup series, made one start; got one win. NASCAR returned in March of 1954; and it would see Dick Rathman take the win by over a lap. Marvin Panch was second, followed by John Soares, Clyde Palmer and Lloyd Dane. The Cup Series made their final start here in August of 1954. The race was increased to 300 laps; but a scoring error saw it checker flagged at 297 laps. Marvin Panch would start on the pole, and be competitive all day. Danny Letner only led 37 laps, but managed to out run Panch, as both finished on the lead lap. Allen Adkins finished third, Ben Gregory fourth and Lloyd Dane fifth. Not much else info can be found about the track and how it's demise came about.
All Photos copyright and are property of their respective owners