by Paul R. Spitzzeri
A century ago today, the New Ascot Motor Speedway opened in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles, just beyond Lincoln Heights (formerly East Los Angeles). Previous posts here have shared photos of the venue, which was primarily the brainchild of the colorful George R. Bentel, who was a major figure in an earlier Ascot situated in South Los Angeles.
As one of the earlier posts noted, Bentel, very soon after the opening, got involved in a scheme with theatrical figure Oliver Morosco involving a fantastical real estate and studio project named for the impresario and ended up in federal prison later in the Roaring Twenties for his misdeeds. He spent much of his later years as a writer’s agent, including for the widow of the famed author Jack London.
The track continued operation under other leadership, though there were ongoing problems with the track’s design, made by Paul J.C. Derkum, with respect to very steep and tight turns that too often led to the injury and death of racers. These began very shortly after the January 1924 opening and continued until just prior to the track’s closure a dozen years later.
With respect to the area, it was formed in 1905 as Bairdstown, a subdivision involving the work of the brothers Arthur, George and Llewellyn. The trio were raised by a single mother for much of their early lives in Missouri and Wisconsin before coming to Los Angeles during the 1890s. For several years, Baird Brothers operated as a wholesale produce commission house in the industrial core of the Angel City, but, in 1902, Arthur went into the real estate business.
This was hardly a surprise, as Los Angeles and its environs was in the midst of one of its many growth and development booms as the 20th century dawned. A.A. Baird and Company moved quickly in the business in such fast-growing areas as South Los Angeles, the Westlake (MacArthur) Park area, towards Hollywood and in downtown. With the acquisition, however, of a substantial amount of land northeast of city limits, which then ended at East Los Angeles (Lincoln Heights) came the namesake community.
Bairdstown existed for about a decade before another important phenomenon of the period, the aggressive and extensive annexation of the Angel City in outlying sections in all directions which led to Los Angeles become a massive, sprawling metropolis, led to the inclusion of some 2,000 acres in what was known as the Bairdstown Addition. Obviously, being absorbed into the burgeoning city meant access to better infrastructure with respect to streets, schools, utilities and others. Arthur (who lived in San Gabriel in the Twenties and Thirties) and George Baird later became well-known in Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach through their real estate and development projects there.
The name, however, was obviously seen as something of a problem, as a movement was quickly afoot to change the moniker to something more appealing to those who might invest in the section. So, as reported in the 21 August 1917 edition of the Los Angeles Times, the Bairdstown Improvement Association achieved success in securing a new designation, though it waited for approval of an application to the United States Postal Service for the local post office, of El Sereno. The paper observed that “to the people residing in that community this name seems to be more in harmony [if not serenity] with Southern California traditions,” by having a Spanish name, if for no other reason.
Of course, there is nothing less serene than a speedway with screaming motorcycles and roaring race cars, but, with Bentel and his associates making all kinds of promises beyond the race course in terms of a theme park and other planned amenities—none of which came to pass. There was, however, no small amount of excitement in racing circles when the venue quickly came to fruition during the later part of 1923 and early into the next year.
The featured object from the Museum’s holdings for this post in the “Games People Play” series on regional sports history prior to 1930 is the official program for the opening race meet. The cover includes a compelling image of race cars in tight competition while Red Crown gasoline and Zerolene motor oil, the products of the pervasively powerful Standard Oil Company (California), which, incidentally, produced crude from the Temple family’s lease in Montebello, not too far away from El Sereno, prominently featured.
A title page showed the names of the officers of the Ascot Speedway Association, including President Bentel, Secretary-Treasurer Edgar K. Brown, and William H. Pickens, who had the notable title of “Director Contests and Exploitation”—that term would take on a certain resonance given the almost immediate problems that enshrouded the enterprise in succeeding months. Also listed were the referee, starter, course clerk, four judges, technical committee of two men, the pair of surgeons and the Ivy Overholtzer ambulance service (whose services became far more utilized than anyone likely would’ve assumed.)
Western Auto Supply Company, which grew into a substantial chain of fifteen stores in the Angel City and 75 more throughout the western states as the automobile became so integral to the car-centric region and which had a full page ad opposite the title page, supplied the timing and scoring devices utilized. The firm promoted the Rajo Racing Head for race cars and the name “Rajo” was prominent displayed on a billboard on a hill adjacent to and overlooking the venue.
It was also noted here that car races were “under the rules and with the sanction of the International Motor Contest Assn.” while those involving motorcycles were sanctioned with the regulations of the Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association. The names of a state representative and referee from these groups were also provided. As the prior post noted, Bentel got into conflict with the American Automobile Association, which oversaw some of the most prominent racing events in the nation.
The AAA labeled racers entered into Ascot contests as “outlaws” while Bentel moved quickly and aggressively to lure such well-known names as long-time associate Ralph De Palma, Leon Duray and Tommy Milton to his new track. There were also issues with how quickly Ascot was being built and the time for the AAA to inspect the track, while it also expressed concerns about competition with the Los Angeles Speedway, then in Beverly Hills and soon to move to Culver City.
One of the ads, under Bentel’s name, expressed appreciation from the association to Bent Brothers, a well-known contracting firm, and its superintendent Lee Grider, for overseeing the grading and construction of the track; contractor Harry Chaney and foreman Lon Applegate for general supervision and building, and Derkum for his design work. It was added that “New Ascot was completed within one month after the first shovel of dirt was lifted,” a remarkably accelerated timeframe for virtually any substantial project and, again, one of apparent concern by the AAA.
As for Ohio-native Derkum, he was an early motorcycle racer at the dawn of the 20th century simply known as “Daredevil” as he established world records in races at Agricultural Park, the horse-racing facility that is now Exposition Park across from the University of Southern California. Derkum, a graduate of St. Vincent’s College and its high school program, also worked for the Southern Pacific railroad company and, following his racing career, he was manager of the fairgrounds in Kern County, being a Bakersfield resident for much of his life. Later, he was a member of the county’s Democratic Party committee and once ran for a seat in the House of Representatives.
Another page promoted upcoming events, including auto and cycle racing each Sunday afternoon with a total of a quarter million dollars in purses expected to be distributed during he season. An “International Stampede and Historical Review of Early Western Days” was slated for May, including “World’s Greatest Trick, Fancy and Congress Rough Riders” and $100,000 in anticipated prizes for that rodeo.
The aforementioned theme park, dubbed the Ascot Amusement Park, and under the direction of Sam C. Haller, a veteran of such facilities, was to open on Decoration (Memorial) Day, with the promise of “the latest, most thrilling, safest rides” along with a playground, “picnic grove” and “all big outdoor feature attractions.” In August, there was to be an “Ascot County Fair” with horse races, “lots of pumpkins,” and “all the good old features and plenty of new ones” associated with fairs.
Finally, there was to be a Thanksgiving Day Sweepstakes on the holiday, 24 November, touted as a “Revival of the Original Ascot Thanksgiving Day Sweepstakes” at the old venue. Those holding the program in their hands were exhorted to “watch for the entrees of ALL noted drivers in America and many for Europe” as they were to compete in $30,000 in prices and $200 each mile.
While the race was held a few days late, on a 250-mile course that included the track, but also graded areas of adjoining land, including a bridge on a loop, extending northward nearly to Huntington Drive and east to Eastern Avenue as well as close to the southerly limits of the tract along Alhambra Road, soon renamed Valley Boulevard, there was immediate controversy over the lack of payouts of prizes that grew (theoretically) to $52,000.
Moreover, only 160 miles of the race were actually completed, so Bentel, already under a federal indictment in August for the Moroscotown fiasco, and Pickens, along with Bentel’s son-in-law, Joseph E. Brown, got into legal trouble with the county on a false advertising charge. That led to a $500 fine and a two-year suspended sentence (meaning that, as long as the trio stayed out of local legal trouble, they didn’t have to report to the county lockup). A civil suit over the prize money was also filed.
There were 44 cars and drivers in the List of Entries for the trio of auto races, including De Palma in the first; Fred Horey in all three; Jimmy Craft (who died at Ascot just a couple of weeks later); Al Melcher (who raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 1927); National Sprint Car Hall of Fame member Babe Stapp, who was in the Indy a dozen time; Austrian Eddie Meyer Jr., who later owned a business repairing exotic cars; Arthur “Fuzzy” Davidson, who died in 1925 from alcoholism; Jesse J. “Snapper” Garrison of Santa Ana, who was killed in a Honolulu race later in 1924; Floyd Roberts, Indy 500 winner in 1938 but who died in a crash at the next year’s race; and Joe Grijalva, who, with his brother, Leo, was among the very few drivers of color in those years.
The eight events included fastest lap time trials, a “Speed ‘Em Up” cycle race, a one-lap dash, and derbies, handicaps and sweepstakes named for Ascot, Alhambra, Lincoln Park and Los Angeles. As the prior post noted, Fred Horey was a two-time winner on opening day, in a one-lap race and the Lincoln Park Stakes involving fifteen laps, while motorcycle racer Gene Walker took the one-lap dash and the ten-lap Alhambra Derby, though he was killed in Pennsylvania later in the year during a practice run. De Palma set a one-lap dirt track record during his event, which was said to include 30,000 paying customers and 5,000 folks crowding the surrounding hills.
As for the many advertisements in the publication, they included full-page ones from Hammond Lumber Company, which provided all of the wood for Ascot; the City Subdivision Company, which developed the industrial and residential tract of City Terrace directly south of the speedway; Bent Brothers; Los Angeles Lithograph Company, which printed the program; the National Automotive School, located on Figueroa Street near Exposition Park; and Union Oil Company of California’s Union Gasoline.
Smaller ads were from the well-known photographer Miles F. Weaver; confection and peanut wholesale supplier Gus Picoulas and Company; the used car dealer Henry B. Ayers Company; Downie Brothers, specializing in camping equipment, tents and tarpaulins; the Hauser meat company; Arrowhead Springs Company, makers of ginger ale and other beverages; Shell gasoline; and The Bowerbank Radiator Company.
The Ascot association also promoted a 10-cent fixed price on all items sold at the event, except for “City prices” for tobacco products and 15 cents for “near beer” and promoted space in programs or on site signage through its advertising department in a location on 10th Street (soon renamed Olympic Boulevard) and Grand downtown. It also pushed is “nine nerve-tingling” races the following Sunday and offered the hope that “you will become a steady Ascot Speed Fan,” while asking anyone with complaints to take them up directly with Bentel.
There would, of course, be a very limited timeframe, but plenty of opportunity, for complaints about the promoter and his Ascot venture given the nearly immediate financial and legal problems that ensued with the enterprise and his Morosco disaster. While no one attending the opening day races could have known what was to come, this program is a notable and interesting artifact concerning the venue and the local world of auto and motorcycle racing during what were literally the Roaring Twenties.