Los Angeles Motordrome
Racetrack and airfield (1910-1913)
About
The Los Angeles Motordrome was a circular 1-mile (1.6 km) wood board race track. It was located in Playa del Rey, California, and opened in 1910. In addition to automobile racing, it was used for motorcycle competition and aviation activities.
The Motordrome was a scaled-up version of a bicycling velodrome, and was built by Jack Prince, a pre-eminent constructor of velodromes at the time. It was the first of numerous board tracks built for auto racing in the 1910s and 1920s. As an early example of a race track purpose-built for competition, it marked the first use of then-innovative safety features that later became common to most tracks. The Motordrome was highly successful, attracting many competitors and large crowds of paying spectators, but it lasted just three years. A fire destroyed the track in January 1913.
Nearby
More to see within walking distance
Ballona Creek
Urbanized river in Los Angeles, California, United States
1.2 mi away
USC Information Sciences Institute
Research institute of the University of Southern California
0.9 mi away
Oxford Basin
Body of water in California, US
1.6 mi away
Ballona Lagoon
Tidal wetland in Southern California, US
1.2 mi away
Port Ballona, California
19th century planned harbor of Santa Monica Bay
1.1 mi away
Del Rey Lagoon Park
Municipal park in California, US
0.8 mi awayPlaces to eat nearby
Finding places to eat…
Traveler reviews
Tickets & tours
Tickets and tours for Los Angeles Motordrome
We may earn a commission from some of these links, at no extra cost to you. Learn more
Photos from Unsplash, Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA); facts from Wikipedia; maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, weather from Open-Meteo. Huginn’s tips are AI-written — check prices, hours and entry rules before you go.