Collection: Huntington Beach Speedway

In 1946, Tom Talbert purchased about 60 acres near Beach and Atlanta - and was soon convinced that a race track would be a good local business. It was designed to be the "finest midget car racetrack on the West Coast." The fifth of a mile oval track, patterned after Gilmore Stadium in Hollywood, opened in late 1946. It was designed to be the "finest midget car racetrack on the West Coast." Huntington Beach Speedway, as the stadium was originally called, drew 3,500 fans to its opening. The venue had its largest crowd on July 3, 1947, when 14,000 attended. Over the years, motorcycles raced here; Model T Fords even played auto polo here  (jalopy races also became popular). Dwindling crowds, however (in part due to TV) forced Talbert to close the speedway in May of 1958. Over the years it was also called Beach Speedway, Talbert Stadium, Huntington Beach Stadium and American Legion Stadium.