Running in circles for 35 years

Virginia Lopez

Professional Speedway Motorcycle Racing marked its 35th consecutive

year at the Costa Mesa Speedway this year.

Initially, the speedway site had been a championship rodeo ring

connected to the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Then, Harry and Marilynn Oxley came along. Harry Oxley had opened

a motorcycle shop in the early 1960s, but despite his passion for it,

it failed.

So Harry Oxley moved to Southern California and went to work for a

man named Jack Milne. A fortuitous move.

Milne had been a World Champion Speedway Racer in 1937, owned a

motorcycle shop and, to Harry Oxley’s benefit, had a great mind for

business and wanted to help him develop his ideas.

Harry Oxley decided to open his first Speedway track after

listening to Milne’s memories of speedway. The venture was made a bit

easier through Milne’s financial help.

In his search for the perfect location, Harry Oxley came upon the

Orange County Fairgrounds, where he found the bullring oval.

There were a few obstacles for him to overcome -- money, time,

egos and, of course, dirt.

The dirt at the bullring was not adequate for motorcycle racing.

He needed to find a special kind of dirt that could support the wear

and tear of tires and heavy racing machines. Dirt that could provide

speed, performance and safety.

The oval was at first graded out of the hard Southern California

adobe clay. Eventually, decomposed granite was mixed in to allow for

better racing conditions.

The Costa Mesa Speedway officially opened on June 13, 1968, with a crowd of 1,500.

The speedway continued to take off, and in the 1970s the crowds grew at times to more than 6,000 as speedway had found its niche.

Costa Mesa was a jumping off point for other venues and events,

including the first modern United States National Championship, held

at the speedway in 1969.

Nowadays, the track continues to operate, running races on

Saturday nights that bring in drivers from all over the country. In

October, the speedway held the 35th United States National Speedway

Championships won by 2003 points champion Scott Brant of Riverside.

Of course, the track hasn’t forgotten its beginnings. Rodeos are

still held at the site during the Orange County Fair.

* LOOKING BACK runs Sundays. Do you know of a person, place or

event that deserves a historical Look Back? Let us know. Contact us

by fax at (949) 646-4170; by e-mail at [email protected]; or by

mail at c/o Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627.