Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Oakland Stadium Speedway... Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Where, exactly, in Oakland was it located, and when was it removed? I was born in Oakland in 1955. I don't remember an outdoor track, but I do remember watching midget racers inside the Oakland Auditorium, near Lake Merritt. I also remember watching boat races on the estuary, across from the Oakland Airport's north field. Doolittle drive would often flood at high tide.
I believe that it was off E 14th near the San Leandro border. It may have been the property where GM built it's plant. I believe that building still stands. I dredged this up from a dark, fuzzy, memory so ............?
This was super cool to see. I was imagining my grandpa or one of my great-uncles being the camera man, since there used to be lots of film reels (so the story goes) of cars, and family, and life that got stolen from their house in Oakland back in time. Grandpa used to race "hardtops" back in the '50's - that's him and Grammy over in the avatar pic.
Wow, that must go way back. My uncle started his career with GM at the Oakland plant. Most of it was torn down, with a single building remaining, behind Daily Chevrolet, right on the border of San Leandro and Oakland. Durant & E. 14th ? Someplace I read there was an air strip/field along E. 14th, farther north, possibly between 85th and 98th, possibly before North Field. My grandparents lived a few doors away from E. 14th, on 85th Ave, but no air field then. My father, aunt, and uncles went to Castlemont High. All moved out of Oakland by the early 70s, but my youngest brother bought a house above McArthur, overlooking Castlemont and the bay, but he moved to San Lorenzo about 10 years ago. Good memories through a child's eyes.
Thanx for the share of this happening film, what a blast, and such great cars. Always a treat to have a little trip like this and never leave the farm.
Fat Ass, could it have been where the Stadium and Oakland Drive-in Theaters were? I don't know which came first, the drive-ins or Bayfair. The "Strip" was jumping on Friday and Saturday nights. On the day I received my driver's license, I got a ticket for making an illegal u-turn on the strip. At that time, it was illegal to make a u-turn if it wasn't posted; it's just the opposite, now. It was a way to discourage cruisin'. About 3 years later, I was home on leave from Ft. Ord. I had just bought a new 1974 Kawasaki 900, which, at the time, was the fastest production motorcycle. A guy and his girlfriend in a yellow, C3 Corvette pulled up next to me. You know what happened when the light turned green. It was no contest, but I was the one pulled over by Alameda County deputies. The officers were young and impressed by my bike. Once I removed my helmet, revealing my GI haircut, they let me off. I was prepared to offer to let them ride my bike to get out of the ticket. I did ask them what they would have done if I hadn't stopped. They said they would have let me go, knowing they couldn't catch me. I thanked them and said I was going straight home to go to bed, which I did. Although Bayfair still exists, the drive-ins, Prings Coffee Shop, and the rest are pretty much gone. I don't think it has improved over the years.
So the prewar (1931- 1941) Oakland track "Oakland Speedway" was indeed in San Leandro where the BayFair Mall stands today. The Post-War track "Oakland 'Stadium' Speedway" (1946-1955) was located in Oakland.
Amelia Earhart began her ill-fated, around-the-world flight from Oakland's North Field. Doolittle Drive, of course, is named after Jimmy Doolittle, who led the bombing raid over Tokyo. He resided in nearby Alameda for a time. There's a lot of history in the area.
55blacktie, We probably cruised the strip, east 14th street, at the same time. I started cruising it in 1968 in the back seat of my Dads 65 GTO, and his 40 chevy coupe. When I got my license in 74 I started cruising it in my own cars. My buddy had a big block 55 chevy that was yellow with green flames. We'd take that out and street race a lot. I cruised east 14th until it was gone, Then we went to Walnut Creek, Fremont, or wherever we could cruise. Those were the days. I looked the area over just a few days ago on google earth. It defiantly hasn't improved. Great memories.
FA, where did you go to high school? How did you end up in MO, military? I lived in Alameda County until moving to the Central Valley in 1992, because I couldn't afford a desirable home in a safe community on just one income. Being retired, I don't have to commute over the Altamont any more, but I don't think I'll ever get used to the valley heat. Oakland, south to Hayward, and east to Castro Valley, has the best climate in the country, but that's the only thing going for it. Million-dollar 1300 sq. ft. homes in Union City, and people don't even maintain their yards. Traffic is horrendous, just too many people. Homeless people everywhere. I don't call that progress.
The Jalopy Journal
