NO, NOT A GONDOLA RACE. And not in Italy, but in Venice, California, March 17, 1915. What’s more, I learned about this Venice Grand Prix by leafing through the Winter 1995 issue of Pur Sang, a publication of the American Bugatti Club. Then, through the wonders of the Internet, I came upon the full story and a delightful video history of this race.
Pur Sang Correspondence. Bugattist Andy Rheault wrote to Pur Sang Editor Bob Seiffert, “It all had to do with a photo of Johnny Marquis racing a 5-liter Type Garros, Chassis 716 at Venice, California, in 1915…. This might have ended the matter, but my curiosity about the difference between Venice and Playa del Rey never disappeared.”
Hmm…. This whets my curiosity too. The tale of the Playa del Rey track has appeared here at SimanaitisSays in “Racing on the Boards.” “Playa del Rey, California, became the speed capital of the world, albeit for only three and a half years, 1910 to 1913. Like the British Brooklands, Playa del Rey hosted cars as well as aeroplanes—and some of the hardiest of race drivers.”
The Los Angeles Motordrome, 1910, in Playa del Rey, as depicted in a postcard of the era. Image from Southern California Architectural History.
I learned that “Playa del Rey had a 1.0-mile circular track with a pine racing surface, its traction enhanced by a coating of crushed sea shells. The 25-ft.-wide track was banked at a 1:3 ratio, about 18 degrees. By contrast, Indy’s corners are relatively flat at 9 degrees 12 minutes; the Brooklands Banking, around 17 degrees.”
My research also found that Playa del Rey’s history was short, “abruptly concluded because of a fire on August 11, 1913. Vagrants sleeping beneath the track were blamed, though Broadway raconteur/sports writer Damon Runyon had the best line: ‘Playa del Rey burned last night with a great saving of lives.’ ”
Back to Pur Sang: Andy Rheault shared information from Phil Harms, who searched microfilm copies of the Los Angeles Times. Harms wrote, “During the teens, a land boom was on in southern California. Promoters were doing anything to sell their plots, and auto racing became a popular method…. The Santa Monica road races—a couple were sanctioned as the Vanderbilt Cup races—were the most famous of the land-promoter races.” And, hence, a Venice, California, Grand Prix as well.
See “Hollywood Meets Motor Sports” for Vanderbilt Cup details here at SimanaitisSays.
This and other images from Harry Osmer’s most entertaining YouTube presentation.
Recycled Boards. The Venice Grand Prix was a counter-clockwise street course consisting of Electric Avenue, Venice Boulevard, Lincoln Boulevard (now Pacific Coast Highway), Rose Avenue, and Hampton Drive.
Phil Harms noted, “The turns were made of boards and were banked at a fairly high angle. The turns were obtained from the remains of the Playa del Rey board track which was nearby and either partially dismantled or burned.”
On to the Internet. Next I turned to the Internet for more details—and struck it rich. Tim Kennedy shared the “Venice Grand Prix Centennial” at Hotrod Hotline: Kennedy wrote, “The first and only Venice Grand Prix took place on March 17, 1915. Legendary race car driver Barney Oldfield, at age 37, won that 300.7-mile road race in a Maxwell. One hundred years later to the day (Tuesday, March 17) a group of 50+ racing aficionados and local historians gathered on St. Patrick’s Day to commemorate that event.”
Image from Hotrod Hotline.
The celebration took place at the Del Monte Speakeasy of Menotti’s Townhouse, half a block from Venice beach and Pacific Ocean. Todd von Hoffmann, of the Venice Historical Society, gave a presentation about the city and the century-old building in which the event was held. Racing historian/author Harry Osmer focused on the 1915 Venice Grand Prix.
In fact, Harry Osmer also put together a YouTube presentation, documented with entertaining insights and lots of era images. “We’re here to talk about the Venice Grand Prix Road Race. It took place on March 17, 1915…. It was St. Patrick’s Day. It happened to be on a Wednesday, 85º, a sparkling day in Southern California….”
Osmer noted that winner Oldfield always drove with an unlit cigar: its purpose, to prevent him from jarring his teeth loose. By the way, the Marquis Bugatti finished fourth.
Some 60,000 people were there in 1915 and a good time was evidently had by all. I surely enjoyed learning about the Venice Grand Prix as well. ds
© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2024