Corona, California: The city that doubled as a race course

The city of Corona, California, earned its “Circle City” nickname – and even its formal name – from its most unusual feature: The three-mile-diameter circular Grand Boulevard, laid out by Henry Clay Kellogg sometime before the city was incorporated in 1896. Conceived as a grounds for gentlemen to parade and exercise their horses, Grand Boulevard soon became a little more raucous – and a little more deadly.

To celebrate the 53rd anniversary of California’s admission to the union, the city organized an international road race to take place on Grand Boulevard. No small effort, the race attracted Ralph DePalma and Barney Oldfield – both driving factory Mercers – and offered a $3,000 prize for the medium car class, with engines up to 450 cubic inches and a 250-mile race length. Earl Cooper, driving a Stutz, took that prize and appeared to have won the unlimited free-for-all that ran an additional 50 miles, averaging more than 74 miles per hour. Oldfield crashed out, killing his riding mechanic.

A second race in November 1914 drew even more big racing names and an even larger crowd to witness faster speeds – at up to 87 miles per hour. The race course was soon dubbed the Indianapolis of the West. Oddly, no race was run in 1915. Speed Age magazine, in a 1948 article on the Corona road races, claimed it was because of numerous other races surrounding the World’s Fair, in San Francisco that year.

The race, however, did return in 1916, and while vying for first place, Bob Burman, driving a Peugeot, went into the crowd when a wheel collapsed. Burman, his mechanic and a track guard died while dozens of spectators were injured.

The race finished, and then was finished. The accident, along with World War I and pre-existing local opposition to the race, prevented it from returning to the city. Yet the tragedy did persuade Oldfield and Harry Miller to develop the Golden Submarine – an enclosed race car that incorporated a rollcage.

Unlike other race courses, Corona’s didn’t disappear into the weeds or developments. In fact, you can drive Grand Boulevard today and see its distinctive shape on Google Maps (Bing Maps version here).

Thanks to Geoff Hacker for the 1946 Speed Age article that inspired this post!

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