Fast Digs Update: The Southern Pacific Track at Santa Monica
During bicycle racings' first string of 'heyday' years the building of tracks proliferated across Southern California. Riverside's first track, a quarter mile oval, which predated the well-known third-mile track at Wheeler's Park in the Fremont Height's area of that city was the first of many bike racing tracks built to accommodate the booming sport. Cities as diverse in size as Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Pomona, even Claremont, all had tracks. A little further south, Coronado had the best known track, and one that was frequently used by top racing teams and individuals for World Record attempts. Held in much the same high regard as the Coronado track was the Southern Pacific track at Santa Monica.
While the track was sometimes referred to as the track at Santa Monica (or some version of that wording), it was more often known as the Southern Pacific track. I am not sure yet what the basis of the relationship was, whether the track was built on land owned by the Southern Pacific, built by the company, or something else entirely, the railroad giant was clearly involved - a description of a race meet to be held at the track on Washington's Birthday in 1896 notes that "the prizes will be of the usual substantial order given by the Southern Pacific company..." This perhaps suggests, if nothing else, that they were helping to promote races at the track. The track was a third of a mile dirt meaning, of course, that it took three laps to make a mile.
When we see the word "dirt" today, we may think of a substandard surfacing, but great care and preparation went into making a fast racing surface in the late 1800s. Take, for instance, the following description of track preparations ahead of world record attempts in early 1896: "The new surface that the Southern Pacific Company is putting on the track at Santa Monica promises to be a great speed producer. The natural cement of the roads around Monrovia has been drawn on, and a matting of this material, well sifted, is now being laid down. When freshly watered and rolled it has the appearance of smooth mortar and is remarkably cohesive in quality. A full section gang is hard at work putting on the twenty-four carloads of material necessary to surface the track."
In 1896 the Citrus Wheelmen, a Santa Monica based club, capitalizing on the popularity of the annual Los Angeles to Santa Monica Road Race, organized a first big meet at the track following the road event. Expecting that some of the road racers were also likely to race at the track later, it was emphasized that the "competitors in the road race will have plenty of time to rest and refresh before the first event" [at the track]. The program of races that day would include an amateur one mile open race, a one mile handicap, a five mile handicap, and coasting races. For the professionals there was to be a one mile open, and three mile handicap. Professionals expected to race included W. A. Taylor, G. Schmidt, C. Miller and, recently returned from the national racing circuit, W. W. Hatton, and Herb McCrea. Many of the regions' top amateurs were also to compete including, F. G. Lacey, Phil Kitchen, Emil Ulbricht, A. D. Tompkins, and Howard Squires.
The follow-up to the race gave both it, and the efforts of the Citrus Wheelmen, high marks: "A well managed and speedily dispatched program with all the events fully and closely contested. It is hoped that the meet will prove as successful from a financial as it certainly was from a sporting point of view."
There were enough entrants for the amateur one mile open that two qualifying heats were first run - F. G. Lacey won the first with W. J. Bennett and J. H. Spence second and third. In the second heat H. W. Squires, recovered from falling in the road race, won and was followed by W. E. Delay and Emil Ulbricht. When it came time for the final Phil Kitchen and Carl E. McStay were allowed to race based upon the amount of effort they put into pacing the first heat. McStay led across the line at the first lap, and on the second it was Delay. Half way around the final lap it was Lacey coming on with a rush down the straight to win ahead of Squires, with Kitchen third.
Seven riders entered the professional one mile open - "Fatty" Hewitt in his pro debut, William Aldridge, William W. Hatton, W. A. Taylor, C. H. Miller, G. Schmidt, and H. E. McCrea. The first two laps were a back and forth game between McCrea, Aldridge and Miller. Half way around the final lap Hatton came up with "a tremendously strong rush, and the rest of the race had the fiercest sort of struggle." Neck and neck they came until McCrea nudged ahead to finish a few feet ahead of Hatton and Taylor.
There was apparently some disagreement over the leads given for the three mile professional handicap race, causing several riders to quit part way through the race. With 350 yards Aldridge had the greatest advantage ahead of McCrea at scratch. It did not take long for McCrea to catch Hatton at 50 yards and Schmidt at 75 yards, the three then working together. After two miles Aldridge still maintained an advantage, though his lead over Taylor which had started as 250 yards had shrunk to 20. Aldridge was, ultimately, unable to maintain the pace which left Taylor and Charles Miller, both of whom started with the same handicap, to battle out the finish. Miller had enough in the legs for a wheel's length win, Taylor second, and Aldridge third.
In the amateur one mile handicap five racers came down the finish straight in a "parallel line." F. A. Bell took first ahead of H. B. Cromwell and Emil Ulbricht. Ulbricht was one of two riders to start the race at scratch, with Bell and Cromwell (along with Phil Kitchen) given a twenty yard advantage. Seventeen riders were entered in this race.
The day concluded with the amateur five-mile handicap with thirteen riders entered. "At the fourth mile only six men were riding, Ruess again in front, Cromwell waiting on him. Harmon then again flashed in front for a few seconds, but Cromwell, Bell, Ruess and Ulbrecht came up like a cyclone behind which he subsided. A neck-and-neck struggle resulted in Cromwell winning, Bell second, Ruess third."
It might also be noted that in between these races twelve year old Robert Woods attempted to set new records in the half-mile paced, and the third-mile non-paced. His times were 1:08 4/5 and 1:27 respectively, though there is no indication whether these were record marks.
As a part of the Fast Digs series, you can expect periodic updates to the Southern Pacific track story. Unlike some of the other Los Angeles area tracks, the one in Santa Monica seems to have had a longer and more illustrious life, and thus there is much more material to sort through.
While the track was sometimes referred to as the track at Santa Monica (or some version of that wording), it was more often known as the Southern Pacific track. I am not sure yet what the basis of the relationship was, whether the track was built on land owned by the Southern Pacific, built by the company, or something else entirely, the railroad giant was clearly involved - a description of a race meet to be held at the track on Washington's Birthday in 1896 notes that "the prizes will be of the usual substantial order given by the Southern Pacific company..." This perhaps suggests, if nothing else, that they were helping to promote races at the track. The track was a third of a mile dirt meaning, of course, that it took three laps to make a mile.
When we see the word "dirt" today, we may think of a substandard surfacing, but great care and preparation went into making a fast racing surface in the late 1800s. Take, for instance, the following description of track preparations ahead of world record attempts in early 1896: "The new surface that the Southern Pacific Company is putting on the track at Santa Monica promises to be a great speed producer. The natural cement of the roads around Monrovia has been drawn on, and a matting of this material, well sifted, is now being laid down. When freshly watered and rolled it has the appearance of smooth mortar and is remarkably cohesive in quality. A full section gang is hard at work putting on the twenty-four carloads of material necessary to surface the track."
In 1896 the Citrus Wheelmen, a Santa Monica based club, capitalizing on the popularity of the annual Los Angeles to Santa Monica Road Race, organized a first big meet at the track following the road event. Expecting that some of the road racers were also likely to race at the track later, it was emphasized that the "competitors in the road race will have plenty of time to rest and refresh before the first event" [at the track]. The program of races that day would include an amateur one mile open race, a one mile handicap, a five mile handicap, and coasting races. For the professionals there was to be a one mile open, and three mile handicap. Professionals expected to race included W. A. Taylor, G. Schmidt, C. Miller and, recently returned from the national racing circuit, W. W. Hatton, and Herb McCrea. Many of the regions' top amateurs were also to compete including, F. G. Lacey, Phil Kitchen, Emil Ulbricht, A. D. Tompkins, and Howard Squires.
The follow-up to the race gave both it, and the efforts of the Citrus Wheelmen, high marks: "A well managed and speedily dispatched program with all the events fully and closely contested. It is hoped that the meet will prove as successful from a financial as it certainly was from a sporting point of view."
There were enough entrants for the amateur one mile open that two qualifying heats were first run - F. G. Lacey won the first with W. J. Bennett and J. H. Spence second and third. In the second heat H. W. Squires, recovered from falling in the road race, won and was followed by W. E. Delay and Emil Ulbricht. When it came time for the final Phil Kitchen and Carl E. McStay were allowed to race based upon the amount of effort they put into pacing the first heat. McStay led across the line at the first lap, and on the second it was Delay. Half way around the final lap it was Lacey coming on with a rush down the straight to win ahead of Squires, with Kitchen third.
W. E. Delay of the Los Angeles Roamers club
Seven riders entered the professional one mile open - "Fatty" Hewitt in his pro debut, William Aldridge, William W. Hatton, W. A. Taylor, C. H. Miller, G. Schmidt, and H. E. McCrea. The first two laps were a back and forth game between McCrea, Aldridge and Miller. Half way around the final lap Hatton came up with "a tremendously strong rush, and the rest of the race had the fiercest sort of struggle." Neck and neck they came until McCrea nudged ahead to finish a few feet ahead of Hatton and Taylor.
There was apparently some disagreement over the leads given for the three mile professional handicap race, causing several riders to quit part way through the race. With 350 yards Aldridge had the greatest advantage ahead of McCrea at scratch. It did not take long for McCrea to catch Hatton at 50 yards and Schmidt at 75 yards, the three then working together. After two miles Aldridge still maintained an advantage, though his lead over Taylor which had started as 250 yards had shrunk to 20. Aldridge was, ultimately, unable to maintain the pace which left Taylor and Charles Miller, both of whom started with the same handicap, to battle out the finish. Miller had enough in the legs for a wheel's length win, Taylor second, and Aldridge third.
In the amateur one mile handicap five racers came down the finish straight in a "parallel line." F. A. Bell took first ahead of H. B. Cromwell and Emil Ulbricht. Ulbricht was one of two riders to start the race at scratch, with Bell and Cromwell (along with Phil Kitchen) given a twenty yard advantage. Seventeen riders were entered in this race.
The day concluded with the amateur five-mile handicap with thirteen riders entered. "At the fourth mile only six men were riding, Ruess again in front, Cromwell waiting on him. Harmon then again flashed in front for a few seconds, but Cromwell, Bell, Ruess and Ulbrecht came up like a cyclone behind which he subsided. A neck-and-neck struggle resulted in Cromwell winning, Bell second, Ruess third."
It might also be noted that in between these races twelve year old Robert Woods attempted to set new records in the half-mile paced, and the third-mile non-paced. His times were 1:08 4/5 and 1:27 respectively, though there is no indication whether these were record marks.
As a part of the Fast Digs series, you can expect periodic updates to the Southern Pacific track story. Unlike some of the other Los Angeles area tracks, the one in Santa Monica seems to have had a longer and more illustrious life, and thus there is much more material to sort through.
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