On This Day

Friday 23rd June 1916

104 years ago

Italian-American Ralph DePalma set a flying-mile world record of 35.2 seconds in a Mercedes at Des Moines Speedway in Iowa, US. Des Moines Speedway was one of several wooden speedways to be constructed between 1910 and 1928. Other cities having board tracks included, but were not limited to, Cincinnati, Omaha, Uniontown, Altoona, Chicago, Kansas City, Beverly Hills, Miami and Sheepshead Bay. None survive today. Most were built by the Prince Speedway Company. The Des Moines Speedway was a mile in circumference. The straight aways were pitched ten degrees and the turns forty degrees. Speeds of over 100 miles per hour were assured by designers. The face of the speedway was built of 2x4's laid on edge. It was reported that 210 laborers were employed. In addition, more than three million feet of lumber and 45 tons of nails were required in construction of the great speedway at a cost of ninety-thousand dollars. The facility included a grandstand with seating capacity of ten thousand and an infield capacity of six thousand automobiles. The infield area, where the races could be watched while seated in automobiles, was reached by subway at the northeast turn of the track. The Des Moines Speedway only held two major events in its short history: a 300 mile race in 1915 and in 1916 a 150 mile race (a 50 mile open event was held the same day following the big race). While the 1915 event would be marred by tragedy, the 1916 events went off without any significant incidents. A smaller purse race was held on Decoration Day in 1916, primarily for Iowa drivers, and featuring Bill Barndollar and local champion Red Shafer. Unfortunately for the speedway, 1916 was the final year of racing. Many of the big name drivers were joining the war effort. In addition, attendance never again reached that of its glorious opening in 1915. In 1917, after a failed attempt by J. Alex Sloan to bring I.M.C.A. to the speedway, and the speedway company being named as defendant in a lawsuit, the track was dismantled and the wood was sold throughout central Iowa to satisfy creditors. It is rumored that many of the barns and other wooden buildings in the area built from 1917 to 1918 still stand with timber from the old board raceway.