Motorsports has some iconic venues in the United States: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, The Milwaukee Mile, The Orange County Fairgrounds in Middletown, N.Y. are a few that come to mind.
Beyond purpose-built tracks, racing has, and continues to happen at some very historic sites.
Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, a U.S. National Historic Landmark (1987), was built in 1926 by the bustling seaside city with versatility to host many different events. The building is 196,000 square feet, with a barrel vault ceiling supported by trusses, with no supporting columns.
The facility has hosted the 1964 Democratic National Convention, to the 1964 Liberty Bowl and was the home of the Miss America Pageants from 1940 through 2006 and multiple times since.
The Beatles, Judy Garland, The Rolling Stones, Madonna (4 times), Bruce Springsteen, Brittany Spears (twice), Lady Gaga (3 times) and many others have held concerts at Boardwalk Hall. Boxing, hockey, (full field) football, arena football, basketball, hockey and WrestleMania have all taken place at the Hall.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum pre-dates Boardwalk hall by three years when construction was completed in 1923.
The Coliseum has hosted two Summer Olympic Games (1932 and 1984) and will become the first stadium to host a third in 2028. Football, both college and professional, has been continually hosted at the facility with the Raiders, Rams and Chargers all spending time with it as their “home field.” The UCLA Bruins called hit home for a period and it’s presently the home to the USC Trojans.
The 1960 Democratic National Convention was held at the Coliseum, Evil Knievel jumped 50 cars on his motorcycle for ABC’s Wide World of Sports there in 1973; it has hosted two Super Bowls, the 1959 World Series, and multiple concerts as well.
While each unique in design both also have an added one-of-a-kind touch. Boardwalk Hall houses the world’s largest musical instrument, a pipe organ of over 33,000 pipes capable of sound an ear-splitting six-times the volume of a train whistle. The Coliseum Cauldron (torch) was built for the 1932 Olympics and is lit during special events at the stadium or in period of mourning national tragedies or the passing of personalities related to the city.
Both are iconic buildings and have been a big part of the entertainment industry going on 100 years. But when it comes to oval track racing, the history is vastly different.
Auto racing in Boardwalk Hall dates back to 1938 when a series of Midget car races were held, and then held regularly until World War II shut down all motorsports. In 1965 racing returned to the Hall with Three Quarter Midget cars during the winter months. That series lasted until 1981 and again racing at Boardwalk Hall was on hiatus. In 2003 Len Sammons, of Area Auto Racing News re-introduced Three Quarter Midget to Boardwalk Hall, and the “Gamblers Classic” has grown into one of the most coveted trophies in TQ racing.
While Boardwalk Hall has a long history, not so much for the L.A. Coliseum. It did host the Mickey Thompson Off-Race events and some motorcycle races, but it wasn’t until last year that the roar of oval track racing was introduced to the famed facility. The 2022 Busch Light Clash kicked off the NASCAR Cup Series Season in grand fashion and this weekend the series returns for a second event at the historic venue.
It's neat to have the roar of racing echo through some of the nation’s most iconic places.
-Postman
Note: Last Weekend I announced Indoor Auto Racing at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, this weekend I am working the pits for MRN at the Busch Light Clash at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum; it got me thinking about the two iconic facilities.
Photos:
Boardwalk Hall – Indoor Auto Racing
Coliseum – Getty Images, Meg Olyphant
- Steve Post on Feb 04, 2023
- Article Date: 2/4/2023