The Ultimate Guide to Discovering America’s Lost Board Track Racing Circuits of the 1920s

It’s 2026, and the roar of a 1920s board track can still be heard if you know where to listen. Those wooden ovals vanished long ago, but the stories they left behind are waiting for a curious traveler with a map and a love of vintage speed. Below is my step‑by‑step plan for anyone who wants to walk the ghostly lanes, snap a photo of a forgotten grandstand, or simply feel the pulse of a sport that once lit up America’s skylines.

Why the Hunt Matters

Board track racing was the wild, reckless heart of early motorsport. The wooden surfaces let riders and drivers reach speeds that made even the most daring pilots gasp. Yet by the early 1930s most of the tracks were torn down, burned, or simply reclaimed by the forest. Finding them now is more than a hobby; it’s a way to preserve a slice of cultural history that shaped modern racing, motorcycle design, and even the way we think about speed.

1. Start With the Old Newspapers

The Power of the Press

Back in the Roaring Twenties, every new board track was front‑page news. Local papers ran ads, race results, and sometimes even the blueprints of the wooden curves. Most of those archives are now digitized and searchable for free on sites like Chronicling America or the Library of Congress.

How to use them:

• Search for “board track” plus the name of a city or state.
• Narrow the date range to 1919‑1932.
• Look for headlines that mention “grandstand”, “opening day”, or “race meet”.

When I typed “board track Indianapolis” I uncovered a tiny notice about a 1‑mile oval built on the outskirts of town in 1922. The article listed the exact address: 4500 West Oak Street. That address turned out to be a modern warehouse, but the lot still held a faint outline of the track’s wooden foundations.

Tip

Print the clipping (or save a PDF) and overlay it on a modern map. The contrast will often reveal a pattern that matches today’s streets or property lines.

2. Follow the Trail of the Builders

Who Built the Tracks?

Most board tracks were constructed by a handful of firms: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s offshoot, the American Board Track Company, and a few local entrepreneurs. Their corporate records, when they exist, are stored in state archives or university special collections.

What to look for:

• Contracts for “timber for racing”
• Land deeds mentioning “track” or “raceway”
• Photographs of construction crews

I once visited the Ohio History Center and found a set of blueprints for the Dayton board track. The plans showed a 1.25‑mile oval with a 30‑degree banking angle. By matching the blueprint’s dimensions to the current street grid, I could pinpoint the exact spot where the track once cut through what is now a shopping center parking lot.

3. Use Modern Mapping Tools

Satellite and Lidar

Even if the wood is gone, the earth remembers. Old foundations, drainage ditches, and the slight rise of a banking curve can show up in high‑resolution satellite images or Lidar scans (light detection and ranging). Many counties now offer free Lidar data through their GIS portals.

Steps:

1. Open the county’s GIS website.
2. Load the Lidar “hillshade” layer.
3. Scan for long, smooth arcs that don’t line up with current roads.

When I did this for the former Chicago board track, a faint crescent appeared where a modern highway now runs. The shape matched the 2‑mile oval described in a 1925 Chicago Tribune article.

Google Earth’s Historical Imagery

Google Earth lets you slide back through years of aerial photos. Look for the period between 1940 and 1960—many tracks were still visible as clearings or abandoned structures before they were fully reclaimed.

4. Talk to the Locals

Oral History Is Gold

Older residents, especially those whose families lived near a track, often have stories passed down through generations. A retired farmer in New Jersey told me his grandfather once drove a motorcycle onto a board track that later became a cornfield. He still remembers the exact corner where the grandstand once stood.

How to gather these tales:

• Visit local historical societies.
• Attend community meetings in towns with known track sites.
• Record short interviews (a smartphone works fine).

These anecdotes can give you clues that no map will show—like a “big oak tree at the turn” that still stands today.

5. Visit the Site Safely

What to Expect

Most lost tracks are now private property, industrial zones, or overgrown woods. Always respect signage and ask permission when needed. Bring a notebook, a camera, and a sturdy pair of boots.

Things to look for on site:

• Rows of old pine stumps (the original timber was often pine).
• Unusual concrete footings that don’t match modern construction.
• Remnants of grandstand foundations—often a line of concrete blocks.

During a recent trip to the remains of the 1923 Los Angeles board track, I found a series of concrete piers that lined up perfectly with the old track’s banking angle. Standing there, you could almost hear the engines revving.

6. Document and Share

Keep the History Alive

When you’ve confirmed a location, document it thoroughly. Take wide shots, close‑ups of any remaining wood or concrete, and a GPS log. Write a short note about how you found the spot—future historians will thank you.

I posted my Dayton findings on Board Track Legends, and a fellow enthusiast from Texas used my coordinates to locate a forgotten track near Dallas. That’s the kind of collaborative spirit that keeps this niche alive.

7. Preserve What You Can

Small Acts, Big Impact

If you discover a site that’s at risk of being destroyed, contact the local preservation office. Even a simple plaque or a marker can protect a piece of history from being erased forever.

Final Thoughts

Chasing America’s lost board tracks is part treasure hunt, part detective work, and part pilgrimage. The thrill of standing where riders once hit 100 mph on a wooden curve is worth every hour spent digging through old papers or hiking through overgrown fields. So grab a map, fire up that curiosity, and let the ghosts of the 1920s guide you.