History
Racing began on a long dirt course south of Tacoma in July 1912, and the layout was shortened to about two miles before being resurfaced with boards in 1915. Its July 4 races drew stars such as Earl Cooper, Eddie Rickenbacker, Tommy Milton and Jimmy Murphy.
An arson fire burned the uninsured grandstands in 1920; they were rebuilt, but falling gate receipts doomed the track after Murphy won the last race on July 4, 1922. Part of the land became an airport in 1927, was used by the Navy in World War II, and in 1962 became the Clover Park Technical College campus.
Why it matters: It was the Pacific Northwest's major stop for national championship racing in the board-track era.
Timeline
- July 5, 1912First races[2]
First races.
- 1915
The dirt course was replaced by a board track.
- July 4, 1915Montamarathon[1]
Glover Ruckstell won the 250-mile race; Billy Carlson and his mechanic were killed.
- March 1920
Arson destroyed the uninsured wooden grandstands, which were rebuilt.
- July 4, 1922
Jimmy Murphy won the final car race.
- 1962College campus[1]
The site became Clover Park Technical College.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
|---|---|
| Current use | Clover Park Technical College campus and nearby commercial sites.[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Venue facts
| Location | Around present-day Lakeview Avenue, Lakewood, Lakewood (near Tacoma), Washington[2] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Racetrack |
| Sports | Motorsports |
| Level | AAA Championship |
| Opened | July 5, 1912[2] |
| Last used for sports | July 4, 1922[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 35,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia infobox lists 35,000+; HistoryLink says the grandstands held about 21,000. |
| Surface | Dirt, then wood boards from 1915 |
| Closure | Declining attendance and revenue. |
Sources
- Tacoma Speedway, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, events
- Tacoma Speedway, 1912-1922, HistoryLink.org. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, events, opened
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia's infobox gives an opening year of 1915 (the board track), while HistoryLink dates the first races to July 5–6, 1912.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.