Beverly Hills in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Beverly Hills Speedway

— Golden Shield Commemorative Plaque —

Photographed by Craig Baker, July 20, 2025

1. Beverly Hills Speedway Marker

Inscription.
This marks the VIP and driver entrance of the legendary, 80,000-capacity Beverly Hills Speedway. The oval-shaped, 1.25-mile racetrack was located on a 200-acre site south of Wilshire between Beverly and Lasky drives from 1919 to 1924. The all-wooden "toothpick" speedway was the first in the nation designed with steep banked turns using a spiral easement curve.

Erected by City of Beverly Hills. (Marker Number 28.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.

Location. 34° 3.595′ N, 118° 23.954′ W. Marker is in Beverly Hills, California, in Los Angeles County. It is at the intersection of South Beverly Drive and Olympic Boulevard, on the right when traveling south on South Beverly Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 377 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills CA 90212, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles

and in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of

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Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wil Wright’s Ice Cream Shop (approx. 0.3 miles away); Don Loper Salon (approx. 0.4 miles away); Beverly Hills Handbag Studio (approx. 0.4 miles away); Lawn Bowling Green (approx. 0.4 miles away); Beverly Wilshire Hotel (approx. half a mile away); The Beverly Theater / Fiorucci (approx. half a mile away); Roxbury Memorial Park (approx. half a mile away); The Brown Derby (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Beverly Hills.

Regarding Beverly Hills Speedway. The speedway was an enormous 1.25-mile racetrack made of wood. The board track was oval shape with an incline of 35 degrees along the straightaways and greater banking angles at the turns. It was the first track in the U.S. to be designed with banked turns that incorporated an engineering solution known as a spiral easement or track transition curve.
The infield

Photographed by Craig Baker, July 20, 2025

2. Beverly Hills Speedway Marker

The marker lays flat in the sidewalk.

of the course was reached by six concrete tunnels that ran under the racetrack at various points. Some of the tunnels were for use only by pedestrians accessing the infield as general admission ticket holders. Parking for the site accommodated four thousand cars in the infield of the track, and 7,000 outside the track.
The racetrack was engineered by Arthur C. Pillsbury, who was the civil engineer for the City of Beverly Hills. Pillsbury was an avid race car enthusiast and a recognized racetrack engineer who also served as an officer of the Los Angeles Speedway Association.
At one point, California had seven wooden track speedways, also known as "board track" or "toothpick track" speedways. The Beverly Hills Speedway was also used for the Beverly Hills horse show, the flower show, polo games, and other events that brought thousands to Beverly Hills. An increased demand for residential development led to the Los Angeles Speedway Association selling the site to a developer in 1923 for $2,000,000. The last race was held in February 1924, and the entire site was razed less than a year later.

Related marker. Click here for another

Beverly Hills Tribute - 1959 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker, July 20, 2025

3. Beverly Hills Tribute - 1959

Honoring the entertainment industry for fighting annexation by Los Angeles in 1923.

marker that is related to this marker. - Beverly Hills Speedway public entrance, on Wilshire Blvd at Bedford Drive.

Beverly Hills Speedway image. Click for full size.

4. Beverly Hills Speedway

This photo is on display inside the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The VIP and driver entrance is at lower right.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 20, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. This page has been viewed 176 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 20, 2025, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.