Alviso Travel Answers

I have a few pictures left. I've donated several to drivers from the speedway in an auction they had many years ago. I used to race there in '59/60. The track was built in 1954 and was, as best I recall, just under a quarter mile and was clay. Over the years since 1955, popular west coast drivers brought their 1930's fords, chevys and dodges to the track. The track, under the WESTERN AUTO RACING format,was basically considered an outlaw track and NASCAR'S San Jose Speedway was it's biggest rival. At it's heyday in the early 60's, Drivers from San Jose Speedway would come over to challenge the Alviso drivers for top dog honors. Drivers like as Dean Holden, Ray Raineri, George Rogge, Buck Wenzel, Al Pombo, Boots Cantrell, Ed Decker, Marshall Sargent and many others graced this track with their "modified" cars,all flathead ford v-8's, dodge 6 cyls and a couple overhead cam chevys, most rememorable were Sargent's super loud 1937 chevy coupe, Cantrell's ford with the exhaust pipes coming out the roof or Rogee's 1948 sedan showing dual exhausts coming out the trunk. My personal favorite was the #444 1939 Ford "Bardahl Special", driven by Holden. Track closed to autos in, I believe, early 1963 and was converted to a motorcycle track before it eventually died and gave way to industrial buildings in post 1965. I still miss her.