1923

In May, 1923 Joe Nikrent set a record of 108.24 miles per hour in a stripped down Buick at the Muroc Dry Lake. The run was made under the supervision of the American Automobile Asociation. The same year, George Wight opened an auto parts yard on Gage Avenue in Bell, California. The shop was a combination of salvage yard and machine shop, and it catered to the race crowd in the early days of dry lakes racing. George began removing speed equipment from the junkers he bought. George sold the speed equipment separately under what eventually became Bell Auto Parts. Bell Auto Parts is one of the first, if not the first, speed shop in the United States. It didn't take long before Bell Auto Parts became the center of racing and rodding activities for the greater Los Angeles area.

Legion Ascot Speedway

Legion Ascot Speedway was a major milestone in the early days of Southern California's auto racing scene, opening in 1923 just east of downtown Los Angeles. Before its establishment, roadster races were held on fairground horse tracks, but the Speedway soon became the premier venue for "big car" racing, including sprint cars and roadsters. It quickly gained fame as a showcase for speed, with stripped-down Model T’s leading the way, and played a key role in the development of track roadster racing.