Poster from Ron Jones Jr. son of Ron Jones who built the El Toro Speedway which was originally named the Orange County Speedway!
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Greetings from El Toro, California
From the travels and adventures of the “World’s #1 Trackchaser”
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El Toro Speedway – Lifetime track #62
One of my favorite all-time tracks!
The tiny little El Toro Speedway was one of my favorite tracks in the mid-70s. It’s main advantage for me was the track’s location. Of all the places we’ve lived across the country the El Toro Speedway was the closest track to any of our houses. El Toro was only about five miles from our home in Mission Viejo, California.
Gene Serrano photo. Aerial photo of the El Toro Speedway 2-13-78.
The track was at the intersection of the I-5 Santa Ana Freeway and the I-405 San Diego Freeway. Locals call this intersection the “El Toro Y”. The El Toro Speedway was just across the freeway from the famous Orange County International Raceway. Despite living so close to the OCIR I only visited this dragstrip once. However, it was a most memorable event. On the night I was there they had a jet engined dragster “burn down” a hapless old junker. They also had a guy with a “jet pack” on his back fly off into the air. For it being the 70s that was pretty impressive. OCIR held races as a drag strip from 1967-1983. Unbeknownst to me, until I did some research for this post, there was also a two-mile road course at OCIR.
Gene Serrano photo
We lived in Mission Viejo from 1975-79. It was during this time that I saw the El Toro Speedway race several times each season. According to the “History of American Speedway” the track was in business from 1956-78. I loved seeing the racing at this little 1/5-mile dirt bullring. The track was located at the bottom of a natural bowl. Spectators sat high above the track on the natural hills that dot this part of the SoCal landscape.
Thanks to Bob Bogan photo collection.
It was here that I saw my first ever competitive woman race driver. Stevie Cederstrom became one of my favorites. She could easily run in the top ten and ended up winning some events. The wheel to wheel racing was outstanding and it was so close to home.
However, it is not the racing that is my most significant memory from visiting the El Toro Speedway. That memory happened on Saturday night August 16, 1977. After a good night at the El Toro Speedway races I was headed home on the San Diego Freeway. What did I hear over the car’s AM radio? Elvis Pressley had died at the young age of 42. Everyone remembers where they were when certain historical events occurred. I know where I was the night Elvis Pressley’s death was reported.
Gene Serrano photo
Gene Serrano photo
Gene Serrano photo
Gene Serrano photo
Gene Serrano photo. Tom White flipping at Ascot 9-21-79
Gene Serrano was a big fan of the speedway. He sent me so many great photos from racing at the El Toro Speedway. Thanks, Gene!
Dave Stolz sent the above photo with this note.
You might have remembrances about this track. If so, please feel free to share them in the comments section below. If you have any photos from back in the day, send them to me at Ranlay@yahoo.com. I’ll try to include them here.
63 comments
Hi we raced micros in the late 50 early 60 at Costa Mesa fairgrounds trying to find some pictures any help would be appreciated
Hi, Lots of people from SoCal visit this page all the time. The El Toro Speedway is especially popular. I’ve actually seen racing at four different tracks in Costa Mesa. Hope someone can help you out. Randy
Hi Randy,
I remember as a kid in the late 60’s-70’s our Dad was a mechanic there where he worked for John and Rose Notary. The owners of El Toro Garage. Our oldest brother was a tow truck driver for them as well. Our sister would clean the house for Rose. Car Berg was the driver for the Koenig #34 there was #35 as well. We Lived in El Toro then moved to Santa Ana back then and would go see the races there. Best of times for sure.
Marco
Yes, best of times Marco. A lot has changed since those days. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Randy
Oops may have been John Ryals…my bad it’s been a while
I worked for Jim Bohner back in the late 70’s in Fresno at his boat and MC dealership. Jim had run super modified cars for years but had been out of racing for quite a while. His brother in law talked him into building a midget and going racing again, so they bought a chassis, an Autocraft VW engine and hired Jim Ryals to drive. They won their maiden race out of the box at Ascot, but in the celebration nobody remembered to shut off the fuel valve so the motor filled up with race fuel on the ride home and, well you know how that ends. Anyway, they got the motor rebuilt on a Thursday and planned to race the upcoming weekend back at Ascot, and needed to fire the thing up to check oil pressure, etc. Only problem was Ryals lived hundreds of miles away and nobody at the shop, except for me, could come close to fitting into the car. I was a moto head but zero experience in any type of race car let alone a rigid axle midget with an in/ out box. So the guys explained the sequence of events that needed to happen in order to start the car and avoid breaking the differential in the process, oh yeah and then get it out of gear and stopped…all within the 175 feet we had to work with between Blackstone Ave and the wall at the end of his lot. Good times! We did get it fired up…three times, briefly, and never did get any oil pressure. But that’s another story.
Hey Dan, That’s a great story. I would love to have seen it! Lots of good memories from Ascot and other nearby places. We didn’t move to California until 1975. El Toro was about five miles from where we lived at the time in Mission Viejo. Take care, Randy
Wanted: Any photos, trophies from the flat track and tt from el toro speedway between the years of 1964-1968.I would also consider a 100cc or 250cc motorcycle that was raced there between those years.Thanks.Great site randy.
My Dad took us to El Toro for 1/4 Midgets in the Mid-Sixties several times. Seems to me we saw 3/4 Midgets there in late ’69 or so. I seem to remember a driver named Duane (Pamcho?) Carter cleaning up that night. My Dad and I went to El Toro Summer of ’70 to watch one of his work buddys race his Montessa on the TT Track. His buddy didn’t do so hot; probably had a lot of fun though. Some guy named Gary Scott was pretty much unbeatable that night. I still think about El Toro (Orange) Speedway; great memories. Thanks for the posts!
Remember “Trophy Girls” ? On the podium gettin a kiss? My mom did that. My dad raced midgets there and I raced TT on a Suzuki 100 with a “git kit” that kept up with the Greenstreaks and the Yamahas. I remember two Yamaha guys won most of the races. A photographer was always there with a bunch of pics from races that day. I remember gettin one of me on the jump in the middle of the track. Those were the BEST times!
Hey Jim, Thanks for sharing your experiences. I drove past the former site tonight of the El Toro Speedway and thought about the track. It was fun.
I don’t know where to begin…I used to grab a yellow flag and sit up on the hill where the motocross track left the track all my friends where racing back then mini bikes and 125s I lived on a bike didn’t understand going through all the trouble. Anyway I would jump up and down warning all the racers Jeff ward included to slow down there’s a crash my friends knew what I was doing they knew it was a joke. I worked for red caruthers in the 70,s his son,s raced midgets and Jimmy raced indy cars my next door neighbor was Dan gurneys vice president we all hung out in the garage at the California 500 in Ontario bill fowler lived on our street gurneys chief mechanic it was a small world back then
I was driving around in El Toro with my sons and we happened upon this track in a state of disrepair but was able to do a couple of spins around the track. It was like being in a Twighlight Zone episode. They were born in ‘75 and ‘77 so it must have been a few years after that. Thought I made a great discovery. 😂
Mike, Very cool experience! I did that kind of thing once at a track up in Wisconsin during the dead of winter when nobody was around. Thanks for sharing that. We have a lot of people who remember the little El Toro Speedway for lots of good reasons.
Great Memories of El Toro Raceway!
I used to Race ACA TT on the Speedway midget Track in 1971. Made friends with Lew Stoltz while I Lived in Laguna Beach& Dana Point. I’d visit with Lew during the week when he was preparing the track on his Road Grader… we talked and I suggested he set up an MX Track as that’s what I really wanted to race, as he had enough property to do one… so we walked the property and I gave my sugge of using the west hillside and areas outside ttt he e oval, and he ran with it and made it happen…So Friday Night MX was born in Either late Fall 1971 and or 1972- I raced about at least 15 races in 1972 with my friends every week on my Suzuki TS 100 Honcho- Novice Class and did the Maybee’s Tire Sponsored Series -9 weeks, 3 Motos a night format 100 Novice class with about 15 entrants+ with 2 heats. Had 26 1st and 1 second for 2nd in Series – Don Stenerson Won the Wheels & Tires , I Got Some Air Shocks for my Toyota Hilux…lol…Johanna Stenerson on a Penton (his sister ) and Jeff award used to Race in my Class on a Steen’s I think.
Other Notable MX Racers were regulars as well like Bruce McDougall, Check Bowers on their Mettco Pentons, David Boydston points winner in 1972, Morris Malone on his New
AJS, Val Tamietti, and Dave’s Carlson are just a few I recall.
I have a great Trophy Photo of our MX Night racing Group-standing on the TT Jump in Center of the Oval- will share with those who email me at bryan@menne.com– it’s Black & White 8×10, and would like to see others photos of the MX Track and Raceway Action as I only have 2 from the TT Track- please contact me if you have any to share👍🏻, after El Toro I went on in 1973 to D37 , Barstow to Vegas and the Elsinore and Hopetown Grand Prixs.. such great Times- I’m also on Instagram bryan_menne where you can DM for access to friends, and I recognize some other names her like Norm Bigelow- we raced Elsinore GP in Legends clas in 1996&97.😉👍🏻
Hi Randy, . I was wondering if you ever got the pictures I sent you from El Toro Speedway? I just found a lot more. Do you want them?
Hi Dave, Thanks for your note. It’s amazing how many fans write to me about the El Toro Speedway. What a great track! Yes, if you would like to send the photos you have digitally I would be happy to post them on the El Toro page. Just note that sometimes, with my travel schedule, it takes me a while to get them posted. I just added the photo of Red Caruthers that you send me a year ago. Thanks! Randy
It’s great to see some familiar names here. I worked there from around 1969 to 1971, starting out picking up trash and eventually taking tickets at the gate. Many good memories from here.
Hey Randy B. Those were the days, right? Lots of people have very fond memories of El Toro. Thanks for sharing your personal experience! Randy
My uncle owned the track in the 60’s
Ron Jones
My dad, Lew Stoltz ran El Toro Speedway for a few years in the early 70’s. He started the first night motocross there, it was on Friday nights. He also started the United States Racing Club there. It became the second biggest midget club in the country next to USAC. I ran my first midget race at El Toro. So many great memories of that place and so many crazy stories I could tell. I have lots of pictures from those days. How do I send them?. I sure miss that place.
Hey Dave, Good to hear from you. I will PM message you so you can send the photos to me. Best, Randy
Hi Dave, I was friends with your Dad Lew… I suggested the MX Track to him and we walked a track layout potential in Late 1971, or early 1972 when I raced ACA- TT Track when they ran Short Tract same nights. I was a member of USMRC too, got 2nd in the Maybee’s Tire sponsored MX Series for 9 weeks, did you get my Response Story I posted today- I don’t see it…, I used to visit midweek when your dad was preparing the track oval and had some good stories racing there, have Trophy Mound photo Black & White with about 30 + Races including me and pros Bruce McDougal, Chuck Bowers, with Cash in his hand and many others and 2 TT photos, would like to talk about Good times, and to see your photo collection as a have no MX photos at all- can we meet or Trade some photo
Bryan_menne on Instagram or bryan@menne.com
949-246-6183
I want to poke around the actual site of El Toro Speedway. I can;t tell exactly where it is. What exit did you take to go there. I remember seing the old El Toro Garage while in high school, but can’t remember which exit. I recently figured out where the Soap Box Derby track (by Irvine park) is. The asphalt is still there under the weeds (though run down) as is the starting gate/trailer. I believe it was last raced on in the late 50’s. Wanna figure out where El Toro Speedway is, too. Could someone help me. A couple of l my neighbors raced MX there in the mid seventies on Pentons. I raced at OCIR drag strip a few times but didn’t know it was close to El Toro speedway
Rodney, The El Toro Speedway was across I-5 from the OCIR drag strip. As far as I know, the El Toro Speedway sat pretty much where the Courtyard by Marriott hotel is located now just south of the Lake Forest Freeway exit. Yep. Lots of people miss that track. It’s one of the most popular pages on my site for comments and questions.
Randy, thanks for the help. Gonna go over near the Marriot and look around. Is this anywhere near where the big RV dealer was on the side of the freeway in this general vicinity?
Hi Rodney, I think the hotel I was telling you about is no longer a Courtyard by Marriott but should still be easy to find. I would be shocked if you can find any landmark from the El Toro Speedway. This looks to be a 100% commercial paved over area…at least from the freeway. As I recall the big RV dealership was north of the El Toro Speedway location by a bit.
If you are traveling south on the freeway it was on the left before the El toro road exit. I have driven past it many times but its really developed now, I only know how to recognize the location because I went most every week when I lived in Mission Viejo in the early 70’s
Oops if you are going south from Irvine towards San Diego the freeway made a lazy long dip. ( or at least in the 70’s it did)… the speedway was on the Right if you are looking out the passenger window
Hi Robert, Thanks for your note about the El Toro Speedway. I think the track was located right where they built the Courtyard by Marriott hotel…which might be under a different name now.
My dad ran a micro in the early 1960. Car ran a Indian arrow and was number2 Bob Behrens drove fir my dad My dads name was Don oper
Hi Don, There are certainly lots of fond memories of the little bullring in El Toro. Thanks for sharing yours. Randy
I raced all over southern California I started racing at the age of 4 1/2 only cuz I was already as good as the 5 year olds cuz I practiced with my brother Mike Flint. Mike drove a maroon quarter midget no# 7 class A and I (Terri Flint) drove a black no# 5 sometimes my car was black with white flames sometimes just black both # 5. I remember racing in Orange county raceway if anyone has pictures of us racing I would love to see them. We also raced at ascot in Gardena and Chino prison farm from 1964-69. I know it was about 55 years ago but I know someone has to have some good pictures. My first race at ascot I was flipped through the hay bales my dad flipped me back onto my wheels and ask if I was hurt I told him I hit my nose he kissed my nose and asked me if I was ready to get back in the track and win the race and I did got to carry the checkered flag around for a lap
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Terri, Those were the days! Thanks for sharing your experiences. Randy
Hello Terri. I am a book and photographs dealer. I recently ended up with a group of quarter midget racing photographs from SoCal in the 1960’s that I think feature you and your Wahlborg #5 quarter midget. I found this post in a google search. If you’d like to email me I would be happy to provide you with nice scans of all of them for free. martin@mhartzoldbooks.net Thanks for creating this site, Randy, it never ceases to amaze me how people can connect online.
Hi Martin, I hope Terri gets your message. Best, Randy
Thanks for sharing all this history.
I grew up in Santa Ana in the 1960’s and our neighbor across the street raced micro midgets at El Toro. I remember he had a candy apple red car number 16. I had to paint my bike the same color and 16 became lucky number.
My mom was part of a club of women who were wife’s and friends of drivers called the micro-ettes I remember them having meetings at our house from time to time.
Hi Robert, Thanks for your note. The “micro-ettes”. That’s pretty cool. Lots of people fondly remember the little El Toro Speedway and you and I are two of them. Randy
Ron Jones was my uncle
As a young boy growing up in Laguna Hills the El Toro track was my hangout. Watching the midget cars racing soon led me to the sport of motorcycle racing. I watched the top guys ride the flat track and TT like the K+N team from riverside. I later got brave enough to race the moto cross on friday nights riding my Bultaco 125. It took me a long time to get my first trophy a third place! You would go back the next week to pick up the hardware, when i went to get it, all they had was a fourth place, sorry kid was the answer i got! I went home and quickly added a pasted on 3rd over the fourth! Still got the throphy which was 1971! I later became a team member for the Kawasaki factory racing team the job has lasted for over 35 years and still helping part time. One night coming home from work on my motorcycle went by the track and saw the earth mover plowing up the last of the flat track groove, couldnt stop myself, rode right in front of the tractor with the driver yelling at me to get the heck out of there. I did a lap turned back and the track was gone, So i was the last one to ride the track! and that means a lot to me as I loved that place!
Norm Bigelow
Hi Norm,
I really loved your story. Thanks for sending a picture of that trophy. I have an El Toro story too. The track was less than 10 miles from where we lived in Mission Viejo. Following the races at El Toro one night I was driving home. It was 10 p.m. or so and I heard over the radio that Elvis Presley had died. There are only a few places where I remember where I was when something significant happened and this was one of them.
Again, thanks for your story. I could picture everything you were remembering in my own mind.
All the best,
Randy Lewis
Hi Norm… I remember you from El Toro. We both reached TM Suzuki. I hope all is well.
Well it seems alot people ran that little track. well my Father A.J Moceri leased the track from then owner John Notery.
He also owned El Toro towing . They were located and lived just above the Tack. We enjoyed motorcycle racing, Flat track, TT, and motocross as well as micros, and 3/4 midgets. My father ran the track for 2 season up until leasure world
filed a lawsuit about the noise. They won and that was really about it. but the fondest memories I have are driving the old water truck with no brakes. And preping the track. I met some of the fastest riders to ever race flat track. But they never used there real names. They were under contract and were forbidden to race unless it was the races there sponsors told them to attend. We would have the whole staff from Kawasaki come out including guys like Brian Farnsworth and race on the short track. They would have a blast and it was so fun to watch they guys enjoy themselves. I miss that track and all the memories and the friendships I made. Just thought i would drop a line…Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Tony, Thanks for your note and a little more historical information about the famous El Toro Speedway. I loved that track as well and seem to miss it more every time I drive past where it used to me. Randy
Tony. So cool to hear your story. As a kid along with my brother growing up in Lake Forest you always had something to to. OCIR and El Toro My Dad Phil Paliotti and Farnsworth we’re pals. Going to the Kawasaki factory, bringing home some prototype parts Gooood times. God I miss it. We are so lucky to have been part of that scene. Priceless Memories
My dad built the track and operated it from 1964-69. It was not built in 1958 as stated above. The original name of the track was Orange County Speedway, later changed to El Toro Speedway after OCIR opened. I worked there as a teenager from day one helping my dad prepare the track, picking up trash, etc. Originally we ran micros and tq’s and motorcycle flat track on the tenth mile oval and go carts on the asphalt course. Later my dad built a 1/4 mi. oval and we ran midgets. It is true that many big name drivers either started their career there or passed through.
Hi Ron, It’s nice to know more about the history of the little El Toro Speedway. I will be posting several photos from back in the day at El Toro very soon.
This site is so cool thank you. I was part of all of that T.Q stuff from 1966-70 starting as part of Bob Pertisautis pit crew. We ran with and I knew and worked for the McKnights, Dave and Paul Fender, Jimmy Faucet, Danny, Jimmy and Red Caruthers etc. Tony Simons was a family friend. We ran Trojan speedway, Whitman airport, Oildale all of those and some I can’t remember. I’ll never forget Orange Co. Speedway though. A lot of big names ran there. And we knew them all back then. Best days of my life, bar none. Thanks to you and your father. P.S. I remember the wrecking yard as we drove in to the track.
D.Lake
Dennis,
Good to hear from you. There has always been a lot of interest in the little El Toro Speedway!
Randy
Hey Ron, My Dad also built the track, his name was Ralph. My brothers and I would go down every saturday. I still remember the pungent smell of asphalt and wild grasses. What great memories, sitting between my dads legs in a go cart that seemed only inches from the ground. Would love to see any group shots of the original crew that owned and built it, if you have any please share them!
Mark Rodgers 714-351-5865
You are my cousin – my dad was Eddie
Hi Ron I’m your cousin
My dad was Eddie
I worked the concession stand on Friday and Saturday nights when I was in high school in the early 1970s. They ran motocross and tt on Wednesday night’s Micros and tqs on Fridays and 1/4 midgets on Saturday. There were a lot of well known racers that used the track for “tuneup” races . We had a blast working there.
My Grandfather and Father took me to see the races at El Toro when I was a kid in the early sixties!! They lived on the old Moulton Ranch, my Grandfather being one of the full time cowboys on the ranch from the 1920s to the 1960s.
The Moulton Ranch comprised of what is now Lake Forest, El Toro, Aliso Viejo, parts of Laguna Niguel, and Laguna Hills.
In the 1930s the Moultons leased ranchland to the Etcheberria family, who were Basque farmers. They grew wheat, beans, and other stuff. In the
1950s one of the daughters, Rose Etcheberria, married Johnny Notary, who owned the El Toro Garage. My father was a mechanic for the City of Laguna Beach and him and Johnny were friends. We used to go to the ET Garage on Saturday afternoons to have a pop and they would talk shop and I remember all the midget and sprint cars all over the place and the view from atop the hill down to to speedway was fantastic!!! I suppose the Etcheberria connection made it possible to have the speedway there!! I have some neato photos that John Notary’s daughter gave me of some 50s-60s 1/4 midget racing at El Toro and an aerial view of the track in 1978, right before it was torn down…and….a cool one of Tom White flipping the El Toro Garage #35 at Ascot in Sept. 1979!! I can mail you a set if interested!! Your sight sure stirred up some good memories for me of El Toro Garage & Speedway……as does going to the races at Santa Maria Speedway!!!…It’s similar to El Toro!!!
Raced motorcycles on the TT track there once in 1973. Future world champ Wayne Rainey was there that night. Was fun but in the first heat race I went straight when I should have gone left onto the TT course….. : P
I worked at the track and raced flattrack and TT from 73 to 78. What a great little track it was for racing. We had a lot of fun and the parties after were great too. Flagged many a micro and TQ race there as well.
My ex father in law D.J. Scott ran the El Toro track for a few years. Raced there with my late brother in law Ty Scott
Was a fun track, started out in micro midgets there. Beat out Tommy White for rookie of the year in the micro’s in 1973 at El Toro. Knew and raced against Ted Hughes, Bob Marcus, Paul Knierim, Tommy White and a bunch of others.
We also regraded and ran on the speedway track at OCIR one season before they bulldozed it. Still have my key to the OCIR gate off Sand Canyon. Those were some fun times.
Mike white tells me you might know what ever happened to Paul Kneirum’s original #27 micro midget car. I’m told you have the body mold and maybe some of the bodies? I’m really interested in the original Ducati car.
Jon,
Sorry about being so late on this. I have one of the re-pop fiberglass bodies Paul made and the chassis for it from the Whites. Last I heard the original aluminum Ducati car was in Arizona. Paul had a friend there that also ran Ducati powered micro’s. If I can find his name, I’ll send it.
I raced side by side with stevie cederstrom, carl berg. Drove for john notary (owner el toro speedway)
these guys and gals were always the ones to beat, I remember growing up watching these guys, and Im from Texas, but we all knew when Notary or Ted Hughes had a car in town. John Notary had some dirty drivers, lol, but Jon Rahe was probably one of the best and cleanest, and Stevie Cederstrom was one of the fastest females ever, great memories of all these guys from southern Cali.
This is Carl Berg’s son, Dave, and daughter, Susie. I just saw you at Bobby White’s funeral. Remember the parties on top of the hill at our house next to the El Toro track? How are you? How’s Chris doing? What are you doing now? No radio control? Do you ever go out to the races at Perris. Me and my brother Jimmy sit in the farthest stands in turn 4 at every sprint car race. You should come out there sometime and bench race with us. Hope to see you there. The next race is April 12 at Perris and they’re having World of Outlaws and USAC/CRA the same night. Should be a good show. We sit in turn 4 because when it’s dusty, the dust cloud goes down the front straightaway. Tell Chris to come out too.