[1][2] Notable racers such as Barney Oldfield, Eddie Rickenbacker, Ralph DePalma, and both Louis and Gaston Chevrolet, were drawn to race for purses of up to $25,000 (approximately $573,000 in 2012 dollars[3]).

In 1912, a group of businessmen formed the Tacoma Carnival Association and created a 5-mile (8.0 km) dirt race course roughly bounded by today's Lakeview Avenue, Steilacoom Boulevard, Gravelly Lake Drive and S.W.

[6] Three major races were held on the brand new track in 1915, the most important of which was the 250-mile (400 km) Montamarathon Classic on July 4, won by Glover Ruckstell driving a Mercer.

One such event in 1916 involved the head-on collision of two locomotives on a mile (1.6 km) of railroad track temporary laid in the race course infield.

[4] Although World War I put a damper on auto racing across much of the country, and briefly stopped it altogether in October 1918, the sport was not significantly interrupted in Tacoma.

[15][16] The rebuilt facility was a major upgrade from the one that burned down, with 960 feet (290 m) of covered seating, new fencing, pedestrian tunnels, and an automobile bridge over Turn 4 that allowed spectator parking in the infield.

[18][19] The U.S. federal government seized the airport for use in World War II as the Pacific Naval Advance Base, and the site became Clover Park Technical College in 1962.

[19] The best known lap speed at Tacoma Speedway was set in July 1922 during time trials for what would be the track's final race, when the top nine qualifiers all exceeded 103 miles per hour (166 km/h).

[21] Murphy qualified for the middle of the front row at Tacoma; the pole sitter and presumed record-holder is Tommy Milton, who won at Indianapolis in 1921 and 1923.