Paramount Ranch Racetrack (sometimes called Paramount Ranch Raceway) was a motorsports racetrack located at Paramount Movie Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains in Agoura Hills, California. A total of seven events were held at Paramount Ranch from 1956–1957. After a series of fatalities in short proximity to each other, the track gained a reputation for being a dangerous circuit. After two seasons, Paramount Ranch Racetrack was closed.
Background In 1956, the owner of Paramount Ranch decided to build a road-racing facility. He approached Ken Miles and Dick Van Laanen to design the road course. They designed a paved figure 8 road course nearly in length. The road course included 11 turns with uphill and downhill sections, a straightaway just shy of mile, a bridge and underpass as well as a lake opposite the start/finish line. Bob Bondurant described the course as "unforgiving but a real challenge."
Events A total of seven events were held at Paramount Ranch. Five events were sponsored by the California Sports Car Club (CSCC) and two by the United States Auto Club (USAC).
August 18–19, 1956 (CSCC)
Date Race Number Laps/Time Limit Class Winner Car Saturday, August 18, 1956 1 8 Production sedans up to 1500cc Fred Woodward Alfa Romeo Saturday, August 18, 1956 2 8 Production under 1500cc Ed Barker Porsche Speedster Saturday, August 18, 1956 3 8 Production over 1500cc Rudy Cleye Mercedes Benz 300SL Saturday, August 18, 1956 4 8 Formula III and Formula Libre Bruce Kessler Cooper-Norton Saturday, August 18, 1956 5 8 Modified under 1500cc Richie Ginther Porsche Spyder Saturday, August 18, 1956 6 8 Modified 1500cc to 3000cc Saturday, August 18, 1956 7 8 Modified over 3000cc Sunday, August 19, 1956 8 12 Consolation under 1500cc Robert Chamberlin MGTC Sunday, August 19, 1956 9 12 Consolation over 1500cc Bruce Kessler Cooper Mark IX Sunday, August 19, 1956 10 1 hour Under 1500cc main event Richie Ginther Porsche Spyder Sunday, August 19, 1956 11 8 Ladies race Ruth Levy Porsche Super Speedster Sunday, August 19, 1956 12 1 hour Over 1500cc main event Harrison Evans Ferrari Monza
November 4, 1956 (USAC) USAC National Championship Stock Car Road Race. 32 cars entered the race with Sam Hanks winning the race in 3 hours and 36 minutes while driving his red and white 1956 Mercury finishing ahead of Johnny Mantz.
November 17–18, 1956 (CSCC) Date Race Number Laps/Time Limit Class Winner Car Saturday, November 17, 1956 1 30 min Production sedans up to 1500cc Jack Dair Saturday, November 17, 1956 2 30 min Formula III Jean Geslin Cooper-Norton Sunday, November 18, 1956 3 45 min Production under 1500cc Dale Johnson Porsche Carrera Sunday, November 18, 1956 4 45 min Production over 1500cc Bob Oker AC Ace-Bristol Sunday, November 18, 1956 5 45 min Modified under 1500cc Ken Miles Porsche Cooper Sunday, November 18, 1956 6 90 min Modified over 1500cc Ken Miles Porsche Cooper
March 9–10, 1957 (CSCC) Date Race Number Laps/Time Limit Class Winner Car Saturday, March 9, 1957 1 n/a Production sedans under 1500cc - Canceled n/a n/a Saturday, March 9, 1957 2 10 Production under 1300cc Fred Woodward Saturday, March 9, 1957 3 6 Production 1300cc - 1500cc Ed Barker Saturday, March 9, 1957 4 6 Production 1500cc - 2000cc Bob Oker Saturday, March 9, 1957 5 6 Production over 2000cc Jack Bates Saturday, March 9, 1957 6 6 Formula III Ralph Ormsbee Saturday, March 9, 1957 7 6 Modified under 1100cc Frank Monise Saturday, March 9, 1957 7a 6 Modified 1100cc - 1500cc Bob Drake Saturday, March 9, 1957 8 10 Modified over 1500cc Eric Hauser Sunday, March 10, 1957 9 10 Production under 1500cc E. Forbes-Robinson Sunday, March 10, 1957 10 10 Production over 1500cc John Haggerty Sunday, March 10, 1957 11 10 Modified Frank Livingstone Sunday, March 10, 1957 12 1 hour Under 1500cc modified Bob Drake Sunday, March 10, 1957 13 8 Women's race and production sedans up to 1500cc Ruth Levy Sunday, March 10, 1957 14 1 hour Over 1500cc modified Jerry Austin Jaguar D-Type
April 28, 1957 (USAC) USAC National Championship Stock Car race was won by Troy Ruttman driving a 1957 Ford. Ruttman finished 41 seconds ahead of Sam Hanks, followed closely behind by Jimmy Reece.
June 15–16, 1957 (CSCC) Date Race Number Laps/Time Limit Class Winner Car Saturday, June 15, 1957 1 8 Production sedans up to 1300cc Willie West Saturday, June 15, 1957 2 10 Production 1300cc - 1500cc E Forbes-Robinson Saturday, June 15, 1957 3 10 Production 1500cc - 2700cc Jim Parkinson Saturday, June 15, 1957 4 10 Production over 2700cc Jack Bates Saturday, June 15, 1957 5 10 Formula III Jean Geslin Saturday, June 15, 1957 6 10 Modified under 1000cc Rico Verrecchia Saturday, June 15, 1957 7 10 Modified 1000cc - 1500cc Ken Miles Saturday, June 15, 1957 8 10 Modified over 1500cc Chuck Daigh Troutman-Barnes Ford Thunderbird Sunday, June 16, 1957 9 30 min Production under 1500cc E Forbes-Robinson Sunday, June 16, 1957 10 30 min Production over 1500cc Jim Parkinson Sunday, June 16, 1957 11 10 Modified & Formula III Pete Woods Sunday, June 16, 1957 12 1 hour Under 1500cc main event *Ken Miles Porsche 550 Spyder Sunday, June 16, 1957 13 8 Women's Race Ruth Levy Sunday, June 16, 1957 14 1 hour Over 1500cc Main Event Chuck Daigh Troutman-Barnes Ford Thunderbird
Multiple MGTDs crashed during the first race resulting in five people being injured including one driver that was hospitalized.
This was Chuck Daigh's first overall win in a main event and also the first time a Ford V8 powered car won a major sports car race in the US. In the under 1500cc main event, Ken Miles was subsequently disqualified several days later due to a rule infraction when judges ruled that Miles made a brief pit-stop in a restricted area to accept a drink of water during the one-hour race. Runner up Jack McAfee who was also driving a Porsche 550 Spyder was declared the winner.
December 7–8, 1957 (CSCC) Date Race Number Laps/Time Limit Class Winner Car Saturday, December 7, 1957 1 10 Production under 1300cc Willie West Saturday, December 7, 1957 2 10 Production under 1500cc Jimmy Moore Saturday, December 7, 1957 3 10 Production 1500cc-2700cc William Love Saturday, December 7, 1957 4 10 Production over 2700cc Jerry Austin Saturday, December 7, 1957 5 10 Formula III Formula Libre, and Formula II Bob Drake Saturday, December 7, 1957 6 10 Modified under 1000cc Jim Parkinson Saturday, December 7, 1957 7 30 min Modified 1000cc - 1500cc Jean P Kunstle Saturday, December 7, 1957 8 30 min Production over 1500cc Dan Gurney Ferrari 375 Plus Sunday, December 8, 1957 9 8 Production MG's only Ray Pickering Sunday, December 8, 1957 10 8 Production over 2000cc Jerry Austin Sunday, December 8, 1957 11 8 Modified under 1100cc, Prod under 2000cc and Formula III Ronnie Bucknum Sunday, December 8, 1957 12 1 hour Under 1500cc main event Ken Miles Sunday, December 8, 1957 13 8 Ladies race Linda Scott Sunday, December 8, 1957 14 1 hour Over 1500cc main event Dan Gurney Ferrari 375 Plus
Two fatalities and two others were injured on what would be the final event at Paramount Ranch Racetrack.
During the third race, Hugh Woods driving his Chevrolet Corvette crashed into a guard rail entering turn 1. The steel railing sliced through the car and Woods' right leg was severed. He also incurred injuries to his left leg, and fractures in both arms.
In the next race, a very similar accident occurred involving George Sherrerd driving his Jaguar XK120. Sherrerd hit the steel barrier which was still projecting after being hit by Woods in the previous race. The barrier sheared through the car and through Sherrerd, killing him instantly.
Turn 1 was generally not considered a dangerous turn on the track. The consensus was that both drivers just went into the turn "too hot." It was subsequently revealed that the guardrail was installed incorrectly and was facing backwards.
In the fifth race, Rolf Roth hit a hay bale leaving turn 11 and flipped his Formula III. Roth suffered a broken left wrist. Roth's roll bar was credited with saving him.
Nearing the final lap of the final race of the event, Jim Firestone driving a Frazer Nash Bristol lost control near turn 2 and hit a stack of tires, causing his car to flip. Firestone was ejected and was hit by the car, which crushed his skull and neck. He was declared dead on arrival upon arriving at Northridge Community Hospital.
Today The National Park Service maintains the entire ranch including the racetrack as a historic site. Today, very little remains of the racetrack. As of 2015 the bridge still remains, however it has been blocked off so vehicles cannot drive over it. The road underneath the bridge has been overgrown with trees and shrubs. Home construction in the neighboring hillsides has caused water runoff which has destroyed the original layout and terrain of the land from when the track was constructed. Much of the roads are no longer discernable. While there is some sentiment among park rangers to repair the circuit and return the track to its former glory, there are no definitive plans in place.
In November 2018, Paramount Ranch suffered near-total destruction during the Woolsey Fire.
Film and television Paramount Ranch Racetrack has been featured in several movies filmed in the 1950s and 1960s; most notably Devil's Hairpin, Spinout, and Munster, Go Home!.
It was also featured in television shows over the next decade, including the 1965 Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Runaway Racer".
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Bibliography
External links Paramount Ranch - Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)