Corona Tutors

About Corona

If you’ve been to or live in Corona, California, you see it’s a lot like the other cities in the area complete with Corona tutors, but I bet you’d never guess that Corona actually got its start in street racing! If you’ve ever driven Grand Boulevard, you may have been somewhat confused by the shape of the street. Grand Boulevard actually goes in a large circle, much different from normal grid line patters. That’s because, Grand Boulevard got its start as a racetrack!

In 1913, with $10,000 worth of prize money on the line, Corona held its first competition race. Racers from all around could enter three different competitions, the first was the Light Car Race (a total of 102 miles worth of laps), the Heavy Car Race (a total of 251 miles worth of laps), and the Free for All Race (a total of 301 miles worth of laps). The Free for All Race had the highest purse of $5,000, with $1,000 offered for every world record broken at the track.

The first race was a huge success, bringing in many big-name racers, and with their big names came the crowds that wanted to see them race. With all this success, plans for a second event quickly began, and the next race was held in 1914. Grand Boulevard was paved before the race, and safety measures like 5-foot fencing along the road and bridges crosses the raceway to keep spectators off the tracks were added. With tickets available for advanced sale and the all the new adjustments, this race was even more successful than the first, with a lot of the same big names showing up for round two.

The third race didn’t happen until 1916, and promoters decided that springtime would be a better season then the fall when the race had previously been held. This change proved disastrous. While the turnout was as expected, tire blowouts from the hot pavement and engine trouble in over heating cars plagued many of the racers. Tragedy struck when one of the driver’s cars had a blow out, causing him to lose control and crash through the barricade that protected the spectators from the cars. The driver lost his life, along with his mechanic, and a security guard. The event was already financially unsuccessful despite the popularity, and locals had been complaining for a while about the noise and the mess that visitors and the aftermath of the races left. These things coupled with this tragic accident meant the end of these races.

Next time you’re driving on Grande Boulevard, maybe on your way to meet your Corona tutor, imagine yourself as one of those drivers, speeding to the finish line to win the prize purse. Of course, don’t actually speed!