Kings of Speed: Ascot Raceway

Kings of Speed: Ascot Raceway

Curated by John Parker 

California State University, Northridge Art Galleries is honored to present the exhibition Kings of Speed: Ascot Raceway 1957-1990.  Located in Gardena California, Ascot Park Raceway ranked behind only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Daytona International Speedway as the best-known racing facility in the country. For thirty-three years, Ascot was the busiest racing venue in the world, hosting an endless array of weekly races.

J.C. Agajanian, one of auto racing’s greatest car owners and promoters, hosted midget, sprint car, flat track, and motorcycle races, among others, at Ascot. Racecar drivers Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, and Al Unser, and motorcycle racers Kenny Roberts, David Aldan, Skip Van Leeuwin, and Wayne Rainey, among many others, plied their trade at Ascot over the years. Motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel performed his first nationally televised jump at Ascot.

The exhibition will showcase a selection of vehicles, including sprint cars, midgets, and motorcycles, all integral to the legacy of Ascot Park. Historic objects, including posters, helmets, leathers, trophies, and other memorabilia generously loaned by the Agajanian family will be on display.

A major art exhibition space in the San Fernando Valley, the CSUN Art Galleries are located just a few miles north of downtown Los Angeles. The Galleries have mounted over 500 exhibitions since 1980 with yearly gallery attendance averaging 25,000 visitors.

Gallery hours are from noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday. More information and press images are available upon request; call the Art Galleries at (818) 677-2156 or visit www.csun.edu/artgalleries.

Press Release (.pdf)