When Auto Races Ran at Pimlico

When I posted the article about Ray Harroun's victory in a 1910 auto race held on the famous Churchill Downs horse track I received an incredible number of comments. Apparently, others shared my interest and surprise that auto races took place on such hallowed grounds for horse racing. A truly tragic moment occurred at one such race at Pimlico in June, 1908. Emanuel Cedrino, a successful road racer who once served as chauffeur to Italy's Queen Helena, was killed while trying to set a speed record at the historic Pimlico horse track. Horse tracks served as the original auto race tracks and played a big role in defining the oval as the most popular form of auto racing venue in America.