Brotherhood Raceway Park (sometimes referred to as Terminal Island Raceway) was a

drag racing Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...

venue on

Terminal Island Terminal Island, historically known as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, is a largely artificial island located in Los Angeles County, California, between the neighborhoods of Wilmington and San Pedro in the city of Los Angeles, and the city of Long Be ...

which is between the neighborhood of San Pedro in the city of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

and the city of

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

Background

In 1974, "Big Willie" Robinson and his wife Tomiko, opened the drag strip which hosted mile drag racing. It opened on an old Navy airfield paying $1,000 per month to lease the facility. Willie opened Brotherhood Raceway Park with the motto "Run Watcha Brung," to promote the idea that all people from around Los Angeles were welcome. Over the course of 20 years, Willie fought with the LA Harbor Commission in order to keep Brotherhood Raceway Park open. According to the Brotherhood, the track would open and close 11 times during this fight. The track would lose and regain the temporary lease several times but would permanently close in 1995, displaced by a coal-handling plant.

Closing of the Racetrack

The LA harbor collected an incident report of at least eight incidents between November and January 1995 which suggested safety issues with the racetrack. Unprofessional management of the racetrack lost the interest of the LAPD and LAFD who facilitated the racetrack. Willie's 20-year connection with Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley was lost in 1993. Publisher of the LA Times Ottis Chandler was one of the racetrack's largest advocates in local press, also seen in Ottis's letter endorsements of Big Willie following Richard Riordan's Mayoral victory in 1993. Riordan approved the renewal of the racetrack's permit in 1993. The track was closed for a final time in 1995.

Today

Subsequent attempts to revive racing on the Terminal Island site, particularly when the coal facility closed, have not been successful. The Red Bull Global RallyCross event in 2014 took place on the same piece of land as Brotherhood raceway park. The area is now considered berths 45-49 in the outer harbor and was the host of the 2014 and 2015 racing event. The area of the racetrack is an open leasable space called "outer harbor" which hosts concerts and special events.

Film and television

The drag strip was featured in a 1995 episode of ''Visiting with

Huell Howser Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing ''California's Gold'' and his human interest sh ...

''. Willie made connections to famous figures in Hollywood in order to spread his influence. Prominent people like Arthur Newman, Paul Newman's brother, and Barry Meguiar, the host of ''Car Crazy'' could be seen wearing Brotherhood jackets or vests. Filmmakers from the street racing film ''

Two-Lane Blacktop ''Two-Lane Blacktop'' is a 1971 American road movie directed by Monte Hellman, written by Rudy Wurlitzer and starring songwriter James Taylor, the Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson, Warren Oates, and Laurie Bird. Plot Two street racers, the Dri ...

'', released in 1971, also received Brotherhood clothing. Although the movie was not a box office success, it spread the influence of street racing and the Brotherhood.

Notable Events

Star Wars Race Day 1977

At the height of Star War's popularity in 1977, "Big Willie" Robinson organized a drag racing event themed around the film franchise.

Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is a business segment of The Walt Disney Company. The studio is best known for creating and producing the ''Star Wars'' and ' ...

, the production company behind the film, supported and provided the rights to the characters in the events. While working on the street-racing movie, ''Two-Lane Blacktop'', Willie became friends with producer Gary Kurtz. Kurtz, who produced on the set of Star Wars, allowed Willie to use the characters at the racetrack. Many notable figures from around Los Angeles came to see the drag race. Mayor Tom Bradley, Councilman Robert Farrell, and Tookie Williams were found in attendance.

Star Wars Race Day 1980

After the release of ''The Empire Strikes Back'', Willie organized a second "Star Wars" race day in 1980. Notable characters including Darth Vader and Boba Fett shared the drag strip with Willie.

Bibliography

* Coonce, Cole (May 4, 2010). Sex & Travel & Vestiges of Metallic Fragments (1st ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 9781452802138. * Miller, Daniel (2019-07-16). "Big Willie Robinson's wild Hollywood ride: 'Star Wars,' 'Fast & Furious' and Paul Newman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-03-22. * Townsend, Sylvia. ''Bumpy Road : The Making, Flop, and Revival of Two-Lane Blacktop''. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2019 * https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6183643-L-A-Harbor-Department-files-reveal-tension-with.html

Notes

References

{{Reflist Defunct motorsport venues in the United States Defunct sports venues in California Defunct drag racing venues 1974 establishments in California 1995 disestablishments in California