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What: “Where They Raced: Lap 2”

Author: Harold Osmer

Price: $28, postpaid

Publisher: Harold Osmer Publishing,

P.O. Box 4741, Chatsworth, CA 91313.

What started as Harold Osmer’s master’s thesis for an arts and geography degree at Cal State Northridge has grown into a second edition, reflecting the century-long history of auto racing in Southern California.

When Osmer wrote and published his original “Where They Raced” in 1996, it not only surprised a lot of enthusiasts who had no idea how many racing facilities had come and gone around Los Angeles, it also brought cries of, “How about us?” from folks in Ventura, Kern and San Diego counties who wanted their history remembered too.

So Osmer brought out a new, expanded version of his original book, listing the sites of 172 racing venues from Bakersfield and Ventura to the Mexican border. An added bonus is the addition of 127 photographs of such long gone sites as the Beverly Hills board track, the Mines Field (now LAX) road course, San Diego’s Balboa Stadium and Riverside International Raceway.

He also included information on five new facilities--California Speedway in Fontana, Perris Auto Speedway, Irwindale Speedway, Temecula Speedway and the L.A. Grand Prix street race site in Exposition Park, that were not in existence five years ago.

As Chris Economaki, the octogenarian editor of National Speed Sport News, wrote, “This book is great news for auto racing buffs.” Especially those in Southern California.