Lion dromes and motor dromes

Another contributor to the demise of board tracks was the expensive upkeep. Tracks needed new 2x4 boards every five years. During the last decade of board tracks, carpenters would repair the track from below after the cars raced down the straightaways at 120 miles per hour. A further factor was that as speeds rose, overtaking became increasingly difficult; as long as it held together, the fastest car would almost always win the race. This led to spectators turning their attention to the less-predictable racing taking place on dirt tracks.

The motor drome is an evolution of the old racing board tracks of the early 1900s. When the board tracks were finally outlawed, riders found a way to incorporate the thrilling 90 degree turns into the circle of the motor drome. The Motordrome or Wall of Death or Thrill Arena as it is more commonly known is a 30-foot movable circle made of Douglas fir. It is 15 to 16 feet tall and looks like an old-fashioned wooden silo. Inside that wooden bowl, motorcycle riders seem to defy the laws of gravity. They ride a couple of loops around the arena until they build up enough speed to make their bikes cling to the wall. A steel cable at the top of the barrel keeps the riders from flying out into the spectators. At one time 30 to 40 motor dromes attractions traveled the U.S. in carnival shows. Some called lion dromes, the performers found unique ways to incorporate the large cats into their acts by either having lions chasing and swatting at them as they rode by, or putting young lions into side cars of go carts.