It would be impossible to grow up in the City of Corona without being affected by the strong motorsports influence that pervades the town. No, Corona is nothing like Daytona, Indianapolis or Monterey. But, for a small town, it has a surprisingly rich motorsports heritage. The earliest roots are steeped in Corona's stage as the site of the Corona 300-mile Road Race in the early 1900's. Grand Avenue, which at one time circumscribed the entire town, was the 3-mile track that hosted such legends as Earl Cooper and Terrible Teddy Tetzlaff. The town has grown quite a bit since the early 1900's, but Grand Avenue remains.
The WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, shown below, even ran the race:
The race ran several years, from 1913 to 1916.
After a few high-profile fatalities, because of Grand Avenue's unbanked curves, the race was eventually moved to an alternate location. The April 8, 1916, New York Times quotes, "Bob Burman of Detroit, noted automobile racer; his mechanician, Eric Schroeder of Chicago, and a track guard are dead tonight as a result of the overturning of Burman's car in the Corona road race here today. Five spectators were injured, several seriously."
Because the track was dirt, drivers were required to wear masks that funneled filtered air:
Amazingly, some drivers were able to make the 300 mile race without a single stop:
Riverside International Raceway, in operation from 1957 until 1989, was home to several classic showdowns involving such drivers as AJ Foyt, Ken Miles, Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, and was also the place Carroll Shelby chose for the first test drives of the 1965 Shelby GT 350. It was just a few miles down the road from Corona:
Several scenes from the Steve McQueen film Grand Prix were shot at the Riverside Raceway:
There was also the "Corona Raceway": home to a tight 1/4 mile dirt track, a 1/2 mile dirt track, a figure 8 dirt track, and an off road coarse that went throughout the whole place. The raceway closed in the mid-1980's.
Corona is also the home to several motorsports companies, such as Pro Circuit Racing, Eibach Springs, Troy Lee Designs, Barry's Speed Shop, West Coast Customs, Gibson Exhaust, and Monster Energy Race Team just to name a few. In addition, the Auto Club Speedway, host to several Nascar and other motorsports events, and the Pomona Raceway, are just a few miles down the road, in Fontana and Pomona, respectively.
The question I am asked most often is: "Why did you choose the name Black Market Motors for your shop? It sounds sinister...like it's a place you shouldn't be..." My usual answer is: "You are right...it is a place you shouldn't be, so take a hike and don't let the door hit your ass on the way out." I say that because people who have to ask that question will never get it, so why take the time explaining it?
Builders of performance vehicles were once treated as outlaws-deviants who preferred to spend their days tucked in engine compartments, inventing new ways to increase horsepower and speed. They were a misunderstood few who chose to follow their inner-calling, rising and falling each day with dreams of performance. They were proud of their ability to design, build and race their own vehicles, and honed their skills in the black markets and underground forums of America-places where they were revered for their talents. 
Today, these men have been obscured by builders who prefer to spend the majority of time concentrating their focus on form, to the detriment of function. You have seen their work. They believe the quality of a vehicle is measured by the amount of chrome under its hood and the size of its rims. They will never see what we see.
Black Market Motors was my reaction to these influences that I believe threaten the very foundation of true performance vehicle fabrication. Welcome to my symphony. It's a place for the outlaws, the miscreants and misunderstood builders of yore. Welcome to the glory days. Where Black Market Motors regin king!
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