What dry lake in California was a popular early hot rod racing site?

The dry lake in California that became a popular early hot-rod racing site was Muroc Dry Lake.

Muroc lies in California’s Mojave Desert, northeast of Los Angeles. Its broad, exceptionally hard surface gave early racers a long, level course for testing modified cars. Before purpose-built drag strips became common, Southern California enthusiasts took lightweight Ford-based cars to dry lake beds to measure speed in timed runs.

The Southern California Timing Association, formed in 1937, held its first official speed-trials meet at Muroc in May 1938. Clubs organized the racing more formally, establishing timing procedures and speed classes while builders experimented with engines, aerodynamics, gearing, and chassis setup. World War II interrupted the activity when the area became associated with military flight testing.

El Mirage Dry Lake was also an important hot-rodding venue, which can cause confusion. Bonneville Salt Flats, in Utah, became especially famous later for land-speed records, while Daytona Beach was an earlier beach-racing site in Florida. Muroc is now commonly known as Rogers Dry Lake and lies within Edwards Air Force Base.