Canfield Speedway facts for kids
| Canfield Fairgrounds Speedway | |
|---|---|
| Location | Canfield Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, at 7265 Columbiana-Canfield Road, Canfield Fairgrounds, Ohio 44406 |
| Time zone | GMT-5 |
| Capacity | 40,000+ |
| Owner | The Mahoning County Agricultural Society |
| Operator | The Canfield Fairgrounds |
| Broke ground | 194? |
| Opened | 1949 |
| Closed | 1973 to autos |
| Construction cost | ? |
| Architect | Mahoning County Agricultural Society |
| Former names | Canfield Fairgrounds Speedway |
| Major events | NASCAR Grand National Series The Poor Man's 500 |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | .5 mi (.805 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | 15° Turns 8° Front Stretch 12° Back straightaway |
| Race lap record | (Bill Rexford, Julian Buesink, 1951, NASCAR Grand National Series) |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | .25 mi (.4025 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | 5° in turns 0° in straights |
| Race lap record | (Iggy Katona, Iggy Katona, 1951, NASCAR Short Track Series) |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | .25 mi (.4025 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
| Banking | 8° in turns 5° in straights |
| Race lap record | (Mike Klapak, Mike Klapak, 1964, ARCA) |
| Oval | |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Length | .5 mi (.805 km) |
| Turns | 10° in turns 5° in straights |
| Race lap record | (Harold Smith, Harold Smith, 1961, ARCA) |
Canfield Speedway was a famous dirt oval racetrack in Canfield, Ohio. It was a popular spot for car racing from 1950 to 1973. The track was located at the Canfield Fairgrounds. It is still used today, mainly during the Canfield Fair.
The speedway had two main racing tracks. One was a half-mile (0.8 km) dirt oval. The other was a quarter-mile (0.4 km) dirt track. Both tracks shared the same front straightaway. Big events at the speedway could attract over 30,000 fans!
Contents
History of Canfield Speedway
Car racing at Canfield Speedway was first promoted by Charlie Findlay. Later, his nephew George C. Findlay took over in the early 1960s. Charlie Findlay had strong connections with the Midwest Association of Racing Cars (MARC). This made Canfield Speedway a very important track for MARC races.
In 1964, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) took over MARC. This happened as dirt tracks became less popular for major races.
Exciting Races at Canfield
Canfield Speedway hosted many exciting races. The biggest races were part of the NASCAR Grand National Series. These races took place for three years, from 1950 to 1952. Each year, one major NASCAR event was held.
Other racing groups also competed here. These included the NASCAR Short Track series, ARCA, and USAC.
Race Lengths
- NASCAR Grand National races were 200 laps long. This covered a distance of 100 miles (160 km) on the half-mile track.
- NASCAR Short Track races were 100 laps. They were held on the quarter-mile track, covering 25 miles (40 km).
- ARCA races varied in length. They could be 100 laps on the quarter-mile track. Or they could be 200, 250, or 300 laps on the half-mile track.
- Both USAC races were 100 laps on the quarter-mile track.
Some races used a special "inverted start." This meant the fastest qualifier started last!
Speed Records
Cars at Canfield Speedway were very fast!
- On the half-mile track, the quickest laps were under 24 seconds. Cars averaged about 60 mph (97 km/h).
- On the quarter-mile track, the fastest laps were under 16 seconds. Cars averaged around 55 mph (89 km/h).
For NASCAR races:
- The record for starting from the front (pole position) was 54.233 mph (87.280 km/h).
- The record for the fastest race average speed was 48.057 mph, taking 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 51 seconds.
The closest finish ever was by only 4 feet (1.2 m)! The biggest winning gap was 3 laps.
NASCAR Sanctioned Events
Here are the winners of the major NASCAR races held at Canfield Speedway:
| Date | Event Name | Series | Race Winner | Pole |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 30, 1950 | (none) | NASCAR Grand National | Bill Rexford | Jimmy Florian |
| May 30, 1951 | Poor Man's 500 | NASCAR Grand National Series | Marshall Teague | Bill Rexford |
| September 27, 1951 | ----- | NASCAR Short Track | Lloyd Moore | Iggy Katona |
| May 30, 1952 | Poor Man's 500 | NASCAR Grand National | Herb Thomas | Dick Rathmann |
ARCA & USAC Race Winners
Many other exciting races were held at Canfield Speedway by ARCA and USAC. Here are some of the winners:
| Date | Series | Winner |
|---|---|---|
| May 30, 1953 | ARCA Stock Car | Jim Romine |
| August 8, 1953 | ARCA Stock Car | Jim Romine |
| May 31, 1954 | ARCA Stock Car | Buckie Sager |
| June 26, 1954 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob Pronger |
| July 17, 1954 | ARCA Stock Car | Don Oldenberg |
| August 7, 1954 | ARCA Stock Car | Russ Hepler |
| April 23, 1955 | ARCA Stock Car | Jim Romine |
| May 30, 1955 | ARCA Stock Car | Jim Romine |
| June 25, 1955 | ARCA Stock Car | Russ Hepler |
| July 30, 1955 | ARCA Stock Car | Bill Lutz |
| August 20, 1955 | ARCA Stock Car | Jim Romine |
| September 17, 1955 | ARCA Stock Car | Mike Klapak |
| October 1, 1955 | ARCA Stock Car | Jim Romine |
| May 30, 1956 | ARCA Stock Car | Darel Dieringer |
| June 23, 1956 | ARCA Stock Car | Russ Hepler |
| July 14, 1956 | ARCA Stock Car | Jack Farris |
| August 11, 1956 | ARCA Stock Car | Jim Romine |
| September 22, 1956 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob James |
| April 20, 1957 | ARCA Stock Car | Jack Farris |
| April 27, 1957 | ARCA Stock Car | Iggy Katona |
| May 30, 1957 | ARCA Stock Car | Jack Farris |
| July 4, 1957 | ARCA Stock Car | Jack Farris |
| July 27, 1957 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob James |
| August 17, 1957 | ARCA Stock Car | Nelson Stacy |
| September 21, 1957 | ARCA Stock Car | Roy Gemberling |
| April 26, 1958 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob James |
| May 30, 1958 | ARCA Stock Car | Les Snow |
| June 24, 1958 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob James |
| July 4, 1958 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob James |
| April 25, 1959 | ARCA Stock Car | Nelson Stacy |
| May 30, 1959 | ARCA Stock Car | Don White |
| July 4, 1959 | ARCA Stock Car | Bill Forney |
| August 1, 1959 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob James |
| August 14, 1959 | USAC Midget | Eddie Johnson |
| September 26, 1959 | ARCA Stock Car | Bob James |
| July 2, 1960 | ARCA Stock Car | Paul Parks |
| July 30, 1960 | ARCA Stock Car | Nelson Stacy |
| August 3, 1960 | USAC Midget | Bob McLean |
| September 18, 1960 | ARCA Stock Car | Nelson Stacy |
| May 30, 1961 | ARCA Stock Car | Harold Smith |
| September 17, 1961 | ARCA Stock Car | Kenny Reeder |
| April 21, 1962 | ARCA Stock Car | Dick Freeman |
| May 30, 1962 | ARCA Stock Car | Harold Smith |
| May 30, 1963 | ARCA Stock Car | Jack Bowsher |
| May 29, 1964 | ARCA Stock Car | Earl Balmer |
Bill Rexford: A Champion at Canfield
Bill Rexford won the very first major race at Canfield Speedway in 1950. This race later became known as the "Poor Man's 500." That same year, Bill Rexford went on to win the Grand National Championship. This championship is now called the NASCAR Cup Series.
He was the youngest driver ever to win this championship! Bill Rexford's only career win where he finished on the same lap as the leader was at Canfield Speedway. He also earned his only career pole position (starting from the very front) at Canfield in 1951.
Bill Rexford was one of only six drivers to win a championship without winning a pole position in that same season. He is also one of four drivers to win a championship with only one race win that season.
