# Canfield Speedway

Canfield Speedway is a half mile dirt oval racetrack that hosted (major) sanctioned auto racing from 1950 to 1964, but other associations ran until the late 1970s. There was also a 1/4 mile dirt racing surface that shared the front stretch with the 1/2 mile track. It was used until the track was closed to auto racing in 1973. Attendance varied from 30,000 people for larger events to 10,000 people for ones of less significance. The track is located at the Canfield Fairgrounds in Canfield, Ohio, and is still in use today, primarily during the Canfield Fair.

## History

The original promoter of auto racing in Canfield was Charlie Findlay and then his nephew George C. Findlay in the early 1960s. It was Charlie that had close ties with Johnny Marcum, (MARC) Midwest Association of Racing Cars and Canfield Speedway was the priority track. In 1964 ARCA took over MARC as the desire for dirt tracks died out.

## Races

It was on the NASCAR Grand National Schedule for three years from 1950 to 1952 hosting one event annually over that time period. The NASCAR Grand National and Short Track series competed there as well as ARCA and USAC. The Grand National events were 200 laps and 100 miles (160 km) long. The Short Track Race was 100 laps and the track was 1/4-mile long making the race 25 miles (40 km). The ARCA races were either 100 laps on the 1/4-mile or 200, 250, or 300 laps on the 1/2-mile as the track had two different configurations. Some of the events used the inverted start with the pole qualifier starting last. Both USAC races were 100 laps on the quarter mile configuration.

## Records

The quickest laps recorded in sanctioned events were just under the 24 second mark with cars averaging 60 mph (97 km/h) around the speedway on the half mile configuration. On the quarter mile quick time was under 16 seconds and cars averaged 55 mph (89 km/h). The NASCAR pole record is 54.233 mph (87.280 km/h) and the race record is 48.057 mph 2:04:51. The record for cautions is 4 and smallest margin of victory 4 feet (1.2 m) and the largest 3 laps. The largest purse was $4350 and the most lead changes was 2.

## Table of NASCAR Sanctioned Events

| 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 |

## Table of ARCA & USAC Events

| 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 |

## 1950 Race #5 Top 5 Results for First Race

| 1. Bill Rexford | 200 Laps | $1,470 |
| 2. Glenn Dunaway | 198 | $750 |
| 3. Lloyd Moore | 198 | $500 |
| 4. Lee Petty | 195 | $400 |
| 5. Bill Blair | 195 | $300 |

## Bill Rexford

Bill Rexford won the inaugural event (later known as the Poor Man's 500) and went on to take the Grand National Championship that year in 1950. He was the youngest diver to win the championship in what is now the NASCAR Cup Series. He was aided to the championship when Lee Petty was stripped of some points for racing in non-NASCAR sanctioned events. His only lead lap finish in his career was at Canfield Speedway (when he won). His only career pole came at Canfield Speedway the following year in 1951. He was the 1st of 6 drivers to win a championship without winning a pole in that season. He is 1 of 4 drivers to win a championship with only 1 win that season (nobody has won with 0 wins). In the three grand national races only 4 cars combined finished on the lead lap.