149 replies to this topic

[Wing_Nut]

It is my recall that Tom Merryman has the track record, I believe it was 16.16. That is flying. I guess the car had no interior and no gauges. They wanted it as light as can be. Keep in mind they were open late models. They could run aluminum big blocks. Super fast and great racing!!!. Both Asphalt and Dirt have their qualities. I prefer asphalt but love the dirt too. Have done both.

[BaconBits]

This is a first for me to post on any of the racing forums. I left that up to my brother. People that that know my login name will know who i am. I have flagged for over 25 years and several tracks. The rest of you will know who i am after reading this post.

This thread is driving me nuts! there are some true race fans on here and there are some (no disrespect) on here that don't have a clue about racing.

Here is some history about Clearfield Speedway (it will always be named that in my mind):

I have flagged there when it was the original dirt track, i flagged there when they first paved it in the mid to late 80's, I flagged it when it went back to dirt. I flagged the Nascar north race, and the Nascar modifieds. The years I didn't flag there I was across the hill at Hidden/Gamblers.

Now to set the records straight the fastest laps on the asphalt was a DIRT Late model, not sure who held the record, but they were turning in the high 16's. SCARY FAST! Actually looking back, those guys were crazy. Fortunately no one got seriously hurt.

Dirt late models on the big dirt track were in the high 19's most in the 20's. Any new driver that came there said the same thing: This track is FAST!

The "small" dirt track was actually a faster track (in comparison) the way it was configured. The first surface (the gray surface) was not a fast surface, extremely dusty, and it took you all day sunday to wash that stuff off your cars. Then the track got some decent clay put it, and the track came to life. the track was very fast from the exit of turn 2 to the entrance into to turn 1.

Yes, Bloomer made $10,000 the night he won there. $5000 for the win and $5000 to pull in the pits. Clanton and Chub got some juice to come as well. Clanton put on a show that night too. Call it what you want, but the money spent to bring talent in, turned out to be a great promotional move. They took a $1 bill and turned into a $10 bill after that.

I've been to hundreds of races and tracks over the years. Thanks Jim R.I.P. I have to say it was always nice to come home and see a race at Clearfield, still one of the best tracks in the country for viewing. Not a bad set in the house! Unless you get drunk and passout on the hill.

Having the best seat in the house, you get to see the racing in a whole different world. From my view it didn't matter if it was dirt or asphalt. The imporant thing was that every car that came on the track to entertain everyone on here, drove back into the pits and got loaded up safetly. No emergancy equipment was needed. Now that's a great night of racing!

Whoever posted about Pauch in the sprint car at the moody mile is correct. As for the late models there, they all had to reinforce the bodies, because they were sucking in down the straightaways. But thats not the fastest track that a late model went. I was at a NDRA event in the mid 80's at Nazereth Speedway, a tri-oval dirt track. Jeff Purvis's parents would not let Jeff race because the speeds were too dangerous. If i recall they were in the mid 150's.

Sorry to say, but whoever posted about Hesston really needs to understand the only thing going 150 mph there is a hummingbird's wings and heart! It is more of a dragrace type of small dirt track. Now a fast short track is Tyler Co. Good cars don't hardly lift there, and still not close to 100 mph.

Someone posted about the WoO sprint drivers at Clearfield that night, it was Danny Lasoski, and Tim Shaffer. They drove street stocks that night, and said they would love to get the big wings on this track. The next year Shaffer did, and the "Dude" put on a great show that night in the SS.

Bottom line if you like dirt racing go to a dirt track. If you like asphalt racing go to an asphalt track. Enjoy the racing, an evening out, not working, in company with friends and other race fans. What more could you ask for?

It would have been the early 80's at Nazareth National for it to still be a dirt track. And yes, it was silly fast. Doug Hoffman once told me it was way scarier there than Syracuse ever was.

[racer111]

Great post...I agree with it 100%...hopefully this will end the thread until the next race at Clearfield Speedway...it will always be Clearfield Speedway to me also, as Gamblers will always be Gamblers... Oh and by the way I totally understand what average lap speed and times are for a race...I didn't under stand the post before it... Now I'm going to go racing as a crew member on a real race car at a real race track... Bye!!!.

[SpeedyGonzales]

Beat me to the punch there Wing Nut......I also remember him taking out the flag stand one night too!!!! ahhh the good ole days!!!

[D1RT]

Those two pics are awesome. He could fly in anything.

It's a shame he broke his back in that racing accident. Would have loved to see how far his racing career took him.
Steve Peles was always one of my favorites on both dirt and asphalt.
Use to love it when he would race at Lernerville on Friday night and put on the asphalt tires change the set up and smoke them at Clearfield when they first went asphalt with the old Bullitt Chassis dirt car.

[Fwig]

Good call on R.T. I was thinking it was but wasn't 100% sure. When Tom took out the flagstand, that was on dirt. When Tom raced, he went at it 100%! I couldn't remember what year it was at Nazereth, but I remember meeting Mario there, and how scary it was seeing the cars entering turn one. Good 'ol days is right! One thing the young peeps on here don't know that Dave Shrock, and Clate Husted were one of the originals to start traveling to big dirt shows across the country. They were the some of the first guys to run the big "thumper" right rear tire (Firestone). Dave going to Iowa with those big tires and lapping the field in a 100 lap race. There is a alot of late model tradition to come from this speedway.

[D1RT]

Good call on R.T. I was thinking it was but wasn't 100% sure. When Tom took out the flagstand, that was on dirt. When Tom raced, he went at it 100%!

I couldn't remember what year it was at Nazereth, but I remember meeting Mario there, and how scary it was seeing the cars entering turn one.

Good 'ol days is right! One thing the young peeps on here don't know that Dave Shrock, and Clate Husted were one of the originals to start traveling to big dirt shows across the country. They were the some of the first guys to run the big "thumper" right rear tire (Firestone). Dave going to Iowa with those big tires and lapping the field in a 100 lap race.

There is a alot of late model tradition to come from this speedway.

Clate Husted 1970 winner of the Hillbilly 100 at Pennsboro Speedway.

[racer111]

It is my recall that Tom Merryman has the track record, I believe it was 16.16. That is flying. I guess the car had no interior and no gauges. They wanted it as light as can be. Keep in mind they were open late models. They could run aluminum big blocks. Super fast and great racing!!!.

Both Asphalt and Dirt have their qualities. I prefer asphalt but love the dirt too. Have done both.

You are pretty close but everyone is forgetting when the asphalt sprints were there...I was reminded of this last night on the way home, they were turning high 13's into the low 14's I believe...I am pretty sure that's the track record...I think maybe they were only there once and everybody sort of forgets how fast they actually were...

[ramey36]

I remember those cars. Yes, they were flying. Not sure of the exact lap times.

[racerxcrewchief]

This is a first for me to post on any of the racing forums. I left that up to my brother. People that that know my login name will know who i am. I have flagged for over 25 years and several tracks. The rest of you will know who i am after reading this post.

This thread is driving me nuts! there are some true race fans on here and there are some (no disrespect) on here that don't have a clue about racing.

Here is some history about Clearfield Speedway (it will always be named that in my mind):

I have flagged there when it was the original dirt track, i flagged there when they first paved it in the mid to late 80's, I flagged it when it went back to dirt. I flagged the Nascar north race, and the Nascar modifieds. The years I didn't flag there I was across the hill at Hidden/Gamblers.

Now to set the records straight the fastest laps on the asphalt was a DIRT Late model, not sure who held the record, but they were turning in the high 16's. SCARY FAST! Actually looking back, those guys were crazy. Fortunately no one got seriously hurt.

Dirt late models on the big dirt track were in the high 19's most in the 20's. Any new driver that came there said the same thing: This track is FAST!

The "small" dirt track was actually a faster track (in comparison) the way it was configured. The first surface (the gray surface) was not a fast surface, extremely dusty, and it took you all day sunday to wash that stuff off your cars. Then the track got some decent clay put it, and the track came to life. the track was very fast from the exit of turn 2 to the entrance into to turn 1.

Yes, Bloomer made $10,000 the night he won there. $5000 for the win and $5000 to pull in the pits. Clanton and Chub got some juice to come as well. Clanton put on a show that night too. Call it what you want, but the money spent to bring talent in, turned out to be a great promotional move. They took a $1 bill and turned into a $10 bill after that.

I've been to hundreds of races and tracks over the years. Thanks Jim R.I.P. I have to say it was always nice to come home and see a race at Clearfield, still one of the best tracks in the country for viewing. Not a bad set in the house! Unless you get drunk and passout on the hill.

Having the best seat in the house, you get to see the racing in a whole different world. From my view it didn't matter if it was dirt or asphalt. The imporant thing was that every car that came on the track to entertain everyone on here, drove back into the pits and got loaded up safetly. No emergancy equipment was needed. Now that's a great night of racing!

Whoever posted about Pauch in the sprint car at the moody mile is correct. As for the late models there, they all had to reinforce the bodies, because they were sucking in down the straightaways. But thats not the fastest track that a late model went. I was at a NDRA event in the mid 80's at Nazereth Speedway, a tri-oval dirt track. Jeff Purvis's parents would not let Jeff race because the speeds were too dangerous. If i recall they were in the mid 150's.

Sorry to say, but whoever posted about Hesston really needs to understand the only thing going 150 mph there is a hummingbird's wings and heart! It is more of a dragrace type of small dirt track. Now a fast short track is Tyler Co. Good cars don't hardly lift there, and still not close to 100 mph.

Someone posted about the WoO sprint drivers at Clearfield that night, it was Danny Lasoski, and Tim Shaffer. They drove street stocks that night, and said they would love to get the big wings on this track. The next year Shaffer did, and the "Dude" put on a great show that night in the SS.

Bottom line if you like dirt racing go to a dirt track. If you like asphalt racing go to an asphalt track. Enjoy the racing, an evening out, not working, in company with friends and other race fans. What more could you ask for?

Nice and well written.