Canfield Speedway

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Motorsport track in Ohio, United States

title: "Canfield Speedway" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["buildings-and-structures-in-mahoning-county,-ohio", "motorsport-venues-in-ohio", "nascar-tracks", "tourist-attractions-in-mahoning-county,-ohio"] description: "Motorsport track in Ohio, United States" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canfield_Speedway" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Motorsport track in Ohio, United States ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox motorsport venue"]

FieldValue
nameCanfield Speedway
nicknamesCanfield Fairgrounds Speedway
locationCanfield Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, at 7265 Columbiana-Canfield Road, Canfield Fairgrounds, Ohio 44406
image_captionImage ©2011 Google Imagery & USDA
capacity40,000+
ownerThe Mahoning County Agricultural Society
operatorThe Canfield Fairgrounds
broke_ground194?
opened1949
closed1973 to autos
construction_cost$?
architectMahoning County Agricultural Society
former_namesCanfield Fairgrounds Speedway
eventsNASCAR Grand National Series The Poor Man's 500
miles_firstTrue
layoutOval
surfaceDirt
length_km.805
length_mi.5
turns4
banking15° Turns
8° Front Stretch
12° Back straightaway
record_time58.102mph (time N/A)
record_driverBill Rexford
record_carJulian Buesink
record_year1951
record_classNASCAR Grand National Series
layout2Oval
surface2Dirt
length2_km.4025
length2_mi.25
turns24
banking25° in turns
0° in straights
record_time20:15.210
record_driver2Iggy Katona
record_car2Iggy Katona
record_year21951
record_class2NASCAR Short Track Series
layout3Oval
surface3Asphalt
length3_km.4025
length3_mi.25
turns34
banking38° in turns
5° in straights
record_time30:14.046
record_driver3Mike Klapak
record_car3Mike Klapak
record_year31964
record_class3ARCA
layout4Oval
surface4Dirt
length4_km.805
length4_mi.5
turns44
banking410° in turns
5° in straights
record_time40:14.046
record_driver4Harold Smith
record_car4Harold Smith
record_year41961
record_class4ARCA
::

| name = Canfield Speedway | nicknames = Canfield Fairgrounds Speedway | location = Canfield Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, at 7265 Columbiana-Canfield Road, Canfield Fairgrounds, Ohio 44406 | image = | image_caption = Image ©2011 Google Imagery & USDA | 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 | events = NASCAR Grand National Series The Poor Man's 500 | miles_first = True | layout = Oval | surface = Dirt | length_km = .805 | length_mi = .5 | turns = 4 | banking = 15° Turns 8° Front Stretch 12° Back straightaway | record_time = 58.102mph (time N/A) | record_driver = Bill Rexford | record_car = Julian Buesink | record_year = 1951 | record_class = NASCAR Grand National Series | layout2 = Oval | surface2 = Dirt | length2_km = .4025 | length2_mi = .25 | turns2 = 4 | banking2 = 5° in turns 0° in straights | record_time2 = 0:15.210 | record_driver2 = Iggy Katona | record_car2 = Iggy Katona | record_year2 = 1951 | record_class2 = NASCAR Short Track Series | layout3 = Oval | surface3 = Asphalt | length3_km = .4025 | length3_mi = .25 | turns3 = 4 | banking3 = 8° in turns 5° in straights | record_time3 = 0:14.046 | record_driver3 = Mike Klapak | record_car3 = Mike Klapak | record_year3 = 1964 | record_class3 = ARCA | layout4 = Oval | surface4 = Dirt | length4_km = .805 | length4_mi = .5 | turns4 = 4 | banking4 = 10° in turns 5° in straights | record_time4 = 0:14.046 | record_driver4 = Harold Smith | record_car4 = Harold Smith | record_year4 = 1961 | record_class4 = ARCA 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 mi long. The Short Track Race was 100 laps and the track was 1/4-mile long making the race 25 mi. 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 mi/h around the speedway on the half mile configuration. On the quarter mile quick time was under 16 seconds and cars averaged 55 mi/h. The NASCAR pole record is 54.233 mi/h and the race record is 48.057 mph 2:04:51. The record for cautions is 4 and smallest margin of victory 4 ft and the largest 3 laps. The largest purse was $4350 and the most lead changes was 2.

Table of NASCAR Sanctioned Events

::data[format=table]

DateEvent nameSeriesRace winnerPole
May 30, 1950(none)NASCAR Grand NationalBill RexfordJimmy Florian
May 30, 1951Poor Man's 500NASCAR Grand National SeriesMarshall TeagueBill Rexford
September 27, 1951-----NASCAR Short TrackLloyd MooreIggy Katona
May 30, 1952Poor Man's 500NASCAR Grand NationalHerb ThomasDick Rathmann
::

Table of ARCA & USAC Events

::data[format=table]

DateSeriesWinner
May 30, 1953ARCA Stock CarJim Romine
August 8, 1953ARCA Stock CarJim Romine
May 31, 1954ARCA Stock CarBuckie Sager
June 26, 1954ARCA Stock CarBob Pronger
July 17, 1954ARCA Stock CarDon Oldenberg
August 7, 1954ARCA Stock CarRuss Hepler
April 23, 1955ARCA Stock CarJim Romine
May 30, 1955ARCA Stock CarJim Romine
June 25, 1955ARCA Stock CarRuss Hepler
July 30, 1955ARCA Stock CarBill Lutz
August 20, 1955ARCA Stock CarJim Romine
September 17, 1955ARCA Stock CarMike Klapak
October 1, 1955ARCA Stock CarJim Romine
May 30, 1956ARCA Stock CarDarel Dieringer
June 23, 1956ARCA Stock CarRuss Hepler
July 14, 1956ARCA Stock CarJack Farris
August 11, 1956ARCA Stock CarJim Romine
September 22, 1956ARCA Stock CarBob James
April 20, 1957ARCA Stock CarJack Farris
April 27, 1957ARCA Stock CarIggy Katona
May 30, 1957ARCA Stock CarJack Farris
July 4, 1957ARCA Stock CarJack Farris
July 27, 1957ARCA Stock CarBob James
August 17, 1957ARCA Stock CarNelson Stacy
September 21, 1957ARCA Stock CarRoy Gemberling
April 26, 1958ARCA Stock CarBob James
May 30, 1958ARCA Stock CarLes Snow
June 24, 1958ARCA Stock CarBob James
July 4, 1958ARCA Stock CarBob James
April 25, 1959ARCA Stock CarNelson Stacy
May 30, 1959ARCA Stock CarDon White
July 4, 1959ARCA Stock CarBill Forney
August 1, 1959ARCA Stock CarBob James
August 14, 1959USAC MidgetEddie Johnson
September 26, 1959ARCA Stock CarBob James
July 2, 1960ARCA Stock CarPaul Parks
July 30, 1960ARCA Stock CarNelson Stacy
August 3, 1960USAC MidgetBob McLean
September 18, 1960ARCA Stock CarNelson Stacy
May 30, 1961ARCA Stock CarHarold Smith
September 17, 1961ARCA Stock CarKenny Reeder
April 21, 1962ARCA Stock CarDick Freeman
May 30, 1962ARCA Stock CarHarold Smith
May 30, 1963ARCA Stock CarJack Bowsher
May 29, 1964ARCA Stock CarEarl Balmer
::

1950 Race #5 Top 5 Results for First Race

::data[format=table]

5. Bill Blair195$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.

References

References

  1. "Canfield Speedway".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

buildings-and-structures-in-mahoning-county,-ohiomotorsport-venues-in-ohionascar-trackstourist-attractions-in-mahoning-county,-ohio