Clearview Speedway was never a track I paid much attention to. I was very active in researching tracks all over
Clearview's immediate vicinity and I was completely aware of its existence; but, I incorrectly assumed it was a rather brief flash - in
- the - pan kind of track. This was not very accurate, as the Westerlo, NY - based venue had enjoyed a history well before the earlier
1950's years that were all I knew anything about.
Westerlo is located very well, for the evelopment of interest in a race track back in the earlier years. It was south of Albany,
Schenectady, and Troy. It was also farther south of the important locations such as Fonda, Morris, and so forth - close enough to
affect and be affected by them. Coeymans Hollow, a locale for a number of earlier racing starts in New York was just to the
east.
The first news clippings that cover Clearview Speedway are from the middle 1930's. At that time, there were no stock cars;
the track ran open wheel racing such a "big cars" and midgets. 1935 to 1937 seem to be the main years for Clearview. The names
which appeared in the articles were largely not household names. The great Lee Wallard, an Altamont, NY native who won an
Indiannapolis 500 did race there at least once. Jerri Burke and Ted Reno seemed to be two of the more consistent runners there
in the mid '30's.
For reasons which almost certainly included World War II, the track seemed to fade out in the late 1930's and did not resurface
until 1950, when the roadsters, hot rods, and stock cars were beginning to burst into existence all over that region. The immediate
region had such venues as the Altamont fairgrounds, Burden Lake Speedway, and Empire Raceway - to name a few. Particularly at
Burden Lake, the roadsters and hot rods were the preemminent form of non open wheel race car for this region and the era. Clearview
would feature all of these types, much like Burden Lake - and like tracks such as the short - lived Champlain Speedway,
Ticonderoga; McGregor Speedway, Wilton; and even as far north as the Warrensburg Speedway, Warrensburg.
The stock car era at Clearview Speedway had a great chance of success because of the big availability of racers in the area in
which it was located. Just in the immediate town, the large - ranging Fred Searing racing group out of Oak Hill and East Westerlo
would produce not only Searing, but also Johnny Flach, Mert Hulbert, Louie Searing, Stan Wetmore, and a long line of others.
The track started out in 1950 advertising it was running stricly stock cars. It weathered out the 1950 Sunday Blue Laws ban,
along with venues like Empire Raceway, McGregor Speedway, Carroll's Grove, and others. Soon - to - be - familiar names such as Don
Wayman, Howie Westervelt, Scooch Schoonmaker, and Chuck Irving would appear. The track continued to improve and attract more
familiar names in 1951 and 1952. Empire promoters Ruopp and Thompson became involved and the track had a number of big
names.
Historic Aerials.com
Clearview Speedway, in 1952.
1953 was a critical year for Clearview and a number of other tracks. Fonda Speedway and Lebanon Valley Speedway - both
starting in 1953 - would eventually have a deletrious effect om several; tracks, siphoning off the bigger names. After 1953, there
are no more news articles about Clearview. Most of its best runners became Lebanon Valley regulars. But, when in
operation, Clearview Speedway certainly played a key role in developing stock car racing in New York.
1930's
Albany Evening News
  Albany Times Union August 26, 1935 Seems to be the race they ran there in '35. |
  Troy Times Record August 26, 1935 Seems to be the race they ran there in '35. |
 Troy Times Record October 7, 1935 This accident got more ink than anything else at the track that year. Part 1 |
 Troy Times Record October 7, 1935 This accident got more ink than anything else at the track that year. Part 2 |
 Troy Times Record October 7, 1935 This accident got more ink than anything else at the track that year. Part 3 |
 Berkshire Eagle May 14, 1936 First program in 1936 was happening earlier. |
  Ossining Citizen May 15, 1936 Seems to be the race they Ossining paper covers their local driver. |
 Albany Times Union July 12, 1936 Another race in 1936. |
  Knickerbocker News July 13, 1936 Chuck Reynolds pulls one off. |
 Albany Times Union July 13, 1936 A different, briefer article. |
 Cohoes American July 13, 1936 Another article. |
 Knickerbocker Press August 31, 1936 Another Reynolds Win. Part 1 |
 Knickerbocker Press August 31, 1936 Another Reynolds Win. Manchester, VT fairgrounds mentioned. Part 2 |
 Albany Evening News September 12, 1936 More races are planned. |
 Troy Times Record September 17, 1936 The women get into the act. Click on Photo to Enlarge |
  Knickerbocker News September 26, 1936 Last reported race of that year. |
 Glens Falls Post Star September 28, 1936 Driver injured. |
 Knickerbocker Press April 27, 1937 Getting started earlier in '37. |
 Knickerbocker Press May 17, 1937 Excitement expected at May program. |
 Knickerbocker Press May 17, 1937 Gardner wins in May. |
 Albany Evening News June 26, 1937 This suggests the track is operating, but I can't find any article from this time. |
  Cohoes American August 31, 1937 Late August races seem to be a thing there. |
  Troy Times Record September 27, 1937 The great Lee Wallard ran in this program. |
  Troy Times Record October 8, 1937 For the track title. I didn't find any more 1930's articles after this one. |
1950's
From Joe Grossetti
1950 Coeymans News Herald May 3, 1950 Plans to be race track. Although it sounds like a new construction, it doesn't seem likely because the address sounds similar. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 2, 1950 Sounds like the inaugural show. |
 Greene County Examiner Record June 8, 1950 Westervelt, Montayne, and Gallup among the names. Also Art Spore and Jimmy Cox. Almost certainly, Cox and Westervelt had roadsters. |
 Alatamont Enterprise June 9, 1950 This accident got more ink than anything else at the track that year. |
 Greene County Examiner Recorder June 15, 1950 Stan Bomba wins the show. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 16, 1950 Same show, different focus. |
 Greene County Examiner Recorder June 22, 1950 Sorry, the article cut off without mention of the winner. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 23, 1950 Al Bleau wins as the track plans on building grandstands. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 30, 1950 Dick Welsh wins. |
 Greene County Examiner Recorder July 6, 1950 Eight big races ! |
  Greene County Examiner Recorder July 6, 1950 Checkers to local boy Alan "Schooch" Schoonmaker. |
  Coeymans News Herald July 7, 1950 Schoonmaker's home paper is still more interested in wrecks. |
  Greene County Examiner Recorder July 20, 1950 Roberts, Garrison, Ondreak, Schoonmaker ! But Carelas wins. |
 Coeymans News Herald July 21, 1950 As usual, wait another day to hear from the town paper closest to the track. |
  Greene County Examiner Recorder July 26, 1950 Del Moak - usually driver of the "Deep 6" roadster - wins in a local car. |
 Coeymans News Herald August 4, 1950 Morton Tryon, from narby Ravena wins. |
 Coeymans News Herald August 11, 1950 The local paper gets to brag on their hometown boy. |
  Greene County Examiner Recorder August 17, 1950 Carelas continues to be strong. |
  Coeymans News Herald August 17, 1950 The local paper puts it own slant on the same race, a day later as usual. |
 Catskill Mountain News August 25, 1950 Another local paper weighs in on the Berman accident. |
 Altamont Enterprise October 6, 1950 Laverne Irving winner. |
 The Saratogian October 7, 1950 The Blue Laws racing ban rears its ugly head. |
 Troy Record October 10, 1950 More about the racing ban attempt. |
 Greene County Examiner Recorder October 12, 1950 Catskill drivers get some love. |
  Troy Times Record October 21, 1950 Amidst the ban, the track goes for it. |
 Troy Times Record October 21, 1950 The track had gotten an OK from the village before the races that day. That put a wrench in the works for the police. |
 Troy Times Record October 24, 1950 Bobby Day, a neighbor of Schoonmaker, wins. |
  Albany Times Union October 25, 1950 More discussion of the ban. It is kind of small to read. I couldn't help that. |
 The Saratogian October 27, 1950 The Blue Laws racing ban rears its ugly head. Clearview defies the ban, along with other tracks. |
1951 Knickerbocker News March 22, 1951 Track forms a "corporation" partly due to stock car ban concerns. |
 Altamont Enterprise April 20, 1951 Louis Irving, another Coeymans driver wins. Brother to Laverne or Chuck ? |
 Knickerbocker News May 4, 1951 Track opening delayed due to fresh application of oil. Can you imagine doing this in 2023 ? |
 Albany Times Union May 4, 1951 Track ready to start in one week. |
   Troy Times Record May 15, 1951 Track participates in protest about ban inconsistencies. |
  Knickerbocker News May 15, 1951 Troopers criticized at the meeting. |
 Troy Times Record May 19, 1951 Track to treat sailors to races. |
 Coeymans News Herald May 25, 1951 After the ban begins to die down, Bobby Day wins one. |
 Troy
Times RecordMay 31, 1951 Track graduates mentioned in aarticle about a bigger league race. |
 Knickerbocker News June 23, 1951 The great Huck Spaulding performs at Clearview. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 29, 1951 Midseason Ad. |
 Knickerbocker News July 5, 1951 Coxsackie's Bob Salibury wins. Did they have a female running in with the men ? |
 Coeymans News Herald July 6, 1951 The local paper had much more on the program, always a day later. |
 Coeymans News Herald July 20, 1951 Lewis {Louis ?] Irving wins. |
 Knickerbocker News August 4, 1951 Bill Muller, frequently mentioned as a star at the track, is the winner . |
  Coeymans News Herald August 10, 1951 The local paper had much more on this program - it's Muller again. |
 Knickerbocker News August 28, 1951 It's that danged Muller feller agin ! |
 Knickerbocker News September 8, 1951 Milt Lounsbury gets in on a rare Clearview photo op . |
 Knickerbocker News 1951 Chuck Irving of the racing Irvings, is the winner here - date undetermined. |
 Knickerbocker News October 1, 1951 Bobby Day is the winner . |
 Knickerbocker News October 8, 1951 Rocky Rockefeller is the winner . Uncle Nelson must have been proud. |
 Knickerbocker News A banquet photo. Click on it - it's a thimbnail and will enlarge. |
 Knickerbocker News November 9, 1951 The banquet article. |
1952 Courtesy of Joe Grossetti March 22, 1952 Clearview getting good news. |
 Newspaper Unknown Courtesy of Joe Grossetti April 2, 1952 Informal practice. |
 Courtesy of Joe Grossetti 1952 Clearview ticket. |
 Coeymans News Herald April, 1951 Preseason business to attend to. |
 Coeymans News Herald April 11, 1951 The local paper says racing soon. |
 Knickerbocker News April 16, 1951 Still hopeful it will get started. The track made a legal precedent. |
 Knickerbocker News April 16, 1951 Still hoping. Probably the weather was playing a part in this delay. |
 Knickerbocker News May 5, 1952 Chuck Irving opens the season with a victory. |
 Knickerbocker News May 10, 1952 A 25 lapper was apparently a bigger deal in 1952. |
 Knickerbocker News May 15, 1952 Chuck Irving wins what must have been the 50 lapper. |
 Coeymans News Herald May 16, 1952 Getting a jump on next week's program 1952. |
Knickerbocker News May 17, 1952 Article on next race. |
 Knickerbocker News May 19, 1952 Lou Harmsen, a winner in 1952. |
 Coeymans News Herald May 23, 1952 Trouble in paradise. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 6, 1952 H. Westervelt the big winner. |
 Albany Times Union June 10, 1952 Addition to the program in 1952. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 13, 1952 More promo events in 1952. This is a thumbnail, click on it. |
 Altamont Enterprise June 13, 1952 More on the same program. |
 Coeymans News Herald June 27, 1952 More promo events in 1952. |
 Altamont Enterprise Juny 4, 1952 Fireworks, not surprisingly. |
 Courtesy of Joe Grossetti July 13, 1952 Sonny Hamilton the winner. |
 Courtesy of Joe Grossetti July 13, 1952 Al Woemuth the winner. |
 Altamont Enterprise July 25, 1952 Bobby Day the winner. |
 Knickerbocker News August 9, 1952 Bill Pherrin the winner. |
 Knickerbocker News August 11, 1952 Chuck Irving the winner. |
 Coeymans News Herald August 15, 1952 Local track coverage. |
 Knickerbocker News August 16, 1952 Points battle. |
Greene County Examiner Recorder August 25, 1952 Berman injury. |
 Knickerbocker News August 25, 1952 Westervelt the winner in the program in which Berman was hurt. |
 AlLtamont Enterprise September 5, 1952 Race program planned. |
 Courtesy of Joe Grossetti September 13, 1952 Added features. |
 Courtesy of Joe Grossetti October 5, 1952 TRAC group back in charge. |
1953  Coeymans News Herald April 10, 1953 Another season anticipated. |
 Knickerbocker News April 19, 1953 April opening for 1953. |
 Albany Times Union April 20, 1953 Informal program. |
 Coeymans News Herald April 24, 1953 Still hope amnong the April showers. |
|
Albany Times Union May 4, 1953 More programs delayed. |
 Albany Times Union May 25,, 1953 Well, Howie ya finally got to race ! |
 Albany Times Union June 13, 1953 Another future Wright/Zautner driver succeeds Westervelt as winner. |
 Knickerbocker News June 22, 1953 An apparent Sharon Raceway regular wins one. |
 Altamont Enterprise June 26, 1953 Altamont paper touts local driver. |
 Coeymans News Herald July 3, 1953 Ad for inevitable fireworks on the 4th. |
 Knickerbocker News July 11, 1953 A 50 lapper was a huge, grueling test in 1953. [Especially for those cars] |
 Knickerbocker News July 13, 1953 Apparently Sunny was the 1953 summer champion. |
 Altamont Enterprise July 17, 1953 An attempt by the Altamont paper to drum up interest. |
 Altamont Enterprise July 17, 1953 A win by LaVerne Irving. This is a thumbnail, so click on it. |
 Altamont Enterprise July 23, 1953 Sunny wins again. |
 Knickerbocker News July 29, 1953 Murphy wins last one in July. Apparently, racing stopped after July. I should have said that Harold Murphy won the last one - ever. |
SOME CLEARVIEW SPEEDWAY PHOTOS
Courtesy of Joe Grossetti
A 1953 race lineup.
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding Huck Spaulding, with a typical NY roadster during the earliest days of the 1950's races. |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding A typical NY roadster from this era. Unidentified driver. |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding An unidentified driver with a standard stock car 59 at Clearview, said to be 1950. |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding An unidentified driver with a standard stock car 09 at Clearview, said to be 1950 |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding An unidentified driver with a standard stock car 613 at Clearview, said to be 1950. That's quite the helmet, fella ! |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding An unidentified driver with a sharp stock car 88 at Clearview, said to be 1950. |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding An unidentified driver with the ? mark stock car at Clearview, said to be 1950. |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding Most of the cars seen in these photos in an early lineup. |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding An unidentified driver with a standard stock car 30 at Clearview, said to be 1950. Well protected radiator. |
 Spaulding Collection via Tom Spaulding An unidentified driver with a standard stock car 77 at Clearview, said to be 1950. |
 via Joe Grossetti A man who is probably an official in 1950. |
. via Joe Grossetti Roadsters - probably in 1950. |
 via Joe Grossetti Howie Westervelt [8] and other roadsters - probably in 1950. |
 via Joe Grossetti I recognize that car 88 in this lineup. It is likely later than 1950. |
 From Roger Ginder via Joe Grossetti 1952 entries in an early lineup. |
via Joe Dinovo
The McDermott car, with a really young driver :)
Return to the Main Page
Return to the Main News Page
Return to the All Links Page
Return to the Weekly Blog Links Page