Saturday, January 18, 2020

Beaver Springs Dragway Racing

Still in Operation

"Ike McCardle and his grandson, Bob McCardle, developed the drag strip, opening on May 30, 1971. It opened under NHRA sanction. The McCardles utilized the layout of old Cameron Airport for the strip. It is located in the village of Benfer, two miles north of Beaver Springs. As the story goes, Bob McCardle was motivated to build the strip when he was cheated out of $20 by the owner of the Kreamer drag strip. When McCardle told the owner of the Kreamer strip that he was going to build his own strip in western Snyder County, all he got was ridicule. When the owner twice stepped and spit on his new sneakers, that just fueled McCardle's drive to make it happen. In the space of one month, with his grandfather's financial help, he turned the airport into a race track. It continues to run as an IHRA-sanctioned track today, still owned and operated by Bob McCardle. In 1988, the dragway was awarded track of the year honors by NHRA in its division. The track stayed with NHRA through at least 1998. At leatst by 2005, the track was under IHRA sanction. The weather conditions at the track are sometimes windy. Racer Clint Corbin, who raced at Beaver Springs in the 1980s and 1990s said, "Crosswinds, down there, can really give you a thrill!" On September 4, 1995, Carol "Bunny" Burkett crashed her funny car at over 220 MPH when her competitor veered over into her lane and forced her off the track. It was a serious accident and left her with partial paralysis, but she was able to continue racing after recovering." https://dragstriplist.com/pennsylvania


See a video from  the 2012 Gasser Reunion here:



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