Numidia Dragway (Catawissa)

History

This strip opened on the Knorr farm on August 23, 1964, as Dragways, Inc. It later became Numidia Dragways, then Numidia Raceway Park, and now Numidia Dragway, and at times it switched names back and forth within a single year. Some 1968 news reports called it Bloomsburg Dragway because it was near Bloomsburg. Roy Fink and Ellsworth Shultz were among the early managers. NHRA sanctioned the track from 1965. Bruce Larson was a featured racer on April 25, 1965, Costlow-Larson won street eliminator on July 25, and the track hosted an NHRA regional points meet on August 18. An ad for the April 22, 1967, race promised red hot drag racing plus the rails. On May 13, 1967, Ron Rivero set a track record of 215 MPH in his “Frantic Four” fuel dragster. That year the main program ran Saturday nights with time trials on Wednesdays, and the Joey Chitwood Thrill Show joined the drags on July 16. The track switched to Sunday racing in the 1970s. Don Garlits and Chris Karamesines match raced there on May 12, 1974, and Don Schumacher met Jungle Jim Liberman in a funny car match on June 2. It still runs under NHRA sanction.