Larry Clement the subject of new biography by Newton author

Larry Clement has a story worth telling.

Mike Chapman thought as much after spending 13 months researching and writing his latest book, “Life in the Fast Lane: The Larry Clement Story.” In addition to being instrumental in the construction of the Iowa Speedway, Clement was also an accomplished race car team owner.

To commemorate the release, Chapman is hosting a book signing 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Jasper County Historical Museum in Newton.

Chapman actually met Clement long before he began his research. They were weight-lifting buddies at the University of Northern Iowa (State College of Iowa) in the mid-1960s. They got along well and developed a good friendship, staying in contact with each other even after Chapman transferred to the University of Iowa.

As time went by, they drifted apart. Clement found himself engrossed in a life of cars while Chapman followed his pen and his passion for wrestling.

“We lost track of each other,” he said. “Then all of a sudden I end up as publisher of the Newton Daily News in his hometown, and he sent me a congratulations note and said let’s get together. And I wrote back and said I’d love it. So we’ve gotten together a couple times through the years.”

After Clement read Chapman’s book “A Journey: Reflections on 50 years of Writing, Wrestling, Weightlifting and Heroes,” he asked if the author would be interested in telling his story. Clement said he enjoyed the way Chapman incorporates other people and experiences when telling stories.

From his 26 interviews and the mounds of newspaper and magazine articles he read in preparation for the book, Chapman learned that Clement grew up on a farm in the unincorporated territory of Metz in Jasper County. The values he learned on the farm — particularly his work ethic — carried with him far into life.

“Everyone (in the family) I talked to, they all credit their parents with instilling a work ethic in them when they were really young,” Chapman said. “They said, ‘We were expected to chip in and do a lot of work, and we enjoyed it.’ It’s a close-knit family. The main theme that runs through the book is setting your mind to something and just going to work.”

Chapman said Clement, who is now 80 years old, led an impressive sporting career as a young man. By his adulthood, he became friends with major political figures, sports legends and business icons like Sam Walton, the co-founder of Walmart. Chapman said Clement was a persistent and savvy businessman.

“Everybody I talked to says he’s one of the toughest guys they’ve ever known,” Chapman said. “He then became owner of one of the biggest car dealerships in the western part of the state in Fort Dodge. He turned it into a massive success. I think he sold about a thousand Mack Trucks in his career.”

In the racing world, Clement’s team won nine ARCA championships from 1998 to 2007 alongside driver and fellow team owner Frank Kimmel. Clement would go on to have a larger impact in racing when working alongside brother Stan Clement to get the Iowa Speedway up and running in Newton.

“It was a family enterprise,” Chapman said. “One thing people need to know about Larry is he’s a very generous person. One of his favorite sayings is: ’It’s amazing what can get done if people don’t care who gets the credit.’”