Heat bowler Guthrie's night started with the wicket of former Brisbane batter Joe Burns, the Stars also losing Marcus Stoinis (0) and Glenn Maxwell (2) to fall to 3-16.
But it finished with him claiming 2-70 - the most expensive figures in BBL history.
Opener Clarke (85 off 44) wasn't bothered by the early exits and in Hilton Cartwright (79 off 44) found a willing partner, the pair combining for a fourth-wicket BBL record partnership of 151.
There were few signs of what was to come until Cartwright brutally slapped a free hit straight into the sightscreen.
He brought up his 50 off 31 balls with a more eloquent straight drive into the same sightscreen and finished with eight sixes and just one four in his power-packed knock.
English recruit Clarke matched the former Test allrounder, a crisp clip over midwicket bringing up a 27-ball 50.
He hit a four and another six in a 20-run Guthrie over.
Without a sixth bowling option, Guthrie returned to bowl his final over and was taken for another 23 runs, bowling four wides and dismissing Cartwright with his final ball.
His 2-70 was easily the most expensive spell in BBL history, beating Ben Dwarshuis's 0-61 against the Stars two years ago.
They took 34 off the two power surge overs but wickets fell again once they departed, the Stars still scraping beyond 200 thanks to a late cameo from Qais Ahmad (16).
18°C