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Ohio’s Kil-Kare Raceway Reopens After Two Years
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After two years sitting idle for area racers, the roar returned to the Ohio Kil-Kare Raceway’s tricky 3/8th-mile, modified-D track this last weekend.
The Gem City Auto Racing (GCAR) group—comprised primarily of racers, car owners and business owners—sanctioned the race and will sanction future Sunday racing at Kil-Kare with late models, modifieds, street stocks and compact divisions. Racing starts Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Greene County track.
GCAR is scheduled to host 11 races during its bi-weekly schedule at Kil-Kare through September. Highlights include the Robbie Dean Memorial on June 4, the CRA Jegs 100 on July 9, the CRA Super Series 125 on July 30 and the Lee Raymond Dayton 100 on August 27.
Kil-Kare’s oval track closed in October 2014 with officials citing low car counts and dwindling crowds. The track also ended its association with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for late models.
Gem City officials approached Kil-Kare last October about returning local racing to the oval.
“I think this is the first step to seeing if it will ever be the 4000 people showing up for a program,” said Will Tharpe, Kil-Kare’s general manager and competition director. “I don’t know if we’ll ever see those numbers again. But I think we can put together a good program to generate revenue that sustains the program.”
Tharpe said Gem City is in control of the racing program for 2017. It’s possible, he said, that Kil-Kare could start sanctioning the races in the future.
In addition to Gem City Auto Racing, the oval will also host the Sports Car Club of America, the Midwest Drift Union, Corvette Troy and the Rusty Wallace Driving Experience. Test-and-tune sessions will be held weekly on Thursday. The full racing schedule can be found at gemcityautoracing.com.
Kil-Kare’s facility, that also boasts a drag strip, will continue to host drag racing on Friday and Saturday as well as the Miami Valley Quarter Midget Racing Association.
As the oval returns to action, the track’s noise curfew remains the same. Racing must be completed by 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and by midnight on Friday and Saturday.
The Gem City Auto Racing (GCAR) group—comprised primarily of racers, car owners and business owners—sanctioned the race and will sanction future Sunday racing at Kil-Kare with late models, modifieds, street stocks and compact divisions. Racing starts Sundays at 2 p.m. at the Greene County track.
GCAR is scheduled to host 11 races during its bi-weekly schedule at Kil-Kare through September. Highlights include the Robbie Dean Memorial on June 4, the CRA Jegs 100 on July 9, the CRA Super Series 125 on July 30 and the Lee Raymond Dayton 100 on August 27.
Kil-Kare’s oval track closed in October 2014 with officials citing low car counts and dwindling crowds. The track also ended its association with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for late models.
Gem City officials approached Kil-Kare last October about returning local racing to the oval.
“I think this is the first step to seeing if it will ever be the 4000 people showing up for a program,” said Will Tharpe, Kil-Kare’s general manager and competition director. “I don’t know if we’ll ever see those numbers again. But I think we can put together a good program to generate revenue that sustains the program.”
Tharpe said Gem City is in control of the racing program for 2017. It’s possible, he said, that Kil-Kare could start sanctioning the races in the future.
In addition to Gem City Auto Racing, the oval will also host the Sports Car Club of America, the Midwest Drift Union, Corvette Troy and the Rusty Wallace Driving Experience. Test-and-tune sessions will be held weekly on Thursday. The full racing schedule can be found at gemcityautoracing.com.
Kil-Kare’s facility, that also boasts a drag strip, will continue to host drag racing on Friday and Saturday as well as the Miami Valley Quarter Midget Racing Association.
As the oval returns to action, the track’s noise curfew remains the same. Racing must be completed by 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and by midnight on Friday and Saturday.
