XENIA — Take away the stopwatch.
Heads up grudge racing will be the order of the day Friday and Saturday July 6-7 when Kil-Kare Dragway plays host to the No Prep and Prep Shootout, presented by Eat Race Die Productions.
Drivers from the popular Discovery Channel television series Street Outlaws will vie for the $5,000-to-win prize money. Enon native Mike Murillo is said to be bringing his famed Ford Lafawnduh, and Dayton racer Scott Taylor (aka John Doe) is also expected to be on hand.
Murillo moved to Texas after his sophomore year at Greenon High, in hopes of pursuing a football career. Drag Racing won him over when he became old enough to drive, however.
Fairborn big money chaser “Disco” Dean Karns Jr. has announced his plans on racing in the July 6 No Prep event with his 1966 neon-pink Stinky Pinky Three Chevelle SS drag racer. Karns won a $20,000-to-win drag race at Kil-Kare just last week.
Several members of the Street Outlaws series paid a visit to Kil-Kare last year and packed the grandstands, possibly the only time that happened last season. With this being the first time for the nation’s top No Prep grudge racers to make a competitive appearance at the Kil-Kare drag strip, another packed house is expected.
“I think it’ll be a bigger crowd than we had when we were just there to visit,” Murillo said from the Kil-Kare grounds on July 3. “Many of the nation’s best grudge match racers will be here. It’ll be a great two days of racing.”
Unlike popular bracket racing, where the head-to-head races are handicapped according to how fast each particular car can go, grudge racing is incredibly simple.
Both drivers leave the starting line at the same time.
First driver to cross the finish line wins. Pretty simple.
Without adhesive on the track surface, it’s usually a lot more dangerous as well.
Murillo said the No Prep aspect of drag racing is getting more and more competitive.
“With every event that is run, the sport is evolving more and more,” Murillo said. “The reason it’s become so popular with the fans is, and I’m probably the only one to say this but, it’s like going to a NASCAR race. People can tell you what they want, but they go because there’s gonna be accidents. There’s gonna be issues. There’s gonna be guys backing into walls.
“Nobody wants it to happen, but they wanna be there when it does happen.”
According to the Eat Race Die Productions website out of San Antonio, Texas, Friday’s races will be of the No Prep variety, where the adhesion is stripped off the racing surface. A Small Tire division, a Big Tire division, True Street, and Diesel Truck racing divisions are listed on the schedule for Friday.
In an effort to enable every drag racer to have their day of fun at Kil-Kare, the Saturday event will be a Prepped race, where the track adhesive is professionally placed onto the racing surface for added traction. There will even be a free entry event for youngsters and their Power Wheels cars on Saturday’s racing card.
Murillo said drag racers are more familiar with No Prep racing in the Deep South, where it originated.
“It was a way to get grudge racers off the streets, where they could have fun in a safer environment,” he said.
Friday spectator passes are $20, $25 for Saturday or $40 for a weekend pass. VIP passes are also available for $25. Kids 12 and under can get in free. Visit kilkare.com for more event details.
