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Kil-Kare Car Show

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By Skip Peterson, Wheels of the Week Updated 5:06 PM Friday, November 6, 2009

It seemed like a Sunday afternoon at the dragstrip in the ’60s; hot rods cruising in, gassers ripping down the asphalt, and guys and gals cheering from the bleachers.

It wasn’t 1965, it was August 2009 and Kil-Kare Dragway was celebrating its  50th anniversary, the idea of former  Kil-Kare manager Ed Crowder.

“It was really great; we had more than 400 cars,” Crowder said. “We’re planning for another one next year. It’s all about getting the people out there — relaxing the rules, and letting them have fun.”

There was drag racing all day on the strip, complemented by a car show. More than 160 hot rods and show cars packed the parking lot, while the pits were filled with Willys gassers, super stockers and some altered dragsters and fuel coupes.

Crowder even came up with some unique races to honor the old days.

“I sort of invented the ‘Grandpa Eliminator,’” Crowder explained. “The driver had to be at least 50 years, the car had to be 50 years old, they had to have a passenger in the car and we used a flagman to start the race instead of the Christmas tree. They really had a ball,” he said.

Rick Lawson of Brookville was on hand with this fuel coupe; it’s a version of a rail dragster with a body on it.

“I’ve been racing this for about 10 years,”  Lawson said. “It’s a lot of fun, sort of affordable, and honors the history of drag racing.”

Lawson’s fuel coupe sports a 355 Chevy with fuel injection, and turned a time of 9.79 seconds at 128.99 mph.

On the show-car field, Don Adams of Dayton was hanging with his bright yellow ’23 T-bucket, which was drawing a lot of serious lookers.

“It’s the color, and the chrome,” Adams said. “Plus it’s just cool, like the old days of hot rodding.”

Adams built his rod to drive.

“I drive it everywhere; it’s out at least once a week. It’s got plenty of punch. I put a 327 Chevy in it, bored 60 over and added the 8-71 Dyers blower with two four-barrel carbs. Then I put in a nitrous system, so it’s probably putting out about 800 horsepower,” he said.

Larry Heslep of Troy cruised in with is ’32 Ford, painted in the obligatory gray primer but sporting cool flames, three carbs and wide whitewalls.

“I just started with some parts, and this is what I came up with. It’s all home-built, just like back in the day,” Heslep said.

“This event is great,” Heslep added, “I wanted to see what it would do on the strip, and I got it out there and turned a 13.50 at 98 miles per hours. I’m happy, but I might make another run to see if I can get to 100.”

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