Shady Bowl:
The iconic racing XENIA TWP. — team left a lasting impact on the NHRA during the 1960s, 1970s and beyond. And on Saturday, the Rod Shop will leave its mark at Kil-Kare Dragway.
The former racing team based in Columbus fielded cars for some of the biggest names in drag racing. Drivers like Tommy Ivo, Bob Riffle, Don Carlton, Mike Fons, Butch Leal, Larry Morgan, Jim Thompson, Bill McGraw, Dick Shroyer and Gene Dunlap all got behind the wheel of those easy-to-spot Dodge rides with the Rod Shop in gold-leaf lettering.
Rod Shop owner Gil Kirk will be honored at Kil-Kare on Saturday for the ninth annual Gathering of the Geezers, an old-time drag race and car show. The event draws more than 400 cars.
Kirk will be inducted into Kil-Kare Dragway’s Hall of Fame along with 10 former drivers. A few Rod Shop cars will also be on display.
“He’s a super guy and that’s why I picked him,” said Gathering of the Geezers founder and self-proclaimed gearhead Ed Crowder.
Kirk teamed with Thompson early on. The duo then went national with Bob Riffle running its famous Anglia Gasser. The Rod Shop partnered with Nationwise Auto Parts, which helped Kirk and Thompson field cars in virtually every NHRA class in the 1970s.
The Gathering of the Geezers event features old-time drag racing with cars built in 1983 or prior. There are five eliminator classes with the sportsman, modified, street rod, nostalgia eliminator and the popular Grandpa eliminator class for drivers 50 and older. A car show with trophies to the top 50 cars will also be held.
Gates open at 9 a.m. Cost is $20 for the car show, swap meet and to race. General admission is $15.
For more information visit kilkare.com.
The speedway hosts the Neal Sceva Memorial for stock cars Saturday with a 51-lap feature paying $1,5551 to win. Rodney Roush is the driver to beat. He holds a 139-point lead over Josh Sage with Richard Roush and Robert Roush in third and fourth, respectively.
Sceva lived in Urbana and raced throughout the Midwest. He won the NASCAR state championship for Ohio in the 1950s and won more than 600 career features. Sceva died in 1985 after a battle with cancer.
The late models are also in action with Dayton’s Don Mahaffey Jr. the driver to beat. Mahaffey won his fifth late model feature a week ago when he grabbed the lead on lap 22 of the 50-lap Bill Lewis Memorial. He holds a 167-point lead over Matt Parsons in the standings.
In the compact division Medway’s Josh Foltz has been even more dominating. He won his ninth feature last weekend and leads Cody Wynn by 76 points.
In addition Saturday, the modifieds, pure stocks compacts and spectator drags will also run. The Vintage American Race Cars will also be in attendance. The cars will run a heat race and will also be on display. Racing starts at 7 p.m.