Sunday, November 25, 2007

Racers from as far away as Rochester, New York traveled to West Salem for the area's final major event of the 2007 drag racing season, the 2nd Annual Turkey Trot Weekend at Dragway 42.

Seasonal temperatures, light winds, and occasional sunshine helped turn out everything from 8 second door cars to a 21 second van in the multiple classes of competition. The entire event came within a turkey's waddle of getting every pair of eliminator racers down the track.

As the final pair of cars of the weekend prepared to pull into the pre-stage beams a light mist turned to rain and track officials were left with no choice but to shut off the racers. The radar showed the rain would not be stopping so No Delay Box class winner Aaron Herbert from Brunswick and Delay Box class winner Brian Willingham from Sullivan split the $1,250 combined winner and runner-up money from the $1,000 Guaranteed to Win Combo.

Herbert advanced to Sunday's final pairing by defeating Lodi's Steve Obertanec in the No Box class finals. Willingham advanced to the combo final by defeating the red Vega of Rochester, New York's Mark Talmadge. Obertanec and Talmadge took home $100 each for being their class runner-up.

Sunday's 5 Foot Street Trophy class finals saw Wadsworth's Andrew Dombroski defeat North Ridgeville's Kevin Burns. The Burns' family honor was defended when Kevin's son Nick Burns took home Sunday's Junior Dragster class win over Brunswick's Rhyse Grumbling.

In Saturday's racing action Akron's Scott Melvin took home the Gambler Race title over Creston's Ron Hanshue.

Mark your calendar now for the 2008 Thanksgiving Weekend as Dragway 42 will host the 3rd Annual Turkey Trot Weekend.

As the season nears an end Toby Ehrmantraut's CnC Race Cars is offering a discount special for any dragster, roadster, or altered racer who has not yet added the helmet bars to their roll cage.

Helmet bars are required by both the IHRA and NHRA as part of the SFI chassis certification standard for all open bodied cars.

The discount price is $300 for dragsters and $350 for roadsters and altereds. These prices are the full charge for the materials, custom fabrication, as well as the installation of the helmet bars.

CnC Race Cars is a full service fabrication specialist for industrial and motorsports applications. With three decades of track proven experience in new car construction, repairs, and chassis updates there is no welding or fabrication job that is too large or too small for CnC Race Cars.

Don't forget, CnC Race Cars also handles commercial, industrial, and residental metal fabrication and welding services.

A spiral metal staircase or a piece of custom equipment from CnC Race Cars is a thing of beauty.

Visit them on the web at www.CnCRaceCars.com or give Toby a call at 419-853-4242.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Would you like an excuse to shop? Well here is a great one!

Christmas is less than 7 weeks away and Dragway 42 is having an online inventory "blow out" sale on our remaining 50th Anniversary and 2007 merchandise from Dragway 42's "Shirt Shack".

We are even offering budget minded shipping on these items. A flat fee of $5.00 covers the shipping anywhere in the continental 48 states for your entire order of apparel and just a buck covers the shipping for orders consisting strictly of decals and dash plaques.

The chart below reflects the current selection. Pictures of all items are included in this story. Quantities are limited and all items are on sold on a first come, first served basis.

Thanks for shopping and we hope you enjoy the bargains!

Listing updated 11-20-2007 to reflect items which have sold out.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Mother Nature continues to give us some beautiful weekend weather as the 50th Anniversary Season at Dragway 42 rolls on with a full slate of competition Saturday and Sunday.

Gates open both Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 AM with vehicles on the track from Noon until at least 5 PM both days.

Saturday features the final opportunity for street legal cars to join or improve their position in the 2007 edition of Dragway 42's 100, 110, and 120 MPH Clubs presented by Akron Horsepower.

Coming into Saturday's qualifying over 120 competitors have achieved 1/4 mile trap speeds exceeding the threshold for their respective clubs. The 100 MPH Club qualifying happened every Tuesday night while 110 and 120 MPH Club qualifying was a once per month program.

Three separate qualifying sessions will be offered Saturday for each club. For just $1.00 per qualifying attempt (in addition to the day's $10 test & tune fee) all street legal machines will be eligible to make 100 MPH Club qualifying attempts. 110 and 120 MPH Club qualifying attempts will be limited to existing members of the 100 MPH Club.

2007 Member t-shirts for the 100 MPH Club will also be offered for sale during Saturday's event.

Will Carroll of Fairview Park is the fastest current member of the 100 MPH Club with a trap speed of 133.64 MPH that was recorded from his 2005 Mustang on July 31 while John Bradbury of Oak Harbor holds down the top spots in both the 110 and 120 MPH Clubs with 126.78 and 130.43 MPH passes respectively in his propane powered 1984 Ford F-150 truck.

Will anyone be able to knock these competitors off of the top of the charts on Saturday?


In addition to Saturday's "Street Legal" qualifying program, racers of all types of vehicles are welcome to participate in 1/4 mile Test & Tune program as well as 80% payback Gambler Races on both Saturday and Sunday.

Gambler Races are dial-your-own handicap bracket races with the purse based on the total number of participants and the amount of the "gambler" race entry. Some of the weekend Gambler Race purses at Dragway 42 have exceeded $1,000 so encourage your friends to come out and enjoy one of the final chances to compete during the 2007 season.

Entry fees for Saturday's and Sunday's Test & Tune programs are just $10 to race or watch. Gambler race entry fees will be $20 and buybacks will be offered.

Gates will open Saturday at 11:30 AM and the Gambler Race eliminations will begin at 3 PM. The three 100, 110, and 120 MPH Club qualifying sessions will be spaced one hour apart during the Saturday afternoon event.