Kil-Kare Raceway’s story is woven into the fabric of Dayton motorsports, stretching all the way back to 1950 when the Dayton 100 first roared to life at the old Dayton Speedway. Back then, Indy 500 drivers like Eddie Sachs, Troy Rutman, and Pat O’Connor dominated
the high-banked half-mile oval, often racing the same cars that ran at the Brickyard. Hollywood starlets like Ronda Fleming even showed up in victory lane, adding a touch of glamour to the grit. When stock cars took over in the ‘60s, legends like Nelson Stacy,
Paul Goldsmith, and Benny Parsons etched their names into history.

The Dayton 100 found its permanent home at Kil-Kare Raceway in 1982, and the track quickly became a proving ground for Ohio’s best. Local stars like Robbie Dean, John Vallo, and Dick Dunlevy ruled the ‘80s and ‘90s, with Vallo racking up three straight wins
from 1987 to 1989 in his Howe Racing Enterprises T-Bird. The ‘80s were the “Good Ole Days” of Ohio late model racing—big crowds, big purses, and fierce rivalries. But it wasn’t always smooth: in 1980, a near riot broke out when the Senneker brothers took the
win, and local drivers like Buster Blackford griped about “outside” racers taking the money.

The new millennium brought fresh faces and new traditions. In 2001, Don Mahaffey Jr. claimed the Dayton 100, a win made bittersweet by the loss of track co-owner Barbara Chrysler earlier that year. The track also began honoring its fallen heroes—after Ohio
racing legend Robbie “Big Bird” Dean passed in 2008, the event was renamed the “Robbie Dean 94” for a time, with John Vallo winning in a lookalike car to pay tribute. Young drivers like Sloan Henderson (2010) and Brandon Oakley (2011) kept the legacy alive,
with Henderson wowing the “old guard” at just 18 and Oakley unseating her a year later at 17.

Through it all, Kil-Kare has stayed true to its roots. The Dayton 100 evolved with the times, joining the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour in 2021 and bringing in big names like Bobby Labonte and Kody Swanson. From vintage race cars to wild Enduro races, the track has
seen it all—controversial car designs (like Howe Racing’s experimental 1986 Corvette rack & pinion), emotional wins in honor of fallen racers like Neal Sceva in 1985, and even visits from “The Kissing Bandit” Morganna in 1989. Today, Kil-Kare Raceway continues
to be a cornerstone of Ohio motorsports, blending history with high-octane excitement for every generation.