Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia unexpectedly shut down operations Friday for the remainder of the 2014 season but plans to open for next season.
Marshall Foiles, director of operations, said in a statement: "Kil-Kare Raceway is in the process of restructuring for the 2015 season. Due to unforeseen circumstances we are now forced to regroup to more efficiently run the business and better serve our fans and customers. We are currently working on plans for the 2015 season. We will release the details for the upcoming season when plans are finalized."
Kil-Kare operates a 3/8th-mile oval speedway and a quarter-mile dragstrip with racing primarily on Friday (speedway) and Saturday (dragstrip).
A portion of the message on Kil-Kare's website said, "Kil-Kare is being (shuttered) today. The racing activities for the rest of the season are canceled. This includes all Test and Tunes, as well as Saturday points chase racing. The points chase stops where it is at. There will be no other racing events."
There were 10 dragstrip events remaining. The speedway racing season ended in September.
Banquets for both the speedway and dragstrip will still be held, according to the website.
Dave Coterel Jr., who also owns Buckminn's D&D Harley-Davidson in Xenia, purchased the track from the Chrysler family in 2012. The Chryslers owned the track since the mid-1970s.
Kil-Kare was built by the Marshall brothers as a 1/5-mile dirt track in 1951. It stopped after one race because of the dust storm created by the cars. The track was paved in 1952, which is recognized as Kil-Kare's first season of racing.
The speedway has struggled with car counts and smaller crowds in recent seasons. The dragstrip underwent a major renovation after the 2012 season that included saftey upgrades and constructing the quarter-mile entirely out of concrete. Most grassroots dragstrip surfaces are asphalt or a combination of concrete and asphalt, making Kil-Kare's concrete strip a popular draw for local and regional racing enthusiasts.
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