Dragway 42, billed as “Northern Ohio’s Place to Race,” has a rich history dating back to 1957. It still ranks as one of the nation’s finest facilities after a ground-up renovation in 2017. The track has thrived under the leadership of Ron and Mary Anne Matcham and their sons, Kyle and Nicholas.
The close proximity to Summit Racing Equipment headquarters has benefited Dragway 42. They are huge supporters of the different programs especially the IHRA Summit SuperSeries, the most prestigious national championship in drag racing.
Chris Wallin (Box), Kevin Burns (No Box), Laura Trainer (Sportsman) and Madi Clark (Junior) qualified for the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals through the track points in 2022.
The property features the 1/4-mile drag strip with an Accutime timing system, one of the flattest track surfaces in the United States and plenty of staging lanes.
With 165 acres, there is an abundance of room for parking and camping. There is power available for 100 rigs. New lights are to be installed by spring and there are plans for new showers and restrooms. The track routinely gets rave reviews from the racers for its friendly staff.
“We love hosting the IHRA Summit Team Finals. It brings a bunch of different racers to our track and they see how we run our business,” Ron Matcham said. “We take pride in having a good track to race on. Most of our staff are experienced, and they take a load off Mary Anne and me.”
Mary Anne talked about although it’s a larger facility how they greatly enjoy it being family-oriented. They work hard to have good relationships with those who compete at the facility. In addition to drag racing, they’ve hosted autocross, tractor pulls and concerts.
It’s the personal interaction with the racers they find most valuable. They’ve learned how much the racers like being part of the IHRA Summit SuperSeries program.
“Being able to talk to the racers, we get good feedback, the racers’ input of what they like and what they don’t like,” Ron said. “We’re glad to be a part of IHRA. We’re here to grow and to be here for the long haul.”
For more information about Dragway 42, click here to check out the track website.
