Darana Dragway 42

Active

Also known as Dragway 42

Dragway 42 was rebranded Darana Dragway 42 and offered for sale with bids due November 17, 2026.

Five national records fell at an NHRA regional in August 1960
Billed itself as the world's only double drag strip after adding a parallel strip in 1968
Rebuilt for about $10 million and reopened in 2015

Raced: 1960-present
State: Ohio
Raced on: Built as a drag strip
First race: August 7, 1960
Track: 1/4 mile
Surface: Asphalt
Address: 9161 Rainbow Highway
West Salem, OH 44287
People: Ron Matcham, owner (2013-)
Sanction: IHRA
Elevation: 1,117 ft (340 m)
Coordinates: 40.98718, -82.09634
Contact: dragway42.com (419) 853-4242

Big races

IHRA Outlaw Nitro Series

August (Aug 13-15, 2026 on the published schedule) · Pro nitro series event

Round of the IHRA nitro series with Top Fuel and Funny Car style cars on the West Salem quarter mile. The IHRA cancelled the rest of its nitro calendar in July 2026, so confirm whether the August date ran.

Event page

Hangover Nationals

January 1 · New Year's Day race

A long-running New Year's Day race that brings Ohio racers out in midwinter conditions.

Event page

Import Face-Off

June · Import/sport compact series event

Stop on the touring Import Face-Off series for import and sport compact cars. The June 14, 2026 date was rained out.

Event page

IHRA Super Series points races

May and June · Sportsman bracket points races

Double-header points races for IHRA Summit Super Series sportsman bracket classes.

Event page

Wednesday Fun Night Series and Saturday Test N Tune

Spring through fall · Weekly test and tune / street car nights

Regular midweek fun nights and Saturday test sessions open to street cars and racers, with modest car and spectator fees.

Event page

Heads Up Hustle

Raced here 2026 · drag-and-drive

A drag-and-drive: racers drive their street cars from track to track over several days and race at each stop.

Event page

Buckeye Skips

Raced here 2025, 2026 · drag-and-drive

A drag-and-drive: racers drive their street cars from track to track over several days and race at each stop.

Event page

History

In April 1960, hot rodders from West Salem and Wooster were well along on a $100,000 drag strip on Route 42, a mile northeast of West Salem. It was asphalt, 3,400 feet long and 60 feet wide. Over 5,000 people came to the NHRA-sanctioned grand opening on August 7, 1960, where the fastest dragster ran 137.82 mph. At an NHRA regional on August 28, 1960, with more than 300 competitors, 5,000 spectators saw five national records fall, including Otie Smith of Akron’s 150 mph in A Roadster. The NHRA North Central Divisional Championships ran there on July 27-28, 1963.

On April 12, 1964, Richard Van Luit’s parachute failed after a 171.42 mph run, his dragster vaulted onto the highway past the end of the strip, and it hit a passing car, killing 18-year-old Thomas Southard. In 1965 the track was AHRA sanctioned and was booked for the AHRA Summer Nationals on September 10-13. By 1968 so many racers were entering that the track built a second, parallel strip and advertised itself as the world’s only double drag strip. It also added a new return road, pit area and six staging lanes that year. Drag racer and businessman Ron Matcham bought the strip in 2013 and spent about $10 million rebuilding it as a new racing and entertainment complex, which reopened in 2015.