DIALED IN
DRAGWAY 42
64 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
No expense was spared on the new quarter-
mile concrete racing surface and concrete bar-
riers. Most of the racing events are contested
on the eighth mile, although the full 1,320 feet
is put to use during Thursday night’s test-and-
tune sessions.
Upon reopening the track, the Matchams also
made a change to the personnel line-up after hir-
ing new general managers affectionately known
as the “Gary and Gari Show,” which is a husband
and wife team from Colorado, who ironically have
the same first names, albeit with slightly different
spellings. “The Harpers do an excellent job for
us,” declares Matcham.
Gary and Gari Harper oversee a vast array of
events at Dragway 42, including Mopar Mayhem,
Autocross, Import Faceoff and Manufacturers
Cup Motorcycle events. SFG Promotions will
return in August with the second annual Buck-
eye Bracket Nationals. Top Bulb Blitz, which is
a brand-new event for 2019, is slated for Sep-
tember. The Northern Ohio fans are especially
pumped to see the quickest doorslammers in
the country when the PDRA visits Dragway 42
for the first time ever in July. “That’s a feather
in our cap and we’re very excited to have them,”
says Matcham of the country’s premier eighth-
mile Pro Mod series.
The Harpers made a huge change to the
bracket points series, which was very well re-
ceived from the dial-in drag racing community.
“Previously, the bracket races were held on a
single Saturday, but under the new format we
schedule four or five weekends per season, which
are double header races contested on Saturday
and Sunday, equaling 8-10 points races per sea-
son,” explains Gari.
Most bracket events offer buybacks, but Drag-
way 42 takes it a step further by also attaching
points. “Not full points, but points nonetheless.
Buybacks have increased from 50 percent to 90
percent, and our buybacks are quite affordable
at just $20,” says Gari.
When racers arrive on Friday for the tw0-day
bracket weekend, things get kicked off with an
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