The facility began life in 1951 as a dirt oval. After a single race produced a significant dust storm, the track was paved and racing resumed with a full season in 1952. The oval was then reconfigured to its current 3/8-mile dimension in 1955, giving it a distinctive shape that places cars in an almost continuous slide between turns one and four, an unusual characteristic compared to conventional asphalt ovals.
The name Kil-Kare derives from an old resort that once stood on the property. The resort was called "Kill all your cares," a name that was progressively shortened and phonetically adapted to Kil-Kare over time. The Creekside Trail bicycle path, which borders the raceway to the south, follows the former alignment of the Columbus and Xenia Railroad, which carried passenger trains to the resort at the turn of the twentieth century.
In 1959, a quarter-mile drag strip was added to the complex, establishing Kil-Kare as a combined oval and drag racing venue. The dragway earned NHRA affiliation and later IHRA affiliation, hosting events across both sanctioning bodies throughout the decades. A major renovation of the quarter-mile drag strip was completed in 2013, with the entire length of the strip resurfaced in concrete, placing Kil-Kare among a small number of drag facilities in the country to feature a full concrete surface for the quarter mile.
The complex previously hosted racing in the ARCA series and the USAR Pro Cup Series in addition to its regular local programming. The facility has also hosted figure-eight races and drift events alongside more conventional oval competition.
Kil-Kare held NASCAR-affiliated events through the Whelen All-American Series, tying local competition to NASCAR's grassroots touring structure. ARCA Racing Series events and USAR Pro Cup Series races brought national exposure to the venue at various points in its history, though the bulk of the facility's competition has remained at the regional and local level.
In November 2023, it was announced that Kil-Kare would switch its primary sanctioning body from the NHRA to the IHRA. The IHRA subsequently purchased the facility outright in May 2025 and renamed the complex Darana Raceway in September 2025, ending more than seven decades of operation under the Kil-Kare name. The oval and drag strip continue to operate under the new ownership and branding.
Kil-Kare Speedway represents one of the longer-running short-track and drag racing operations in the Dayton, Ohio region, with a continuous history stretching back to 1951. Its unusual oval geometry, distinctive name history, and dual-discipline format distinguish it from more conventional regional facilities, and its concrete drag strip renovation reflected ongoing investment in the property through its final years under the Kil-Kare name.