A bit off the beaten path, squeezed in between a corn field and a horse pasture, a thin ribbon of broken pavement runs northwest some thirteen hundred twenty feet. It might seem out of place in the middle of a farm. But this pavement stretches well beyond a few hundred feet of farm land, it also reaches back into history. All the way back to July 2nd, 1961. That was the date Onondaga Dragway was born. Conceived by brothers Ken and Harold Sears, the quarter mile track opened at the dawn of drag racing's chaotic decade that was the Sixties. This "small-time" country drag strip quickly established itself as a very popular Saturday night destination for both racers and spectators. Bringing in the likes of Garlits, LaHaie, Muldowney, Brannan, Beswick, Kalitta and other big names helped fill the stands. Fans witnessed everything from Top Fuelers, Funny Cars, and Super Stockers to exhibition cars such as Art Arfon's jet car, wheelstanders, and even Michigan's own "Madman", E.J. Potter and his "Bloody Mary" V-8 powered motorcycle. Plenty of local racers also spent their weekends screaming down the popular strip. The track was originally only 1,850 feet, but was lengthened to 3,000 feet in the late-sixties. Mid-Michigan enjoyed their little track for only a brief time, it survived just 17 racing seasons. Onondaga managed to hang on through most of the Seventies, but the poor economy helped bring it's closure in 1978. Two other Michigan drag strips also closed in 1978, Tri-City near Saginaw, and Motor City near Detroit.

It had only been closed seven years when plans was made to reopen the dormant site. That 1985 effort was led by Dan Ranshaw, who proposed reopening it on a grand scale, envisioning a NHRA national event and track sponsorship from Oldsmobile. Initially, a rally was held at the track to garner interest from both racers and fans. Ranshaw had also distributed surveys throughout Mid-Michigan seeking public opinion. He received over 2,000 back in support of his plans. The track was to be renamed "Capital Area Dragway." The rally had a good turnout, but some attendees inadvertently drew the ire of the locals by parking on their nearby farms and all along Bellevue Rd. Ranshaw next took his cause to Onondaga Township, who held public hearings to discuss his proposal. Neighbors of the race track came out in force, loudly and unamimously voicing their opposition. Tales of loud cars leaving the track late at night, and dishes being rattled out of their cupboards early in the morning were told. Unfortunately, the opposition was successful. Ranshaw and the racers were denied, and Onondaga Dragway quietly slipped back into obscurity. The historic quarter-mile racing facility was eventually absorbed into a farm and largely forgotten.

It wasn't completely forgotten, fast forward thirty years. Despite being abandoned all those years, the old track surface remains basically intact. On the west side, what was the spectator parking lot and pits is fenced off for a horse pasture and only small patches of the return road are visible. On the east side, the pits and return road have completely disappeared, a corn field now occupies that area. A section of the staging lanes remains, as does the restroom building. At the top end of the track, both turn-offs are still there, but they end abruptly, leading to nowhere. The timing tower was demolished in the mid-80's. In 2008, a small group of local drag racers leased the track and quietly began using it for private test 'n tune sessions. News of this activity slowly leaked out online, and many racers hoped to return to Onondaga. Interest swelled and the group of racers decided to host a car show at the track to encourage support for their effort to renovate the old track. This would not be a commercial venture, but a private facility, open only to club members. The new Onondaga Drag Club now has plans to completely rehabilitate the facility.