Brutal Winter Delayed Georgetown Upgrades, But Management Promises To Be Ready For Opener

By JACK O’CONNOR

A brutal winter on the East Coast hindered Georgetown Speedway’s offseason improvement project as officials were not able to work for six weeks due to snow and ice. However, track general manager Chad Cathell ensured last week that the southern Delaware facility will be ready to welcome the Super DIRTcar Series for the Delaware Diamond 50 on Saturday March 28, sharing all projects are already “50% or more complete”.

“Back in January, we had a decent little snowstorm turned ice storm,” Cathell said in a phone interview Saturday morning.

“We got over three quarters of an inch of ice. Then highs went into the low to mid-20s and everything else was like single digits for a week and a half. So, that kind of halted our progress. Then last month, we had that really bad snowstorm that dumped 19 inches, and that jammed us up for the better part of a week.

“On top of that, you’re reliant on other people across the country shipping you equipment and parts, and they can’t if the weather is bad. Thankfully, the weather turned and the temperatures came up, so it melted off pretty quick. But that water still has to go somewhere, so everything has been kind of a swamp land.”

Cathell and his staff went to work immediately after the checkered flag flew on last November’s Mid-Atlantic Championship weekend.

“The scales are all finished; they are installed and all new concrete is poured from where you come off the track to the scales to all the way down to the fence line,” Cathell said of what’s already completed.

“It gives our tech guys an area to jack cars up and do the droop rule checks when the Supers (Late Models) come to town. Our three suites are up in the air and they are working on installing flooring so we can get up to them. Then, we dismantled the entire handicap section and crews will be here to install the all-new aluminum ADA section. It will tier up with party decks and people can buy them during the season.”

Pit road will also be paved in the coming weeks once the equipment presently there is removed. Additionally, workers began Saturday putting poles in the infield and will soon install new lights, Cathell informed.

Another major upgrade taking place involves the speedway’s catchfence, which Cathell said was raised and is roughly 80% done.

“The poles are up and cables are run. We’re just waiting for the track to dry out a little bit so we can get the equipment out there to put the fence itself on the posts,” he said.

However, perhaps the biggest change both drivers and fans alike will notice is a smaller race track. Cathell said the entrances of turns one and three are tighter and the apexes off turns two and four have been changed to allow for more off-throttle time.

“Our goal was to try to get a 7/16th (mile) on the inside and a half on the outside. Before, it was more like a 4/10th to the inside. We’re still trying to bring that in a little more to make it more of a true half-mile,” Cathell said.

“Jamie (Friesen) did a great job laying three and four out to make it a technical corner instead of a sweeping corner. Plus, I feel like the new layout is going to benefit the drivers because its saving on engines; you’re not going to be wide open all the time.”

Construction crews have already shaped turns three and four and are currently working on turns one and two. Friesen, a track expert, will also be back this week to bring the speedway in so it reflects the changes made.

Once that is complete, Cathell hopes to begin laying down the more than 125 loads of fresh clay at some point this week.

A practice scheduled for Saturday was scrapped so crews can continue working. The things necessary for racing will be finished around March 20, Cathell estimates, but work will continue until the last possible minute.

“No project is ever done. You’re always continuously doing stuff,” Cathell said.

“So, we’ll be doing stuff right up to the 27th, whether it’s putting the last coat of paint inside the suites or putting the covers on the electrical sockets. But the dirt work, the fencing and all of the stuff that truly impacts the ability to race will be done about a week beforehand.”

Cathell couldn’t provide an exact cost for the facility upgrades. However, the track last month received a $400,000 grant through Delaware’s Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund, which Cathell said was used to offset expenses.

“That was the goal when we applied for it; we wanted to try to offset some of the cost. We’re extremely thankful and appreciative of the state for giving us the grant,” he said.

“We worked really hard for over two months getting letters of support from local legislators and business owners before we submitted. It took a tremendous team effort to be able to get to that point.”

While Cathell hasn’t had much time to connect with local drivers one-on-one, those he has spoken with are excited about the changes.

“I think we’re all aware that we’re in a transitional period in motorsports where racetracks are not popping up left and right. They are going away,” Cathell said.

“So, to see the investment (track owner) Ken Adams is making in this property to make it a premier facility, it’s kind of hard to not be excited. We’re going to have people from the ticket booth all the way up and down who are excited to be there and want to make this place a great destination. I think that will then funnel down back to the racers.”

To go hand in hand with the track changes, Modified weight rules have been adjusted. Those running a Spec 358 will have to weigh 2,300 pounds, while competitors with any different motor combination will have to be 2,500.

If you have an aluminum block, you’ll be required to have 50 pounds of weight from the firewall to the front axle, but it’s not added weight, Cathell said. Additionally, there will be a one pound per lap burn off in Modified feature events.

Keeping on the topic of rule changes, the timing rule for the Wegner Automotive 427 Weekend Warrior engine has been adjusted to allow for one straight degree of timing.

“What that does is it allows the guys with the Wegner’s to not have to send their motors back and pay anywhere between $2,000 and $4,000 to convert it over to a distributor setup. They can use the same box they had; everything is the same,” Cathell said.

“It’s literally the click of a button and their cars are now legal. Talking to Casey (Wegner), they’re actually finding that the motors are making a little better power with the straight-line timing. We’re going to have a weekly Wegner Weekend Warrior bonus for the highest finishing 427. They’ll get $250 and then Casey has added an extra $2,500 toward our points fund for the Wegner’s. They’ll have their own point chase.”

This year will be Cathell’s second handling the track’s day-to-day operations after coming over from Dover Motor Speedway. His goal for the season is simple: have continued consistency.

“When people show up, I want them to know that they are being treated fairly; from judgement calls on the track to making sure they get paid at the end of the night to not keeping them there for more than two or three hours,” he said.

“It’s all of the little things. I want the racers and fans to know when they come to Georgetown Speedway, they are going to get the best experience on the East Coast and in the country.”

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