More Than 200 Loads Of Clay Await Competitors At Georgetown Speedway; March 4 & 10 Practice Sessions Set Prior To March 11 Melvin L. Joseph Memorial
Story By: BRETT DEYO / GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY MEDIA
Photos By: GEORGETOWN SPEEDWAY & DAVE DALESANDRO /RACERSGUIDE.COM
GEORGETOWN, DE – February 22, 2017-An all-new surface is in place for racers at Georgetown Speedway.
More than 200 loads of fresh clay have been added to the Sussex County half-mile oval thanks to the assistance of Melvin L. Joseph Construction Company.
A vein of red/orange/gray clay, after testing, was identified as suitable for the speedway and was applied to the speedway after nearly a full week of hauling. It marks the first complete resurfacing at Georgetown in more than a decade. Now, attention turns to the first on-track action of 2017.
On Saturday, March 4, race cars hit the speedway for the first of two open practice sessions. Pit gates will open at 2 p.m. The track will be open for practice from 4-7 p.m. Grandstand admission is FREE. Pit admission is $20 for Adults, $10 for Kids ages 6-12 and $2 for Children ages five and under.
In the event of rain on March 4, Sunday (March 5) will be utilized as a rain date.
A second practice session is set for Friday, March 10 on the eve of the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial. The March 10 practice will have gates opening at 4 p.m., with on-track activity from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Grandstand admission is FREE. Pit admission is $20 for Adults, $10 for Kids 6-12 and $2 for Children five and under.
Race teams will be permitted to leave their haulers on-site in the speedway pit area for the Saturday, March 11 program. Camping is also permitted at the speedway.
The Melvin L. Joseph Memorial, for the second consecutive year, launches the Northeast Modified season with the lid-lifter for the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled By VP Velocita South Region. Big-block/small-block Modifieds headline the program in a 49-lap main paying $4,900 to win and $490 to start plus bonuses at the historic half-mile track.
The event honors the memory of Melvin L. Joseph, the founder of Georgetown Speedway and a Sussex County business icon who was also a pioneer in the NASCAR community as a car owner and builder of Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Mr. Joseph passed away in 2005 but his legacy continues.
Joining the STSS Modifieds on the program are the L&J Sheet Metal Crate 602 Sportsman paying $1,000 to win and $100 to start plus Southern Delaware Vintage Stock Cars, Little Lincolns, Delmarva Chargers and Delaware Super Trucks.
On March 11, pit gates will open at noon. Grandstand gates will be unlocked at 1 p.m. Hot laps get underway at 3 p.m., with racing at 4 p.m.
Adult grandstand admission is $20. Seniors (ages 65 and up) and Students (ages 13-17) pay $16. Kids 9-12 pay $10 and Children eight and under are FREE. Pit admission is $35 (ages 13 and up), $10 (ages 6-12) and $2 (five and under).
A rain date of Sunday, March 12 is in place for the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial.
The recently remodeled Quality Inn (formerly Comfort Inn) just north of the speedway on Route 113 in Georgetown, is offering the following discounted rates for the Melvin L. Joseph Memorial on both Friday and Saturday nights: $98.10 for Double Beds; $89.10 for a King Size bed; $107.10 for a Suite. Call the Quality Inn directly at 302.854.9400 and mention Georgetown Speedway to receive the discount.
Georgetown Speedway, originally constructed by Melvin L. Joseph in 1949, is located at the intersection of Route 113 and Speedway Road in Georgetown, Del., just miles from the Delaware beaches and less than a 40-minute drive from Ocean City, Md.
A website is live for the speedway at www.thegeorgetownspeedway.com. Like Georgetown Speedway on Facebook, follow @thegtownspdwy on Twitter, e-mail georgetownspeedway@gmail.com or contact Brett Deyo at 845.728.2781 during business hours for more information.
