The history of motorsports in Delaware

When the first cars and motorcycles appeared on Delaware's primitive dirt road system in the early 1900s, it was only a matter of time before enterprising promoters devised some sort of competitive event.

In fact, the first known car race in Delaware was on dirt roads, three years before the construction of the famed DuPont Highway began in 1911.

Indeed, the first recorded automobile race in Delaware was probably the 1908 "Bonnet Contest," which had competitors racing on public roads from Newark to Wilmington and back. The bonnet was a British term for the hood of the car.

And, those notoriously unreliable vehicles had to make the 30-mile round trip event without repairs, which was no small feat.

"Before the race they would put a seal on the hood — or bonnet — of the car,"  said Chad Culver, co-author of "Delaware Auto Racing." "The first one to complete the round trip - without having to break the seal and work on the car — won."

The 1908 race was won by a Studebaker "30" — a two seat, open cockpit car.

By 1915, the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington had sponsored a similar bonnet race to Philadelphia and back.

"Those two (races) were the earliest forms of motorsports competition that I have been able to find in Delaware," Culver said.

Eventually, auto racing moved off public roads onto oval horse tracks. The first known race was held in Wilmington's Wawaset Park around 1915.

Not to be outdone, motorcyclists raced on a dirt horse track at the Kent-Sussex Fair in Harrington as early as 1919.

Called "The Big Motorcycle Race," the event featured an array of contemporary bikes from the era, including Harley-Davidson, Indian and Excelsior.

In 1921, the Delaware State Fair, then located in Elsmere, hosted an automobile race that attracted 5,000 spectators.

The Kent-Sussex event in Harrington, which eventually became the state fair venue, also hosted auto races, which meant horses, cars and motorcycles all raced on the same half mile dirt track at the fairgrounds.

Amazingly, a 1947 event at the Harrington fairgrounds attracted a record 36,258 spectators.

That record held until the gigantic Dover International Speedway hosted its first NASCAR race in 1969. The Dover track currently has seating for over 95,000 fans.

After WWII, popularity skyrockets 

While the earliest races were indeed held at multipurpose fairgrounds, promoters eventually began to construct tracks and grandstands specifically to hold regular racing events.

After a racing hiatus during World War II, the number of post-war race tracks in Delaware skyrocketed as promoters scurried to convert farm land into local venues for fans and competitors alike.

In the north, tracks were opened in Augustine Beach and Wilmington.

Central Delaware had the fairgrounds track, the Capital Speedway in Dover, the Blue Hen Speedway in Harrington and the Blackbird Speedway in Townsend.

Southern Delaware had tracks at Love Creek in Lewes, Myers Speedway in Bridgeville, Nassau Speedway, Volunteer Speedway near Rehoboth Beach, Little Lincoln Speedway, Delmar Speedway and Georgetown Speedway, which initially was named the Seacoast Speedway.

READ MORE:Dirt-track racing: Fast and forgiving

And Milford hosted a go-kart race in the 1960s and '70s that was held on city streets.

"It was to raise money for charity," said David Kenton of the Milford Museum.

Plus, since 1969 the huge one-mile concrete track at Dover has hosted two NASCAR races annually, bringing thousands of fans to the region. Race events at Dover are broadcast on national television.

As the sport evolved from its humble beginnings, the cars changed too.

When racing began in Delaware, the competing vehicles came right off the showroom — and that was true for cars and motorcycles.

Later, for the bigger venues like the state fair, purpose built cars were featured. Commonly, they were open wheel and open cockpit vehicles.

After World War II, as new tracks were built, a new, less expensive breed of race cars emerged. They were called "stock cars" because they were adapted from vehicles that had been driven on the street.

More often than not, the basic car, often a pre-war Ford, had been salvaged from a local junkyard to keep the costs down for the average amateur driver.

Nearly all competitors on Delaware's various dirt tracks learned the art of sliding the car sideways through a turn, a technique that improved lap times. And the side-by-side racing helped increase the popularity of racing events.

"The first time I saw it, it made a hell of an impression on me," said Donald Allen of Seaford, a long-time fan and former race reporter and photographer.

By the 1970s, stock cars evolved into purpose-built racers that have little in common with the family sedan. Moreover, car builders and promoters added a myriad of safety features to protect drivers and fans alike.

And, because the early races were dusty and often dangerous, promoters started applying water to the track prior to the event. The water helped control the dust, making it safer for drivers and more enjoyable for the fans.

With the improvements, the costs of building and maintaining a race car for owners, drivers and sponsors has escalated significantly.

Even though all tracks pay winning and high-placing drivers, the prize money does not cover all the expenses associated with racing. And that includes not only the car, replacement tires and spare parts but also a trailer to transport the racer to events.

"It has gotten to be an expensive hobby," said Allen.  "But, from a safety standpoint, the sport has come leaps and bounds."

With the post-war racing boom came an eventual dose of reality.

For a variety of reasons, including the value of the property where tracks were located, racing venues started to disappear almost as quickly as they had been built.

"The real estate became more valuable than the race venue," said Allen.

Still, a Delaware pastime 

Today, the huge NASCAR facility at Dover along with dirt tracks in Georgetown and Delmar are all that remain for stock car fans in the state. Both Georgetown and Delmar host weekly races in season.

Though many promoters, track owners and drivers have contributed to the success of auto racing in Delaware, the late Melvin L. Joseph, a Georgetown area contractor, is often mentioned as one of the most influential.

Joseph not only constructed stock car tracks in Georgetown and Dover, he also sponsored a long list of cars and drivers who competed locally and nationally at venues like Daytona Beach.

He also sponsored a car that was driven by Bobby Allison, the NASCAR star.

"Melvin Joseph has had more influence on racing in Delaware than any other person in our history," said Culver. "With no Melvin Joseph, racing in Delaware would have looked much different and probably would not have been the success it has been."

Throughout history, a number of local, regional and national drivers have achieved success on Delaware tracks.

And that includes Russell Snowberger of Bridgeville who won the 1921 race at the Kent-Sussex fair then went on to compete in the Indianapolis 500. Another perennial winner was Pennsylvania driver Tommy Hinnershitz, who regularly competed in Delaware.

Hinnershitz won so many races in Delaware and elsewhere in the 1950s that the legendary driver is featured in a Keystone state racing museum in York Springs.

Johnny Martin of Lewes also was a highly popular, successful driver in the 1950s who drove a stock car for Melvin Joseph.

Meanwhile, U.S. 13 Dragway in Delmar has been holding drag races since 1963.

MORE: Delmar U.S. 13 Dragway going strong since 1963

While motorcycle racing also has diminished in Delaware, the stock car track at Delmar still hosts a national American Motorcyclist Association event. And the Speed Citi Motorsports Park in Seaford has been holding motocross races for over three decades.

Delaware also hosts other forms of motorcycle competition, including enduro and observed trials.

But it is the history of auto racing that stands out in Delaware, even after many of the venues have disappeared.

"Almost all the tracks are now gone but their legacy lives on," Culver said in his book.

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