GEORGETOWN, Del. — When the Super DIRTcar Series returns to Georgetown Speedway to kick off the 2026 championship season, the facility will look a little different than it did just a few months ago.
Days after last year’s Delaware Diamond event, work began on a nearly half-million-dollar renovation project at the Delaware facility. It’s a project that General Manager Chad Cathell said started when Ken Adams, the track’s part-owner, bought the facility at the end of 2021.
“He’s had kind of a five-10-year plan,” Cathell said. “We’ve been slowly chipping away at that. We’ve also been grateful to receive a grant from the Delaware State Tourism and Delaware Tourism Capital Investment Fund. That really helped expedite things. We received $400,000 in funding from them.
“Things are really trending upward. We’ve got two Super DIRTcar Series races this year. We have the World of Outlaws Late Models coming up. There’s a lot of large-scale great touring series coming in. We’ve got two Monster Truck events this year, and we’re putting on a huge Fourth of July Sussex County celebration. With all we’ve got going on, renovations are just a part of that. You’ve got to keep the facility up with what you’re doing with it, so now is the time.”
One of the most significant changes fans will see when they arrive at the venue later this month is the track’s lighting. It’s an adjustment, Cathell said, that will make Georgetown one of the most well-lit tracks in the country.
“The biggest thing they’re going to be able to see is that they’re going to be able to see,” Cathell said. “We’re going to have all new LED lights all throughout the infield. We’ve also changed up the parking a little bit, putting in drive lanes so people know where to park. That way we’re not parking three-wide. We’re also trying to clean up some of our gate entrance and exit procedures, so fans can see an expedited process getting in and out.”
Along with the LED lights, other improvements being made for the fans include the catch fence, which has been raised six feet, a new all-aluminum ADA handicap section, two party decks behind that section, and three new suites.
The fans aren’t the only ones who’ll see changes this season. So will the competitors.
When they arrive to the pit area, they’ll see a paved pit road, new lights, new scales, a new tech shed, along with a re-done fuel and parts section and new wiring for the pit speakers.
But that’s not the only change. The track drivers raced on in November won’t be the same as it will be a little shorter with adjustments to the turns.
“It’s not going to be a significant change, but it’s going to be enough of a change where they’re going to have to roll out of the throttle,” Cathell said. “Georgetown has been known for the big high speeds and carrying momentum through the corners. Jamie Friesen has been working on it, so now the corners are going to be a little more on the technical side, where drivers are going to have to lift and navigate the corner, rather than roll the corner.”
With those changes to the track, Georgetown is also improving its drainage system.
Those changes are only a part of the 10-year plan to evolve the track each season. A plan that includes several big events, like the Super DIRTcar Series, to help give fans the best experience on and off the track.
“We’re trying to build something here that’s more than just a racetrack,” Cathell said. “We’re trying to build a place where families can have an experience and memories that are going to last a lifetime.
“The memories are what matter the most. If you ask a kid what their best time at the racetrack was, I want them to instantly say going to Georgetown Speedway. We know that starts with big events, big races, and big money. That’s what we’re about, and it’s an experience we’re going to try and deliver all year long.”
