By John Hall, Daily Times Sports Editor
DELMAR — In the 41 years since his parents, Bill and Juanita, opened the U.S. 13 Dragway just north of Delmar, Charles Cathell has missed just one weekend of racing.

But he’s got a pretty good excuse.

 

Since his parents opened the U.S. 13 Dragway in 1963, current president Charles Cathell, above, has missed just one weekend of reacing. A stroke in July of 1996 kept him away, but he returned the next weekend. Photo by Autumn Collins

Nothing short of the stroke he suffered in July of 1996 has kept him away from the Delaware Motorsports Complex — which he now operates as president — before or since.

“And I would’ve been there that weekend, if they didn’t have me all hooked up,” said Cathell, who returned to the track the next week.

It’s mid-January, 25 degrees and the track’s been dormant for nearly two months — it’s shut down yearly November through February — but Cathell is standing in the enclosed observation deck that overlooks the 1&Mac218;4-mile drag strip’s starting line with plenty on his mind.

Like the return of the NHRA Northeast bracket finals after two years away.

Or the upcoming debut of the AC Delco TSS Modified class, priced to allow potential owners and drivers to enter the sport at the ground level.

The Delaware Motorsports Complex has come a long way since opening as a 1&Mac218;5-mile strip in 1963, and Cathell has been there for every minute of it. The years since have seen an expansion of the strip to 1&Mac218;4-mile and NHRA sanction, as well as the addition, relocation and enlargement of the Delaware International Speedway, the complex’s 1&Mac218;2-mile clay track.

But through it all, this family-run organization has maintained an emphasis on family.

“Dad’s philosophy was that he would like to have family entertainment,” Cathell said. “And he felt that if you didn’t charge for kids, maybe mom and dad both could afford to come out. And kids could come out and enjoy their friends.”

To this day, Cathell doesn’t charge children 14 and under. The result has been a large contingent of young race fans, the largest crowd of children at a race — sometimes numbering 800 to 1,000 per night — many drivers have seen at any track.

And, as racing has gained popularity with the proliferation of NASCAR, Cathell has seen his crowds increase steadily. He cites a steady rise in the past 3-4 years — while other Eastern Shore attractions have seen a decline. Last year, unpredictable weather washed out 24 race dates, but exceptional days saw crowds well into the thousands.

 

“We said for years and years that there was never enough television for motorsports, and through all those years, motorsports continued to grow,” Cathell said. “Now they have everything televised. I think, with the cost of traveling to nascar races these days, what used to be a nice weekend away for a family is still a nice weekend for a family, but it’s a $1,000, $1,600 venture.

“They still like to be in front of that roar and excitement.”

And the average Eastern Shore race fan has plenty of events to chose from, including the Lucas Oil NHRA event in July, as well as the aforementioned Northeast Division bracket finals Sept. 30 through Oct. 1. That event attracts 45 teams from each of the 15 tracks in the division — nearly 700 total teams.

The first bracket final held in Delmar, in 1998, brought in 900 teams and approximately $1.5 million for the local economy.

In fact, the complex’s events bring drivers from throughout the area — most are from a 40 to 60-mile radius around the track — to Delmar.

“I think here on the Eastern Shore, when it comes to talent, we feel like we have as quality a field of car and drivers as there are anywhere in dirt track racing,” Cathell said.

And that keeps the fans coming.

“It’s what we can give back to the people of the community that have built restaurants, and little strip malls,” Cathell said. “Not that they’re going to retire off what we give them, but it sure helps.

“We hope to be part of the success, the growth of Delmar.”

Not that the two parties — the Delaware Motorsports Complex and the town of Delmar — haven’t had their bumps throughout the years. Some residents have found the drag strip in their backyard to be a little too noisy for their tastes.

“I would like to think we have a good relationships (with Delmar), of course, not everybody enjoys motorsports,” Cathell said. “I’m sure to some people who are not into motorsports, we’re probably annoying.”

But Cathell has made steps — such as muffler adjustments lowering the decibale levels to below 100 at 25 feet — to hopefully ensure a peaceful co-existence.

And as long as there are race fans on the Eastern Shore, there should be a home for Cathell and the Delaware Motorsports Complex in Delmar.