Dorchester dragway

[KRYPTONITE]

I though this was real cool and Figured I would share it with everyone, I get monthly issues of IHRA DRM magazine(drag review) and on page 10 BIG DORCHESTER DRAGWAY had a pretty nice full page write up of the track and how it started, very nice write up, GO AHEAD BIG DD

[AverageJoe]

Can you scan it and post it up?

[KRYPTONITE]

I will try, maybe 2morrow, can't scan with my blackberry lol

[chrisheltra]

Did they put in the article how you cant use the bathrooms because it never gets cleaned and people like to pick up their shit and sling it every where and then attempt to clean it of by peeing on it?

[Ballaholic29414]

Did they mentioned they hold the record for the most wrecks in 2009?

[clubracergt1]

Click here (http://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=298&l=1) for online version of magazine. The article is on page 10

[Harry]

I know things there aren't the best. But, if it were to go away it would be a great loss.

[chrisheltra]

Just as easy to do this

DeLee Family Pride

The power of horses once allowed farmers to till the sandy soil of southeastern South Carolina, but while tractors have long since replaced the equine population, horse power is still a key part of the everyday lives of the Delee family, owners of Dorchester Dragway.

Tying the story up in a neat package is the fact that the land the eighth-mile IHRA-sanctioned track sits on was once dedicated to the growing of South Carolina’s most famous crop – tobacco.

Not only did Virgil DeLee raise tobacco, but he also raised many sons, some of whom had a love of fast cars and racing. In the early 1980s four of the DeLee brothers - Phillip, Leonard (Mike) Sr., Lawrence (Curly), and Elijah Sr. - approached their father with an unusual request.

“We told our father we wanted to build a drag strip,” said Philip DeLee. “We told him we wanted to race, but we didn’t want to do it on the streets, so he said if that was what we really wanted to do he would give us the land we needed.

“We built the track in 1984, and our plan was for it to just be a little hobby thing – something just for us to use,” DeLee said. “It didn’t take long for people to start noticing what we were doing, though, and we soon realized we would have to take the track from a hobby to a business. We started having races a year later, and it just sort of blossomed from there. Last year we celebrated our twenty-fifth year in operation.

“We knew early on we wanted the track to be sanctioned, so we got in touch with the IHRA,” Delee said. “People wanted to bracket race, but we didn’t really have much experience with that.

Thankfully we got a lot of guidance from the folks at the IHRA. At first we did well with bracket racing, but there were always pretty hefty pay-outs involved, and when we went through a few lean years we decided to do what we wanted to do in the very beginning. We started scheduling test and tune sessions and grudge races in addition to Summit SuperSeries events, and that covered everything our racers wanted out of a track.” Despite the track’s rural surroundings, civilization isn’t very far away. Dorchester Dragway is just over 30 miles from historic Charleston.

“We draw well from Charleston, but there are a number of small cities and towns in the area and they also contribute to steady racer and fan counts,” DeLee said. “We have a late crowd at our track. Late in the afternoon you think no-one is going to show up, but by the time the sun goes down the place is packed. We do our test and tune and grudge racing on Sunday afternoons and our Summit SuperSeries races once a month on Saturdays.

We also have special events and bookedin shows from time to time during the year.” The moderate climate of the Lowlands of South Carolina allows that year to last for the best part of nine months.

“We normally race from early March, depending on the weather, to the first weekend in December,” said DeLee. “This year we’re working on the track, though, so we’ll likely not start racing until April. We’re re-pouring the racing surface, fixing up the starting-line area, and replacing the fencing.” IHRA is a big part of Dorchester a fact borne out by the track’s long-time participation in the Summit SuperSeries and Team Finals programs.

“Our racers really like the Team Finals events – which we used to call the Bracket Finals,” verified DeLee. “We have never missed one. Mind you we have never won one, or even finished in the top five, but the experience is great. We have lots of determination, and it’s always fun trying to win it. Our racers like to go, so we have always participated.” Family pride has had a lot to do with the success of Dorchester Dragway for the past quarter of a century, and that has never diminished over the years. In fact, family participation is growing all the time.

“This has been a family affair right from the beginning,” DeLee said. “Members of our family ran every part of the business. I’m the Operations Manager, Elijah is the General Manager, Mike is the Gate Manager, and Lawrence is in charge of track safety and track prep. My nephews Leonard Jr. And Elijah Jr. Are special events coordinators. I have two other brothers – Roger and Daniel – who also work here, along with cousin Andrew Youngblood.

Our friend John Bowman has been with us for 15 years as well. We really love what we’re doing, and it’s great to be able to work alongside so many family members.” If there’s strength in numbers, the Delee family must certainly be one of the strongest, and the track they are so proud of must be one of the best in another family - the IHRA family - because of it.

[chrisheltra]

I know things there aren't the best. But, if it were to go away it would be a great loss.

I think it would be horrible if they shut down but I also get tired of having to pack up my gear because I have to drop a deuce. There is no way in hell Id use their bathrooms.

[WWhittle]

Repouring the track surface, fixing up the starting line and redoing the fences? Anyone know if all this is actually happening right now?

[Harry]

I was kinda wondering the same thing.

[slowgreen99]

Repouring the track surface, fixing up the starting line and redoing the fences? Anyone know if all this is actually happening right now?

ive heard it from another source too! :cheers

widening the lanes....thatd be nice! And if they concreted the track, or at least half of it!

[1iron]

ive heard it from another source too! :cheers

widening the lanes....thatd be nice! And if they concreted the track, or at least half of it!

Left or right?:mrgreen:

[bwelch]

All I got from that was reopening inAPRIL ...

[Matts94Z28]

All I got from that was reopening inAPRIL ...

X2... I also heard about the doing renovations.

[91notch]

I know things there aren't the best. But, if it were to go away it would be a great loss.

I agree. The track needs some work, but is better than the alternative..... nothing. I'm glad they are doing renovations, and am interested to see the outcome in April.

[Ballaholic29414]

Yes Easter Sunday will most likely be their grand opening. That sunday prob pays the bills for the next 6 months to run the track

[The Big Al]

Like to guess who was the first track Champion???

[Whaler]

Like to guess who was the first track Champion???

Who?

[WWhittle]

Like to guess who was the first track Champion???

The Streetking? lol

[minytrker]

The Streetking? lol

LOL, he should atleast have his own reserved parking or something. He has to hold some kind of record there.

[Ballaholic29414]

Streetking is the 2nd generation Dorchester Dragway champion. The first generation dorchester dragway champion has to go to Russell "the bull" Simon. That yellow truck he had back in the day was mean.

[WWhittle]

Yeah, Dorchester would have been dead as a doorknob the last 2 years if it wasn't for Darin.

[Darryl Buckner]

spoke to Curley and he said something to the effect that he was going to hire the guy that does the starting line in Rockingham, to redo their starting line. We all know the right lane hasn't been right since it was cut down last season. I know they were origionally going to reopen the last weekend or so of February, but he told me mid to late March, so I guess well see. As far as the Darin thing, he is a really good grudge racer, but if he quit coming to Dorchester, I think the financial impact would be minor. That place had alot of people before him, and I am sure it would continue..:bigthumb:

[WWhittle]

spoke to Curley and he said something to the effect that he was going to hire the guy that does the starting line in Rockingham, to redo their starting line. We all know the right lane hasn't been right since it was cut down last season. I know they were origionally going to reopen the last weekend or so of February, but he told me mid to late March, so I guess well see. As far as the Darin thing, he is a really good grudge racer, but if he quit coming to Dorchester, I think the financial impact would be minor. That place had alot of people before him, and I am sure it would continue..:bigthumb:


No way- Dorchester is a grudge track and there would be no grudge racing if it weren't for Darin. If there is a race at Dorchester, he is in the middle of it, whether it's his race or not.
I hope they get the track straightened out so that there will be some more grudge races this year- noone wanted to do anything last year because the track was so shitty.

[Mike]

As far as the Darin thing, he is a really good grudge racer, but if he quit coming to Dorchester, I think the financial impact would be minor. That place had alot of people before him, and I am sure it would continue..:bigthumb:

+1

I don't even know who he is. :hide:

[WWhittle]

Do you guys think that Dorchester would draw the spectators that it draws if there was NO grudge racing? Of course, the answer to that is no. If there was no grudge racing at Dorchester, there would be about half the spectators.

And Darin is the only one that grudge races, or tries to get any grudge races up. That's all I was saying.

And Mike- he has the blue monte carlo that says "Streetking" across the windshield.

[Darryl Buckner]

Yes I do think the crowd would be there. They were 5 or so years ago before Darin showed up, and they will be there after he is gone. I remember watching people years ago betting in the stands on 2 random cars going down the track. Do I think the head count would be lower if no grudge racing was happening, yes, but do I think the track would close or be in financial jeopardy if Darin left, no. The track would be fine. I am one of the few that has raced at Dorchester since day one, and I have seen many money making races, and grudge racing is another class or trend to me. Like promods, and quick 8 cars. They all bring a crowd, but if they didn't come one weekend, the racing would still happen. Just my 2cents, based on facts.

[chrisheltra]

+1

I don't even know who he is. :hide:

+1

[Harry]

I agree with Darryl. I have never gone for the grudge racing. I at times can't stand those jackasses pulling up to the line and having to have another argument about something they have already been arguing about for two hours and then having to do 10 burnouts and five dry hops.

[Chillerman]

Regardless of who grudge races there, it's makes no difference to me. I'm still going to race there. I agree with Darryl and Harry. People will come and go. Some of the crowd may go with them. Someone else will rise to the occasion of grudge racing and a crowd will follow them as well. I'm sure Dorchester will still draw a large crowd with or without Darin.

[1iron]

I am sure the guys on this site would still go but, a large part of the crowd is there for different reasons than us. Just look at the size of the crowd that gathers around when Streetking is setting up a race. The place comes alive. I love to watch grudge racing. I am just to tight with my cash to get involved.

[Darryl Buckner]

I like to watch grudge racing also, but to say the track would be in jeopardy of closing if not for grudge racing or better yet one particular person is crazy. Thats like saying Jeff Miles at Carolina would close if he didn't have grudge fest. BS..

[Ballaholic29414]

I like to watch grudge racing also, but to say the track would be in jeopardy of closing if not for grudge racing or better yet one particular person is crazy. Thats like saying Jeff Miles at Carolina would close if he didn't have grudge fest. BS..

Carolina became famous due to the grudge action that goes on at that track (+ track prep).

Grudge racing is keeping most tracks in the south above water. You can hear a pin drop during a race a Orangeburg Dragstrip but when there is a grudgefest going on at Orangeburg you can hardly find a spot on the fence .

[The Big Al]

Let me give ya some history.

Years ago test & tune or even grudge racing did not happing.

Track operators thought it was a waist of time.

Otto Slawson back in the early 80's who operated Cooper River Dragstrip.
I personally talked him into opening up the track with no timing equipment for 2.00 a head one late night. It was a mad house.

Shortly after the Dorchester started the same.

Most don't know, for the first few years Dorchester was private. The Delee boys used it for them selves and friends and that was it.

Now back then, street racing was big! Very big!

We street raced on the road in-front of Cooper River drag strip, we knew no one would call the police over noise!

It lasted for some time.

Al


__________________________________________________ ___

Door slammer racing was born from grudge racing, and one of the first "GRUDGE" races held was at Orangeburg. Jimmy Pie from Chas, Sc & Gaffney Boys, from upstate had a grudge run.

And this is where the no rules big engines started.

Back them 500cid was huge! NHRA was forced to allow the 500cid engine because IHRA Pro Stock was more entertaining and did not have CU limit.


Anyone ever hear the story about Ricky Smith in Gainesville made a qualifying pass against Bob Glidden with his IHRA engine he called "Brutus"! And NHRA was livid!
And they threated to ban Ricky for what he did. Making the king of the sport look bad. :mrgreen:

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