DORSEY SPEEDWAY – DORSEY, MD.
1951-1985

#44 Will Dilks One of the leading feature winners in Dorsey history

Dorsey Speedway was located a few miles south of Elkridge, MD in Howard County near the corner of Route 1 (Washington Blvd) and Dorsey Rd. Original owner and builder Dawse Wolf laid out a track closer to Washington Blvd. about 1950 or early 1951. This location proved bad as the track was higher than the spectator area. Through the efforts of Bob Wallace, who would be the first president of the Free State Stock Car Racing Assn., Schmelyum Construction and others, dirt was hauled in and the track relocated further back down Dorsey Rd. The first recorded race at the new ¼ mile clay oval would be on 9/31/51 with Pee Wee Pobletts taking the win. In 1952 it ran Friday and Saturday nights with Free State sanction. In 1953 it was Friday nights only again with Free State. In 1954 it went to a NASCAR sanction and raced on Thursday nights. It was back to Fridays in 1955 and Free State would sanction races there through 1960.

During these years the Sportsman-Modified class was the main division with the Hobby class being started about 1955. There were also specials including Northern Virginia & Pen-Mar late models, midgets and motorcycles. A new addition in 1958 was a dirt road course (using part of the oval) for sports cars. In 1963 the track would be refurbished again to widen the turns and add more banking causing a late opening. In 1964 the track went back to some two night a week racing, with the Limited Sportsman, Hobby and sometimes Midgets racing on Saturdays.

1965 saw several changes to the Dorsey format. The year started with the Sportsman-Modified class as the top division, then shifted to Late Models for a few weeks. By mid summer PA. Promoter Hilley Rife took over and brought in the Central PA. Supermodifieds and Late Models. Also an important addition was the Figure 8 class. They would stay at Dorsey till the end and become one of the most popular classes at the track. Hilley would continue in 1966 and 1967 with the same classes of cars.

More changes came in 1968 that would set the tracks course till the end in 1985. Local promoters took over and set the Late Model class as the top division. The older body styles were out and many of the drivers from the previous 2 ½ years were gone. Many of the drivers that raced at Dorsey in the 50’s were now making the switch to the Late Model division.

One more change was the switch to Saturday nights. The car count was very good through the remaining years as Dorsey developed a local group of driver and owners, some who only raced at this track.

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