I cannot remember a race at Delaware ever being longer than 300 laps, modern day it was the McKerlie Millen for super lates...then Cascar`s Labour Day Classic. The speedway was changed from a 1/4 to a 1/2 by Jack Greedy in the real early seventys and the supermods ran thier last season there in 73 I believe and they never ran any long distance shows beyond 100 or so laps even when the ISMA cars came in the 80`s...The APC 300 format is very entertaining for the fans and that is who pays freight so keep up the good work Wilcox....other than Oswego , Delaware is the only place for labour day.
Wasn't the Labor Day race a 500-lapper up until '98 or '99?
Not exactly. Here's the brief history:
Started in 81. I believe it was just called the Labor Day 200. Don Beiderman won it. Then the year after in 82, they got the backing from McKerlie Millen. Earl Ross won that one and was credited with winning the inaugural one...except it wasn't...it was just the inaugural one sponsored by McKerlie Millen. (Don wouldn't be able to defend in 82 because he was under suspension that Labor day. Someone else drove the car...Ed Howe I think)
It goes like this for a few years as a 200 lapper, and the format was usually time trials, heats, then the 200 lapper. (plus Street Stocks) They played around with having a challenge race on the Saturday night a few years, but it was mainly a one day event for SLM. Friday and Sat were were showcasing the regular divisions pretty much the same was they do now. (stretching a night's racing over 2 nights ;)...apparently some brainiac decided that the low rung divisions couldn't run doubleheaders at Delaware.)
So with the advent of the CASCAR Late Model and the decline of the Super Late Model, it was decided around 89 or so to split the 200 into 2 segments, 100 CASCAR and 100 SLM. It was quite disappointing. SLM had rough turnouts. CASCAR had great turnouts, but only about 7 guys finished the first race, and they were all strung out at the end. (Remember up till then there was no super series and these cars had only ever done 25 lap features before.) George Wall won the first CASCAR section. The 2 segment McKerlie race lasted 2 years I believe.
So now the Cascar Super Series is taking shape. By the time 91 or 92 rolls around, there's no more Super Lates on the program. CASCAR is booming, and they decide to make it a 300 instead of a 200. (there might've been a couple years it was a 250...don't hold me to it) McKerlies is gone, Car Quest is in. And it only takes a year or 2 for the Labor Day weekend to blossom into something even cooler than it had already been.
These are the ones the guys on this board seem to remember most. Pit Stop competitions in Victoria Park. Panel shows at the local pubs. BIG inserts in the London Free Press. The Great Canadian 500 Weekend. They'd do a pair of 100 lap heat races on the Thursday night, the usual Friday-night-show-stretched into-2-days till Saturday, then the big 300 on Sunday.
And so it goes. Del Drops CASCAR 2 years ago and concocts a new format for Labor Day...and were back (hallelujah) to having actual Late Models in the show! We've got the "Delaware guys" 75 lapper, this one to wrap up the Friday night Points Championship. Then the "Open" 75...for invaders. Then the 150 lap showdown, featuring x number of guys from each 75 lapper.
Is this format a hit? After 1 year, hard to say, but I think so. Last year was pretty exciting. Can't wait for this year's!
As an aside, it'd be nice, if anyone decided to take up the project, to update and upgrade the "wall of fame" that's inside the main entrance. I think it only goes up till 2000, and Beiderman should have his name up there too as the winner of the 81 race.
And actually, if anyones got an old program or something that mentions Beider winning that race, speak up eh? All I can tell you is he won it and it was written about (he won in a borrowed/rented car...maybe Russ Urlin's) Thus far, its undocumented, and Tony N never kept the records from this stuff. I'd love to be able to back it up with something more than just "Shadow said so."
So...how's that for a morning coffee ramble? 😀
I think it was a 1/4 mile back then wasn't it. ;D
That was back before the dinosaurs.
You'd have been just a teen then.
;D
I remember it being a 150 lap CASCAR sportsman race for a year or two. I believe it was 2002 that Steve Robblee started 38th and won.
I believe we had the Cascar Sportsman show in replacement of the CASCAR SUPERSERIES who ventured to the Vancouver Grand Prix on Labourday. They still ran the 300 at the end of the month