Maryland’s Cecil County Dragway underwent a number of significant improvements in 2023, just as the fabled facility located in the town of Rising Sun turned 60 years old. Improvements included new aluminum bleachers and LED lighting, along with the launch of a three-phase upgrade to the sound system, which is still being implemented.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #189, the Women of Power Issue, in July/August of 2024.]
Longtime track owner Jim Halsey began the initiative to improve the entire facility last year, and he’s continued the progress into 2024 with improvements that include lengthening the sandpit, rearranging the turnoff, and installing a new return road.
“The main motivation for the new return road was because when we were running Pro Mod, alcohol dragsters and Funny Cars, we didn’t have a lot of stacking area after they made the turnoff, so at times we either had to stop racing or figure out a way to push them out of the way, but the new return road takes care of all those problems,” says Halsey.
Afterwards, some seal coating and new striping were applied to the upper staging lanes and pit area, while the staging lanes were also rearranged to accommodate 30-40 more cars. “Overall, the facility is much more user-friendly than it was previously,” says Halsey, who also recently added new fencing, along with a host of additional track equipment.
With a robust schedule of events for 2024, the only thing that’s been lacking lately is good weather. “It’s been a tough season in the early going!” Halsey confirms. A local weather stat was published that caught Haley’s attention, as it indicated that out of 19 weekends, 18 of them had rain. “I don’t know for sure if that report was accurate, but it sure feels like that’s the reality,” comments Halsey. Many of the events in early 2024 were rain-shortened or altogether cancelled, but sometimes the weather would cooperate long enough for a very successful gathering.
As early as February, Cecil County had events on the calendar, including Burger and Burnies, which is a track rental that includes a car show, burnout contest, and a food truck onsite selling hamburgers. “It’s a fun hangout-type event, and the idea is to go hang out with your buddies, make some tire smoke, and eat a burger…it definitely takes the edge off of the midwinter boredom,” Halsey explains.
A few test-and-tune events were scheduled early on as well, with mixed results as the weather had the final say. While the first Strange Engineering Street Car Shootout, as well as the season-opening points bracket race, were both rained out, the attendance levels were impressive, as the 2024 season marks the return of points-earning bracket racing at Cecil after a multi-year absence. “Even though that first bracket points race was eventually rained out, we did have close to 300 cars, so the turnout was great,” Halsey adds.
By mid-April, the weather improved just long enough for the Big Fred Productions grudge race, which was a huge success. Another bright spot was the Spring Fling Car Show and Swap Meet, which benefits the Eli Seth Matthews Leukemia Foundation. “That’s a great cause and we’re happy to be a part of that,” says Halsey.
The much-anticipated $50K-to-win Pro Mod Invitational/NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional was unfortunately affected by rainy conditions. The event was delayed, but eventually completed on Monday afternoon. The third attempt was a charm for the Street Car Shootout in late May, as the weather cleaned up enough to host a great event.
Lots of great summer events are on tap, including the Modern Street Hemi Shootout, Summit E.T. Bracket Racing, along the with Mid Atlantic Super Series, which has a new identity for 2024. “That’s the series formerly known as the .90 Series, and they’ve really grown in the last few years and have added more classes,” says Halsey. Cecil County also hosts a group called OGS 1320, which promotes events with an import slant, and includes cars shows and a variety of bracket classes.
Perhaps the most celebrated event associated with Cecil County is the seven-day-long Yellow Bullet Nationals, which marks the 15th running of the staple event in 2024. Great events continue all the way through October and November, after which, test-and-tune weekends are hosted as weather permits.
Even more facility upgrades are planned over the winter, including brand-new concrete for a section of the racing surface. “When we replaced the concrete on the starting line, we used a mix that really holds rubber well, even after a rain, so we’re going to use that same mix in a section from about the 150-foot mark to about the 330. That’s a big project we’ve got planned for this coming winter,” Halsey concludes.
This story was originally published on August 8, 2024. 
