From the website:
The Delaware Motorsports Complex that houses the U.S. 13 Dragway, Delaware International Speedway, and the U.S. 13 Kart Track is truly a family operation. Its origins with the Cathell family can be traced back to 1963.
Back then, current promoter Charlie Cathell and his late father Bill were avid go-kart racing fans. Their interest in racing evolved into drag racing at Georgetown, Delaware’s popular 1/8 mile track. Racing there spawned the idea for their own quarter-mile track after noticing the difficulty cars had stopping after reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour. Bill was also interested in having a place where his son and his friends could drag race in a safe and controlled manner.
In 1963, the family purchased a parcel of farmland on the west side of US 13, about a mile north of Delmar. To their dismay they discovered that they only had enough room for a fifth-mile track. The fifth-mile track did not allow enough distance for shutdown, so shortly thereafter, the Cathells purchased additional land and extended the track to a quarter-mile.
The first year of operation was slow, but the Delmar Drag Club, which still exists today, helped keep the facility going. There were no grandstands the first year. Devoted fans backed their vehicles up to the fence to watch the racing. Many still enjoy the races that way today.
As interest in racing grew, the family business grew. A dirt track was built on the west side of the dragway and the grandstands were put on wheels and towed back and fourth between the two facilities. The Delmarva Auto Racing Association leased and ran the track from 1965 to 1968. The following year, the track moved to its present location but was a third-mile complete with a figure eight. The Cathell family took over management of the track with the help of a staff of 50 to 75 “locals”, many of who are still with the family today.