Major improvements complete at Quincy Raceways; race show set for Saturday, Sunday at Quincy Town Center

QUINCY — Jeff DeLonjay is confident that all the hard work and expense will soon start paying dividends.

DeLonjay, 43, the first-year owner of Quincy Raceways, has had a busy fall, winter and early spring. Along with managing his own personal business, Be Dry Roofing, DeLonjay has overseen a number of major improvements to the .295-mile dirt track.

“We want Quincy Raceways to be a racin’ destination,” said DeLonjay, who will be on hand Saturday and Sunday to meet and greet race fans during the track’s annual show at what is now called the Quincy Town Center.

Headlining the improvements at 8000 Broadway with be new curved, concrete walls installed at the east and west ends of the racing surface.

DeLonjay said 480 blocks, weighing 2,000 pounds each, have been — or are in the process of being — installed, giving the track and entirely different look and feel. The walls anchor more than $150,000 in improvements that have already been made since the end of last season.

An entirely new racing surface, including all new clay, will be obvious to fans and drivers alike.

“The racing will be entirely different,” DeLonjay said. “We’ll have about five more feet of banking and you’ll be seeing three- and four-wide racing at times, instead of the rather tight two-lane racing of the past. I think it now compares to tracks like Spoon River and Peoria.”

An overhaul of the concession stand is complete, plus numerous other physical improvements spread across the track grounds.

DeLonjay and his wife, Renee, bought the 28.5-acre site — which includes seating for between 3,500 and 4,000 fans — for $335,000 from Paul Holtschlag in June 2024. Holtschlag had served as either sole or co-owner of the property since 2009.

The season gets underway April 27 with mostly a Sunday night schedule outside of special appearances of the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, a pair of MARS series dates, sprint-car specials and a vintage car night. A couple of Friday night dates will test the waters for a possible move in the future. Ideally, DeLonjay said Friday night would become the official race night sometime in the next five years.

Weekly classes will again feature crate late models, modifieds, sport compacts/”B” modifieds, stock cars, 4-cylinders and Crown Vics.

Defending track champs are Jason Perry (crate lates), Austen Becerra (mods), Tanner Klingele (sport mods), Jacob Rexing (stocks), Jaden DeLonjay (4-cylinders) and Jacob Jones (Crown Vics).

Chance Bailey, the track’s director of operations, said weekly first-place payouts are scheduled to be $800 for crate late and modified feature winners, $600 to the sport compact/”B” mod winner, $375 to the stock winner, $300 to the 4-cylinder winner and $150 to the Crown Vic winner.

Bailey said the night of July 6 will be especially lucrative for local drivers, who will benefit from a local business adding $1,000 for the winner of the late model, modified and sports compact/”B” modified features. The late model and modified winners will earn $1,800, and the sports compact winner will earn $1,600 night.

DeLonjay emphasizes his first year as an owner will experimental. He said changes could be made during the season as far as scheduling/rules are concerned.

“We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “If a change needs to be made, we will.”

DeLonjay said he has been overwhelmed by the response of local businesses helping provide financial backing. He estimates between $55,000 and $60,000 has been donated from local businesses to assist track growth.

“The local businesses have really stepped up,” DeLonjay said. “It has been just great.”

Quincy Raceways will celebrate its 50th anniversary this season. The site was known as Adams County Speedway after it reopened in 2022 following a two-year shutdown. It had gone by Quincy Raceways from its 1975 opening through the 2019 season.

Jeff’s uncle, Hank DeLonjay, was a 13-time track champion prior to his retirement following the 2007 season. Hank won 10 “A” modified crowns and three sportsman titles. Jeff’s cousin, Steven (Hank’s son), was a six-time track champ — four in a modified and two in a hornet. Count the two 4-Cylinder championships from Jeff’s oldest son, Jeffrey, and one from his youngest son, Jaden, and the DeLonjay family has 22 titles to its credit.

QUINCY RACEWAYS OPERATIONAL TIMELINE

• 2024: Jeff DeLonjay buys track from Paul Holtschlag,
• 2021-24: Jim and Tammy Lieurance take over as directors of operations, leasing the facility from Paul Holtschlag.
• 2020-21: Track closed
• 2018-19: Jason Goble, director of operations (Holtschlag owner)
• 2017: Jason Goble-Robert Goble, directors of operations (Holtschlag owner)
• 2014-17: Kenny Dobson, director of operations (Holtschlag owner)
• 2011-14: Paul Holtschlag-Bob Rhinberger (co-owners)
• 2009-11: Tony Rhinberger-Paul Holtschlag (co-owners)
• 2008-09: Tony Rhinberger (owner)
• 2007-09: Tony Rhinberger-Mike Karhoff (co-owners)
• 1993-2007: Bob Scott (owner)
• 1975-93: Albert Scott (owner)