1.) Delaware’s official nickname is “The First State”, in honor of Delaware being the first state to ratify the constitution, as well as likely being first in polluted water in the country.
2.) Delaware only has three counties, something that I don’t think has anything to do with Dale Earnhardt, but you can never be sure.
3.) Delaware’s population is a little over one million people, most of whom have developed a tolerance to Grotto’s Pizza.
4.) Delaware is the second-smallest state in terms of total area. Yeah, Rhode Island is smaller, but they don’t have a gigantic statue of a race track’s mascot!
5.) Delaware is the only state in the country where you can “sell” your license plate, developing a cottage industry for low-numbered license plates. It’s like luxury cars in Beverly Hills or Greenwich, but more digit-based.
6.) State insignia include the official bird (blue hen), flower (peach blossom), beverage (milk), and odd view (seeing a nuclear cooling tower from the old upper deck at racetrack).
7.) Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware, with over 70,000 residents, most of which regularly sit in traffic on I-95 to get to and from work.
8.) Hartly is the smallest town in Delaware, with only 73 residents as of the 2020 census. Kind of like the Dave Marcis of towns (doing a lot with a little) minus the wingtips.
9.) The area below the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal is affectionately known as “Slower Lower” Delaware. Although it’s called that for the slower pace of life, sometimes it feels like it’s called that for the slow traffic jams on beach weekends.
10.) Dover becomes almost as big as Wilmington (in terms of population) on race day—and that doesn’t include the people whiling away their days in the attached casino.
11.) The best-known resident of Delaware is Joe Biden, who I’ve never met, but I sat in enough “Joe Jams” or “Biden Backups” due to his motorcade to feel his presence.
12.) The best-known celebrity from Delaware is likely Aubrey Plaza, who I’ve never met, but would be open to meeting her if she’s interested in someone who can yammer on about the history of Team Sabco in the 90’s for hours on end.
13.) Delaware doesn’t have any of the “big four” sports franchises, but it very briefly had a quasi-major league baseball team in the 19th century called the Wilmington Quicksteps, who infamously drew ZERO fans to a game. Yeah.
14.) Dover Motor Speedway shares the facility with Dover Downs, a harness horse racing track inside the Nascar track. So if you ever wondered why pit lane is so narrow, that’s why.
15.) The northern boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania is the “Twelve-Mile Circle”, the only state territorial boundary in the country that is a true circle. There. That’s a thing you know.
16.) There are only three “villages” in Delaware (known as “the Ardens”), a leftover of a taxation experiment in the early 20th century, kind of like how Hendrick & Gibbs are the only teams who still have four chartered entries.
17.) A majority of US companies are incorporated in Delaware due to its business-friendly law system, advantageous business taxes, and, possibly, because there’s so many good Italian hoagie places to go to for lunch.
18.) There’s a small Amish population near Dover (which I’ve driven by many times), that is likely the only area near Dover that doesn’t sell raceday tickets, parking, or cold drinks.
19.) If you’re going to the race today, enjoy yourself, stay safe, and stay far, far away from scrapple.
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