Former Dirt Late Model racer Gary Dillon of Elm City, N.C., announced Thursday that he’s secured a long-term lease for the former Halifax County Speedway in Brinkleyville, N.C., with plans to reopen for a full 2027 schedule with Limited Late Models among regular divisions.

Dillon, who hasn’t decided on the track’s name, plans to coordinate with Elm City’s County Line Raceway, running identical Limited Late Model rules and avoiding conflicts between the tracks. The first race will be in April.

“I’m a little bit nervous, but I’m very excited about this deal,” Dillon said in a Facebook live on his personal page. “I think we can really make this work and make a lot of improvements to the speedway. We’re going to put a block wall going all the way around it. We’re going to do away with the guardrails.”

Among other improvements, Dillon plans to paint the walls, replace existing fences and host only divisions with a reasonable amount of cars. Seniors aged 75-and-over will be admitted free and Dillon pledged to have affordable concessions.

“I think this place can be built back up,” Dillon said. “It’s going to take a team effort with everybody. I’ve had a lot of support behind me of people trying to support by coming to help at the racetrack, stuff like that,” Dillon said. “I’ve debated doing this for a while. I’ve sort of been up in the air about it, but I really think this is a good deal between County Line and us running alternating weekends.”

A Facebook page will be created once the track’s name is chosen. You can reach Dillon through his personal Facebook page or call him at (252) 245-4108.