Atco permanently closed - immediately
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 2,466
Likes: 700
From: Clark, NJ
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 124,427
Likes: 288
From: .... NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '19
E-Town now Atco, just about the end of the drag racing in NJ. Only Island Dragway left, but for how long. That is the one track in NJ I never went to.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 456
Likes: 28
From: New Jersey
That. sucks!!!,
I have only been there a couple of times through the years, as it's a couple hours drive from where I am in Northern NJ.
With Englishtown also closed up, I think we will see a lot more "street racing".
I don't know what percentage of their profits came from the "larger" national events, but the small time hobbyist and kids need a place to go.
Hopefully, Island stays open.
I have only been there a couple of times through the years, as it's a couple hours drive from where I am in Northern NJ.
With Englishtown also closed up, I think we will see a lot more "street racing".
I don't know what percentage of their profits came from the "larger" national events, but the small time hobbyist and kids need a place to go.
Hopefully, Island stays open.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 308
Likes: 298
From: NJ
Ever since Englishtown closed, every light on Rt. 9 is a drag strip. Grew up in Marlboro and used to love hearing the top fuel cars at night. It's the typical story. . .they build new developments and folks don't do their research on what's in the area and then complain once they move in. Tracks get shut down, then folks complain about the racing and crashes on the streets.
Last edited by scithera; Jul 20, 2023 at 10:53 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,820
Likes: 1,728
From: Summerville SC
Having grown up at all 3 of these tracks, I think it's more about the money. It doesn't take a genius to look at the profit from owning a few acres with a drag strip on it, with all of the headaches that go with it ( like the neighbors) or how many hundreds of thousands of dollars per acre you can make by just selling to a developer. I am actually shocked that Island is still around. I haven't been up there in years but that was one of the most beautiful places in the state. Can't understand why they haven't built houses on it so far.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,649
Likes: 863
As scithera above says - those of us who have been around for a while know whats going to happen. The racing is just going to move to the streets. People (both racers and innocent passerby's) are going to be injured killed and there will be calls from all corners to crack down on the street racing. But in the end - the police are not going to stop it - it's next to impossible to change human behavior, and the police can't be everywhere.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2013
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From: New Jersey
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St. Jude Donor '25
Anyone know what happened? I’m guessing a Developer came in with a big checkbook.
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 4,011
Likes: 492
From: South Florida
Very sad to hear this. Was talking with some buddies about it, spent a lot of time there. Made some really good friends, also met some real interesting people there too... I think what most 1/4 mile tracks need to look at is what else can we do on this property to generate revenue? I didn't think I would ever see Atco close even though there were constantly rumors of them selling decades ago.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,684
Likes: 3,137
From: Shamong, NJ
From everything I know the township has generally supported the track.
The track's owner has been trying to sell the track for 3 or 4 years. Supposedly there were people who offered to by the track and keep it open, but instead the owner entered into a deal in 2019 or 2020 to sell it to a "Copart" type company, to be an insurance auction yard. To complete the sale they had to get the township to change the zoning (I think it was zoned entertainment?), but the township committee voted against rezoning it, and that was the last I heard about the sale for a couple years now. If they resubmitted their request or appealed the ruling, I never saw anything about it in the local news.
The township was pretty split on the sale of the track. There were those that were happy to be rid of the noise and traffic associated with the track, and there were those that were concerned about the loss to local businesses, and/or had concerns about trucks hauling wrecked cars up and down Jackson Road daily. For most people it came down to which was worse, dealing with the noise 2 or 3 times a week, for 8 months out of the year, or dealing with trucks hauling junk cars through town 5-7 days a week, year round.
I've talked to some people who say it will be an insurance auto auction, and others who claim it's going to be a warehouse (NJ's quickly becoming covered by massive Amazon type warehouses). I'm pretty sure these are just rumors and speculation, so far.
I live about 5 miles from the track, and with nothing but undeveloped state forest between me and the track, I could faintly hear it on some days, when the wind was blowing the right way. It was never an issue for me.
I haven't been to the track in 5 or 6 years (I prefer road racing), but I'm still sad to see it go. My connections to the track run deep. Besides spending a lot of time there in my teens and early 20's, in the early 80's I ran a few Corvette Only Drags there when my Corvette club rented the track for a Saturday of Corvette drag racing every year. I also ran a night of racing there in the late 80's when the National Late Great Chevy Club (58-64 Chevrolets) held their national convention in nearby Mt Laurel NJ.
Last edited by gbvette62; Jul 24, 2023 at 07:49 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 10,739
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From: Golden Colorado
As an avid ex drag racer I find this very sad. Bandimere just held their last national event last week. About 3 months before they close altogether. I wish someone would do a grass roots track but cost is probably prohibitive. Next 2 closest tracks are 1/2 across the state in different directions.
How long till street racing is back.
I’m betting not long.
How long till street racing is back.
I’m betting not long.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
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From: Chester County, PA
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2013
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From: Chester County, PA
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2012
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From: Outside the Quick Stop N.J.
I would love to see a new 1/4 mile track get built, but I doubt it will happen.
I drove through Atco today, I wonder how many businesses will close now that the track is gone.