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As a lad I remember sneaking into the pits during the Summernationals which were held in the summer then. We would stand near the start line and by the end of the day we were covered in tire bits and smelled like high octane leaded fuel...good times
There are so many drag strips closing that it forces kids to do their thing out on the street. That is the second drag strip that closed that I have memories of racing at. What a shame.
There are so many drag strips closing that it forces kids to do their thing out on the street. That is the second drag strip that closed that I have memories of racing at. What a shame.
Yeah, there is only one drag strip in the Phoenix area now. It is at Firebird (Indian land) and I am not even sure if there is one in the Tucson area anymore. They were all located out in the middle of nowhere years ago but the city growth has caught up with them and the land value now out weighs the value of the business. I am afraid the cost to build new ones with the liability makes them unappealing to anyone to spend the money.
There are many stories circulating as to why the drag strip is closing. Some say the management is tired of the legal battles with the township, others say it's just not financially worth it to run the facility as the property is worth more than the business, and then there's the reality that the shut down area is just not long enough but it's land locked and a deal can't be made to acquire the property. The last one is being circulated by many of the long time regular big time drag racers. Regardless it's the end of an era.
I'm also very sad to hear the news. IT's my home track and I've run there more times than I can count. I won't speculate on the various possible reasons for their decision. I just will miss it.
It’s in the only part of NJ where property values are “cheap” and with the recently improved access to the turnpike, I’m sure there will be condos there soon, ala Robbinsville.
I've raced go karts there a few years back and the word is the go kart draw was the lowest of all the events, but will continue into the future. I did a mud run there the past two years and at $10/car the place is packed. So all events will continue except for drag racing, so sounds like either a noise or safety issue. "We were here first" takes a back seat to the urban sprawl and new neighbors.
I get it.Never made it there, but as a kid reading the old Hot Rod magazines, it was legendary. My loss that I never made it there. Is there ANY legendary drag racer that didn't run there?
I get it.Never made it there, but as a kid reading the old Hot Rod magazines, it was legendary. My loss that I never made it there. Is there ANY legendary drag racer that didn't run there?
The big names in drag racing back in the day made the circuit to ALL the tracks that had any kind of venue that had points for the big prize at the end of the year.
I grew up in NW Illinois and we had tracks in Byron, Cordova, US 30 and tracks in southern Wisc. that drew big names. Cordova hosted the World Series Of Drag Racing every year back in the day with all of the big names that I attended in the late 60s/early 70s and it was a BLAST.
Yeah, there is only one drag strip in the Phoenix area now. It is at Firebird (Indian land) and I am not even sure if there is one in the Tucson area anymore. They were all located out in the middle of nowhere years ago but the city growth has caught up with them and the land value now out weighs the value of the business. I am afraid the cost to build new ones with the liability makes them unappealing to anyone to spend the money.
Englishtown Raceway Park was a beautiful track. I ran my '66 427/425 there back in the 80's. I live very close to Atco Dragway where I raced in the 70's, but it's no Englishtown. I'll miss it.
My '66 427/425 blowing the doors off of a '67 427/435 (rare) L89. Englishtown Raceway Park, NJ -1985
Last edited by big block ken; 01-20-2018 at 09:29 PM.
The big names in drag racing back in the day made the circuit to ALL the tracks that had any kind of venue that had points for the big prize at the end of the year.
I grew up in NW Illinois and we had tracks in Byron, Cordova, US 30 and tracks in southern Wisc. that drew big names. Cordova hosted the World Series Of Drag Racing every year back in the day with all of the big names that I attended in the late 60s/early 70s and it was a BLAST.
you missed ''great lakes dragway,in union grove-wisc,,all the greats raced there
01-19-2018, 06:35 AM
Englishtown ends drag racing?
