Sean D, shondoo
Nitro Member
Raceway Park to Cease Drag Racing Operations in 2018 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MHayes
- Start date
TooTall999
Nitro Member
This was a financial decision by the Napp family. There are still going to be motorsports there, just not drag racing. The people still have to deal with noise, just not drag racing noise.BTW.... to get revenge on the rich yuppie NIMBY a-holes who caused this the town should put a proposal on the fall ballot where people can vote to either keep the track open for racing or have the Napps sell the property to a developer who would construct low income / section 8 housing. Watch the yuppies backpedal real quick when the property values of their cookie cutter McMansions are threatened.
Percboy
Nitro Member
IMO, these on-line petitions fall on deaf ears, but here it is.
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/143...ag-racing-raceway-park-old-bridge/1044792001/
https://www.thepetitionsite.com/143...ag-racing-raceway-park-old-bridge/1044792001/
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
Last edited:
Jimbo
Nitro Member
I agree with you 100%.
While I love drag racing everyone one us must look at this from the business side of running a drag strip and trying to figure out your best ROI and in the case of Englishtown this is a wise move at this time.
A very wise man told me years ago the key to success is finding something you love to do and then try to figure out how to make money doing it!!!
All of us love drag racing but at the end of the day you have to justify your time spend along with your money and the rewards you are getting from doing it must make finical sense other wise you go out of business.
Jim Hill
Jimbo
Nitro Member
This is an interesting idea. Not sure if they enough space or if it would make finical sense for them to think about doing it.
Jim Hill
HEMI6point1
Nitro Member
Yeah but no doubt that the NIMBY'ers had a hand in influencing their decision.
justafan
Nitro Member
Agreed. It's a little too late for this.
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
2011
TooTall999
Nitro Member
I don't think it would've mattered if the track was in the middle of nowhere with zero noise complaints. There were $75 million reasons to close the drag strip.
stitcherbob
Nitro Member
2010 was a bad year, with the Firebird incident*, Neil Parker, and there was also Mark Niver at the Northwest nats...who ran off the end into the catch net
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/driver-mark-niver-killed-in-wash-raceway-crash/
* for those who don't remember...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/driver-mark-niver-killed-in-wash-raceway-crash/
* for those who don't remember...
It's unfortunate for NHRA. Englishtown is situated in the middle of the highest population in the USA.
I heard someone say that Etown is the Pomona of the East but thats not true. If Etown was Pomona it would have closed shop a long time ago. Pomona hosts very few events every year but Etown is probably the business venue in the NHRAtrack directory. Town hosts quite a few events that have big draws so they had to make this decision carefully I'm sure. The fact that it will be so much easier to manage a parking lot then a drag strip had to play into the decision too.
I think the family was a little divided on what the future of the track should be. At least they didn't sell the property to developers. I guarantee that the neighbors eventually will be complaining about all the totaled cars getting towed there on the 100's of flatbeds that will be driving through the neighborhood now.
I have great memories from Etown. I remember Eddie Krawiec guiding me down the private lane at Etown on Wednesday nights so I can get a pass in my Pro Stock truck whenever I was ready, I have so many memories of Michael Napp helping me out and looking out for me. I have so many great memories from the fans and all the races I had there.
Englishtown was one of my magical places and I will never forget it. I wish the family the most success and I hope that NHRA somehow find a way of replacing the amazing race that they just lost.
Good luck to everyone involved.
I heard someone say that Etown is the Pomona of the East but thats not true. If Etown was Pomona it would have closed shop a long time ago. Pomona hosts very few events every year but Etown is probably the business venue in the NHRAtrack directory. Town hosts quite a few events that have big draws so they had to make this decision carefully I'm sure. The fact that it will be so much easier to manage a parking lot then a drag strip had to play into the decision too.
I think the family was a little divided on what the future of the track should be. At least they didn't sell the property to developers. I guarantee that the neighbors eventually will be complaining about all the totaled cars getting towed there on the 100's of flatbeds that will be driving through the neighborhood now.
I have great memories from Etown. I remember Eddie Krawiec guiding me down the private lane at Etown on Wednesday nights so I can get a pass in my Pro Stock truck whenever I was ready, I have so many memories of Michael Napp helping me out and looking out for me. I have so many great memories from the fans and all the races I had there.
Englishtown was one of my magical places and I will never forget it. I wish the family the most success and I hope that NHRA somehow find a way of replacing the amazing race that they just lost.
Good luck to everyone involved.
StockersRock
Nitro Member
Figure just this savings alone into that revenue and that $75mil for the 15 years likely pushes close to adding another "0" onto that final number...
Jimbo
Nitro Member
Guy's remember at E-Town it's only the drag races that they are stopping!!!
The Car Shows, the Kart track and I believe the motocross are still in operation.
One other note to think about. All of the car manufactures are working hard to create electric cars and they are saying that within ten years if you purchase a New Car it will be an electric car because they are no longer going to be making cars with conventional motors any longer.
Could the future for the NHRA be in drag racing electric cars? I might be the reason E-Town for now is keeping the drag strip and just deciding not to use right now.
I know it a crazy idea but remember Don Garlits already has an electric dragster he has been working on it for the past few years.
The one think that has put many drag strips out of business is the noise levels so this is one way to have drag strips close to major areas.
Just my opinion.
Jim Hill
www.nostalgicracingdecals.com
The Car Shows, the Kart track and I believe the motocross are still in operation.
One other note to think about. All of the car manufactures are working hard to create electric cars and they are saying that within ten years if you purchase a New Car it will be an electric car because they are no longer going to be making cars with conventional motors any longer.
Could the future for the NHRA be in drag racing electric cars? I might be the reason E-Town for now is keeping the drag strip and just deciding not to use right now.
I know it a crazy idea but remember Don Garlits already has an electric dragster he has been working on it for the past few years.
The one think that has put many drag strips out of business is the noise levels so this is one way to have drag strips close to major areas.
Just my opinion.
Jim Hill
www.nostalgicracingdecals.com
Sean D, shondoo
Nitro Member
Strictly my opinion, but all-electric drag racing would be comparable to bracket/Super class racing; good fun for the participants, not much spectator interest.
Sean D
Polish Hammer
Nitro Member
The smell of nitro replaced by burnt wiring....no thanks! When tomorrow’s nostalgia cars are what’s running today, nostalgia racing will be huge.
Z28LT1
Nitro Member
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