"I looked through all my change drawers and I’m still $7,999,999.15 short. Anybody looking to donate? No. Okay, well it was just a thought."

https://dragracingedge.com/the-blog/for-sale/

Spot on John!

"Fake News"

Shawn

Side Bar Question:

Does anyone remember the drag strips at Flemington or Vineland, NJ?

I went there with Jack Kulp (Blown Old's Top Gas Dragster) back in the early 60's. Anyone remember, or race with Jack Kulp?

Bob

My friend and racing partner from the mid '60s raced at Flemington. I was never there.

Lots of tracks back then...in the general area.....

York
Pocono Drag lodge
Vargo
Montgomery
NY National
Stratorods at McGuire AFB
Old Bridge Speedway Drags
Winfield
Dover
Connecticut


Just ones I can think of easily that are gone.

Etown being the most painfull loss…….1 hr away...

I do recall when York abruptly shut down as we all thought they were coming back big. They had some PR people promoting the place as it had gone downhill for a while....late 1970's
That was a real nice facilty but very hot in summer.....The first Summernationals was there and of course I was there....racing 1970 !!

Losing MG would be the end of the line for me.....I'm already just about there.....

Yeah Rich,
It would definitely SU CK.
No more premier national event facilities in the New York/Jersey area.

The thing is they have it priced as residential lots, not a racing facility, so you can see who they are trying to entice to purchase the place.

Just hope they don't stop keeping up the facility because they want to sell it.

York also had the first bracket finals in the US. A little South 75&80 is gone as well as Aquasco

We raced at York around 1967..
First time I ever saw what would become bracket racing, they called it "dial your own"

I went to a big bracket race at York to spectate right around 1977 I'd guess.....Went to MG the next day again to spectate.

I was re-infected bad by then......LOL

quote:

Originally posted by pentastarrail:
Yeah Rich,
It would definitely SU CK.
No more premier national event facilities in the New York/Jersey area.

The thing is they have it priced as residential lots, not a racing facility, so you can see who they are trying to entice to purchase the place.

Just hope they don't stop keeping up the facility because they want to sell it.

Very difficult to watch this all happen Frank over the last 10 years or so....

Keep in mind I watched and was part of the incredible rise of the sport....

Not much I didn't see....and have had so many fun times and great days.

Stuff you read about I saw happen and am feel fortunate I did.

Cant hardly stand seeing it slide downhill like it is and tracks going belly up....

The sport is Very healthy in some aspects but not good in others.....like for track owners.....

I agree 100% with you Rich.
My first National was at Englishtown, the Summer Nats late 70's, early 80's.
Slept in a van with 5 other guys the whole weekend. That's when you could camp there.
That's when it was a BLAST. Screaming "The other side sux" or when a good looking girl would walk by, the stands would ERUPT with whistles and screaming "Show us you *its", (sometimes they would).
Wouldn't trade those days for anything.
The Midway was a REAL Midway. I remember taking home cases of oil, trans fluid, small wrenches and screw drivers and many other items, all free for the taking.

Now just to be profitable tracks need to have import days, etc to get spectators in. I remember when divisionals would pack the house.

Oh well, times change.

I remember it very well Frank.
Streakers, bonfires
They had to shut down the camping as it just got out of control

You drove in Sunday morning and saw some serious hungover fans !

Some funny stuff never happen again !

quote:

Side Bar Question:

Does anyone remember the drag strips at Flemington or Vineland, NJ?

I went there with Jack Kulp (Blown Old's Top Gas Dragster) back in the early 60's. Anyone remember, or race with Jack Kulp?

Bob

Great question Bob!

I live in Flemington and have heard of the drag strip, I know exactly where it was. There are a few pictures online but not much that's any good.

If any of you "senior" guys have any please post them.

I started going to Etown in 1988 and racing in 1991, the kids say I'm old, LOL!

You can still make out where the track was on google earth. I would love to go out there and walk it but its the county gun range now and I'm not sure how that would work out.

One of these days I'm going to pull in the driveway and see what's doing back there.




Shawn

Flemington Speedway was a great circle track.
I saw the last World of Outlaw show on dirt there and it was great. I was covered with dirt when I got home.
They paved the place and it was done a few years later.

Saw the WOO show at Middletown also. Flemington was a much better oval.

I even crewed once for a BB modified at Middletown for our best dirt car engine customer.

Lots of bent up stuff that night. What an experience !

I used to go to the Flemington fair as a kid, good times. The circle track(square really) closed the year I moved to Flemington. Now its a Lowe's, WalMart and B-Dubs.

Shawn

Shawn I went to the Flemington Fair once myself.

That was the first time I ever saw a dirt car and was hanging on the fence taking it in...Thought it was great.

I was forced to go look at the animals instead

My wife back then was a horse owner as a kid..

I didn't care much for the animal show....wanted to go back and watch the dirt cars.....

I was outvoted by my wife and other friends....

It was still a good time none the less.....

SCDIV1 John D that started this thread won the Div 1 bracket finals at York in 1976 representing Island dragway--RU was Jim Rainey representing Raceway Park. That was the first bracket finals in the US and had 600+ cars.....

John D was very young then and had a Chevelle

A very nice car and John went on to win a lot in S/G and later in S/C and even SS


I raced at Island all the time. It’s 30 minutes from home.

I raced brackets there before the modern format and standardized categories

1972-1973

I ran the Bracket Finals a number of times at Maple Grove in the ‘80’s

Got to rd 5 or 6 in Super my best year 1986 I think it was

A Huge event back then. Over 20 tracks

Any Saturday night at Island for a number of years was some very good racing

Jim Harrington, Frank Mark, Billy Nees, Jimmy Dicciaco and a lot of other very good racers.

SCDIV1,

What ever happened to Jimmy Dicciaco‘s Calais or Somerset? Remember being early in my racing career and loved that car!

Rob I think Jimmy had a bad wreck with it and was in a dragster after that

It was a really nice car.....He ran S/C with it...
Tunnel ram on a small block with 2 plate stops..

I think it was a Pontiac body and was built in Texas.....

He won the Summernationals with it one year in S/C...…

I was with Dave and Lori Schapiro and Jimmy beat Lori in the semis or qtrs.....Jimmy was on KILL that afternoon....LOL.....

He ran a Vega before that with a clutch and a Lenco I think....t-ram on a small block....

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:
He won the Summernationals with it one year in S/C...…

1990, over Glenn Milson.

He also R/U at Reading in 1991 and at Englishtown in 1994.

quote:

Originally posted by SCDIV1:

I think it was a Pontiac body and was built in Texas.....

Grand Am I believe it was. Beautiful car