Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

More like an old small peckered malcontent who delights in the failure of others.

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

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Whoa..says a lot (of wisdom) in one sentence.

Thanx..My new fave saying.

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

Well here's the true facts from someone who has nothing to gain and isn't a regular competitor at what folks call "the cabbage patch" - and I can't tell you why they call it that- maybe one of our members will fill us in .

Recently I've been having some computer issues with my new Chevy and after a few nights testing things in my garage it was time to try out my ideas on the track - here's what I found yesterday at the Island .First off I got there late-after six PM and till I got through tech it was after 6:30 but they assured me I'd get in some test n tune runs without sitting in line for hours .Turns out they weren't kidding as after a short time in the lanes they sqeezed me in between rounds just like Duke and the guys promised .

Here it is - my first pass 60' was exactly the same as my best run the week before at Atco - right to the thousandth .My second about a half hour or so later was .006 better than the first in the sixty .Not bad for a place that just opened a month ago and I didn't see any special dragging or spraying so I've got to believe the place just had a good surface last night . After the second pass I bagged it for the night as I was loaded with enough info to check out .

In between runs I stopped at one of those 'food trucks' ( there were two ) some of you spoke about - the cheeseburger I had was made fresh - not one of those heatlamp deals and was tasty .

I saw several other regular D1 stockers in attendance and afterwards spoke with them - they told me they tested there on a regular basis and were happy with their results .

So much for the naysayers ...........I'd go again without hesitation .It may not be as pretty as Maple Grove or be as big as Englishtown but I got the job done .It really doesn't matter who is running the place or who is calling the shots but what is important is that its a place to race thats back open for business .................And please forgive this reporter who left his camera at home while hastily loading up .

Welcome back Island Dragway ! ! !

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

"The Patch" nickname came along when that was what was being grown in some of the fields along the entry road. Cabbage.... I have no idea who started it......

Sod has always been grown right next to the track and those fields continue a long way further up....That sod was shipped all over the country and to some very high end places....including baseball stadiums...

The land is very rich there...dark loam type soil created by a glacier so the story goes.....

It is also in a flood plain.....and routinely flooded and still does.

The drainage ditches were done many year ago by the Army Corps of Engineers I was told to allow the land to drain after a flood....

Hank Dinger the longtime announcer knows all the history of the land and has talked about it many times over the years.

I live 20-25 minutes from the place and have been going there since before I could drive a car.....

The traction there has almost always been good for many years...

When I raced Larry Pappas' Firebird (my old car) there a couple years ago.....the 60's were as good as it gets....

I am glad they are back and appear to be off to a good start....

They are advertising on the radio....and are also getting some ink in some local papers....I give them credit for doing the right things to try their best to make it work again...and hope it does succeed and improves....

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

Great to hear this. That place is sentimental to me... Its literally the first actual dragstrip I ever made a pass on. Lots of fond memories there.

Ok, now start counting... 1, 2, 3, 4.... seconds.... until 1320(bracket)racer chimes in as to what a dump the place is and how great numidia is.......

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

Thanks Rich - I knew about the sod but not the cabages ..........

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

I raced there a couple weeks ago, my car runs 10.60's so its not a high power car, but on a 9inch tire the 60's were consistent high 1.44 low 1.45 from first time shot till I lost 4th round. good day, I hope to go back there again a couple more times this year.

Duane Hoven

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

The T&T on Sunday was always very good. Have not been there since reopening. Assume it is still a good experience.

Re: ISLAND DRAG-WAY..Hackettstown NJ-Good news.
 

Island will always be a favorite of mine, since it's the only place I won Stock Eliminator. By the way, does anybody have any Competition Copyrights from June 1972? I lost mine in a flood several years ago.