Re: Atco is done
 

That is funny! 🤣

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Damn. That's another track I've raced at that's now closed. That makes Englishtown, Strato Rods, Atco, York, 75-80, just in the NE

NJMP easily has the room for a 1/8 mile track on their front stretch, but it would take a lot of work for anything longer. Improving Island depends on how much unused land they own or could acquire for more parking. But neither facility would work as a big show spectator-oriented venue.

I've even looked at the Meadowlands. Something on the likes of Pomona Fairgrounds, where everything but the stands and track are dual-purpose. It's an large industrial/commercial area and the nearest residences are at least a mile away. But it's flat ground, with urban development rising to the west, and sound will carry.

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Mike than I would ask you to stop racing. Please don't come south. Thanks you BP LOL

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I don't want to have the Kowalick/Demarcy/Milano family angry with me but..........
Island Dragway is part of a 499 ac. tract. The track itself is on a 26+/- tract. IF....IF it was financially advantageous, if the track were turned on a 20/30 degree angle to the left (from the starting line) a track about a mile long could be built. Easily a Natl. Event caliper track! But why? Where is the financial incentive for an investment like that?

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Billy when did you start caring about making others angry. I've been in sessions with my wife over some of your post directed at me!! And yes she is a professional. What I like is she can prescribe medication as needed. BP

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Doesn't NHRA's mission statement say something about improving the business conditions of and promoting and advancing the sport of drag racing?

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Island Dragway could copy the Galot Divisional. Galot runs the .90's and Top classes to 1000', Stk/SS and comp on the 1/8th. Both tracks have the same shutdown distance. I raced TS at Galot and had a good time, no issues. The only thing is, Island would need to invest in jersey barriers in order to have a Divisional or an Open I believe.

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Would have been nice if they could have at least finished the 2023 season...wtf!!!

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Apparently the owner is a prick who could care less about racing. Anyone decent would have given plenty of notice.

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It’s a business. If anyone set this business model up for review by an investor how do you think it would go?
I have roughly 50-100 acres of land and open for business 3 to four days a week. My business sees roughly 100-250 customers per day we are open but most of those customers purchase the minimum such as food, drink tshirts and souvenir's. My maintenance crew includes an ambulance with emt a-tractor, tow truck, along with roughly 5 to 10 support vehicles, trash removal, epa inspections, noise complaints, law suits, curfews and if the weather doesn’t cooperate I have to give makeup dates or refunds. But I do it for my customers because I am passionate about it even though most of my loyal customers only patronize my business twice a year.
What would most or all of us do then if an offer Don Corleone put together would eliminate all those headaches and let us live the lifestyle most consider rich?
Just understand what we do is not a good business model for most and the amount of bashing that goes on is really sour grapes.
Many a racer will go to a race, park on test n tune day but skip the tnt so they don’t have to pay for it, park their motor home and stacker across the equivalent of 4 spots, buy race fuel from an outside source instead of the speed shop on premise, bring food in the motor home and grill it up in the pit, dump it in the race tracks garbage change the oil and dump it in the race tracks oil repository. Never visit the concession stand or t shirt stand, and expect the track to have a manned gate all night to accommodate the comings and goings of them and their crew. Then break the rules like no minors driving pit vehicles, or no noise before or after a curfew, or don’t dump your RV waste here. Top it off with rudeness and complaining about track conditions in person and on social media platforms. I include myself in some of these abuses.
We have to be better customers. It’s an expensive sport, hobby, business or whatever but let’s not abuse the privilege when given it.
Sorry if I offended anyone but have empathy for the track owners, most started doing it in spite of the bad business model that it is because they were passionate about racing too

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never better words spoken

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Richie Boyle hit it right on the head. Racers take note at future races

I'm saddened Atco was sold. That was a very good track. My new home track is now 2 hours from me instead of Hour and 45. Just tell me when and where the divisional is rescheduled. The sun came up again this morning and I have work to do and complaining is not included. My fun does not include Atco but is not over yet!! See you at the races lol!

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As much as NJMP makes sense to build a drag strip, they don’t want to. I live 10 minutes from it and work at the Longhorn PT where alot of teams come in to eat. I can tell you the drag racing clients are not what they are shooting for there. They want the team Porsche, Ferrari teams to come in from overseas drop a couple hundred grand and leave. They don’t want the racer who’s going to complain about a $50 test & tune pass or having to pay $15 for their wife to come in to watch.

TRUST ME, the area could use a drag strip and a National Event because we’re a depressed area but, neighbors already complain about the noise from the track so running a bracket race till 10pm on a Saturday isn’t going to fly.

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Some good points there. IMHO that guy bought the track to flip the land. It didn’t work the first time and got a lot of pushback. So he told everybody he was going racing and got the support of everybody so they would pay his bills and his taxes why he figured out an end run around the opposition and was able to grease the local politicians to get it rezoned. Kept his plans silent and then acted when everything was in place.
Business wise it’s a good move . As a racer, i’m not applauding or supporting it, nor do I have to. Personally if I knew the plans, I would’ve never set foot back in that place or given that guy a dollar of my money.

For decades as Division I racers, we have been spoiled by the close proximity of tracks and events. There are other divisions that have a lot more travel to go to races. It looks like that will start to change more rapidly. New Jersey is a dead area for drag racing. At this point the land is worth too much money and most of the people and politicians don’t want it here.

From here on, we need to support the race tracks that want to stay open and keep racing. It would be nice if the NHRA could maybe get US 13 to take a division race back or something. That place was a lot of fun to go to back then and was fast for setting records. Or even Budds Creek. A conversation for another time.

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Totally agree Rich, everyone is pizzed because the rug was pulled out from underneath them. This is the USA, the man has every right to sell his business……. as we lose another top notch facility ….

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Great post Todd!
Those paying attention would know real estate is being bought up at premium prices by large corporations think blackrock. The average businessman cannot compete these corps have cash and a lot of it.

US13 is trying to survive and thrive. unfortunately they are WDRA not NHRA. They left NHRA for financial reasons have focused mostly on 1/8 mile bracket racing but do offer 1/4 mile for testing track rentals and their hobby class on days separate from bracket races. Am sure they are open to all opportunities where there is profit to expand and improve. The facility has not changed significantly from the past and management wants to drag race. There are restaurants and hotels over the border in MD the only issue is the tow but as we are having this discussion NE racers need to change and be willing to go where the races are. Look at the big money bracket racers they will tow 800 miles for a chance and big money at the top when in reality they are contributors to the elite big money racers.

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Just not Delmar in March when you wake up to snow on the ground....lol

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Bracket racing and LODRS does not keep a track afloat. I do attribute that to the track as well. I do not give non-advertising, non-promoting tracks a free pass. The events that make money are probably test n tunes (no payout) and big events like Super Chevy or the Pan America Nationals that took place this past weekend at Atco. He cashed-in right before closing. I've never seen the place so packed, one day spectator was $40, racing entry fee, motorhome fee even if racing. Parking on blacktop with that race car? That was another fee. Average age of everyone there, about 30 years old. Average age at LODRS races is probably 60ish.

Topic for another thread but shouldn't there be a class for rotaries in NHRA? Comp eliminator?

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I hope the local residents enjoy their new junkyard - and the associated traffic.

Few months from now they may be wishing they had the track back.

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One has to wonder...how many drag racers do business with Coparts, or whomever bought the track, and if they do, would be willing to tell them to go pack sand because of their habit of taking over drag strips?

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I believe the lawsuit over the racer being killed a few years back that caused Atco to change ownership was the final nail in the coffin for the track. Since that time they've been entertaining offers and managed to get a favorable zoning change to get the price they wanted.
That's the way I see it.

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I agree with you. I can't imagine what it takes to keep a track running and profitable.
Considering everything you said, why would anyone own a drag strip? Why do they exist?

As an aside, I agree with the others who say that tracks that don't advertise and use imagination in creating events can't complain about low revenues. I went to Atco on occasion to play with my street/strip cars. (I've been a fan of SS/S since the early 70's and raced Stock in the mid 90's) I can't tell you how many people would say, "Is Atco still there?", when I tell them I went there.

I'm outside of the Phila. area. In the recent past did they ever advertise? Years ago, they advertised the wheelie guys, funny cars, jet cars, etc. Like it or not, that stuff draws more than S/SS.

Does anyone know if Len Capone was a racer, or at least an enthusiast? I'd hate to be the guy who sold one of the most iconic drag strips in the country.

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He did race an Alcohol Funny Car back in the day. What happened since then is anybody's guess.

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All of that is true. Add to that the hidden costs, real estate and amusement taxes, Workman's Comp insurance for employees. Plus, track prep. A close friend has a large facility in western Pa., and he has $3K in spray and track prep for a quarter mile race before he sends a car down. If it rains, kiss that $ goodbye. And, right now there is a shortage of that stuff. One of the big reasons they are going to 8th mile. Insurance? You bet. In today's world daddy big bucks can buy his 17 year old kid a 1000hp Challenger and turn him loose. The cars are just so fast. The other night some kid had a high end Tesla at test and tune that ran 9.50s at 150 mph. Another reason for 8th mile. Any $ he makes comes from special shows, bracket racing pretty much breaks even because local business pretty much pays the purse for each class. Entries and what gate there is covers pretty much the rest, plus the sale of t-shirts, trinkets, stuff like that. There are a number of class racers in the area, and he gets zippo support from any of them, although it is a first class facility. He does it because he's a good guy, and he loves this sport. As far as a business model, it stinks, frankly, and I can't help but notice that the tracks that are in trouble are these big time facilities, Atlanta, Houston, Atco (greater Philly, NY), because they have big bills to cover. The ones that are doing OK are the out of the way 8th mile tracks without a lot of overhead. Just an observation.

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I agree that running a dragstrip in 2023 is a very risky thing. But as for low/no profits due to the lack of spectators I get a bit confused. There is a classic textbook on how to make that work.

I doubt there is single operator in the US who doesn't know about the Baders. For years, they have sold out events. And from having covered events there along with renting the track for musclecar shows, I honestly have to say it's not a great track just by itself. Resort area means ludicrous prices for food and lodging with most some distance away on 2 lane roads. Close to a great lake so weather can be iffy.

But they make it work by closely watching what both racers and spectators want. And then doing whatever is necessary to keep improving.

I guess there is a chance that the money for improvements and advertising is just not there for most operators by now. But even after decades of loving class cars, I am positive you have to give the general public something that makes them think "I'd like to see that". We all know how great Stockers and Super Stockers are, both in the pits and on the track. Until you can get people into the place, they will not have a chance to realize that and continue to have no idea.

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Spectators are not where the money is made, though the more the better. Spectators actually are way to measure interest and exposure. The money comes primarily from local business partners. The Baders are masters at that. That is how WDRA came to be. The group is basically a group of owners whose primary goal is to run profitable businesses.

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Spectators are the track operators best revenue stream. The racers pay their own way. entry fees pretty much cover the purse and some overhead. Most racers bring at least 2 people with them as crew or friends. The track can make some money off of the spectators even if the gate price was $10/head and you get 200 spectators there that 2K in the track operators pocket with no outlay. Plus if you can sell them some beer, soda and hot dogs that helps as well. watching a bracket race with a bunch of dragsters is like watching paint dry. Most of the track operators do not do any sort of advertisement. There is lots of free places to advertise. Local news should be notified of special events at the track. All kinds of social media that can be used for no cost just some time.
Unfortunately, people are not as interested in cars as they used to be. Look at Stock and Super stock. most of us are well north of 50 years old. There are some 2nd and 3rd generation racers out there but not nearly enough to sustain the sport. Cost to build, maintain, transport, and actually race a car like ours is out of the reach of most young people today. That why I am always a champion of not lowering the indexes. Keep it to where a person with a decent job could get involved in class racing.

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Spectators are the gravy, but not the operator's bread and butter.

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Local tracks, in general, have a (possibly) unearned reputation for not having a well prepped track on test, grudge, etc., nights. Class racers can't spend the money and time to chance a surface that may not be ultimate.


The real estate near the big cities is probably more valuable to the owners, giving an incentive to sell.

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[QUOTE=Dave Gantz;683294]Local tracks, in general, have a (possibly) unearned reputation for not having a well prepped track on test, grudge, etc., nights. Class racers can't spend the money and time to chance a surface that may not be ultimate.


Oh, yes, I forgot. Class racers are much too important to race with commoners. Ler the Top Sportsman cars do that. My mistake. A friend ran the Tri State S/SS series in PA and Ohio, and it folded from lack of support. He eventually allowed NMCA NSS cars, which carried it for a while, but eventually gave it up. Worked hard it, paid a good purse, too. The last event he had at a top notch facility, it drew 2 (two) legal class cars. And, the track never charged admission to the competitors, the circuit handled all of it. Frankly, and with all due respect, I think your attitude sums up the problem.

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[QUOTE=Steve1118;683297]I'm sorry, Steve. I'll reply, but I can't tell if that's written with sarcasm or not.

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Sarcastic, absolutely. Read your statement back to yourself, and think about it. A friend ran the Tri State S/SS series in PA and Ohio, and it folded from lack of support. He eventually allowed NMCA NSS cars, which carried it for a while, but eventually gave it up. Worked hard it, paid a good purse, too. The last event he had at a top notch facility, it drew 2 (two) legal class cars. And, the track never charged admission to the competitors, the circuit handled all of it. Frankly, and with all due respect, I think your attitude sums up a lot of the problem. A nine second A/SA is no more dependent on track prep than a 9 second S/Pro car. Everybody had better start pulling in the same direction.or track closures are going to be more numerous.

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There is a big difference in track prep needed for a 9 second A/SA car vs a 9 second Super Pro car. Both cars are purpose built for a specific racing function. A well prepped Stocker is built with no electronics, to be raced in a bracket style mode but with the ability to run as fast as possible on an sll out heads up when necessary. The entire car is compromising durability for that ability to be as fast as possible once in a while.
A well prepped Super Pro car is purpose built to be as consistent as possible on any track and stay cool and require as little maintenance as needed while doing so.
It’s like using a sledge hammer to drive in finishing nails and a finish nail hammer to break up concrete. Two totally different purposes and functions but both are hammers

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IAA bought it. Looks like they are going to force the auction lot down the towns throat.

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Gotta call B/S on this. You are overlooking the fact one is on a 9” wide tire the other is unlimited! I don’t know where you race or even care but track prep over the last few years has gone to **** at most places. Maybe from cost, availability, or whatever. I was even told by an NHRA employee that the thought behind it is the cars on tv don’t have a problem. Of course they are overlooking the fact they all use some sort of traction control. That is illegal in our class racing. Anyway sorry to get off subject of original thread

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Oh, OK.

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Oh, BTW, Emerald Coast Dragway in Holt, FL just sold to auctioneers.

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Thanks for clearing that up.
I was looking at it from the stand point that a S/SS driver, if at a test n tune, needs to know that the track is good, because they are looking for hundredths as they test.
No disrespect taken. We don’t know each other one.bit, and it’s tough writing ones feelings.
My partner and I loved the association races. I’d like to think we would’ve been there if we lived in the vicinity.

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Look, and I do say this with all due respect. I'm 70 years old and have been involved in this game since 1964. My family bought new Hemi SS cars in 1964, I started in 1969 and, like an idiot is still messing with them now. I've been where you are at. This is not rocket science. You've got a leaf spring car or a coil car. Cal Tracs, maybe, a set of of Luneack's "Launcher" springs. Tweak the front end with alignment, a few other little tricks maybe. A lot of work goes into it, I know. But, I will never get the mindset where guys will buy a stacker, take a bunch of time off of work, drive 500 miles to make three passes, and not support the local guy and your friends and neighbors now and then. And then whine and complain when he finally locks the doors. Everyplace you guys race at keeps their bread buttered by doing something each week (except Pomona). Everyone needs to remermber that, or no one will have nowhere to race at.

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I’m not sure a lack of attendance was entirely the issue with Atco. Every time I have been to atco, whether it be a Tuesday night T+T/Gamblers race, Friday T+T, or a Saturday/Sunday Summit ET program, the pits were almost always packed. About 75% of the test and tunes I attended, there were 4 or more full lanes of street cars, and sometimes 2 full lanes of race cars, and almost always a dozen bikes. After the run in with Atco and IAA a few years back, I figured it was a matter of time until the owner sold the track, regardless of car count. Being that I have a stocker that isn’t likely to have traction issue, I try my best to support the local tracks when there is no NHRA events on the schedule.