Final thoughts about Old Bridge Township Raceway Park

[Mike Schwartz]

I have a lot:

My father and I attended the 1971 Summernationals. On Monday, the NY Daily News did a story on the race. There was a full page photo of the track and the spectator stands, and you could clearly see the two of us.

In 1978 they ran ET Brackets at the Division points race. I was R/U in Street Eliminator.(Footbrake 14.00+ dial 1/4 mile)

In 1982, I rented a Dodge Aries for the weekend from the dealership where I worked. I drove it down to Englishtown for the Division opener and entered it in Stock. It was a second off the index and I lost first round, but I got my picture in SS&DI.

Englishtown was the first track to win the NHRA Div. 1 Bracket Finals twice. I was on both of those teams. I finished 3rd in Street ET at the 1983 Bracket Finals while representing them.

The US All-Pro Funny Car Championships always had the largest field of the year in Street ET (around 50 cars). IIRC I made the final round five times, winning four. I missed one year when I destroyed my car in a wreck on the way to the track.

I have no way of knowing, but I might have had the slowest car to ever win a Friday night Gamblers' race, a 20-second Ford Fairmont.

The year before I moved south I attended the Summernationals for the last time. I was sitting out driving for the year, so I rode my bicycle 18 miles each way to get there.

I had the honor of racing (and occasionally beating) many up and coming young drivers like Jim Harrington and Sal and Peter Biondo. As well as other veteran drivers still active long after I stopped, like Bill Doczi, Mallory Kenny, Bill Hackusca and Frank Maffiore.