my lasting complaint is with the gate as well.

why are there no breaks for pre registered participants? when I prepay I dont expect to wait in line with folks who need to pony up. the speed of getting cars through the gate has long been an issue and it cant possibly be news to management!

Some of you guys are mentioning advertising. The show was advertised in the track paper as soon as the schedule was released which is around January. It was advertised in Mopar Muscle a few months ahead of time. It was listed in Moparts own calendar of events before 2006 even started. Perhaps more is needed.

I think the main problem is the fact the Carlisle has gotten so big. The tax excuse is just lame, that was a one time event that happened almost 10 years ago and yet it still gets brought up. Besides, you just need to fill out some simple forms. How big are the spring and fall swap meets ? Were they effected ?

I wonder how the show would do if was moved to the fall ? That way it would not be so close to Carlisle.

I've missed 3 out of the 4 last years. Generally I get work done on my car each winter and the month of May is too soon to have it back on the street. June would be way better for me.

There was a seperate line for pre-registered cars..instead of going through the 2 lines. they had another one going in the side......

I have been to every one, including this year and had a good time. I race and did pretty well on Saturday, hence my suggestion for a Saturday evening $20 Gamblers race after the King of the Hill race,every thing seems to be over early on Saturday. I really like seeing the AH cars. There appeared to be a lot of show cars but I don`t know as I am not really interested in them. The swap meet might have been light but A friend sold a set of headers for me so I`m $200 richer. I had no trouble at the gate as I preregistered and breezed through in about 5 minutes. My only complaints are : I spun on Saturday but don`t know why as I saw them spray the track, and not being able to preregister to race 2 vehicles on Sunday. I wanted to race my car in Heavy and my truck in Ram- Tuff, they sent back my money for the truck entry and told me I couldn`t, Why Not ??? So the truck stayed home. When the event was in June it was to hot.

I've been going since the first event when it was called "Mopars at Englishtown" It used to be a big event with seminars on sat, the MOPAR road show trailer, Miss MOPAR, Lots of venders and the swap meet was about 4 times as large as this year, More cars racing & showing, Match races, Etc........I don't know what happened

The show is too early in the year for me to show my cars because I`m usually still doing some work on them. There is a limited amount of mopar shows I can attend, so I pick the ones that have the most attendance. Englishtown is not one of them. I was going to vendor some of my junk this year but the tax thing kept me away. I do like the cooler temps of May though. The excitement seems to be gone for Englishtown. Also, there is`nt enough for my family and I to do for anything more then a day trip. Mike

I have been going there since it started...yeah the rain sucks...matter of fact just in the past few years i got my wipers to work just to get me home nowadays from the show...it's a nice day out
sometimes u win sometimes u don't...as for the front gate....i make sure i get there later..around 10-11 am..i zipped right in....judging didn't start yet and sitting there gets boring after all these years...but get to see old friends and meet new ones...like morris who didn't bring his challenger to run against me...

Move it to a later month anythig other then rainy May.

And they should put out an officail statment/guide on the "tax thing" on their website and/or in the ads. Even though it seems there really is no "tax thing" there are tons of rumers out there about it.

One thing I find interesting, is that the 3 seperate main groups, show cars, racers, and swap guys, all have different complaints. That to me says they cant address even the big issues when thigns are broken down into smaller parts. The preg reg lane was non existent seveerral times during my times there. The organization of classes, test and tune runs, and exhibition runs was terrible over several years. The judging more recently has become an issue (not a show car guy myself, but friends have also mentionned this), prices were always high.I drive 3+ hours one way, andmy usual routine was to drive out Friday, stay at the hotel Friday night and Saturday night, eat out both nights, and pack a small cooler for the days' racing. I'd pre reg for racing both days. The hotel (motel 6, not the ritz...) was $80-90 per night single occupancy (ok, I lied when I made the reservations..lol), the racing was IIRC $38 each day, gas and tolls was $200 (back when it was 2.15 a gallon fullserve). I brought 4-6 rolls of film on trips I didnt race, and took pics constanly all day of the cars ont he track. I really enjoyed myself. Met Cha Cha Muldowney, Don Garlits, Herb McCandless, and others. It was well worth the trip. I'd love to see the show back where it used to be. Bad press is a result of bad experience in many cases, so a few "personality types" that complain about everything cant really be blamed. The orgainzers can be, and should be. WIth luck, they can be persuaded to make things better. Start with basics. Good solid help at the gates and track personnel. Reliable repectable judging. Even if not by Galen, a nice stock car can be judged easily by someone who is "in the know". (I've judge Chevy Nova shows before. it's not hard to judge a well done, correct car if you know a thing or two about cars.) Rushing because of rain doesnt make sense to me either. Pay out a little money for a few names to show. See if Mopar can commit something to it. Give them priority billing space, whatever they need. Seems like there is stuff that can be done to make it more of a draw. Basic stuff that makes it nice, even if it is expensive or a long trip.

the show HAS to be moved back or RIP for 2 reasons 1. weather enuff said on that 2.now the real reason.the jersey shore area is a seasonal area.the population goes up tenfold fron memorial day to labor day after that its a ghost town around here.in june you have a few million more people who are now living in this area for the summer,they come from all over.now you have a resource of millions of people who are a few hours or less away to etown -a perfect day to get away from the beach.if etown is reading this,push your show back,reorganize,fly some banners down the beach putting the word out.they will come.you have them in your backyard just herd them up and bring them in

Actually, they do include a tax directive letter with the vendor registration stickers when they send them out - but if you ask me, that whole "tax thing" regarding swap meets has sort of evolved into a vicious urban legend (or Weird N.J. legend...?) over the years... yeah, it was a point of focus with the N.J. Dept. of Treasury for a while - and yeah, a few larger vendors and pro dealers at the Englishtown Flea Market got hassled and fined, as I heard it... but let's not get too excited here - for the most part, the typical swap meet "vendor" is little more than a glorified yard sale participant, selling rusty odds and ends (OK, sometimes Hemi odds and ends...) - those that are set up as a business (i.e., trade name, selling new product inventory, etc.) are most likely set up as legit, sales tax collecting vendors anyway (like Jack's Auto Parts, etc.) so I don't see that the "tax thing" is largely significant to the success of the show...

I don't know though - maybe it's a hassle for out-of-state vendors to deal with in terms of collecting tax while doing business in N.J., so maybe that aspect is prohibitive to attracting a broader array of vendors... to that end, I noticed AAR Fiberglass wasn't here this year... I had bought a hood from him at last year's show, and they seemed to be doing well... bummer - maybe this is a worse issue than I am estimating...?


- Alan

i saw aar they were out of one white truck i had passed them a few times before i noticed them. there stuff was sort of hidden next to a truck.

I have been going ever since I got involved with Mopars about 4 years ago. I really enjoy the show, but this year I did not enjoy te SWAP area as much because of its lack there of.

Improvements to be made:
-Increase vendors
-Have more events planned as the day goes on, such as like a sportsman expo does fly fishin demos: Like a timeline of events instead of just a show area, racing,... have a learn how to install a inner fender skirt or something that can help the hobby out with privateers like ourselves.
- a dyno would be cool.
- The SRT 4 runs around the coned course was cool a few years back.
- Where was the Viper club?
- Reiterate whats going on over the loudspeakers for those of us without antennas!
- Something for the specators to participate in instead of just staring at cars all day.
- Easier way for tech and show/race people like me. I had to go circle all the way back around to get in and all set up.
- BIKINI CONTEST???? maybe the burger stand girls???
- Prices could go down a little bit

Whats good:
- The racing was fun and organized
- The staff was directive and got me where I needed to be easily.
- its a race and show
- Burnout contest
- Local for me in NJ
- CRate engine give a way

people need to stop bashing the cost of food, when you are allowed to bring your own cooler with home made sandwiches. Stop bashing the weather, you do wash your car WITH WATER??? whats a lil rain gonna do? I do not feel it is E TOWN;s fault for the lack of attendance.

I feel that the hobby itself has drained the event. Prices are out of hand for the young kids to get in the hobby. I am 22 and find prices for parts driving me from buying the things I need which will stop me from looking in the swap area. in turn people do not want to drive thier $50k cuda in the rain or at all. The fun was taken out of the hobby and repalce by greed and investments. There are guys on college budgets or very little ones who have to pay 22 bucks for a bag of 12 plastic clips, its ridiculous. Sorry for the rant on the hobby, but it does hinder this event.

People are willing to pay top dollar for an NOS part and not 8 bucks for a hamburger, gets me...

I go to have a great time, finally drive my complete car down there, bond with Mopar guys n gals and sit back and have a coke
Mike Find it, build it, DRIVE it!

On a positive note:my friends and myself were very glad NOT to see the vipers,especially on the t-shirts....why is it that they've always had their own parking area and hospitality tent right by the staging lanes,but the rest of us have to pit elsewhere,i for one hope they NEVER return!!!!!!

I think it is getting OLD not the show the people. I didn't bring the race car this year and about 10 of my frends didn't eather, some are in there 70s I am in my 60s. I remember towing 2hrs in the rain and bailing the car out and hopeing it would clear up. I was verry sorry I didn't bring the car as the lanes were 1/2 of what it used to be. In the past the lanes were so crowded is part of why I didn't bring the car.
I was disapointed in the vendors and lack of parts I think if thay loward the price for the vendors thay would see more of them, and that would bring in more spectator $$.