Some Final Thoughts About Old Bridge Township Raceway Park..

It still stinks..but that's life and we all must move on. Glad my daughter got to race there even if it was only on the 1/8 mile track. The sting will be there for a long time though.

I mostly agree with you Bob, I still think it could have been handled differently or make a comprimise, there is plenty of room there , all the parking over by the gas concession, the grass to the left of the entrance road/ gate, take half the pits down by the 1/8 mile track by the airport gate. Although money wasn't made by the weekly bracket races the special events I m sure made up for it. I didn't compete there weekly as some, I have competed in the index classes the last few years. It is time to move on but it still hurts and there will be a bitter feeling for a long time to come. I will now focus my attention to my real home track , Island it was brought back from the dead a few years ago , maybe RP will someday too.

Like said, the first thing that came to my mind was the extra unpaved room on the Pit side gas station section adjacent to the airport.
For a minimum of what the lease agreement numbers are, it could have been paved to satisfy the tenants desire to store the cars there. They might have even garnered some interest from participants peering through the gated area at the upcoming cars for auction. Kind of like a out door dealership browsing area. LOL.
This all without affecting any other part of the tracks activities.
By this alone, the pits would have shrunk just a tad as far as pit area parking, but the parking could still spill over to the spectator side and other sections to ease the matter. They could have still made their lease agreements and still made the capital from a functioning track. That capital alone would have paid for itself being that the burden of track expenditures ie( insurance, staff, PAYOUTS) would not have been riding piggy back on the whole tracks income stream.
As far as special events parking, perhaps some concessions could have been made with mega events such as the NHRA Summer nationals with the other parts of the track being closed to accommodate for that weekend.
Last but not least, we could all relate to the hidden challenges and losses such a venue could incur every year, but what a unfair way to say goodbye. Not even a last hurrah and or send off special event day. Lions had it out west. National Speedway had it here.
It was badly handled kind of like breaking off a long standing relationship by iPhone text instead of face to face. Newbie behavior with all of this technology I guess. Give me back the old school, including the racing.

A top dragstrip life that, it shows where our future is heading. Mark

I live in Pa. and all the farm land is being taken by greedy developers who are putting in housing or warehousing and just as said it is the future and it,s all about the mighty dollar or should I say millions!!!!!!

"The track had entered into a multi-year lease agreement with Copart, the auto auction company, to store its vehicles on Raceway Park property."


So, predictably, it's all about money.

I just got an email alert from them yesterday reminding me about the Spring Swap meet and Car show in April , My response:" Are you kidding me? I will never support Raceway Park after what you did to us drag racers, please remove me immediately from your mailing list."… Let me guess " The Copart Spring Swap meet and Car Show"…., as i said before like the song says: "Money changes everything".

I love the irony of it all.
A swap meet that primarily has been a money maker for the establishment to enhance, upkeep and drive interest in the drag racing that happens/ed in the very same spot.

Here's an idea, lets all have a swap meet with Dinosaur bones and teeth will we? We might just see a Tyranasaurus Rex stomp on by and support our efforts with the bones and teeth.

See ya in a later lifetime.

I am speechless! After losing the last track on Long Island,E/town became my home track With Walter and Cecilia in the tower.
We need a track on Long Island NOW more than ever.When we go to a track,most will require an overnight stay

I really feel like I should be going to a funeral.

Let’s be honest it’s no longer a swap in fact it hasn’t been a swap meet for many years it’s a flee market with some car parts sprinkled in I don’t know who’s to blame for that but in years past that was the fun factor for me

I said it before ill say it again show me the money....the currant generation of knapps doesn't care about racing or any kind of hard work to make money they just took the easyest route and signed on the dotted line. that's what happens when its just handed to you. You all had to know it couldn't last forever...It sucks the knapps suck every thing about jersey sucks.... that's why I have one foot out the door. costs too much to live here and I get less and less pleasure from being here.

Good point!

Come to lower Delaware taxes are cheap and we still have a race track Delmar

I'm with you Lee

Sorry to see it go. It comes down to it being a business and they did what is going to make them the most money. No surprise there. Money rules nowadays everywhere you go. No loyalty anymore with businesses or workers.

Personally I think it has to do more with getting away from NHRA, I wouldn't be surprised if they reopen in 3 or 4 years.
just my $02

nope...15 year lease...

The least the track can do in 15 years is turn the property into a senior citizens drag racers home facility where all the homes are lined up along the track itself as Main St. If street racing breaks out, no one on that street will complain. LOL.