After 53 years burning rubber, drag racing ends at Raceway Park

NJ.com ^ | Steve Strunsky

[Impala64ssa]

Drivers, turn off your engines. After more than half a century of burning rubber, Raceway Park will no longer hold drag races, officials said. With the rising cost of fuel, tires, insurance and other

[Impala64ssa]

One of those classic Raceway Park commercials that we heard quite often on WABC in NYC when they played Top40 music Yeah, the traffic on Cty Rd 527 was a PITA, but it was fun takin the 64 to the Chevynationals car show and watching the drags. The cynic in me can't help but wonder what the REAL motivation is for ending drag racing there. Now that Chrispy Creme is out of the Gov's office, is Englishton is on the way to becoming a sanctuary city? I suppose the racket made by the funny cars would upset the refugees and illega....OOOPS!, I mean undocumanted alie...OOPS AGAIN! citizens.. Might remind them of the war torn and drug plagued sh!tholes they came from, donchya know. But hey, the NE could do with more illegal street racing. /s

[HiTech RedNeck]

Too few rednecks to keep it viable.

[ebshumidors]

One of my first jobs was selling racing gas in the pits. Too bad it’s closing.

[ebshumidors]

I grew up in Carteret. Hardly redneck. Lots of racing, though.

[God luvs America]

too bad...will miss those commercials with the helium voiced guy going “RRRRAAACCCCEEEEEEWWWWAAAAAAAYYYYYY PARK!”

[Bryanw92]

>>Too few rednecks to keep it viable.

Rednecks aren’t the demographic that keeps drag strips going these days.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Yeah... I shouldn’t be narrow minded. Loss of sufficient clientele, of whatever color necks.

[mdittmar]

Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) - Trailer

[Col Frank Slade]

i remember those ads on 77 WABC radio.

[867V309]

3 deuces and a 4 speed, and a 389...

[mkmensinger]

Atco Speedway in S. Jersey is still open.

[dennisw]

That radio commercial was a work of art.

[Rome2000]

LET’S HEAR IT!!!!!

[Rome2000]

Scoresman, got a tattoo!!!

[G Larry]

I must be getting old...

I was at Orange County Speedway just before it closed in 73.

Didn’t realized it had reopened and closed several times since.

[Rome2000]

Yep those commercials were crucial, especially the cheesy metal guitar lick.

CLASSIC!!!

[jughandle]

Sad. 20 or so years ago I worked in a new development just south of the track and remember the petition going around the place to have Raceway Park shut down. The one owner got a bit perturbed when I mentioned the realtor should have told them it was there before he bought the house.

Absolutely nothing like being trackside at the NHRA Nationals!!

[Redwood71]

Redneck’s? That would be NASCAR. These guys were the street outlaws on steroids. Run what you brung.

rwood

[pinkandgreenmom]

I remember those commercials, too - “Raceway! Raceway! Raaacewaaaay Park!!”

[VermiciousKnid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnHhrtnBMNQ