Another closure. Atco sets into the sunset.

[R413]

45 years ago, Better days 1988 Atco nationals

 

[Dan64]

Only thing that the "Sound Wall" did was stop us young guys from watching the drags for free from the road, should have been called the sight wall.

 

[68gtxman]

Me at Atco, right around 2000.

 

[eldubb440]

I'm about 4 miles as the crow flies, maybe a little less........ I've heard every pass as far back as I can remember....... RIP Atco Dragway

my AMX at Atco

 

[eldubb440]

it just occurred to me that hearing the races as a little kid probably had a lot to do with me becoming a motor head / car guy

 

[gooser]

i remember going to atco back in 71 when i was at fort dix it was great

 

[fullmetaljacket]

i remember going to atco back in 71 when i was at fort dix it was great

This will be the results of such actions.

 

[33 IMP]

Trees make very efficient guardrails. Dependably stop out of control racecars.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Trees make very efficient guardrails. Dependably stop out of control racecars.

Because of out of control zone planning without regards to a sport that can be contained and sanctioned and keep most off the streets.
I don't know about other cities other than Detroit, but back in the day, NYC had over 50 haunts for racing even though there were at least 6 legal tracks that were reasonably reachable just outside the city limits. Now with practically no tracks left, I can imagine if the trend starts again what it will look like.

 

[33 IMP]

Because of out of control zone planning without regards to a sport that can be contained and sanctioned and keep most off the streets.
I don't know about other cities other than Detroit, but back in the day, NYC had over 50 haunts for racing even though there were at least 6 legal tracks that were reasonably reachable just outside the city limits. Now with practically no tracks left, I can imagine if the trend starts again what it will look like.

Much faster....and much more dangerous.

 

[33 IMP]

Two of my five closest tracks have closed, in the last year and a half or so.
I'm afraid to try and figure out all the tracks I have raced at that are no more...... 10 plus, but im sure there are others with more.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Two of my five closest tracks have closed, in the last year and a half or so.
I'm afraid to try and figure out all the tracks I have raced at that are no more...... 10 plus, but im sure there are others with more.

I wonder how NHRA as an organization will do with all these tracks that they sponsor closing one behind the other. Is there a writing on the walls we're not reading?

 

[copper67sat]

I wonder how NHRA as an organization will do with all these tracks that they sponsor closing one behind the other. Is there a writing on the walls we're not reading?

Very likely...we've been going to the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fl since the early 90's. I don't know the official numbers, but it sure feels like attendance has been falling especially since Covid. We sit in the same seats every year and see many of the same people. There are some kids there, which is somewhat encouraging, but in general the crowd seems to get older every year. The new push toward electric vehicles won't help keep the sport alive IMO. I have no interest in watching e-racing.

Our local track closed about 2 years ago now. It was originally Moroso Motosports Park and was a Division II NHRA track and an SCCA sanctioned road coarse with lots of events - races, test & tunes, car shows, but after they sold it off to some local investor group it went downhill (renamed Palm Beach International Raceway). The events became fewer and farther between and it was likely no longer financially viable as a result. They sold off the land to build more warehouse space that we really don't need and the county government approved the change despite outcry from the local racing community and the sheriff - he knows where the racers will go now...

Hate to be gloom and doom, but it sure feels like an era is coming to an end...

 

[gooser]

well somebody better start working on the way-back machine i will be one of the first in line send me back about 55 years

 

[buhbuhburt]

Someone said that their Facebook site was hacked. Their web page does not say this.

not true. They are done. owner wont talk to anyone and his lawyer wont either. Grandstands are for sale. Damn shame

 

[EmitRDetsaw]

Who knew the urban boundaries were going to spread far enough to envelop tracks that were, at their inception, a fair drive out of town to get to?

The same kind of thing happens to Air Force installations with active runways that are encroached by private development. I can think of two offhand, Lowry AFB in Denver and Luke AFB in Phoenix (Glendale). Park a bunch of single-family homes or low-rise condos within 45 degrees of the glide slope and suddenly you have safety-of-flight issues, not to mention the noise generated by flight and maintenance ops. Even though the installation has been there for decades, you suddenly have a populace that doesn't care who has precedence, they just don't want the noise. In those two above examples, Lowrys active runways closed in 1966; Luke's runways are still active, but it won't be but a decade before that ceases.

I've read the Bandimere family are relocating operations (to include a road course and other motor sports attractions) to somewhere east of DIA. Wild Horse Pass South of Phoenix is rumored to have a temporary stay of execution, but there is supposed to be a large motorsports complex opening near Casa Grande. Where I'm at, Boise, we have Firebird Raceway, a facility that fifty years ago was out in the sticks - now, there is a "luxury subdivision" going in less than one mile south of the main gate. It's only a matter of time.

 

[thegarage]

Closing as per the local ABC News station report on July 19, 2023. See for yourselves here: Atco Dragway announces permanent closure after 63 years in South Jersey

 

[Dan64]

This was the first time I ran a car at Atco, probably 1986. I remember because I blew the clutch and pressure plate to kingdom come. You may be able to just make out the back of Bills wrecker in front of the car. I worked at “Auto Doctor” down the street from the track. A good customer of Bills came into the shop and said he had rented the track that day and told Bill to send me down there on my lunch break to make my first pass so he could walk me through the process. It didn’t go too well for me and Bill was pissed that he had to stop what he was doing and drag the car back to the shop.

 

[33 IMP]

Very likely...we've been going to the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fl since the early 90's. I don't know the official numbers, but it sure feels like attendance has been falling especially since Covid. We sit in the same seats every year and see many of the same people. There are some kids there, which is somewhat encouraging, but in general the crowd seems to get older every year. The new push toward electric vehicles won't help keep the sport alive IMO. I have no interest in watching e-racing.

Our local track closed about 2 years ago now. It was originally Moroso Motosports Park and was a Division II NHRA track and an SCCA sanctioned road coarse with lots of events - races, test & tunes, car shows, but after they sold it off to some local investor group it went downhill (renamed Palm Beach International Raceway). The events became fewer and farther between and it was likely no longer financially viable as a result. They sold off the land to build more warehouse space that we really don't need and the county government approved the change despite outcry from the local racing community and the sheriff - he knows where the racers will go now...

Hate to be gloom and doom, but it sure feels like an era is coming to an end...

Warehouse space pays much more in local taxes than race tracks do....

 

[Budnicks]

the trend has been going the way of the dodo bird since the 70's
we used to have like 28, maybe 30+ tracks here in Calif. originally...
starting in 1947-ish

Like 9 (maybe 7 maybe) now not 100% sure,
haven't been down south in a while, heard rumors like normal
I've seen nearly 20 close since I have been going
a few were a bit before my time

sprawling neighborhoods encroaching on them
then the new people bitch & moan about noise even when it was
there a long time prior to the development encroached on them
like people living by & buying by any existing Airports
or land cost/prices all got so crazy, the owners cashed in
some or most were driven out

www.xtraactionsports.com/dragstrips/california-dragstrips.htm

Sonoma, Infineon/Sears Point
Sacramento Raceway (has been for sale for a while)
Pomona, County Fair Grounds/Autoclub Raceway
Fontana, Autoclub Speedway (? I thought they shut down)
Irwindale, Toyota Dragstrip (? not sure about that one either)
Bakersfield, Autoclub Famoso
Redding Drag strip
Lakeside, Borona Drags - 1/8th mile
Eureka, Samoa