Goodbye Etown

[Twitchin Kitten]

0

I saw a news flash about this.

It blindsided NHRA as well.  They will be shortening the season since it's too late at this point to replace the event somewhere else.  

Part of it was as you said, the construction.  They were trying to extend the runout area since it was becoming an issue in the wake of Scott Kalitta's death several years ago there.  His incident was what also pushed NHRA to shorten runs from a full 1320 feet down to 1000 feet for the nitro classes.

Old Bridge Twp Raceway Park was a standout track and a very important part of the growth and development of drag racing.  MANY big name racers cemented their legacies there.  Shirley Muldowney, Connie Kalitta, Don Garlits, Jim Dunn, the late Jungle Jim Leiberman,  Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins and local sportsman legend Frank Manzo all made their marks thanks to Englishtown.

I don't see them lasting for too many years without drag racing either.

This is a sad day for drag racing.

What gets me is that they complain about the noise from the track, but the air strip is RIGHT THERE. And lets not even let them know the dirt track/motocross will still continue. The constant buzzing of the bikes all day long can be heard above the noise of the dragsters!