It upsets me when I see part of history being torn down and abandoned, or worse have shopping complexes built on top of them! I found this forum whiling looking up an old racetrack. NJ Abandonded Racetracks (http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=3285)
Yo Beet,
Cool thread!
When I was a kid I can remember driving down Delsea drive and passing the old Vineland Speedway. There was a car hoisted up on top of their sign and I think it was an old Henry J or possibly a Hudson Hornet. Made one helluva landmark to a little kid headed for Wildwood. That Atco track was featured in the Courier Post a couple of years ago. A guy who raced there years ago wrote an article about finding it and walking completely around it with a couple of other old racers. Cool part of So Jersey history!
I spent a lot of time at Alcyon Speedway (http://www.3widespicturevault.com/FRONT%20PAGE%20STUFF/Alcyon_Memories_.htm) in Pitman as a kid. When it closed it became a lovers lane, oh what memories.
Vineland was my first drag racing track.
Wow, all that info bring tears to my eyes. I don't live in the past, but no one can convience me that it was not a better time to be alive :'(
The Vineland track is now part of Cumberland Couty College.
jt
Quote from: VWPANZER1 on March 30, 2009, 11:12:34 PM
The Vineland track is now part of Cumberland Couty College.
jt
Wow you are right, I just checked mapquest. I use to past that every day on the way to Subway. I was curious about what was back there... now I know!
I found the Henery J, exactly as I remember it when I was about 8 or 9 headed to Wildwood in my Uncle Charlies 54 Buick Roadmaster! Damn!
(http://www.groverproductions.net/Products/Vineland%20Speedway%20Memories2.jpg)
Latitude: 39.7292 Longitude: -75.1452
Quote from: LoveBus (jack) on March 30, 2009, 10:31:54 PM
I spent a lot of time at Alcyon Speedway (http://www.3widespicturevault.com/FRONT%20PAGE%20STUFF/Alcyon_Memories_.htm) in Pitman as a kid. When it closed it became a lovers lane, oh what memories.
Hard to tell what it is now, looks like it's a couple of baseball fields.
Vineland was my first drag racing track.
Speaking as the elder statesman of the club, I'm sure many of you know NJ had more
dirt oval race tracks on the East Coast than any other state in the East.
Atco was a good one back in my days, 3/8 mile dirt and all STOCK cars. My younger brother got his nickname there~ Crash screwey))
I drove a 37 Ford three window business coupe, painted (with a brush) all black with
a silver arrow pointing up LAUGH@ I think now "were they the good old days" .///
Never got into drag racing (on a track) :police:
You can find a lot of the old tracks or what is left of them on the web.
Quote from: njgt-1 on March 30, 2009, 11:23:36 PM
I found the Henery J, exactly as I remember it when I was about 8 or 9 headed to Wildwood in my Uncle Charlies 54 Buick Roadmaster! Damn!
(http://www.groverproductions.net/Products/Vineland%20Speedway%20Memories2.jpg)
Wow.. So that's where John's T-3 came from.. !fright!
Nah! looks more like Franks fastback.
Here's aome close ups of what's left at Atco Speedway
(http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/NJDR/images/history/newjersey/atco2_small.jpg)(http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/NJDR/images/history/newjersey/atco4_small.jpg)
(http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/NJDR/images/history/newjersey/atco3_small.jpg)(http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/NJDR/images/history/newjersey/atco5_small.jpg)
(http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/NJDR/images/history/newjersey/atco6_small.jpg)(http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/NJDR/images/history/newjersey/atco7_small.jpg)
(http://www.njracingnostalgia.com/NJDR/images/history/newjersey/atco8_small.jpg)
And boy would I have loved (love ALCYON... Wish it was still around
(http://users.rowan.edu/~wyrick/clinics/sedtransmant/Clinic%20Website/Pictures/1950%27s%20Lake.jpg)
I know it's on the "dirty" side of the river, but don't forget this little bit of insanity...
(http://www.thevintageracer.com/misc/lang1.jpg)
Langhorne Speedy 1 MILE CIRCLE! No straightaways... You know it now as "The Oxford Valley Mall"
It's guardrails, bleachers and anything else that could be saved live in South Jersey...
(http://www.jasperengines.com/media/bridgeport6.jpg)
Yup...Bridgeport Speedway, where every friday night you can watch Scirroccos, Jettas & Golfs kick the spit out of American four cylinders!
Go vwlogo !
While its good to remember the old, let's not forget there's new now too :)
(http://www.thunderboltraceway.com/images/map.jpg)
Is that the Millville track? Or whatever the "new" NJ track is?
Quote from: Beetleboi on March 31, 2009, 08:19:28 PM
Is that the Millville track? Or whatever the "new" NJ track is?
Thunderbolt raceway in Millville, yep, one heck of a track. It may be enough to get me back into racing, although road racing is a bit more costly than the stuff I used to do. You know what they say, if you want to make a small fortune in racing......start with a large fortune.
Haven't had a chance to get down there to see a race yet but my friends who are running down there have good things to say.
That is the track there the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series will be as well as the vintage races mentioned in my post...
NJMP is one helluva track!! I saw a tdi cup race there and it was pretty nail biting.