SOS (Save Our Strip) Atco Raceway
 

Just wanted to bring it to the racing community's attention that Atco Raceway is in danger of facing the same fate as Englishtown-Raceway Park; being turned into a parking lot. An auto auction corporation from Chicago area/Illinois is proposing to purchase Atco Raceway IF they can have the land use repurposed to suit their needs by Waterford Township where Atco Raceway is located. Waterford Township is having a public mtg via Zoom on 17 Feb at 7PM (link below) and this land use change proposal for the property that is currently owned by Atco Raceway is on the agenda. I'd like to get anyone who is willing to call in to the zoom meeting on 17 Feb to please do so to show their are plenty of interested parties that do NOT want an auto auction/parking lot instead of Atco Raceway.

http://waterfordtwp.org/waterfordtwp...ublic-notices/

For anyone with the spare time to call in on 17 Feb, I would very much appreciate it. You don't have to say anything really, just be a show of support for 'not turning Atco Raceway into a parking lot'. If this group effort does nothing else but to stall the auto auction's legal move, perhaps they would move on to another property OR a buyer could be out there for the track that would continue to operate it as a track.

For anyone also willing to file a formal public comment on this matter, I've got a call into Waterford Twsp's Planning Dept to confirm the proper place on the NJ Pinelands Website to file this and will share that ASAP.

Thank you in advance to anyone willing to do either of the above! Any questions, let me know via PM/email.
Thanks,
Chris

I'll call in. Great track!! I'm there 15 times a year easy. I still have some faith!!

Same fate probably for Atlanta Dragway. NHRA put it up for sale a while back, claiming they would like to see it remain a drag strip. However the recent rumor is that a developer is looking to purchase it for a housing development. Sucks!

Money talks and developers have the money. Many communities don't want drag strips nearby and housing development encroach on them. Happened to a small track in Charlotte. Had been there I believe since 1959 and houses went up nearby. The neighbors did not like the noise, even though they knew the track was there and ran every weekend. They fired up a petition and the city caved - track gone.

I bet many of these tracks don't make a lot of money unless they host big events. I can only imagine the taxes they have to pay out, and last year was a bust for most, so that is no help. I see drag racing tracks going away with just a few big ones remaining like the Nascar boys. It'll be back to street racing and when people get fed up with the street racers, and people get killed, the towns/cities and law enforcement will support drag strips again. It's just a cycle - and don't forget you'll be purchasing "carbon credits" with this new administration, a tax based on tail pipe emissions testing at the track. It's coming.

@Dude: thank you!

The track property is part of the Pinelands in South Jersey so they can’t put in a big development too close. I suppose the Pinelands Commission folks who are there to preserve the Pinelands could be bought off and help to turn a blind eye to new use of the property. Like 4dblnkldude, I still have faith.

It amazes me that people buy houses next to drag strips, race tracks, airports and then complain about noise. Great Lakes/ Union Grove always faces this issue.

Motorsports, like most good things are just about dead in NJ, just wants to be the state of shopping malls ,residential areas, and warehousing. Go support island dragway in New Jersey, that will be the last dragstrip left.

This is not about a developer. Its a scumbag owner who won't sell to another racer (supposedly high profile people were contacted) and is selling to another car auction. Word is he has been destroying businesses for years.

Concur that's it not about a housing developer or more houses nor is it about local residents complaining about the noise to bring the track to an end. It is surrounded by NJ Pinelands, which are to be preserved. If you drive a quad/dirtbike in some spots near there, state officials ticket you.

When all the those who bought McMansions near E-Town, saving 25% over living a couple towns further from the track, complained about the track noise, I remember an Old Bridge Township Zoning Board Mtg inviting public comment regarding the track and noise. IIRC, this was in the late 90's/very early 2000's. Best part: enough racers/track enthusiasts showed up to support Raceway Park. Any noise complaints were effectively thrown out the window and the track continued to operate for almost another 15 or so years until it sold.

So while I agree it's hard to stop a business decision to sell the track because it is private property of the owner, I feel there's a better chance that public support for the track (opposition to an auction parking lot being proposed) will keep the track property for use as a racetrack.

Todd, I agree and do support Island Dragway as well. However, since the area surrounding Island is just private farmland, and therefore likely all buildable by town zoning, if Atco doesn't turn into an auction, it has the best chance of long term survival.

Last time I was there, burnout bleachers gone and down track bleachers gone. The speed shop was just about empty.
I have heard some things but it's all hearsay.
The auction company agreed to pay him 3 million more than he bought it for.
It's a done deal providing the pineland and township approve. This can go on for a while with appeals.
If it is held up, he will just have test and tunes no organized racing. If that is the case i will not be going.
The timing tower and remaining bleachers are sold.
The contends of the bar are sold.

Owner will walk away with a few million profit. This is one instants where free enterprise sucks. The only hope is that the auction company backs out from all the red tape and delays.

That will make the closest track 1.5 hrs from me instead of 35 min.

I am not a fan of Island, but seems like it will be the only somewhat close track to me. I like New Media, but that's a hall for me. Atco was great, sucks what's going on in NJ

Same over here in UK, just 1 racetrack left now, with developers constantly trying to buy up the land around it. Luckily the track owner for 30 + years is a real car guy and fights them every time, but he's not getting any younger.
My local track which had been there for over 40 years,went about 3 years back, for £42 million to housing developers. 3500 new houses being built there- they're calling it an eco village- even though all the local residents were up in arms over it because of the tiny roads already being congested to a standstill most days - the local council still approved it.
If there's that much money being 'invested',then there's no stopping it.

I heard its basically a done deal already
Going to be a CoPart insurance auction lot

Posted about this last July after seeing a post on YB. Copart was already testing the water for approvals at a township meeting.
Will spread the word about the Feb 17 call in and hope for the best. Atco was the first track I ever went to back in the 70's. Closer to Island now so usually hang there but would really miss Atco. IMO Island has a cool throwback vibe and is a good track for bracket racing but if Atco goes the way of Etown it's gonna get mighty crowded there.

I will attend.

Thanks

I got a message this afternoon. Richmond dragway will not reopen and the land is for sale.

GOING ON NOW:
Beginning Monday March 1st, 2021 at 7:00 PM, the public can access and participate in the meeting by
visiting the following link:
https://zoom.us/j/8021658857?pwd=a29...9NeXpYdm1FZz09
Meeting ID: [ 802 165 8857 ]
Password: [ 474199 ]

Atco Raceway Issue Continued; Now will be 15 March at 7PM
 

Monday 15 March, 2021 at 7:00 PM, the public can access and participate in the meeting by
visiting the following link:
https://zoom.us/j/8021658857?pwd=a29...9NeXpYdm1FZz09
Meeting ID: [ 802 165 8857 ]
Password: [ 474199 ]

is atco going to hold events this spring or is all on hold until the dust settles

@Mystic:
https://www.nhra.com/news/2021/atco-...ents-postponed
so far they've postponed this event above. I believe they moved the PAN AM race to Maple Grove.

Btw, I'm a realist. It's possible that the track ceases to exist as a race track.
However, I feel that the more eyes that are on this situation, it could make it harder for the town and Pinelands Commission to approve land use changes. So better to have all who can simply put in the time to call into the Zoom mtg. I feel it's worth the effort. If it's gone. It's gone. We don't get a second chance to voice our collective opinion. It' worth a shot. It was talked about at the Feb 17 Waterford Twsp Mtg that the Insurance Auto Auction Group plans to store 7000 totaled cars with or without salvage titles. Anyway you slice it that's worse for the environment than the land's current use as Atco Raceway, as those totaled cars will look just like the sad bunch that are stored up at the auto auction north of Ft. Dix on Route 68.