Old Bridge Township Raceway Park facts for kids
| Location | Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, United States |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC−5 |
| Coordinates | 40°19.985′N 74°20.922′W / 40.333083°N 74.348700°W |
| Owner | Richard “Napp” Napoliello |
| Address | 230 Pension Road |
| Opened | 1965 |
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park is a famous American racing place. It was first called Madison Township Raceway Park. You can find it in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey, in the United States. This park has been a hub for many exciting motorsports events for decades.
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History of Raceway Park
Raceway Park started in 1965. It was founded by Vincent and Louis Napoliello. The park began with 308 acres of land. Over time, it grew to more than 500 acres.
Early Days and Track Types
When it first opened, Raceway Park had a single quarter-mile dragstrip. Soon, it offered many kinds of racing. There were two dragstrips for fast cars. It also had three motocross tracks for dirt bikes. A 1.3-mile road course track was available for other races. You could also find a go kart track and an autocross track. The park even had its own airport nearby.
Raceway Park became one of the most well-known drag strips in America. Many people loved to visit and watch the races.
NHRA Drag Racing Events
Raceway Park hosted its first big National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) event in 1968. This was the NHRA Springnationals. In 1971, the park became the permanent home for the NHRA Summernationals. This was a very important event in drag racing.
The name of the event changed a few times over the years. It was called the NHRA Mopar Parts Nationals and later the Matco Tools Spring Supernationals. In 2013, it got its original name back, the NHRA Summernationals. Raceway Park continued to host this event until the end of 2017.
Changes at the Park
In January 2018, officials announced a big change. Raceway Park stopped hosting all drag racing events. This was because the costs to run them became too high. The areas used for drag racing were turned into outdoor concert spaces. However, other parts of the park stayed open. These include the drift track, go-karts, and motocross tracks.
Raceway Park as a Concert Venue
Besides racing, Raceway Park has also been a place for huge concerts.
The Grateful Dead Concert
On September 3, 1977, the famous band Grateful Dead played a concert there. A massive crowd of 107,019 people attended. This was one of the largest ticketed concerts with a single main band in the United States for a long time. The show was so special that it was recorded. It was later released as an album called "Dick's Picks Volume 15".
The concert was a huge event in New Jersey's history. Rolling Stone magazine even called the tour one of the greatest ever. Jerry Garcia's wife, Manasha Garcia, remembered playing in the fields where the concert took place as a child. She said it was a "blessing" to join so many people at the show. Other bands like the Marshall Tucker Band and the New Riders of the Purple Sage also performed. In May 2018, a new band called the Englishtown Project formed. They celebrate this legendary concert.
Other Exciting Events
Even though drag racing has stopped, Raceway Park still offers many fun activities.
Motocross Tracks
The park has motocross tracks that are great for riding. The ground is soft loam, which is good for dirt bikes. The tracks are kept in good shape. They have long, straight paths for speed. There are also challenging obstacles like banks and ditches.
Drifting Events
Drifting is another popular activity at Raceway Park. A company called ClubLoose has hosted drifting events since 2002. These events now happen on the road course. There are different levels for drivers, from beginners to advanced. All cars and equipment are checked for safety before anyone can participate. Only rear-wheel-drive cars are allowed for drifting.
Event Schedule
Raceway Park hosts many different events throughout the year. These include car shows, concerts, mud runs, and motocross races. They also have swap meet events. In the past, they offered "Time Trials" for people to practice racing their own cars or bikes.
Safety Incidents
Safety is very important in motorsports. Sadly, there have been a few serious accidents at the dragstrip.
- In June 2008, Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta passed away during a qualifying race.
- In June 2010, Alcohol Funny Car driver Neal Parker also passed away during a qualifying race.
See also
