A Big Bucket of cold water for East coast fans (1 Viewer)

[rocketman]

Englishtown, another one of the tracks I always wanted to go to may be closing. This will be a big blow to not only racers and fans on the east coast but to our sport as well. I hope it's not true. Let's get to work on those noise barriers.

http://www.dragracingonline.com/agent1320/2007/1320-ix_4-30.html

 

[StockersRock]

Oh, it's this time of year again already?

 

[handsome]

until it's in black and white , it's hard to think it will happen, BUT anyone that goes there each year will agree how close the housing is getting to the track. there is always construction going on in the area. you cant force someone to sell, but you can ruin the buisness they have by imposing more and more noise regulations. i believe e-town is already limited to x-amount of noise days a month already. frank manzo lives 5 minutes from the track and has to go to test 2 hours away at cecil county because of noise limitations. what will be the use of owning the track when the town cuts the noise days down to 1 a month , then mabey 6 a year. it's bull &%it because the track was there long before any of those developements but if it smells like &%it and looks like &%it , it usually is a big load of &%it!

 

[HEMI6point1]

When my dad talked to Warren Johnson at G-ville this year he said "I'd give that track 3 more years before the housing and lawyers start closing in."

It's sad as I have spent all of my years at nationals at that track before I moved to FL. I find it heartbreaking and despicable that a bunch of rich snobs might get their way. Yet, if it was a NASCRAP track they probably wouldn't complain.

 

[Paul]

They have been saying this for years now. I have been going to that track for 20 years, it will be a sad day if the track was sold.

 

[Toejam]

Noise Barriers won't do shit as long as Homes are built within a 1/2 mile of any track!

 

[Nunz]

While these rumors have been going on for years, this sounds more serious. If the dollars offered to the Napp family keep increasing, and they are faced with having to spend a ton of money to fight to stay open, they may be forced to make a choice that nobody wants. Like everyone else, I hope this doesn't come to pass, this would affect the whole sport, not just us east-coasters.

 

[Husky]

200 million is a "Godfather Offer." Plus, if it's correct that 8 people own the track, at least half of them probably want their percentage.
The tough part of this is that Maple Grove will be the Northeastern most track on the circuit. E Town is 250 miles SW of Boston as it is.

 

[rocketman]

Joe, I'm just saying that noise barrier need to be developed, but it's a lost cause here. I looked at the track via google sattellite and it's a hell of a nice track and the house are less then a quarter mile away. IF the owners sell hopefully they buy an existing track else where and refurbish it. Once can only hope.

 

[Toejam]

I think E-town might need to go the Pomona route, only allow a certain number of LOUD days! Otherwise all muffled racing.

 

[handsome]

I think E-town might need to go the Pomona route, only allow a certain number of LOUD days! Otherwise all muffled racing.

if you read my post, it has been that way for a while.

 

[DrRocket]

I think E-town might need to go the Pomona route, only allow a certain number of LOUD days! Otherwise all muffled racing.

It won't make a difference. To non-motor sports fans, ANY type of racing is considered loud. Especially if it happens near their place.

This doesn't look good.

 

[Bullet]

Hey I have an idea.... let's buy a house close to the racetrack as prices are lower and we can get more for our buck. Sure the noise will be a bit of a pain but we can deal with it.

Damn, I love this house but this noise is really starting to p!ss me off.

Hey, let complain that the racetrack that made out house/land prices lower is too noisy!

MAN PEOPLE P!SS ME OFF!!!

We have these same idiots in Australia who complain about the noise when they move to a neighborhood by the Airport that has been there for 30 years!

 

[Smiley]

I think this is absurd - it's like moving next to an airport and then complaining about the noise. The track was there before the houses if I understand this correctly - the "neighbors" need to blame themselves for moving so close.

In RI we had an issue where there was a new development built near a farm that had been there for over 100 years - the people that moved in actually had the gall to try and shut the farm down because of the smell..

Unfortunately, in this day and age the "neighbors" would stand a good chance at winning a lawsuit - or bankrupt the track. Either way they get what they want.

 

[Kelly Andersen]

Noise Barriers won't do shit as long as Homes are built within a 1/2 mile of any track!

X2 brainerd has 10 million trees between it and town and you can still hear the fuel cars in town and its a good 5-6 miles. sound walls will do nothing.

 

[Kelly Andersen]

heres a little insight from drag racing online. E-TOWN IN DANGER OF BEING SOLD!?
Over the last couple of years DRO has reported many times concerning rumors about Englishtown Raceway Park in New Jersey being forced to close over noise pollution issues. It is no secret that the local towns and housing developers lust to close the venerable track down and develop the property. Now DRO has heard from a source that has been very reliable in the past with info that the E-town track is really at risk and for several reasons. First, the money offered for the 500-acre tract is seriously large and, second, the noise issues that are on-going are due to be brought up again at the New Jersey state level, which would cost the Napp family a lot of money to fight.

DRO has been told that the Napp family recently turned down an offer of $180 million for the property but counter-offered saying that if the offer was raised to $200 million the family might consider. DRO has been told that eight people own the track, and a $25 million “golden parachute” for each of the owners would be pretty hard for anyone to resist. With houses being built closer to the track literally every day, history indicates that it seems inevitable the track will eventually be closed and sold. It will be a sad day when it happens

 

[Husky]

I live near an airport that had major expansion. For a whole year, they used only one runway, and the path went right over my house. That was all day every day. Annoying, yes, at times. BUT racing is done a few times a year, during day time hours, for the most part and yet some people find that intolerable. I hope the state takes over the land and builds a few hundred acres of low income housing, if the track has to go!

 

[StockersRock]

If they indeed sell the track, we should all go there, buy the houses they build, tear 'em down, and build a new racetrack. Simple, right?

 

[Professor Dave]

The Napps are between a rock and a hard place. They not only have to worry about the neighbors shutting them down, but NASCAR would love to have a race track in the NY metropolitan area. And if they get one, there is a likelihood of a drag strip going in with it, not only because of the money from the national event and the other big events that are currently at E-town, but also for the cash cow that the weekly races would be. Of course, given the rise in real estate prices in the northeast, they might be smart to hold out as long as possible. For a while, the price of land was rising faster than alternative investments such as the stock market.

 

[Jim]

Wow!

$400,000 per acre seems like a LOT of money.

If I were the Napps, I might take the money and build a track up in Dutchess County or, better, near the Mohegan Sun Casino in CT (prolly still have $$ left over.)