It has been years since Long Island Dragway in Hampton, New York closed its doors and with it, left drag racing fans with no other option but to head to places like Atco and Englishtown. Since then there has been a vocal and organized effort to get another track instituted and constructed on Long Island and they have really been working hard over the last couple years. It appears that their hard work may have resulted in progress for their cause as local government officials in Suffolk County, New York have agreed to form an “ad hoc” committee to explore options for locating a track in their area.
For those of you unfamiliar with what an “ad hoc” committee is (like we were) it is a committee established for a very specific purpose. In this case it is to figure out where a drag strip could land, what impact it would have on the local economy, and how it would help resolve issues like street racing etc. Once the goals of the committee are are achieved (one way or another) it is dissolved.
While there are certainly no guarantees in this process, the promising thing is that the local government has heard and recognized the work of those advocating for a track and this thing is taking the direction that it should. Again, there’s no guarantee that it moves much past this point but it is kind of momentous in our eyes that they have gotten their cause this far.
We wish all of those on Long Island working for a track the best of luck and we’ll be keeping an eye on their progress!
So they have agreed to form a committee ..
This is just to buy time and kill it..
It’ll never make it through.. as the committee will be called and mailed, by every contractor and developer around, and any land owners that won’t want the noise… and every realtor house in the tri states..
All this is ,is a money grab from those pushing for the track, as the selectmen know it’s never going to happen, but might as well take their cash, while we sit on that fact.
All it will take is one developer to say they can develop the land and put store fronts and condo’s there and it kills any economy gain a track might being..
the committee now only has to find a developer to claim this.. (I’m sure they already have a few lined up) to kill it and nothing happen no track, no condo’s ,no nada..
No reason for a committee to allow land owners to pave 1/2 mile and a parking lot..
I’d not get any hopes up, as they are going to get crushed.. but first the committee and selectmen/leaders need to funnel some money out of those that want the track before telling them, sorry. no.
I would like to start by saying I started this 8 months ago and we have 14,000 people that want this to happen. We are not giving them money,they are looking for land for us,this will bring back economic growth more than housing and strip malls. I think all you people that say this won’t happen why don’t you give us a chance we have everything to gain from this and nothing to lose.
Why Long Island? Why not Flyod Bennett Airfield. No noise problems the strip is already there, you just need bleachers and a tree. Easy access to everything.
John is the real deal. He and his people have made major progress in the last 8 months, bringing together a community of people with one common goal. Nobody is making a dime off of this right now. They put in all their time and effort aside from jobs and family to fight for something so many of us living here want.
So before people go bashing the movement, saying it’s a money grab, and so on, take a look around. Ask some people who live here and are part of the group. This movement will not be crushed. If “They” can have dozens of golf courses (Acres and acres of Glorified fenced off patches of chemical-laden grass that middle aged men can spend all day hitting a ball around on), I think we can find space for a track. It will happen one way or another. We will make it happen.
Money grab? Hahaha oh man if people only knew! There is no money involved in this at all. Just a group of dedicated racers that want to see a track back on the island. “Crazy” you are very quick to shoot this down. If you have seen what we have done in these last 8 months, you would be very impressed. Feel free to do some more research on what we have accomplished before you make assumptions.
Good luck.. but they will be requiring you to spend money, every step of the way.. And in the end you will be told no..
The state going to servay the land for you??
they going to check for liens for you
they going to do an environment impact study for you?
Noise impact study?
And that is just a small sample of what will be needed, nevermind a lawyer.
all without it costing you anything..!!!!??
Again good luck.. I got a bridge for sale.. good price..
money grab… yup.. the state/county/town will take your money for studies/impact testing/ etc. while knowing they’ll never approve a track… that I call a money grab..
odd you though I was talking about the group wanting the track..
We are all working hard for this track to happen. .The task force is a major step in the right direction. ..staying positive. .
1) Thanks Brian for the exposure
2) This is a grass roots movement of constituents of these politicians, the one thing that speaks to them more than money is votes. And people have been showing up at the town meetings (http://nwsdy.li/2grIrc1)
3) John & John, don’t take it personally, if you look at every article there’s the same spew coming from the same troll
Has anyone thought about consulting with Tony Bartone? Probably one of the more influential drag racers on Long Island, also the owner of NY Paving!
Someone on the committee , please contact Al Smyth , CEO of Porta-tree to get the skinny on what it takes . Mr. Smyth tried for over 10 years to get a track in Rhode Island and in Central Massachusetts . Blocked at every turn . Mostly NIMBY was the outcry . BTW isn’t land in Long Island sold by the square inch ?
Keep up the good fight. My name is Pete Scalzo and l have been trying to lease the western runway at Epcal to prove the merits of a dragstrip on Long Island. I have been willing to do this on a one year trail basis until such time as the property was rezoned or sold. My proposals have been constantly rejected by Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter for all of the years that he has been in office! My guaranteed income to the Town, to date, would have been close to ONE MILLIION DOLLARS!! What has been the income to the Town wirhout the dragstrip? ZERO. Futhermore, if we were allowed to operate, we would have been able to show the merits of this wholesome family sport. Maybe a new Riverhead Town Supervisor will be smart enough to agree to my offer of a one year lease. I know that when any potential investor, developer or land owner sees thousands of race fans and hundreds of racers enjoying our sport, they will be motivated to build a permanent first class dragstrip. Again, don’t give up! Check out my currenr dragstrip here in Florida. greencovedragway.com
Call me if you need any info on insurance, timing system, traction compond etc. Pete 904 868 3724.
The real deal!! PETER SCALZO
Yup…
The idea sounds good… but the committee knows the outcome before this gets started.. all they are in for is an expensive dog and pony show..
Some have seen this first hand..
Let me be one of the minority of outsiders to say, “That’s awesome, John. Good luck and Godspeed.”
There sure as hell should be a track out there. Hot Cars everywhere and plenty of income to support it. There isn’t any damn thing the further you go east anyway. I hope you guys are succesful! Keep fighting for it!
The #LINEEDSADRAGSTRIP movement has made great gains and strides we will have a track again. Thank you Brian and Chad for the coverage.
telling the post that are being removed.. Does someone have some guilt they don’t want aired
THIS MUST HAPPEN!
There is such a strong car culture again on LI. Just go to any weekly car cruise – Sunday morning OBI/Captree, Tuesday @ Oyster Bay, Friday at Bellmore – and you will see HUNDREDS of cars looking for something more to do. If half of those cars wanted to just try running their cars once a year, that would be huge volume of business right there. Plus, they can use the new track for other events like car shows, swap meets, Auto-x, etc.
I also think the idea of surrounding the track with auto-related businesses is fantastic as well. First of all, they are “friendly” neighbors to a track, they will pay rent, they will drive in constant business traffic and more. Plus, I’m sure the likes of S-K Speed and others would love to have a business where all your customers are ALREADY gathering. Want to try a part? Buy it at the track and test it. Fail tech inspection for some reason? Go buy the stuff to correct it. Break something? How about fixing it right there and salvage the race day. I bet the smart person would make a killing by having a repair shop with lift available on race days as well.
Not to mention the tourism brought in by big events. The ferries alone will see an increase in ridership for these events. Remember, those folks across the Sound are closer to us than to other major venues in the Northeast.
So the bottom line is SHOW the politicians that we are here, we are no longer kids from the 70’s-80’s, rather we are tax-paying, business owning VOTERS!
Vote on the two on-line surveys and join the Facebook site as well:
Survey:
http://libn.com/2017/02/08/the-poll-long-island-drag-racing-strip/
http://patch.com/new-york/hauppauge/suffolk-legislators-explore-legal-drag-strip-suffolk-county-poll
(the poll on this site is at the end of the story)