After telling you about the social and political storm clouds surrounding the drag strip in Fontana, California, we thought it would be good to give you a good news story about grassroots drag racing. This one comes from Long Island, NY, where a promoter and a long starved base of drag racers have come together to bring drag racing back to Long Island, if only for 100ft at a time.
The Hole Shot Drag Racing Association, who have already been running successful 100ft drag racing programs at Thompson Speedway in Connecticut have begun having races at Riverhead Raceway in NY to the delight of racers. The last strip on “the island” closed in 2003, and since then, if guys wanted to race they have had to tow down to New Jersey or all the way up to West Lebanon to hit Lebanon Valley Dragway.
While the races are only 100ft long, all the proper procedures are in place. There’s a burnout box, a proper tree, and the racers get time slips on their way back to the pits. Pretty damned cool, if you ask us, especially if you’ve been starved for a track to run your junk at.
If you live in an area where drag strips are non-existant but there’s an asphalt circle track with an infield, get inspired and try to get somethig going like the HSDRA have!
Click here to learn more about the HSDRA
Here’s an in-car video from BS reader Charley Powell (who has won his class before at Riverhead in his daily driver Impala SS!)
Powell leaves in the Blazer, big time in this one!
Seekonk speedway used to have “Spectator Drags” once a year…
3/8 mile circle track, drag race for one lap, starting line is the finish line…
Pretty fun to watch, and high drama, yet low speed event… and there was a strong possibility of a racer spinning out in a turn.
Looks great. Like cruise night with displays of horsepower.
It was a joke, I do the same thing at stop lights. Total waste of time.
No joke Rich. Legal drag racing. Not spectator drags on a oval, bracket racing. I had a good time, not paying tolls, not sitting in traffic, drag racing on Long Island.
+1 it sucked.
Man, do I feel for you guys out there. This might be one event where it would be better to race slower cars just so the experience lasts that 1/10th of a second longer. If this is the legal alternative, I can totally see why street racing is big in those parts.
I just do not get it: I have been to so many town meetings, signed petitions, lobbied with politicians, attended rallies, and spread the word trying to get a track back on Long Island for years. I have been disappointed by two-faced politicians, racers who give up, Joe Public who needs to understand the sport, and just watched as track after track closed. This was supposed to be a show of need and support for a track. No one expected an Englishtown starting line, money for bracket wins, scoreboard, etc. The town and communities need to see the need for a facility and for street racing to stop. This attempt allowed you to show off your car, to see friends in the sport, have cars show up that would use a track, and to just have some fun and it gets negative comments? Keep the EzyPass, you will need it forever to cross bridges to get to a track.
Charley, I’m not from the area, but I think you’ve got a point, and I apologize for what was probably a short-sighted comment. While 100ft. seems short and perhaps “not worth it” to some (just watching the video, it initially felt so to me), I can understand your plight, and that this seems to be a step in a more positive direction. I hope the event grows, and hopefully in the future your track length will, too.
I was poorly run. The organizers had no clue to what they wee doing. Starting them at 5:00 was a dumb idea.
Also, not enough people showed.
I would never chance doing damage to my car for 100′