How many of you make it to the dragstrip in Atco? I'm always driving by there and stopping in the parking lot. I work nearby and take my lunches there. Sometimes, there are a few guys who have it rented out for the day, and I can catch a few runs. I've actually been lucky enough towards Nationals time to catch a few Top Fuel runs and once saw one of the Jet Powered funny cars do a practice run. It was awesome seeing it with like, 15 people tops. But about 2 weeks ago, maybe 3, a guy blew his Mustang up....white smoke everywhere. I think he made a good run just before too but I was just getting there.

I'd love to know if any of you guys are making it there...it'd make my lunch break. I'd bring something myself, but I'm thinking a 99 Altima stock ricer running a 20-25 sec. 1/4 mile might be the most unappealing thing in the world, next to my Bronco, which might actually be able to do it in under a day.

Let me know if you're making it out, or know of a buddy or someone else who might be making runs. It holds me over until I can start making it to the actual events again.

 

where do ya work at jd ... i am right down the road in blue anchor on 73.

 

I'm in Voorhees by the hospital. I drive by that way all the time to make it down into Vineland.

I just got back from the track actually. There had to be 30 Mustangs, a pair of Lightnings, and 1 Viper. I saw one of the Lightnings run, and it sounded awesome, but I don't know if the kid ever raced it before. He smoked his tires (couldn't the first time), purged his nitrous, then drove right over the staging line and started staging with his rear wheels. They backed him up, and he started OK, but it sounded like he missed a shift. He managed to break 13 though.

It was a lot of younger guys...teens, 20s. One pair of Mustangs just kept going heads up, running pretty close. When they pulled back into the lot, they got out, and one of the drivers was this smokin' brunette. It was awesome...I'd marry a girl like that on the spot.

 

to far south for me. island is close by. engish town is by my daughter.

 

Yeah...and we're only talking lunch breaks for now. I will be making it up to Englishtown and out to Maple Grove, I just need to get a hold of their schedules to see what's going on. But, like I said, in the meantime, I'll be at Atco just watching guys make runs.

 

Just saw this post. Last time I was there was when my '71 302 Maverick was new.

 

Is Atco open on weekends, any events going on?

 

Anyone remember the little country store that used-to have the gas pumps in front way back in the '60. I'm talking wa-a-a-a-ay back before the WAWA (which I now see has come and gone) was there. I used to stop in there when I went down there with a friend who ran a 1963 Golden Commando 427 named "The Time Machine." We used to run against "Old Reliable" and all them famous old guys.

I owned that little store in the '80s. I had a towing business. They called me "Atco Johnny."

 

nah...I'm just a young 'un at 24. My old man lived in SJ all of his life though, and I'm sure he knows about it. He always spouts his 'Dad Stories' about racing guys like Ronnie Soxx. I think I'll make a trip today...though it's REALLY hot out today. We'll see.

How about that junkyard on Jackson though? How long has that been there...the one with the giant airplane out front?

 

...there's one of those names.

Yeah! That junk yard has been there as long as I can remember. One strange thing, though, I don't know what in the world that guy sells. I forget the name of that place. Mysterious! Like it was some secret gov't. site. I'm pretty sure he deals in rare-metals. He never seemed to be selling any car parts or the normal stuff junk yards sell. I'm originally from SW Philly and I "lived" in those yards along 61st Street and Passyunk Av.

I tell all the young guys how I took a ride with a guy named Roger Meinhardt down to VA to buy an aluminum front-end for his new '63 Plymouth. He got it from the Pettys. I met Richard Petty and his father Lee. I guess the one that races now wasn't even born then. Was he?

 

Beats me, if I had to guess, I'd say Kyle is probably in his 30s, on his way to his 40s.

Yeah...I've heard of those yards before too. Never made it out to them though. I used to go to the ones in Deptford. One has since closed down, and the other, if I remember, didn't have to many old Monte Carlos, so I didn't bother going in there. It was Englishtown from then on for the swaps.

I don't know too much about that scrap yard though, but it still looks weird. He's still got that big ol' airplane, a locomotive, a small bi-plane for a short time, and a bunch of old cars that look like they'd be valuable right there on the street. Beats me though...I'll have to ask next time I'm at the track. I didn't make it today though.

 

jdmorg,

What do you come to Vineland for? I live there, actually I grew up there but live just West of Vineland now.
My friends have cars that they run at ATCO all the time. They are all Chevy guys seems like I'm the only Ford fan.

 

I head down there occassionally for work. I'm in Real Estate. There's a lot going on down there right now. I can't wait for Thunderbolt Raceway to open up either...I'll be in your neck of the woods a lot more often after that. It's still waaay too hot to sit trackside at Atco at noon right now though.

I have to say too...I grew up a Chevy boy and still am. Don't get me wrong, I love Fords too, but my heart belongs to my first car...a Chevy. I just saw an "Eleanor" clone today though, you know, the one from "Gone in 60 Seconds", and that thing could change my Chevy ways in a second.

 

wow, my first car was a Ford 1963 1/2 Galaxy XL 500, and I still love Fords! I think jdmorg is right. I wish I still had that car! I saw 1 just like it at the Muscle Car Nationals at Atco long ago...(back in the late 1980's) almost brought a tear to my eye...

 

I still have my baby. I thought a bit back about selling her, and thought, "I'm gonna look back on this and wish I still had her." So, now she's still taking up real estate in the garage. Still runs, still drives, just no insurance or registration. I don't think I'm going to come too close to selling it again...this one's in for the long haul. Started in 1970 two doors down to the left, then went two doors down to the right, and now, as the 3rd owner, she's parked right in between all of the original owners. Needs a lot of work, but it'll make for a nice weekend warrior kind of project when I can get my own garage.