Atco is done

Some good points there. IMHO that guy bought the track to flip the land. It didn’t work the first time and got a lot of pushback. So he told everybody he was going racing and got the support of everybody so they would pay his bills and his taxes why he figured out an end run around the opposition and was able to grease the local politicians to get it rezoned. Kept his plans silent and then acted when everything was in place.
Business wise it’s a good move . As a racer, i’m not applauding or supporting it, nor do I have to. Personally if I knew the plans, I would’ve never set foot back in that place or given that guy a dollar of my money.

For decades as Division I racers, we have been spoiled by the close proximity of tracks and events. There are other divisions that have a lot more travel to go to races. It looks like that will start to change more rapidly. New Jersey is a dead area for drag racing. At this point the land is worth too much money and most of the people and politicians don’t want it here.

From here on, we need to support the race tracks that want to stay open and keep racing. It would be nice if the NHRA could maybe get US 13 to take a division race back or something. That place was a lot of fun to go to back then and was fast for setting records. Or even Budds Creek. A conversation for another time.

Originally Posted by rboyle

It’s a business. If anyone set this business model up for review by an investor how do you think it would go?
I have roughly 50-100 acres of land and open for business 3 to four days a week. My business sees roughly 100-250 customers per day we are open but most of those customers purchase the minimum such as food, drink tshirts and souvenir's. My maintenance crew includes an ambulance with emt a-tractor, tow truck, along with roughly 5 to 10 support vehicles, trash removal, epa inspections, noise complaints, law suits, curfews and if the weather doesn’t cooperate I have to give makeup dates or refunds. But I do it for my customers because I am passionate about it even though most of my loyal customers only patronize my business twice a year.
What would most or all of us do then if an offer Don Corleone put together would eliminate all those headaches and let us live the lifestyle most consider rich?
Just understand what we do is not a good business model for most and the amount of bashing that goes on is really sour grapes.
Many a racer will go to a race, park on test n tune day but skip the tnt so they don’t have to pay for it, park their motor home and stacker across the equivalent of 4 spots, buy race fuel from an outside source instead of the speed shop on premise, bring food in the motor home and grill it up in the pit, dump it in the race tracks garbage change the oil and dump it in the race tracks oil repository. Never visit the concession stand or t shirt stand, and expect the track to have a manned gate all night to accommodate the comings and goings of them and their crew. Then break the rules like no minors driving pit vehicles, or no noise before or after a curfew, or don’t dump your RV waste here. Top it off with rudeness and complaining about track conditions in person and on social media platforms. I include myself in some of these abuses.
We have to be better customers. It’s an expensive sport, hobby, business or whatever but let’s not abuse the privilege when given it.
Sorry if I offended anyone but have empathy for the track owners, most started doing it in spite of the bad business model that it is because they were passionate about racing too

[Signman]

Originally Posted by Todd Hoven

Some good points there. IMHO that guy bought the track to flip the land. It didn’t work the first time and got a lot of pushback. So he told everybody he was going racing and got the support of everybody so they would pay his bills and his taxes why he figured out an end run around the opposition and was able to grease the local politicians to get it rezoned. Kept his plans silent and then acted when everything was in place.
Business wise it’s a good move . As a racer, i’m not applauding or supporting it, nor do I have to. Personally if I knew the plans, I would’ve never set foot back in that place or given that guy a dollar of my money.

For decades as Division I racers, we have been spoiled by the close proximity of tracks and events. There are other divisions that have a lot more travel to go to races. It looks like that will start to change more rapidly. New Jersey is a dead area for drag racing. At this point the land is worth too much money and most of the people and politicians don’t want it here.

From here on, we need to support the race tracks that want to stay open and keep racing. It would be nice if the NHRA could maybe get US 13 to take a division race back or something. That place was a lot of fun to go to back then and was fast for setting records. Or even Budds Creek. A conversation for another time.

Great post Todd!
Those paying attention would know real estate is being bought up at premium prices by large corporations think blackrock. The average businessman cannot compete these corps have cash and a lot of it.

US13 is trying to survive and thrive. unfortunately they are WDRA not NHRA. They left NHRA for financial reasons have focused mostly on 1/8 mile bracket racing but do offer 1/4 mile for testing track rentals and their hobby class on days separate from bracket races. Am sure they are open to all opportunities where there is profit to expand and improve. The facility has not changed significantly from the past and management wants to drag race. There are restaurants and hotels over the border in MD the only issue is the tow but as we are having this discussion NE racers need to change and be willing to go where the races are. Look at the big money bracket racers they will tow 800 miles for a chance and big money at the top when in reality they are contributors to the elite big money racers.

[BKSG1198]

Originally Posted by Todd Hoven

Some good points there. IMHO that guy bought the track to flip the land. It didn’t work the first time and got a lot of pushback. So he told everybody he was going racing and got the support of everybody so they would pay his bills and his taxes why he figured out an end run around the opposition and was able to grease the local politicians to get it rezoned. Kept his plans silent and then acted when everything was in place.
Business wise it’s a good move . As a racer, i’m not applauding or supporting it, nor do I have to. Personally if I knew the plans, I would’ve never set foot back in that place or given that guy a dollar of my money.

For decades as Division I racers, we have been spoiled by the close proximity of tracks and events. There are other divisions that have a lot more travel to go to races. It looks like that will start to change more rapidly. New Jersey is a dead area for drag racing. At this point the land is worth too much money and most of the people and politicians don’t want it here.

From here on, we need to support the race tracks that want to stay open and keep racing. It would be nice if the NHRA could maybe get US 13 to take a division race back or something. That place was a lot of fun to go to back then and was fast for setting records. Or even Budds Creek. A conversation for another time.

Just not Delmar in March when you wake up to snow on the ground....lol

[CMcAllister]

Originally Posted by Todd Hoven

Some good points there. IMHO that guy bought the track to flip the land. It didn’t work the first time and got a lot of pushback. So he told everybody he was going racing and got the support of everybody so they would pay his bills and his taxes why he figured out an end run around the opposition and was able to grease the local politicians to get it rezoned. Kept his plans silent and then acted when everything was in place.
Business wise it’s a good move . As a racer, i’m not applauding or supporting it, nor do I have to. Personally if I knew the plans, I would’ve never set foot back in that place or given that guy a dollar of my money.

For decades as Division I racers, we have been spoiled by the close proximity of tracks and events. There are other divisions that have a lot more travel to go to races. It looks like that will start to change more rapidly. New Jersey is a dead area for drag racing. At this point the land is worth too much money and most of the people and politicians don’t want it here.

From here on, we need to support the race tracks that want to stay open and keep racing. It would be nice if the NHRA could maybe get US 13 to take a division race back or something. That place was a lot of fun to go to back then and was fast for setting records. Or even Budds Creek. A conversation for another time.

One has to wonder...how many drag racers do business with Coparts, or whomever bought the track, and if they do, would be willing to tell them to go pack sand because of their habit of taking over drag strips?

[Chevy55]

I believe the lawsuit over the racer being killed a few years back that caused Atco to change ownership was the final nail in the coffin for the track. Since that time they've been entertaining offers and managed to get a favorable zoning change to get the price they wanted.
That's the way I see it.