Atco is done

[David Lee]

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

never better words spoken

[SSDA Hemi]

Richie Boyle hit it right on the head. Racers take note at future races

I'm saddened Atco was sold. That was a very good track. My new home track is now 2 hours from me instead of Hour and 45. Just tell me when and where the divisional is rescheduled. The sun came up again this morning and I have work to do and complaining is not included. My fun does not include Atco but is not over yet!! See you at the races lol!

[BKSG1198]

As much as NJMP makes sense to build a drag strip, they don’t want to. I live 10 minutes from it and work at the Longhorn PT where alot of teams come in to eat. I can tell you the drag racing clients are not what they are shooting for there. They want the team Porsche, Ferrari teams to come in from overseas drop a couple hundred grand and leave. They don’t want the racer who’s going to complain about a $50 test & tune pass or having to pay $15 for their wife to come in to watch.

TRUST ME, the area could use a drag strip and a National Event because we’re a depressed area but, neighbors already complain about the noise from the track so running a bracket race till 10pm on a Saturday isn’t going to fly.

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

[MR DERBY CITY]

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

Totally agree Rich, everyone is pizzed because the rug was pulled out from underneath them. This is the USA, the man has every right to sell his business……. as we lose another top notch facility ….

[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

[Bobby Fazio]

Bracket racing and LODRS does not keep a track afloat. I do attribute that to the track as well. I do not give non-advertising, non-promoting tracks a free pass. The events that make money are probably test n tunes (no payout) and big events like Super Chevy or the Pan America Nationals that took place this past weekend at Atco. He cashed-in right before closing. I've never seen the place so packed, one day spectator was $40, racing entry fee, motorhome fee even if racing. Parking on blacktop with that race car? That was another fee. Average age of everyone there, about 30 years old. Average age at LODRS races is probably 60ish.

Topic for another thread but shouldn't there be a class for rotaries in NHRA? Comp eliminator?

[CMcAllister]

Originally Posted by cad

An unrelated artice that I came across stated that Copart is targeting former race tracks because they can purchase the land with less EPA restrictions revolving around oil contamination that pre-existed/grandfathered, and will not impact cars being stored on the property.

I hope the local residents enjoy their new junkyard - and the associated traffic.

Few months from now they may be wishing they had the track back.

[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?