Sad News for Houston Racing

[Mean Cat]

HRP ( Houston Raceway Park ) is shutting down after the April 2022 NHRA event. I can't believe it & almost want to cry.
I've been going there since it opened in 1988. It's been a place to go with friends & racer buddy's to hang out & have fun. Lots of memories there.
It is 1 of the fastest race tracks in the country, all kinds of records has been set there. We still have HMP ( Houston Motorsports Park ) a awesome 1/8 mile track but it's not the same as the 1/4 mile.
It's like losing a good friend that you'll never see again.
Hopefully a new one will be built soon but when & if is the question ?

 

[Hpindy]

They are complaining about street racing but if you shut a track down street racing will get worse as racers have no where to go .

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[Slowpoke387]

It's like losing a good friend that you'll never see again.

Fixed that for ya lol.
That sucks, I know how you feel. The racetrack for me was always a second home. Had to quit due to health reasons and now it's like there's a part of me missing. Can't even go there now because it's too hard to be there and not be able to go out there.
Now I'm just a grammar nazi

 

[Mean Cat]

They are complaining about street racing but if you shut a track down street racing will get worse as racers have no where to go .

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Exactly what we've been talking about, it's gonna get worse on the streets. Something I don't do. So after the shut down I'll be going to the 1/8 mile but probably not as much.

 

[Mean Cat]

[QUOTE="Slowpoke387, post: 197042, member: 969"]Fixed that for ya lol.
That sucks, I know how you feel. The racetrack for me was always a second home. Had to quit due to health reasons and now it's like there's a part of me missing. Can't even go there now because it's too hard to be there and not be able to go out there.
Now I'm just a grammar nazi [/QUOTE]

Corrected the typo grammar Nazi LOL, Yep like a second home it is, I'm in disbelief, never thought this one would shut down. Money talks as we say, when someone slaps 90 million in your face, then it's hard to say no. It's like they turned their backs on all of us though after years of support. Very sad.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

Bunch of them have closed or will close soon on the East Coast. There's one near me that has been around forever and I remember their radio commercials from when I was a kid. Now the property in that area has become too valuable and they are working on a deal to sell. It will be sad for sure when it's finally decided.

 

[fumanchu182]

Bunch of them have closed or will close soon on the East Coast. There's one near me that has been around forever and I remember their radio commercials from when I was a kid. Now the property in that area has become too valuable and they are working on a deal to sell. It will be sad for sure when it's finally decided.

75-80 is scheduled to re-open on July 31st and Capitol Raceway was shopped around to developers to be sold but the EPA but the stop to that. The gravel mining pit in the back plus all the chemicals that have been there since the 50's have caused it to be unusable land.

 

[SilverBillet]

Bunch of them have closed or will close soon on the East Coast. There's one near me that has been around forever and I remember their radio commercials from when I was a kid. Now the property in that area has become too valuable and they are working on a deal to sell. It will be sad for sure when it's finally decided.

Which one?

 

[Mean Cat]

75-80 is scheduled to re-open on July 31st and Capitol Raceway was shopped around to developers to be sold but the EPA but the stop to that. The gravel mining pit in the back plus all the chemicals that have been there since the 50's have caused it to be unusable land.

Well I guess that's good if it's unusable other than a race track.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

Which one?

75/80 closed a few years ago.
Englishtown in NJ.
Atco is or was on the chopping block.
Capital is/was on the chopping block. Supposedly they are looking for someone new to run it, but there were talks of homes going in there. There was development plan.

 

[Mean Cat]

Bunch of them have closed or will close soon on the East Coast. There's one near me that has been around forever and I remember their radio commercials from when I was a kid. Now the property in that area has become too valuable and they are working on a deal to sell. It will be sad for sure when it's finally decided.

I can't imagine how it's gonna feel the last time to be there or the last time down the track, I will not want to leave, they may have to call the PoPo.

 

[Mean Cat]

I'm gonna try to be the last one down the track, besides the NHRA guys.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

They've built so many houses in the area of 75/80 I bet if they do re-open it, it won't be for long because the neighbors will complain. I wish them luck, but you can bet it will be a fight.

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

75-80 is scheduled to re-open on July 31st and Capitol Raceway was shopped around to developers to be sold but the EPA but the stop to that. The gravel mining pit in the back plus all the chemicals that have been there since the 50's have caused it to be unusable land.

They've got equipment that can be brought in to clean the soil right on the spot now. They don't have to haul it away and incinerate it for the most part. I guess cost would be a determining factor for a developer.

 

[vortecd]

Someone on facebook was saying how 136 acres could be used for something better then Milan dragway. Thinking he has never been to Milan, there isn't anything around expect farmland now. What should they put up a strip mall? There is so much open land in this country but some of these dragstrip that were out of town at one time are not anymore and their land is worth more, Would be nice if these owners that sold the land would open a new track further out. Other tracks in Michigan, 131 is right next to the highway but neither then that nothing else big close. Mid-Michigan Motorplex is surrounded by farmland

 

[vortecd]

They've got equipment that can be brought in to clean the soil right on the spot now. They don't have to haul it away and incinerate it for the most part. I guess cost would be a determining factor for a developer.

SSHHHHHHHH don't give them idea's. It's only good for a drag strip

 

[Speedy!]

Seems to be happening more and more. Some of it is senseless where someone buys a home within eye sight of a race track then complain about the noise. Other times the owner just sells out and can't find anyone else to run it. I don't hear of any new drag strips being built either.

The owner of my local track Beech Bend luckily has a grand son who is starting to move in to taking the track over. He's younger than I am and a pretty level headed dude so I'm hopeful.

 

[covidcommander]

Check out "save Atco raceway" on Facebook. maybe you could start something like that

🤔

 

[fumanchu182]

They've got equipment that can be brought in to clean the soil right on the spot now. They don't have to haul it away and incinerate it for the most part. I guess cost would be a determining factor for a developer.

Incorrect, EPA said it was beyond fixing due to the toxicity reports. Also as god listened, hot off the IG:

 

[Stormtrooper1320]

Incorrect, EPA said it was beyond fixing due to the toxicity reports. Also as god listened, hot off the IG:

View attachment 49632

Good for them. I didn't want to see Capital torn up. Too many memories over the years. I saw my first drag strip racing there when I was about 4 years old......1969.