New Jersey raceways
#1
Posted 20 June 2008 - 12:29 PM
Noose should kick start this with his stories of Tiny Tots, which I believe was the first raceway in NJ.
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#2
Posted 20 June 2008 - 12:52 PM
When I went to the room, my eyes almost fell out of my head. There were people racing cars on a big track. Nothing was cooler than that. Screw the model. What did I need to do to get one of those things? I had never seen a race track in a store before. It wasn't huge and it was a flat track. Can't remember when they finally removed the track from there but every time I drive by there I just smile.
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Joe "Noose" Neumeister
Sometimes known as a serial despoiler of the clear purity of virgin Lexan bodies. Lexan is my canvas!
Noose Custom Painting - Since 1967
Chairman - IRRA® Body Committee - Roving IRRA® Tech Dude - "EVIL BUCKS Painter"
"Team Evil Bucks" Racer - 2016 Caribbean Retro Overall Champion
The only thing bad about Retro is admitting that you remember doing it originally.
#3
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:00 PM
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#4
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:02 PM
Joe "Noose" Neumeister
Sometimes known as a serial despoiler of the clear purity of virgin Lexan bodies. Lexan is my canvas!
Noose Custom Painting - Since 1967
Chairman - IRRA® Body Committee - Roving IRRA® Tech Dude - "EVIL BUCKS Painter"
"Team Evil Bucks" Racer - 2016 Caribbean Retro Overall Champion
The only thing bad about Retro is admitting that you remember doing it originally.
#5
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:14 PM
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Ray Carlisi
#6
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:27 PM
The weirdest track I ever ran a car on was at Cranford Raceway. They had a two-story track that ran from the first floor to the second. You actually stood on the second floor in the infield to drive the cars. As you came up the hill to the second floor the cars actually went behind you. It did have a cool Laguna corkscrew style downhill though.
It was not a raceable track. All the tracks they had (three) were weird. I believe the owners were carpenters and built the tracks themselves. On Friday nights we would always pick a track we never went to before and go to run there. I do not think they made it to the pro era.
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#7
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:32 PM
Joe "Noose" Neumeister
Sometimes known as a serial despoiler of the clear purity of virgin Lexan bodies. Lexan is my canvas!
Noose Custom Painting - Since 1967
Chairman - IRRA® Body Committee - Roving IRRA® Tech Dude - "EVIL BUCKS Painter"
"Team Evil Bucks" Racer - 2016 Caribbean Retro Overall Champion
The only thing bad about Retro is admitting that you remember doing it originally.
#8
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:41 PM
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#9
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:46 PM
Joe "Noose" Neumeister
Sometimes known as a serial despoiler of the clear purity of virgin Lexan bodies. Lexan is my canvas!
Noose Custom Painting - Since 1967
Chairman - IRRA® Body Committee - Roving IRRA® Tech Dude - "EVIL BUCKS Painter"
"Team Evil Bucks" Racer - 2016 Caribbean Retro Overall Champion
The only thing bad about Retro is admitting that you remember doing it originally.
#10
Posted 20 June 2008 - 01:51 PM
Tyrell Road. a couple of blocks down from the connection to 78.
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#11
Posted 20 June 2008 - 02:26 PM
All the tracks were Englemans with the copper braid. 220, 165, the one shaped like a King but all flat and triangle donut. A 180(?) shaped like the 220 but smaller and reversed and a 110 or 90 footer.
It was a neat place, lots of room, and of course a couple of blocks from home. Lasted maybe 18 months or so. One of many tracks built too close to another and with an overhead that could never be paid.
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#12
Posted 20 June 2008 - 02:33 PM
Joe "Noose" Neumeister
Sometimes known as a serial despoiler of the clear purity of virgin Lexan bodies. Lexan is my canvas!
Noose Custom Painting - Since 1967
Chairman - IRRA® Body Committee - Roving IRRA® Tech Dude - "EVIL BUCKS Painter"
"Team Evil Bucks" Racer - 2016 Caribbean Retro Overall Champion
The only thing bad about Retro is admitting that you remember doing it originally.
#13
Posted 20 June 2008 - 03:32 PM
Yes, the place was filled with geeks and you could feel the love. It was a decent track.
#14
Posted 20 June 2008 - 03:42 PM
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#15
Posted 20 June 2008 - 03:47 PM
Just trying to figure where it fit in during the Nutley era.
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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#16
Posted 20 June 2008 - 06:52 PM
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Mike Katz
Scratchbuilts forever!!
#17
Posted 20 June 2008 - 07:06 PM
Yes, it was summer of 1967.Roy, do you remember when it was open and what kind of tracks Peter had? Just trying to figure where it fit in during the Nutley era.
Only ran one race there on July 4th and still have the Dremel tool I won. It was a very small shop with one track somewhat like Nutley but shorter.
After that race PVA and I went to Jims in Jersey city and won the two-hour enduro together, which was held on the front track. And hard to believe we used one motor for the race but the power was mild. The trophies were the largest I had ever seen.
I believe PVA closed his track soon after that date.
#18
Posted 21 June 2008 - 06:20 AM
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#19
Posted 21 June 2008 - 06:20 AM
The shop in Scotch Plains has a tiny 1/32 track. He has it up half the year and the other half he has the HO track up.I thought there is still an HO and 1/32 place in Scotch Plains. Maybe Rob knows.
Rob Kurylo
"Capital Idea"
#20
Posted 21 June 2008 - 06:54 AM
They have an amazing collection of 1/32 scale cars on sale (maybe 250 or more cars of all manufacturers), and they are also very big on new and vintage HO cars. They also sell some vintage slot cars and magazines. It is a small shop but well worth a visit if you are in the area.
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#21
Posted 21 June 2008 - 07:06 AM
Grand Prix had two tracks. A sort of L-shaped figure 8 and a wonderful road course that is one of my favorite tracks. It had only one straight away which was only about six feet long... The rest of the track was made up of a mix of tight and gentle curves with a "main straight" that was a sweeping lefthander that had a radius of maybe 30 feet... It was a very drivable track and lots of fun to race on.I remember Gran Prix in Upper Saddle River - raced there a few times I think in Car Model mag races.
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#22
Posted 21 June 2008 - 07:16 AM
A big problem I had with them was that they had a policy of allowing someone to rent a lane and stay on it for as long as they wanted... If no one wanted to let you get on the track, you didn't get to play...
They were my source for Marklin hook-up wire, which I used for slot car lead wire...
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#23
Posted 21 June 2008 - 09:17 AM
Bob:Tiny Tots was the slot car raceway of choice of Mark Donahue of Indy car and Can-Am fame...
A big problem I had with them was that they had a policy of allowing someone to rent a lane and stay on it for as long as they wanted... If no one wanted to let you get on the track, you didn't get to play...
They were my source for Marklin hook-up wire, which I used for slot car lead wire...
Pete must have had another track as the one in Roselle was the only one I remember do you know what year the one in Berkely heights was? In 1969 took a 37 year break. Your chassis were the best I ever ran ie the indy car built for nutley no chatter.
Roy
#24
Posted 21 June 2008 - 09:59 AM
Andy Kimbrough, FastLane Raceway
Evansville, IN
Andrew G. Kimbrough
former raceway owner
(812) 430-8818
#25
Posted 21 June 2008 - 10:26 AM
Anthony 'Tonyp' Przybylowicz
5/28/50-12/20/21
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