269 replies to this topic

[Uncle Fred]

Mike, I remember three tracks, too...

[tonyp]

The tracks were weird. I don't think they were Engleman. 

[tonyp]

And they had two of the same crappy track in the same building. LOL...

[slotcarone]

I know there were three--I think two were the same and the third may have been a mirror image of them.

[Shawn Curry]

I also visited a raceway in Sayreville, burned down about 10 years ago, had a tri-oval and a drag strip, a small shop. and a much larger shop on Rt130 in East Windsor, i bought the owner's dragster, after he shut down his drag strip, forget the names of these 2 raceways, both closed in the 90's........

when i race h.o. scale in the early 70's, i raced in the hobby departments of toy stores in a series sponsered by Tyco. guess that makes me a bit younger than you guys that raced in the 60's......so now i race 1960's era cars at The Race Place on Rt 33 with the C.A.R.S. vintage club! All welcome to re-visit their past, race vintage cars, swap stories, etc. We are not a competitive group,. rather an easy going club having fun with 40 year old cars!!

i grew up in Old Bridge and in the mid 80's i went to All American Hobbies @ the corner of Englishtown road and Union Hill road they had two tracks and an rc track in the back. i don't remember any tracks in east winsor on rt 130 where was it?

[Shawn Curry]

Was that the place at the E-Town Flea Market on Rt. 527?

All American Hobbies corner of Union Hill Road and rt 527 two tracks and an rc track in the back

[Shawn Curry]

Hi Guys,

 

I was just telling a friend about visiting relatives in New Jersey in the early '70s and frequenting B&J Raceway, 215 Haddon Ave, Westmont, NJ. They had great big tracks and a multi lane lane 1/24th and HO throw switch drag strip.

 

That's me in the second picture re-slotting one of my hardbody NASCAR Dodge Daytonas on the big track. The track was great for top end speed runs. For fun I've dropped a shot of two of my Daytonas (I had three for different motor classes) on their transporter. In those early college days I was a toolmaker for a car alignment tool company and I was briefly on a NASCAR/USAC Grand National team - George Wiltshire Racing.

 

Cheers!

Superbird

 

B&J Raceway 1 early '70s.jpg

 

B&J Raceway 2 early '70s.jpg

 

B&J Raceway 3 Drag Strip early '70s.jpg

 

Daytona on transporter.jpg

the top two pictures look just like the track at speedzonenj.com in burlington, nj

[Shawn Curry]

i started at Collinswood auction THE RACE PLACE when i was 8 as rent to race kid. we didn't go to often. then when i was about 13 or 14 all american raceway (i think thats what they called it) on the corner of Englishtown road and Union Hill road down by the Englishtown flea market. then a got a real car and it went to the side until my son turned 6 last year and we go slotin' every weekend now at Speedzone in Mt. Holly. last weekend we went to Zeppelin Hobbies in Wayne , 

[Shawn Curry]

Zeppelin Hobbies in Wayne, NJ.

[Half Fast]

The Zeppelin photo is not the first version of the store with a red Hillclimb, a King, and a large R/C carpet.
 
Cheers.

[Uncle Fred]

True, they downsized a number of years ago.

[tonyp]

That's were East Coast Retro started.

[Noose]

Yup, February 2007 in their second Riverdale location. When the race was over they moved to their current location in Wayne, NJ.

[John Streisguth]

Yes, current is their third location.

First was the huge place with the King, Hillclimb, and the green figure eight show in the above pics (the only track left from the original store).  

When they moved to a smaller shop across the shopping center, the took the eight and chopped the King to fit the new store, which was a disaster, it was unraceable. They replaced that with the current Grandstand/Hillclimber.  

I also talked them into building an HO track prior to holding the 1996 UFHORA Nats in the first store, and they had that at the second shop.

[Noose]

Here is what the building looks like now where Sebring Raceway used to be in Irvington, NJ. It's where I met Tony P.

 

 

 

And this is what the building looks like now where Tom Thumb Raceway in Union, NJ, used to be. It's where I met Sandy Gross and Jose Rodriguez Jr.

 

[tonyp]

Tom Thumb was the first track I ever went to. My friend that I played with 1/32 cars told me about this place with big tracks you could rent track time on. My response was, "Why would anyone want to pay to race on a track when you could do it at home for free".

[Cheater]

Well, I guss you answered your own question after visiting, huh?

[Half Fast]

Looks like Noose is on a virtual nostalgia tour, See also the Team Nutley race thread.

 

Cheers

[tonyp]

Greg, I was mesmerized.

[Cheater]

Tony,

That's exactly the way I felt when I stumbled into Harding Mall Grand Prix about 1966, especially since they had a Purple Mile!

[Noose]

My first experience was at a place called Tiny Tots in Greenbrook, NJ. Actually stopped to buy a model and heard this buzzing going on. Went to see what it was and all I remember saying was forget the model I want one of those!  There were guys running slot cars on a small track.

Tiny Tots remains as a juvenile/baby furniture store.  No more hobby stuff for many years.

[Superbird]

I remember Hobbytrack too! They had three identical tracks, all were mirror image of something. Yeah, the place and the lanes were always crowded. The counter was stuffed with merchandise that covered the waterfront! The latest stuff and the oldest stuff that had gone obsolete and they couldn't move. Tools, materials, controllers, old kits, old RTRs, new kits, new RTRs and the latest Pro cars the guys were trading in as they built the latest hot stuff! My guess it was about 1965 before batpan chassis and angle-winders. I bought my first fast car over the counter. It was a beautiful open wheel F1 "springie thingie" with the latest high power 16D motor. I crashed that baby right there on my first lap in the most dramatic style! Off the bank, though the net barrier and into the wall with a loud bang! Nobody even looked up. My lane was reoccupied before I found the remains. Lost a wheel and bent the threaded axle. Done for the day..... actually weeks before my dad bought me an axle and tires. I was hooked for life!  

[Shawn Curry]

The first track I ever raced on was the race place at the collingswood auction and then 2 years later American Hobbies in Englishtown opened up with this track !!

I raced at american hobbies also but they had a smaller track and i think it was yellow for some reason. and he also dod remote control cars out back. Why did he close the doors? He was in a very high flood zone. It was located on the corner of Union Hill road and Englishtown road. This picture you posted was from before the fire at collingwood correct? Did the tracks get hit buy the fire? I was a kid back then, now play @ Speedzonenj.com

[Shawn Curry]

Zeppelin Hobbies in Wayne, NJ.

IMG_3588.JPG

IMG_3589.JPG

I toke these pictures less then a year ago. probably in march or April of 2016

[tonyp]

American hobbies was sold a few times. When slots slowed down they pulled the slot track for a 1/12th carpet track. A few years later they had issues with outdoor tracks the area they were on were declared protective wetlands or some such nonsense. So the closed.


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