My Trip Down to Englishtown
So, I finally made it down to the Englishtown race track, Raceway Park they call it now, I think. Been meaning to go for ages. Heard about it forever, people always talking about the drag racing down there. Decided one weekend, the weather looked decent, so I just went for it.
Got in the car early Saturday morning. The drive itself, heading south in Jersey, wasn’t too terrible. Used the Turnpike for a bit, then some local roads. You start seeing signs, and then you definitely start hearing it before you see it. That rumble, you know?
Finding the entrance was easy enough. Pulled in, and it’s basically huge fields for parking. Got directed onto the grass, found a spot. Felt like parking at a county fair or something. Walked up to get tickets. Wasn’t cheap, but wasn’t crazy expensive either, about what you’d expect for an event day.
Walking Around the Place
First thing that hits you inside, besides the noise, is the smell. It’s this mix of gasoline, burnt rubber, and concession stand food – burgers, fries, the usual stuff. It’s not a bad smell if you’re into cars, kind of exciting actually.
I spent most of my time near the main drag strip. Found a spot near the stands. When those top fuel dragsters or funny cars line up and launch… wow. It’s not just loud; you feel it in your chest. Seriously, the ground shakes a little. It’s pure power, gone in a few seconds. Pretty wild to see up close.
Between runs, I wandered around the pit area. This was cool too.
- Lots of teams working on their cars right there out in the open.
- You see everything from super professional rigs to guys working out of trailers with older muscle cars.
- Everyone seemed pretty focused, getting ready for their next run.
- Saw some amazing machines, real works of art some of them.
Just Watching Everything
It wasn’t just the big pro cars either. They had different classes running all day. Bracket racing, sportsman classes, all sorts of stuff. Some looked like regular street cars, just modified. It’s interesting to see the variety.
The crowd was pretty big. Lots of families, lots of serious gearheads. You can tell people are passionate about this stuff. Spent a while just people-watching too. Grabbed a burger from one of the stands – standard track food, did the job.
Stayed for a good few hours. Honestly, after a while, the constant noise does get to you a bit. And standing in the sun can wear you out. But it was definitely an experience. Saw some incredible racing, felt that raw power.
Packed up and headed out mid-afternoon. Ears were ringing slightly on the drive home. It’s not a place I’d go every weekend, probably. It’s intense. But seeing it once, especially if you have any interest in cars or engines or just raw speed? Yeah, it was worth the trip down.
