Massachusetts, Rhode island, and other area car nuts..... I was working in Charlestown, RI friday, and was talking about the old airstrip- charlestown drag strip with another enthusiast I bumped into in south county. The guy I was talking with told me that seekonk speedway has moved forward and put together a proposal to build a dragstrip at the speedway. I guess this was on the table 5-6 years ago, but the Selectman turned it down. This would be great news if this is in fact true....what would be better than an area track in MASS (rather having to drive up to NH or out west to lebanon valley, NY or even ME----every weekend). THIS IS WHAT WE WANT HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS....NOT A CASINO! Anyone hear of this rumor?
this would asume we realy need one around here there is alot of street racing in this area I seen on an other site that there was a bad accident down in maryland 8 people where killed and 6 injured. dont wont to see this happen around here.
Is the old airstrip still there? Or is it condos now? I worked tech at the airstrip when it opened until Conn. Dragway opened.
not sure there is enough land available at the speedway? Plus there are plenty of resident's that want the speedway closed due to noise and traffic now. But how about the old Charleston air field becoming a oval track plus drag strip in the future?
Maybe we need to combine this post with the petition for a ct. track and work on both states with the petition #s.Where I am in Ct. a Seekonk track would be just as good beats the drive north to NH. or south to NY,NJ Pa to race occasionally.And I only mean that the petition could help the cause here also not that the posts get merged.there was some official drag races held in RI just a few years back but I don't know the exact location.My son has several friends in the Central Mass Drag Racers association and they told us about it.
I have heard rumors for years about this..... I hope it is going somewhere. I heard after the fact, last summer they brought in the King & Marshall AA/FD and Bob Mederious's AA/D for mini cacklefest, if I had known about this I would have attended. I kinda read into this that something was in the works.
Not to spoil the fun, and this is just my opinion, but...you will never see a new dragstrip built in the northeast US. Never. Edit: Now that I think of it, Skyview in Binghamton NY I believe is pretty new. I guess it can happen.
There is enough land in the back of the speedway, that has already been cleared. Back in 1965, D.A. Vendetti, the owner of the track, cleared the the land for an 1/8th mile track behind the oval running adjacent to Rt. 195. After clearing the land the town shot him down. When I moved to RI in 1988, I attended a midget race at the oval. There was an overflow crowd and we had to park behind the speedway. As soon as I steped out of my car you could see that his plans for the strip where still there. The land was graded flat for an 1/8 mile plus shutdown.
I think due to the lack of space in CT/RI area it is going to be a tough challenge. Mainly beacuse of the noise. Its gotta be situatued in a valley of some sorts to limit the traveling sound. I live across the CT river from a motcross track. The sound really carries and is annoying the heck out of people over here. It drives me nuts cause I am also a motocross guy...without a bike.
a few years back a bunch of guys were tryin to put something togeather in fall river, dont know how far it got though,norwood was cool exept 1/8 mile
No it's not condos...but it's a rec area for the town. A running track (for people not vehicles), bike paths, walking areas, ball games, playgrounds and what not. I can't imagine CT or RI getting a dragstrip passed...well maybe there is a tiny bit of land somewhere in northern/north central RI that would not have too many neighbors. Maybe a town that could use the tax money? Nah, the state gets the entertainment tax from each ticket, the town gets the accessed value of land & improvements. It take big bucks to buy the pull that you need.
the old drag strip at Charleston is gone, they chopped up all the strips to make bike paths, foot paths etc.( this made alot of people happy!! ) not everyone is a drag racer(sux).Actually Ninigret park is kinda nice for"normal" people!!lol about 15 yrs ago there was a few guys who ran a 1/8 drag at quansette point, it went over very big, after that they wanted to build a 1/8-1/4 mile track in richmond RI off of rt 138 & rt 112.They where going to use a old gravel bank, they where going to build up berms on both sides, plant hugh pine tree, news roads going in & out & pay for all the police(with donuts i guess) so in reality it would cost the town zip & they would be making money!! Well the "semi-brain dead" people down there fought it tooth & nail!! They did not want that type of "entertanment" down in south county!! I guess it would interfer with fuckin there cousins & not going to school!!!.Oh well that was the last of that,sad to say. JimV
From what Ive seen in East haddam, CT , the strip isnt the problem its getting there and the traffic to the facility (as descibed by my brother who is in central mass Drags club) We have signed a petition before, but, I will also do so with the one listed/linked in this post as well.....thanks for that heads up on that...as for seekonk....an 1/8 mile would be the balls! Its exactly what that area of the state needs (IMHO) Not an LNG load out facility (which was recentlly shot down in fall river). I remember there was rumor of a guy that wanted to open up one in Uxbridge, ma that got shot down by the state. I also heard of the one that was going to be built by Richmond S&G (which at the time , seemed as though there was a good chance of having that happen). I guess we'll have to wait and see... Im sure tasca ford could get involved at some level as well if there is a chance of this seekonk track happening....
hope they go through with this, it would be nice to travel about 30 miles instead of 100+ miles one way to epping, maybe if they do put a track there, they could organize a nostalgia event like they have in new hampshire.
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