Long island needs a drag strip research paper

[my600ho]

For those of you that know i am in my third year of college. Currently i am in a English class and have been given a research paper that is due in a little over a month. Luckily we were given the choice of topic, but it had to be a topic where we took a side. For example i could have chosen why they should or should not legalize abortion or pot or w.e. Or what cell phone is better or fuel injected vs carb. The list goes on and on. So i asked my teacher if it would be ok if i wrote why long island should have a drag strip. My main thesis is Long Island should have a drag strip not only due to a economic benifit but also to cut down on street racing and to race in a safe controlled enviornment. She loved the idea and i got the go ahead. If any of you gentelman and gentleladies are browsing the web and see a article with a good statistic or how a drag strip is benificial somewhere else feel free to post it up. I know some of you guys post them on a regular basis. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Tim

[Tmac]

Check out Beat The Heat for stats.

[LongIsland63SS409]

For those of you that know i am in my third year of college. Currently i am in a English class and have been given a research paper that is due in a little over a month. Luckily we were given the choice of topic, but it had to be a topic where we took a side. For example i could have chosen why they should or should not legalize abortion or pot or w.e. Or what cell phone is better or fuel injected vs carb. The list goes on and on. So i asked my teacher if it would be ok if i wrote why long island should have a drag strip. My main thesis is Long Island should have a drag strip not only due to a economic benifit but also to cut down on street racing and to race in a safe controlled enviornment. She loved the idea and i got the go ahead. If any of you gentelman and gentleladies are browsing the web and see a article with a good statistic or how a drag strip is benificial somewhere else feel free to post it up. I know some of you guys post them on a regular basis. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Tim

PM me your email address.
The files are too large to post here.

I have several reports on the economic impact.

Mike

[mmhotrod]

For those of you that know i am in my third year of college. Currently i am in a English class and have been given a research paper that is due in a little over a month. Luckily we were given the choice of topic, but it had to be a topic where we took a side. For example i could have chosen why they should or should not legalize abortion or pot or w.e. Or what cell phone is better or fuel injected vs carb. The list goes on and on. So i asked my teacher if it would be ok if i wrote why long island should have a drag strip. My main thesis is Long Island should have a drag strip not only due to a economic benifit but also to cut down on street racing and to race in a safe controlled enviornment. She loved the idea and i got the go ahead. If any of you gentelman and gentleladies are browsing the web and see a article with a good statistic or how a drag strip is benificial somewhere else feel free to post it up. I know some of you guys post them on a regular basis. Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Tim

there is a load of sites out there about this stuff. just google benefits of a dragstrip or raceway
http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_498bda1b-e418-5d79-aadb-79898152e824.html
check this out right on our site
http://www.lidragracing.com/showthread.php?1572-Economic-Impact-of-a-Drag-Strip

[Parise Racing]

Hi Tim.....
My name is Dina. My husband and I are professional Pro Mod racers.We are the owners and drivers of Parise Racing. If we can help.... email me.
info@pariseracing.com
Good Luck!

[Art]

Also Long Island was home to one of the first (if not the first) purpose built drag strips (Westhampton). The Carricola family built it in (open to correction) 1953. The NHRA was just getting together with the Police dept at that time and was still using surplus landing strips, so we here on the east coast were "ahead of the curve". How that fact was overlooked in its rushed development still amazes me....

[my600ho]

Thanks for all the input guys and girls this is a great start. Knew everyone on here could contribute. I think what i am going to do is start with a history of drag racing on li. Its funny how you talk to people my age and they say "there was a track in islip?" so i think that would be good. Then go on and discuss the recent epidemic of street racing incidents across the island/ country and how we can solve this. How we have many BIG name racers that live on the island and dont have a track they can call home and how a drag strip can be benificial to all not only the economy but to save lives. Also i dug up a article on the industrial park/ track deal that they were planning on doing out west. Think it will be a good angle to look into. Also i am going to interview Marty Himes and throw in some stuff from the museam. If anyone thinks they found a good topic post it up i will definately look into it. As my paper progresses i will probably be contacting a few of you guys.
Thanks in advance.
Tim

[Parise Racing]

Also Long Island was home to one of the first (if not the first) purpose built drag strips (Westhampton). The Carricola family built it in (open to correction) 1953. The NHRA was just getting together with the Police dept at that time and was still using surplus landing strips, so we here on the east coast were "ahead of the curve". How that fact was overlooked in its rushed development still amazes me....

We WERE a location so rich in Motorsports at one time...... Many now are not even aware of it.... what a shame...

[LongIsland63SS409]

We WERE a location so rich in Motorsports at one time...... Many now are not even aware of it.... what a shame...

http://kenbausertsnostalgicmuseum.blogspot.com/2009/05/westhampton-drag-strip-yesterday-today.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dog427435/sets/72157608796869471/

New York National was located on Chapman Blvd Exit #70 off the LIE.
Greenwood Village is now located on the site. Racers I have spoken to say the strip
still exists since the builder build right over it without ripping it up.

The entrance to the complex is the NY National pit entrance gate.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/NYNationalSpeedway.jpg


Aerial view of NY National opening day March 20, 1966.
The LIE did not go that far out then. Sunrise Highway was the only was to get there.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/26023_10150171216945618_10150119994630618_11851454 _2305416_n1.jpg



Mike

[Parise Racing]

http://kenbausertsnostalgicmuseum.blogspot.com/2009/05/westhampton-drag-strip-yesterday-today.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dog427435/sets/72157608796869471/

New York National was located on Chapman Blvd Exit #70 off the LIE.
Greenwood Village is now located on the site. Racers I have spoken to say the strip
still exists since the builder build right over it without ripping it up.

The entrance to the complex is the NY National pit entrance gate.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/NYNationalSpeedway.jpg


Aerial view of NY National opening day March 20, 1966.
The LIE did not go that far out then. Sunrise Highway was the only was to get there.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/26023_10150171216945618_10150119994630618_11851454 _2305416_n1.jpg



Mike

Now that's good stuff! I grew up in Bellmore.....Went to Freeport on Sat nights. (could hear it from my house when we were not there! Loved that!)Came home covered in dirt! Also had a family friend who raced there.... Good Times!

[LongIsland63SS409]

Now that's good stuff! I grew up in Bellmore.....Went to Freeport on Sat nights. (could hear it from my house when we were not there! Loved that!)Came home covered in dirt! Also had a family friend who raced there.... Good Times!

Dina the Marty Himmes Museum located to Bayshore has the original Freeport Statium ticket booth!
It was very cool. He even has a roll of left over admission tickets.

Picture of an Islip Drag Strip metal sign that he has in his collection.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/JohnnyDaddy461.jpg

NY National in the glory days!

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/3002962745_1ca71c921b.jpg


Mike

[mmhotrod]

very nice Mike. i am going to go down there some day soon.

[Art]

Want to see what Long Island looked like in say 1955? Go to Brookhaven/Calabro Airport. (End of Dawn Drive off of William Floyd pkwy((county 46)) Walk into the lobby, and the coffee shop is to the left. It is currently closed, but the door is unlocked. Walk in and turn to your left. There is an aerial photo of Suffolk County. You can see Riverhead Raceway, Islip Speedway, Deer Park Speedway, Zahns airport, Deer Park Airport, and lots of farms. Things have changed in my 50 plus years.....

[my600ho]

What a diffrence of 50 years makes. I think i might tie in something about freeport municipal stadium because it was intented i believe as a multi use stadium. Mike that one national photo is great. Just another quick blurb my uncle who was probably 60 around 1980 used to go to deer park speedway when it was open. The track still existed till the late 80's i think. He said from time to time he would walk back in the woods and the speedway was still there.

[EasyMoney]

spent alot of time there with my 55 chevy and then with my Nova when I was back from Vietnam. Was there the last day they raced , then Hampton and now look out bridges here I come.

[my600ho]

easy money not the easy money from riverhead? i think you took the show that one day.

[EasyMoney]

One and the same. Raced the Nova in 1970 at National Speedway in H/Showroom Stock. Back then the class was just what it said, all tires the same size,stock exhaust but you could rejet the carb and recurve the stock distributor.

[EasyMoney]

WOW--poster is great. Raced my 55 Chevy in 4 brl. cheater. Tech was check your brake pedal because shutdown was in the dirt parking lot and don't forget the traffic light that was 1960's christmas tree

[EasyMoney]

My reply on my 55 was for the poster for Islip Speedway drags

[Stang33]

Dina the Marty Himmes Museum located to Bayshore has the original Freeport Statium ticket booth!
It was very cool. He even has a roll of left over admission tickets.

Picture of an Islip Drag Strip metal sign that he has in his collection.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/JohnnyDaddy461.jpg

NY National in the glory days!

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f42/LongIsland63SS409/3002962745_1ca71c921b.jpg


Mike



I love looking at those old pics

[my600ho]

Love hearing the great stories keep them coming

[TURBOPOWERED68]

what news paper covers the local track stuff?

[Art]

Occasionally the local papers like the Press of Moriches and Manorville, which recently stopped publishing. No newspaper that I am aware of covered drag racing though. Unless of course, someone died horrifically.......

[EasyMoney]

Back in the 80's Newsday would show the results from Hampton in the Monday sports section

[LongIsland63SS409]

Back in the 80's Newsday would show the results from Hampton in the Monday sports section

Yes now that you said that I remember that also.

Mike

[my600ho]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp-4QPHKi0M This covers riverhead and history of islip it was on news 12 apparently

[billmuller]

Easy Money :

I am testing my seventy year old memory . Are you Joe Condon???

Bill Muller

[EasyMoney]

my 63 year old memory says---yes

[my600ho]

Ok heres a update got everything planned out for this now, hopefully will have time for a rough draft this weekend. Made a appointment for Marty Himes on Saturday at 9:30 if anyone wants in let me know. Once again i have to thank Mike Scano for supplying awesome documents pertaning to the subject. So here is my current thesis Not only would a drag strip on li benifit the economy, it would also get racers off the streets and potentially save lives. Now im thinking--
Paragraph 1 Intro
Paragraph 2 History of drag racing on LI Westhampton, Islip, National
Paragraph 3 Why street racing has become a epidemic on li
Para 4 Why street racing kills/ solution
para 5 how a dragstrip would benefit the economy in suffolk
para 6 how it can be done in a controlled safe noise compliant way.
Para 7 a look into Epcal a potential site, navy stated epcal as a possible 2nd preffered alternitive use for racing.
Conclusion
If anyone has something to add please feel free, i feel like im missing some thing and will add them as i go.
Any comments are welcome.
Tim

[Tmac]

How legal drag racing was systematically eliminated from the Island and how and why politicians continue to block any and all efforts to re-establish a safe racing facility eventhough it is backed by most of its constituants and would be of no cost to the taxpayers only a benefit as it would provide a safe alternative, create revenue, revitilize a dormant polluted industrail site and jump start a struggling industry which will provide skilled, long term jobs here. Who is pulling the political strings to keep drag racing off the Island, civics and individuals. With all the crap that's gone on here a novel is needed.

[LongIsland63SS409]

Ok heres a update got everything planned out for this now, hopefully will have time for a rough draft this weekend. Made a appointment for Marty Himes on Saturday at 9:30 if anyone wants in let me know. Once again i have to thank Mike Scano for supplying awesome documents pertaning to the subject. So here is my current thesis Not only would a drag strip on li benifit the economy, it would also get racers off the streets and potentially save lives. Now im thinking--
Paragraph 1 Intro
Paragraph 2 History of drag racing on LI Westhampton, Islip, National
Paragraph 3 Why street racing has become a epidemic on li
Para 4 Why street racing kills/ solution
para 5 how a dragstrip would benefit the economy in suffolk
para 6 how it can be done in a controlled safe noise compliant way.
Para 7 a look into Epcal a potential site, navy stated epcal as a possible 2nd preffered alternitive use for racing.
Conclusion
If anyone has something to add please feel free, i feel like im missing some thing and will add them as i go.
Any comments are welcome.
Tim

My pleasure Tim!
Love to see a copy when you complete it.

Have a conflict on Sat for the Himes Museum.
He is the nicest LI Motorsports person you will ever meet.
Please say hello for me.


Mike

[mmhotrod]

Ok heres a update got everything planned out for this now, hopefully will have time for a rough draft this weekend. Made a appointment for Marty Himes on Saturday at 9:30 if anyone wants in let me know. Once again i have to thank Mike Scano for supplying awesome documents pertaning to the subject. So here is my current thesis Not only would a drag strip on li benifit the economy, it would also get racers off the streets and potentially save lives. Now im thinking--
Paragraph 1 Intro
Paragraph 2 History of drag racing on LI Westhampton, Islip, National
Paragraph 3 Why street racing has become a epidemic on li
Para 4 Why street racing kills/ solution
para 5 how a dragstrip would benefit the economy in suffolk
para 6 how it can be done in a controlled safe noise compliant way.
Para 7 a look into Epcal a potential site, navy stated epcal as a possible 2nd preffered alternitive use for racing.
Conclusion
If anyone has something to add please feel free, i feel like im missing some thing and will add them as i go.
Any comments are welcome.
Tim

Very Nice Tim,
im proud of you. sounds like you got it all together. You should get a good grade on that outline.
the only thing else I could think of is maybe you could outline the steps to submit a proposal as well. How its done and who it has to go to.
What steps it needs to take to be presented and accepted. How it travels through our wonderful system.
You may have something here.

[my600ho]

Terry you have some good points. I feel like i should really look into epcal and the political nonsense assosiated with that place. Also the fact that it has been dormant for yearrrs and a private investor could cost taxpayers nada. Mike no problem ill give Marty your reguards and will definately post up a copy. Mario are you saying how to submit a proposal to get a track/ build something? Im just a little confussled. Just keep in mind boys this is a 5-7 page essay. I could write a 500 page essay but we will save that for next semester LOL Keep the comments coming

[Tmac]

Stick to your original layout but if you ever have to do another paper the politics of it all would be a great topic. You just need to look to Jersey for how government cooperation makes it work and profitable. Their recent F-1 deal netting 150 mill a year for just one race and a ten year deal and the lack of cooperation costs LI that plus as many of these events could have and were looking at times to come here.

[my600ho]

Terry was there a article or write up on this. I think i might have saw one of you guys mention that in particular. Off to the himes museam i go

[Tmac]

Everything I've ever seen in the papers or on the news were only victory dances by politicians when tracks were closed, especially Westhampton. That alledged drunk driving politician should maybe look at the number and names of the kids killed on our roads since so they can go dance on their graves because they eliminated the safe alternative. There was a positive article in Newsday once about the very place your going too. Was that just another story boasting about the past that it's over here, museums are the only place where our sport belongs .The brain wash. Enjoy your walk through the past but let that light the flame of the future.

[mmhotrod]

Tim ,
did you make it to the museum. I got the post too late. I would have gone had I known. If didn't go yet let me know. would love to go.

[my600ho]

Terry you are totally right, what im going to do is shed some light on how the racers feel. We want to do it legally and want the politicians to stop the circus. I went to the himes museam what a great experience. Marty gets FIRED UP. I asked if he thought building a strip was a good idea and he agreed. He said its not just kids street racing its full grown men and women. He actually said at one time in northport the police and town organised a drag race event on the street and it was barracaded off and you had to join a club to get in. Now what changed that we cant do that now? Anyways Mario he said come back at anytime. When you wanna go ill go with you. Definately could have spent more time there he has great stories and a TON of stuff. Hey hes even got drag racing stuff boys. If you havent went make a appointment all the info is on his website.

[Tmac]

Wow Tim I grew up in East Northport and I never heard of that happening. I could have been a little before my time. There was a lot of street racing going on at a place called Country Life which was on 25A east of Northport. Country Life was a little deli there 25A and Bread & Cheese Hollow Road. People were racing all over the place back then. I made the mistake of taking part on the streets in Northport and was in a bad wreck on 25A and Laural Rd. I hit two poles cutting the second one in half. I had two friends with me they both got hurt but I got the brunt of the injuries which I deserved. I was a dumb kid 22 just not seeing circumstance and now at 55 I'm paying the price as all the health issues are catching up to me. It a big part of why I'm here doing this stuff maybe I can stop some kid from the same end and maybe if I knew of that program and it was still in place I would have been there instead. Can't change the past only the present. I could tell you some stories about being a motorhead in Northport a town in the seventies that had a bar every two hundred feet bikers and hot rods all over the place.

[Art]

I have known Marty Himes well over thirty years. He is a passionate man when it comes to auto racing. When I lost my storage after I got divorced, Marty got pretty much everything that I had left from stock cars and drag cars. Especially the old hand welded up wheels and stuff like that. I know I'm not the only person who has made donations like that, so yeah, he has quite a bit of stuff.

[mmhotrod]

Tmac, I had a real close call in a street race too. When I was 19 I raced my olds against a GTX on sunrise hwy in Massapequa area. Doin 100 plus mph had the GTX by a fender till an old man in a dodge dart pulled out of the train station right in front of me. Have you ever hit drum brakes at that speed? then you know the fear I had at that split moment. If it weren't for the quick thinking of the GTX driver changing lanes at that moment for my escape, I would have been into the trunk of that old mans Dart. When I got to the next light I was numb into my teeth. Unfortunately it takes a near death experience to change your thinking as to street racing. I was fortunate that time, and would never again be involved in a street race. Some are not so fortunate. This is why we need a drag strip here again. How many will come that close and buy the farm, before they bring it back to the island again.

[NYMontess]

Wow Tim I grew up in East Northport and I never heard of that happening. I could have been a little before my time. There was a lot of street racing going on at a place called Country Life which was on 25A east of Northport. Country Life was a little deli there 25A and Bread & Cheese Hollow Road. People were racing all over the place back then. I made the mistake of taking part on the streets in Northport and was in a bad wreck on 25A and Laural Rd. I hit two poles cutting the second one in half. I had two friends with me they both got hurt but I got the brunt of the injuries which I deserved. I was a dumb kid 22 just not seeing circumstance and now at 55 I'm paying the price as all the health issues are catching up to me. It a big part of why I'm here doing this stuff maybe I can stop some kid from the same end and maybe if I knew of that program and it was still in place I would have been there instead. Can't change the past only the present. I could tell you some stories about being a motorhead in Northport a town in the seventies that had a bar every two hundred feet bikers and hot rods all over the place.



Terry, I lived in Northport at around the same time as you, I remember Country Life and hangin there,I had a 70 amx at the tim, I was there today cruising in the car. Still looks the same, but now that I look at it that turn at the end was nasty!!!! lol

[Tmac]

Tom I haven't been there in a while, but I agree about that turn you had to be a little carried away to go into that fast but it did eat a couple of cars. My brothers had a 56 Nomad purple metal flake paint with blue tinted windows. I got that car as a hand me down repainted it silver which was suppose to be an ice blue put an L-88 in it. Do you remember anything with the Northport cops doing a drag racing program that Tim heard from Marty Himes. After thinking about it I remember someone saying something about Sears pit before they put houses down there but I'm not sure if that's where it was, but it was before my time. Was your AMX white, blue or orange those are the ones I remember.

[my600ho]

Terry im having Marty dig up the paper. Unfortunately hes just gotta find it first which he will. Maybe he will let me scan it and get it up on the site.

[NYMontess]

I don't remember that either, before my time.

[my600ho]

Ok i have a rough draft completed came out pretty good and well rounded. If anyone wants one please post up or pm me your email. I would appreciate a few of you reading it over and any pointers will be taken into account. We do the same thing in school its called peer editing but i think the racing crowd would be better to ask then someone who has no idea of what is going on lol. Please let me know.
Thanks
Tim

[LongIsland63SS409]

Ok i have a rough draft completed came out pretty good and well rounded. If anyone wants one please post up or pm me your email. I would appreciate a few of you reading it over and any pointers will be taken into account. We do the same thing in school its called peer editing but i think the racing crowd would be better to ask then someone who has no idea of what is going on lol. Please let me know.
Thanks
Tim

Tim,

Please email me a copy for review.

Thanks,
Mike

[my600ho]

Mike i sent you a copy. Had to do it through my parents email though. Let me know what you think just keep in mind it is a rough draft and will get revised before final submission.

[Tmac]

Tim you could shoot me a copy. I'll pm you my work email only printer I have. I'd like to check it out.

[my600ho]

Sent one to you Tmac. Enjoy

[my600ho]

Ok for a update about two weeks ago i submitted my paper. Well i got a A and it was a well deserved one. Anyways i have a final copy, can i request permission to put it on the site or have someone view it at least. I think it came out pretty good giving the amount of pages i was allowed. I easily feel i could have written about 25 pages rather then the 8 that it came out to be. Overall im happy with the final result just let me know guys.

-Tim

[LongIsland63SS409]

Ok for a update about two weeks ago i submitted my paper. Well i got a A and it was a well deserved one. Anyways i have a final copy, can i request permission to put it on the site or have someone view it at least. I think it came out pretty good giving the amount of pages i was allowed. I easily feel i could have written about 25 pages rather then the 8 that it came out to be. Overall im happy with the final result just let me know guys.

-Tim

"A" way to go Tim!
Please email it to me and I'll review it before we post it.

Mike

[mmhotrod]

Congrats Tim,
can't wait to read it too.
mario

[Tmac]

Way to go Tim. I hope you change some of my wording to make it original. Just kidding good job you did what it took.

[my600ho]

Ya it came out pretty good. I have to admit the thought of staring at it any further makes my head hurt. All i know is i have plenty of hours on it and it was a well deserved grade. Terry i did take your advise and changed up a few things due to your comments. Maybe next time around i can expand this idea and write a longer paper. Mike i also took some of your comments and statistics and integrated them also. I just wanna thank you guys and girls on here for helping give me the drive to complete this paper.
-Tim

[my600ho]

Mike meant to tell you i emailed you a copy the other day. Let me know if you got it.

[LongIsland63SS409]

Mike meant to tell you i emailed you a copy the other day. Let me know if you got it.

Yes, Thank you.
Will review it have been very busy.


Mike

[my600ho]

Hey take your time its no rush. No pressure on this paper this time around.

[LongIsland63SS409]

Great job Tim!
Have been very busy as of late and finally had a chance to review it!


Mike

[my600ho]

Thanks Mike hope you all like it.