Last lap for Riverhead Raceway?

After 21 seasons working at Riverhead Raceway, Danielle Raymond has finally caught the racing bug.

[Holy Smoke]

To bad Cash rules the world. I entered cars their. At one time Long Islang had 5 tracks plus 2 drags strips, It could compete with any other state, we at one time lead in aircraft production, advancement in motors aircraft and auto but cash killed it (city people) You move out here because of they way it was, Well you changed it...and it is not what it was any more, one reason everbody is moving out, look at the for sale signs. BUT
I believe you should put rasing back in the streets were it belongs.

[andycee]

arent they supposed to build a multi use track in yaphank..ive heard rumours about one....from a company called top gun....anyone know whats going on with it..im looking forward to a drag racing track and oval....

[Dan]

Auto racing on the east end is what makes Long Island unique. You take that away and it loses even more of its character. They're killing it one piece at a time.

RIP Freeport
RIP Islip
RIP Bridgehampton

[Donna and Jimmy]

We would be very upset if they close Riverhead
Raceway!!!!!!!!!! It's bad enough that we don't have a Drag Strip any more!!!!!!!!!!
Soon Long Island will be just for Assisted living complexes and the very rich. Something has to be done here. Go buy the video called
1/4 Pounders volume#3 by Net Boyz Productions
available on You Tube and you will see all the motor sports going on, on our public roads because they closed down all the tracks!

[What a Dump]

The noise, dust and dirtbags are not welcome in Riverhead.
Thank God its closed

[TopGun Stock Scam]

http://topgunse.wordpress.com/

[Ryan- Medford NY]

Every forth of July (or around that time), Riverhead raceway is the place to be!!!! the way they display all the talented drivers, destruction drby's, and figure 8 tracks, its just amazing!
PLus, does anyone remember that even the greatest show, and most popular show on televisoin has even done scenes there???? THE SOPRANOS shot at the riverhead raceway a few dummer's back and the Big Man Tony was the one that shot there (with his fathers gommah)
RIVERHEAD RACEWAY IS GOING NOWHERE!!!!!

[BIGSCOTT]

I have been going to Riverhead raceway since Freeport speedway closed down.. I think that it would be a sin to let the last race track on Long Island close down. If Jim and Barbara want out maybe they should think about selling the track to the employes..I hate to see the track close down

[mod tour fan mastic]

I would not be sorry to see Riverhead raceway
go. I grew up in the era of Islip speedway , I can remember at the start of the 1984 season that the Cromartys and big bob o'rourke addressing the
people in the pits at riverhead and islip speedway that the future of the track was intact.
intacted for who? while big bob had his quirks
about him he was a lot better then the circus clowns ruining the show now at riverhead raceway
with the price of admission going up in the pits
i would like to see some real racing for my money
on a saturday night and run the rest of the junk on sunday afternoons brian france and nascar
have done nothing in the last 5 years to promote
any short track racing . just look at all the empty seats on sunday nextel cup racing

[NF Native Born Here]

What a Dump wrote:

The noise, dust and dirtbags are not welcome in Riverhead.
Thank God its closed

How is the track not welcomed when it was there probably before you were even born. Every year I drive home from college and that is one of the first landmark that makes me feel at home. That has been there since I was born in Riverhead. Everything else is just stupid. Yes, the track can be loud and dirty but if you don't like it don't be around it on a Saturday night. Find somewhere else or why not just stay up in Bayshore and let the East Enders be. We don't need another store in RIverhead we need a link to the past.
BTW... I know many of my family members raced there in its early days and I know many people that race there today. You would be taking away someones hobby.

[Tinker]

Close the damn thing! Build some condos and strip malls for god's sake!

[Frank Antoniello]

This raceway is a great asset to LI and it's past heritage. We have a huge population many who love cars and racing with ONLY one place to go on LI. This is also a great attraction for tourists. The Bridgehampton and drag strips of the past are gone forever.
Why should we have to travel to NJ or CT for any of auto related actiivity?
Perhaps Suffolk could buy it and preserve the track and run it for the next generation.
Besides what would possibly be built there? More stores for shopping? More apartments to crowd Riverhead?
Please don't let it die!

[Frank Antoniello]

Riverhead raceway is a great asset to LI and it's past heritage. We have a huge population many who love cars and racing with ONLY one place to go on LI. This is also a great attraction for tourists. The Bridgehampton and drag strips of the past are gone forever.
Why should we have to travel to NJ or CT for any of auto related actiivity?
Perhaps Suffolk could buy it and preserve the track and run it for the next generation.
Besides what would possibly be built there? More stores for shopping? More apartments to crowd Riverhead?
Please don't let it die!

[GREAT IDEA]

Yes start the consruction right away,develop the property & make it a congestion time-bomb like they do everything else.I cant wait let the building begin.

Tinker wrote:

Close the damn thing! Build some condos and strip malls for god's sake!

[steve d]

yes, my whole family would be sorry to see riverhead raceway close.

[Charles Accetta]

I don't know how many quarter-mile ovals are left on the NASCAR circuit. There can't be many. So, for historical purposes alone the track should remain. Watching a race at Riverhead (or driving in one, I'd imagine) is not unlike what we see on our crowded local roadway system, only at a much faster pace. Drivers don't have a lot of time to react when an opening presents itself and it creates some very exciting battles. As far as the plans to build a full size track in the Calverton Grumman plot, I don't know if there really are enough paying customers to support that kind of rescaling in the sport over the long term. If Riverhead goes, it's likely that Long Island auto racing fans will have to wait for the track in Staten Island to be completed.

[John]

Bridgehampton was one of my favorite tracks I raced on during my motorcycle racing days. It truly is sad that they allowed one of the most historic tracks in the COUNTRY to be demolished and developed into a folf course.

One of the many reasons I left LI. One day it will be all restaurants, stripmalls, and shopping centers.

RIP

[enduroracer]

While growing up on long island, not being old enough to have enjoyed islip, i'm glad my parents took me to riverhead every so often. Now in my 30's i enjoy it more and more with my own child, having even raced in the enduro class for a few years. It's one of the few things left that made riverhead, riverhead.

Please don't sell, I wish to continue this with my daughter for years to come.

[Howie]

Build just what LI needs....another mall!!!

When we come up to the Island, to visit our daughters, we always make sure to go to the races at Riverhead. We go early, have a late lunch at a resturant and head for the track.

I grew up going to Freeport and Islip. Now they're gone. My wife & I went to Freeport on our first date. We would go to Villa Rosa after the races. When we would go to Islip we would hit the Peter Pan diner on Sunrise Highway. After those tracks closed we never went to either town again. What for? To go to another mall?

We took our daughters to the races as soon as they were out of diapers.

When I was a kid on the Island there were so many places to take kids - Lolly Pop Farm, Frank Buck's Petting Zoo, Dodge City and others. Now LI is one big shopping center. We're glad we left.

Man does not live by malls alone!!!!

[William]

Charles Accetta wrote:

Long Island auto racing fans will have to wait for the track in Staten Island to be completed.

That will be an eternal wait. The NIMBY morons killed the project.