Getting Back To The Roots of Racing

So if you get tired of watching the Nextel Cup series or the Busch series on TV and you live in the greater Tri-State area then maybe it's time you get a little down-and-dirty and get back to the roots of racing. Tim over at Reveries has a great snippit on rough-and-ready racing at the Orange County (home of Orange County Choppers) Speedway outside Middleton, New York.

Reveries:

Primal Races. "This is about as far away from Nascar Nextel Cup racing as a fan can get," writes Dave Caldwell in The New York Times, referring to the races at the Orange County Fair Speedway outside Middletown, New York. "The track, 70 miles northwest of Manhattan, is more dimly lighted than a high school football field ... As the racers rumble around corners, they stir wind-whipped clouds of clay dust," driving "stubby slingshot dragsters, with cockpits surrounded by flat panels that make the cars look like cartoon versions of sedans, and they spend most of their time skidding through turns." No "scoreboards or big-screen televisions" here, but you can catch all the action by tuning into an announcer via an on-premise FM station.

The spectators, well, many of them watch the races from their own cars or trucks, paying anywhere between $10 to $27 to "park on a hill overlooking the five-eighths-mile oval." Yes, kind of like a drive-in movie. But you've got to get there real early to get a parking spot. Only 300 spots and if you want one, plan on showing up at least "three hours before the first race." Because you can count on guys like John Noyes beating you to it. John's been coming to the drive-in track every Saturday "for years," tailgating with neighbors while waiting to watch his nephew take to the speedway. This year, the season runs from April 16 through September 17, and John says he won't miss a one, "unless I get sick or something."

Posted by Loyd on May 23, 2005 | 0 Comments

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