Cool nostalgia cars highlight Old Time Drags at E-town
Story and Photos by: John McCartney

Click here for Old Time Drags pics

For the past twenty nine years Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey has taken a step back in time with their running of the Old Time Drags. Racers and fans along the east coast could look forward to this event taking place in the middle of the dog days of summer. Over the years the format may have changed a bit in fact seven years ago the Funny Car Reunion was added to the schedule of events. One thing that has never changed is the feeling and vibe you get from attending this annual show. For just like the early days of the sport at Raceway Park when the track had open top fuel show as part of its normal Sunday program. The same kind of stuff goes on at this event as any sort of old nostalgia car can come in the gate and run down the famed E town quarter mile.

Prior to the day’s action getting under way Jim Basely was selected as the Honorary Starter for the event. The famed Cassidy Brothers who grew up in New Jersey and raced all over the East Coast during the 70s with their wild funny cars being transported in their classic red school bus were selected as the grand marshals of the event. John and Chris Cassidy (son of the late Les Cassidy who drove all the cars) were given a special award by Walter Frey from Raceway Park.

Fans and racers were treated to a great sunny day with blue skies as racing got underway with some early morning time trials. While the racing was taking place on the track back in the pit area there was a huge show. Everyone enjoyed a time warp back to the early days of the sport in the form of all sorts of classic cars. Fans got a close look at original race cars many just rolled out of the barns, hot rods and rat rods packed the show area. There were muscle cars from the days when these cars ruled the strip along with wild customs from yester year.

Bruce Larson got his classic USA-1 Camaro Funny Car fired up and cackled down the track before the rains hit. Paul Lee behind the wheel of the US Male Funny Car took on Crazy Jack Crimmins in a special nitro powered match race. Roger Toth laid down a smoky burnout in his Turn The Page front motored nitro top fueler then blasted down the track much to the delight of the fan filled grand stands.

Meanwhile back in the pits three special awards were given out before the rains hit. Raceway Park awarded two Funny Cars with Best Appearing. Kevin Johnson (VintageFuel.com web designer and host) won Best Appearing in the display class while Rocky Pirrone (Vintage Fuel cover car and feature story 9/2007) was the winner of the Best Appearing in the race class. Nitro Joe Miller posted a $300.00 prize for the best paint and design which was given to John Cerchio for his gorgeous War Path Buick Funny Car. The lovely Miss Funny Car, Taylor, presented all three racers with their prized accomplishments.

With the rain keeping everyone off the race track the pits stayed packed with racers and fans bench racing. No doubt a great deal of talk centered around next year’s 30th running of the Old Time Drags and 8th Funny Car Reunion at Raceway Park in E-Town.