The roar of Top Fuel dragsters used to shake the very ground in Englishtown, New Jersey. If you grew up anywhere near Middlesex County, that sound was the heartbeat of your summer. Then, in 2018, the silence hit. It wasn't just a quiet weekend; it was the end of an era for the legendary quarter-mile. Now, the Old Bridge Raceway Park redevelopment is a massive, sprawling logistics project that has basically swapped out burnt rubber for cardboard boxes and 18-wheelers.
People are still pretty salty about it. You can't blame them, honestly. This wasn't just some local track; it was a NHRA staple since 1965. But the reality is that the Napp family, who have owned the land for generations, had to look at the cold, hard numbers. Drag racing is expensive to run, and the land in Central Jersey has become some of the most valuable industrial real estate in the country.
The Shift from Drag Strips to Distribution Hubs
What’s the actual plan? Well, it’s not just one thing. The site is roughly 500 acres. That is a gargantuan amount of land. To put that in perspective, you could fit several major shopping malls on this footprint with room to spare. The Old Bridge Raceway Park redevelopment primarily centers on a massive logistics complex known as the Bridge Point Old Bridge.
Insurance companies and developers like Bridge Industrial saw a goldmine. Why? Because the site is perfectly positioned near Route 9, the Garden State Parkway, and the New Jersey Turnpike. In the world of "last-mile" delivery, this is basically the Holy Grail.
The project involves millions of square feet of warehouse space. We’re talking about Class A industrial buildings designed to handle the sheer volume of e-commerce that defines how we shop in 2026. While the drag strip is gone—covered in asphalt and concrete pads for trailers—it's worth noting that the site hasn't completely abandoned its roots. The motocross track and the airport nearby still exist, though the vibe has shifted from "motorsports mecca" to "industrial powerhouse."
Why the Napp Family Made the Call
It wasn't a snap decision. You have to understand the pressure of owning 500 acres of prime New Jersey land. Property taxes alone are enough to make a grown man weep. For years, rumors swirled about noise complaints from encroaching residential developments. That’s always the story, right? People move next to a race track that’s been there for fifty years and then complain about the noise.
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But the Napps were also facing a changing landscape in the NHRA. The "Summernationals" were iconic, but the infrastructure required to host 100,000 people for a weekend is staggering. When the opportunity came to lease a significant portion of the property to Copart—a global leader in online vehicle auctions—for car storage, it was the beginning of the end for the drag strip.
Basically, the transition happened in phases:
- The shock announcement in January 2018 that drag racing was over.
- The leasing of the strip itself to Copart for storage of salvaged and auctioned vehicles.
- The formal pitch for a multi-million square foot warehouse complex.
It’s business. It’s boring, but it’s business. The revenue generated from a million-square-foot warehouse exceeds what a few race weekends can pull in, especially when you factor in the liability and maintenance of a high-speed racing facility.
The Local Impact: Traffic, Jobs, and Tax Revenue
The town of Old Bridge has been caught in a weird middle ground. On one hand, the loss of the track meant a hit to local tourism. Hotels and diners that relied on race fans saw a dip. On the other hand, the Old Bridge Raceway Park redevelopment is a tax revenue monster.
Warehouses don't send children to schools. For a township, that is the "perfect" ratable. You get the tax dollars without the burden on the school system. However, the residents of Pensbury Village and other nearby neighborhoods aren't exactly thrilled about the influx of trucks.
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- Traffic flow: The developers had to commit to significant road improvements.
- Employment: We’re looking at thousands of permanent jobs, ranging from forklift operators to logistics managers.
- Environmental impact: Modern warehouses are often built with LEED certification in mind, but you're still replacing grass and dirt with impervious surfaces.
There’s also the "visual" factor. A drag strip is a low-profile facility. A 40-foot tall warehouse is a literal wall. The site plan for the Bridge Point project included significant buffering and setbacks, but you can't really hide something that big.
What’s Left of the Raceway?
If you go there today, you might get a little misty-eyed. The "Famous Park" sign might be gone or faded, but the soul of the place lingers in the motocross section. The Napp family kept the motocross track, the road course (which is often used for drifting events and track days), and the airport.
Drifting has actually seen a huge surge here. Events like Formula Drift still bring crowds to the remaining paved sections of the property. It’s a different crowd—younger, louder in a different way, and obsessed with tire smoke rather than nitromethane. It’s a survival tactic. By pivoting to these smaller, more frequent events, the family keeps the "Raceway Park" brand alive while the warehouses pay the bills.
The Misconception About "Total Closure"
A lot of people think the whole place is a parking lot. That's not true. You can still go there and get dirty on a dirt bike. You can still watch a car slide sideways at 80 miles per hour. The "redevelopment" is more of a surgical strike on the drag strip specifically, rather than a total demolition of the entire complex.
The Economic Reality of 2026
The logistics sector in New Jersey is currently in a "cooling" phase compared to the frenzy of 2021, but demand for high-ceiling, modern space is still through the roof. The Old Bridge Raceway Park redevelopment is a case study in land-use evolution.
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In the 60s, a drag strip was the highest and best use for a remote patch of woods in Old Bridge. In the 2020s, that same patch of woods is the center of the Northeast supply chain. It’s hard to argue with the logic, even if your heart wants to hear the scream of a funny car one more time.
Moving Forward: What You Should Know
If you are a resident or a fan, the landscape has changed permanently. There is no "bringing back the drag strip." The concrete is poured, the steel is up, and the leases are signed.
For those looking at the business side, this redevelopment represents a massive shift in Middlesex County’s economic profile. It moves the area away from seasonal "event" income toward stable, year-round industrial employment.
Actionable Steps for Stakeholders:
- For Residents: Monitor the Old Bridge Township planning board meetings for updates on "Phase II" and "Phase III" of the industrial build-out. Traffic mitigation plans are often updated based on real-world truck counts once the first buildings are operational.
- For Racing Fans: Support the remaining activities at Raceway Park. The motocross and drifting scenes are the only things keeping the Napp legacy tied to motorsports. If those aren't profitable, they could easily become "Building 4" and "Building 5."
- For Job Seekers: Keep an eye on Bridge Industrial’s tenant announcements. As these warehouses reach completion, massive hiring waves for logistics, security, and administrative roles will follow.
- For Local Businesses: Pivot your marketing away from "race weekend specials" and toward service-based offerings for the thousands of workers who will be entering and exiting that site every single day.
The story of Raceway Park isn't a tragedy; it’s a transformation. It’s a bit cold, a bit metallic, and a lot quieter, but it’s the direction the world is moving. Check the local zoning maps periodically—there are still adjacent parcels that might see "overflow" development as this hub matures.