35th annual Spring Englishtown Spring Car Show & Swap Meet
Old Bridge, NJSaturday, April 14, 2018
The 35th annual Spring Englishtown Spring Car Show & Swap Meet opened to Summer-like weather with temperatures in the 80’s, which I suppose was appropriate, since the Spring event started in 1983. The vehicle turnout was good, with what was left of the race track filled by around 10:00 A.M. and the overflow taking up the return road up to the first crossover. The track, by the way, for now ends at what was the ¾ track mark.
The swap meet filled what there was of the the pit side, which also ended at the ¾ track mark, and the spectator side was filled. A portion spilled on to the grass and dirt to the left of the Gate 3 entrance, where swap meet, some spectator traffic and show vehicles entered, making for a traffic jam, and a mini game of Frogger for the spectators when entering the swap meet on the spectator side.
The shocker, and stark reminder that the Raceway Park many knew for over 50 years (36 years myself), was no more, were the concrete barriers and fence across the track at the ¾ track. The future is uncertain; ask ten people at Raceway Park, and you’ll get ten different answers as to what is in store for this former racing and show mecca. One thing is certain: There will be NO racing, and the car show and swap meet aren’t an ironclad guarantee going on into the future.