The Atco Dragway in Waterford Township, New Jersey, opened in 1960.
By Ryan Sharrow
Atco Dragway in South Jersey said late Tuesday it has permanently closed after 63 years and will cancel the remainder of its 2023 events.
Built in 1960, the Camden County mainstay is located at 1000 Jackson Road and is known for its 1/4 mile drag racing course, in addition to car shows and swap meets. The track is located in the Atco section of Waterford Township.
The venue took to its Facebook page late Tuesday to announce the abrupt closure. A reasoning for the closure was not disclosed.
The statement reads:
Effective immediately: Atco Dragway is permanently closed. We will not be open from this point on. The remainder of our schedule for 2023 will be canceled.
Thank you all for your patronage and memories over the years.
Special thank you to our 29th annual Pan American Nationals racers & crowd for making Atco Dragway’s last event the biggest and best one ever. This isn’t the end for import racing in the northeast!
To all of our staff, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sticking it out with us and being the best in the business!
Atco Dragway had four remaining car shows and drag meets scheduled through November, according to its website.
Property records show the 180-acre site was acquired in 2012 by Atco Dragway Enterprises LLC for $3.2 million. The track is owned by Leonard Capone Jr.
The Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported in 2020 that Illinois-based Insurance Auto Auctions submitted an application to the New Jersey Pinelands Commission to redevelop the property into an auction site for used cars.
Atco Dragway is the oldest drag strip in New Jersey, according its website, and is sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association. Atco's website says the site has held over 265 events in a single year, making it one of the busiest tracks in the country.