Capitol Raceway

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  • J-Dog

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 9, 2012
    1,789
    Let me know if it's worth the $20 spectator fee. I grew up at that track on test and tune nights! :D

    Way late, but long story short I didn't get there in time and they were full and weren't letting anyone else in. Unfortunately I had to sit in traffic on 3 for an hour to find out.

    Haven't had a chance to get back since then because of work.
     

    Huck Hound

    Member
    Mar 8, 2020
    84
    Capital Raceway is Back!!...Right?

    I was looking up Carshows in the area and found there is one at Capital Raceway this weekend. Looked further and found it looks like the track itself opened back up in July this year!:party29:::thumbsup:D:bowdown:
     
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    SavageShooter

    Active Member
    Jan 10, 2014
    644
    Arbutus, MD
    Capital! Don't waste your time at that hole! Go on up to the NHRA Mopar Express Lane Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway just below Reading, PA. A real dragstrip. Gonna get my dose of Nitromethane, Methanol, Racing Gas and Nitrous Oxide. Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car, Pro Stock, Nitro Top Fuel Harley, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car and the rest of the classes. 330 miles per hour plus! I'll be there Saturday and Sunday.
     

    71Chevelle427

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2015
    3,298
    B'More County, Maryland
    Capital! Don't waste your time at that hole! Go on up to the NHRA Mopar Express Lane Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway just below Reading, PA. A real dragstrip. Gonna get my dose of Nitromethane, Methanol, Racing Gas and Nitrous Oxide. Top Fuel, Nitro Funny Car, Pro Stock, Nitro Top Fuel Harley, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car and the rest of the classes. 330 miles per hour plus! I'll be there Saturday and Sunday.

    Well, that's a nice Apples to Coconuts comparison, lol. :lol2:

    People who actually drag race, even if their only option is a "hole", are happy to have/keep any local dragstrips open. Or in Capitol's case, get their dragstrip re-opened when 99% of the public were certain it would NEVER be open again.
     

    Vetted84

    Active Member
    Nov 8, 2016
    646
    Well, that's a nice Apples to Coconuts comparison, lol. :lol2:

    People who actually drag race, even if their only option is a "hole", are happy to have/keep any local dragstrips open. Or in Capitol's case, get their dragstrip re-opened when 99% of the public were certain it would NEVER be open again.

    Agree 100%. I've spent many hours at Capitol in the 60's and 70's campaigning my '55 Chevy and '72 Kawasaki as well as watching the pros of the day.

    Not the greatest venue compared to something like Maple Grove, but places like Maple Grove would not exist if not for the local "holes".

    Having said that, I will also say that anyone that likes drag racing and has never been to Maple Grove, it is well worth the visit.
     

    71Chevelle427

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2015
    3,298
    B'More County, Maryland
    Agree 100%. I've spent many hours at Capitol in the 60's and 70's campaigning my '55 Chevy and '72 Kawasaki as well as watching the pros of the day.

    Not the greatest venue compared to something like Maple Grove, but places like Maple Grove would not exist if not for the local "holes".

    Having said that, I will also say that anyone that likes drag racing and has never been to Maple Grove, it is well worth the visit.

    No doubt. Probably 20-ish years ago I worked part-time at a local speed shop, and got 2 tickets (every year) for the (then named) Keystone Nationals @ Maple Grove. It was always awesome, but also was an obvious corporate event. Always thought it was odd that a big, fancy track like Maple Grove doesn't have enough electricity to race at night though...

    Even more odd that if you want to sit in the stands, it costs extra...lol. WTF is up with that? :rolleyes:
     

    SavageShooter

    Active Member
    Jan 10, 2014
    644
    Arbutus, MD
    Maple Grove does have bright lights at night. I was just up there in late July when we raced with the PDRA Professional Drag Racing Assoc. At NHRA National events you only pay extra for reserved seats. Your ticket gets you in the track and you can sit in any seat that isn't reserved. There are many good seats there they even have special areas for people in wheel chairs. The seats on the right side of the track are not reserved. The only reserved seats are on the pit side and they only run up from the staring line to about the 1/8 mile mark. The rest on the pit side anyone can sit in the them.
     

    Huck Hound

    Member
    Mar 8, 2020
    84
    Anyone know the Capital Raceway Sched.? Not valid info on the internet. I went there briefly two Sat. ago and it was a pretty good crowd. I went there last Sunday afternoon and the gates were locked and no one around. The FB page makes it seem like only open Fri, Sat and Sun. but no on was there on Sun.
     

    MaxVO2

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Well, that's a nice Apples to Coconuts comparison, lol. :lol2:

    People who actually drag race, even if their only option is a "hole", are happy to have/keep any local dragstrips open. Or in Capitol's case, get their dragstrip re-opened when 99% of the public were certain it would NEVER be open again.

    *****THIS. It's important to support those smaller venues as it gives people a place to go and learn the sport, dial in their cars, and see what setups work best on other cars, etc.. There are usually a bunch of folks there willing to help a newbie out and help out with dialing in a tune, or lending a specialized diagnostic tool you may not have, or even know existed.

    And yea, 99% of the people sure seemed absolutely positively sure Capitol would never open again due to environmental or other BS restrictions, yet here we are. There are nicer venues, but the way I see it, the only way we really get more investors or folks into possibly opening more tracks is for them to see other tracks remaining or becoming open again.
     

    71Chevelle427

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2015
    3,298
    B'More County, Maryland
    Anyone know the Capital Raceway Sched.? Not valid info on the internet. I went there briefly two Sat. ago and it was a pretty good crowd. I went there last Sunday afternoon and the gates were locked and no one around. The FB page makes it seem like only open Fri, Sat and Sun. but no on was there on Sun.

    That seems to be one of their "growing pains" or whatever...

    The schedule seems to change weekly.

    I "follow" Hurricane Racing on Instagram, which seems to be a good way to keep up....They also have "live feeds" on Facebook regularly, but I am not on there (FB) myself.

    https://www.instagram.com/hurricaneracingtours/

    It's irritating that they don't yet seem to have, or stick to, any sort of consistency.

    A few weeks back, they said "No more Sundays", and they'd only be open Fridays and Saturdays....then 2 weeks later, they were open on a Sunday...

    They said gates would open at 2PM on Friday and Saturday, then people were posting that they were there, at 2:45, and gates were locked...

    They've had some car shows, bike shows, and other non race things on the same days as drag racing. You ain't making any money with people paying 10 bucks to "show" their cars.

    The other day, they were talking about having some sort of dirt track racing, and had mowed down a bunch of grass.

    Just my opinion, but it seems that the guy who's got the place opened back up, it trying to do too much, too soon, and the actual main part...the dragstrip, at least racers participating, is suffering because of it.
     

    Huck Hound

    Member
    Mar 8, 2020
    84
    That seems to be one of their "growing pains" or whatever...

    The schedule seems to change weekly.

    I "follow" Hurricane Racing on Instagram, which seems to be a good way to keep up....They also have "live feeds" on Facebook regularly, but I am not on there (FB) myself.

    https://www.instagram.com/hurricaneracingtours/

    It's irritating that they don't yet seem to have, or stick to, any sort of consistency.

    A few weeks back, they said "No more Sundays", and they'd only be open Fridays and Saturdays....then 2 weeks later, they were open on a Sunday...

    They said gates would open at 2PM on Friday and Saturday, then people were posting that they were there, at 2:45, and gates were locked...

    They've had some car shows, bike shows, and other non race things on the same days as drag racing. You ain't making any money with people paying 10 bucks to "show" their cars.

    The other day, they were talking about having some sort of dirt track racing, and had mowed down a bunch of grass.

    Just my opinion, but it seems that the guy who's got the place opened back up, it trying to do too much, too soon, and the actual main part...the dragstrip, at least racers participating, is suffering because of it.


    Thanks for the info...maybe I'll go back this Fri or Sat and see if I can get a sched.:innocent0:thumbsup:
     

    71Chevelle427

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2015
    3,298
    B'More County, Maryland
    UPDATE for anyone still curious/wondering about this old track...

    My car is down for some overdue safety upgrades, so on 11/20, we took my son's project car down to get him some needed seat time. His is a similar combo than mine, but in a much lighter car. It is also a fresh build. It's a 93 Mustang LX with a 4.8 liter GM LS engine out of a Silverado, running on Royal Farms "Flex Fuel" (E-85), along with all upgraded drivetrain (Turbo 400, built 8.8 rear, etc.).
    Power helped out by a smallish billet wheeled turbo. ;)
    It'll easily make 800-900 hp w/boost turned up a bit.

    We had went the week prior, to a private rental at Cecil County Dragway, and with a "boost cut" issue (literally shutting car off at 1000'), it still went 10.88 drifting through the traps. It pulled the front wheels up nearly every pass, and never had a hiccup, aside from the overboosting issue, which is now fixed. Overall a success, and many Proud Dad moments. :)

    Anyway, he asked about hauling it down to Capitol, so the following weekend, we loaded it up and headed down.

    There was a "Car Club Race Day" with a bunch of fast Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, a few Teslas, and at least one Lambo. This accounted for I'd guess, 80 or so cars? Then, probably another 10 "normal" race cars/trucks...

    We WRONGLY assumed the track would be "prepped", that is, like ANY real track, means surface scraped, and/or dragged, and a track "glue" applied...

    We KNEW it would not compare to CECIL COUNTY's "prep", but did not know it would actually be garbage, and (IMO) dangerous to race on.

    Even my buddy, in his AWD Tesla Plaid was losing traction at various points of the track.

    Only tried 3 passes, and gave up...loaded up and went home...just like a few other faster cars did...
    Total wasted day, wasted time, and wasted money...

    Oh, and they did have an over-priced food truck there...it took 40, yes FORTY minutes to get our measly $25 food order...Track food is always overpriced, but at least you get it within minutes, or grab it off the counter...so that was a downer too.

    Fast Forward to a week ago...
    They're on InstaGram posting about a New Years Day No Prep Race...and a few asked about them being open this coming weekend...none got answered...

    Track operator's son, posted a "poll" on InstaGram, asking if Capitol's worse trait is their "SCHEDULE" or their "PREP".
    I private messaged him....saying BOTH need addressing.

    Track Operator said a 2022 Race Schedule would be out on Thanksgiving weekend...it's yet to be posted anywhere...

    Son, said to me that his father is not really concerned with having a "prepped" track, and literally refuses to allow him to do any prep work...
    He believes a "No Prep" race program will survive....It won't.

    Ironically, the weekend after we went, the son was allowed to prep & spray the track, and the 10-15 racers that were there, ran great, hooked and stuck. $500 worth of racer gate fees, and 5 spectators, isn't going to make a good plan...

    As for schedule...or lack thereof.
    It literally changes days and times every week that they are indeed "open"...
    2 weeks ago, I think it was, all week it was only mentioned being open on that SATURDAY...
    Saturday night, at 10:50 PM, he announced that they'd be open, the next morning, on SUNDAY...:sad20:

    Several people I know have went and TRIED to SUPPORT them, but it seems they are their own worst enemy...

    I wish them luck, but as-is, they'll be gone, sooner rather than later...

    It sucks, they are about 45 minutes away from me, but I'll head NORTH 45 minutes, to CECIL, or 2 hours SOUTH, driving right past CAPITOL, to go to MIR, before wasting the time and effort, racing at Capitol...

    Hopefully, they get their act together...but, after messaging back & forth with track operator's son, it isn't looking good, and he's powerless to do anything about it.

    So, my CAPITOL review:

    TRACK :tdown: (It shouldn't vary)

    FOOD :thumbsup::tdown: (good but VERY slow and un-organized)

    SCHEDULE :tdown::tdown:

    TRACK STAFF :party29: Very friendly, just out of their league, it appears
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,169
    Mt Airy
    Thanks for the update. I'm unlikely to race anytime soon so it really won't affect me, but I still like to keep tabs on the racing community.

    This whole "no prep" thing stems from those TV series that promote that kind of racing. The reality is that it makes it more dangerous. No prep race in January? Might as well race at the ice rink. Crazy.
     

    MaxVO2

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    *****Yikes. That's not great news about that track! My Grand National, like your sons Mustang, does not have traction control and is more old school than not, even with the smallish turbo, and 65lbs Siemens injectors on the car... :innocent0

    A non-scraped or dragged track without track glue is positively dangerous for a faster car with no advanced traction control tech. Especially with a strip transmission that bangs hard...

    Very disappointing as we need more places to race and do testing and tuning. I can't imagine they stay in business long as it's not cheap to run a track, but a poorly run track even more so as people will go somewhere else if the option exists - and it does exist in this case even though it's more distance for some of us.

    Thanks for the update, and it sounds like your sons car is doing great. 10.88 is not slow, especially on a poorly prepped track and drifting through the traps!

    I'm hoping for low 11 second times from my car, but I'm uhhhh... missing a couple of cylinders on my Turbo Buick... :innocent0

    Been doing some work on it recently... Added an adder or two... :D
     

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    71Chevelle427

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2015
    3,298
    B'More County, Maryland
    Thanks for the update. I'm unlikely to race anytime soon so it really won't affect me, but I still like to keep tabs on the racing community.

    This whole "no prep" thing stems from those TV series that promote that kind of racing. The reality is that it makes it more dangerous. No prep race in January? Might as well race at the ice rink. Crazy.

    Yep. January 1st. He means well, as that day is typically a huge (illegal) "street" race day in Philly. He's attempting to make it a "street type" race, without worries of all the bad things that are possible, in an actual street race. I'm curious to hear/read feedback on the racing that day.

    *****Yikes. That's not great news about that track! My Grand National, like your sons Mustang, does not have traction control and is more old school than not, even with the smallish turbo, and 65lbs Siemens injectors on the car... :innocent0

    A non-scraped or dragged track without track glue is positively dangerous for a faster car with no advanced traction control tech. Especially with a strip transmission that bangs hard...

    Very disappointing as we need more places to race and do testing and tuning. I can't imagine they stay in business long as it's not cheap to run a track, but a poorly run track even more so as people will go somewhere else if the option exists - and it does exist in this case even though it's more distance for some of us.

    Thanks for the update, and it sounds like your sons car is doing great. 10.88 is not slow, especially on a poorly prepped track and drifting through the traps!

    I'm hoping for low 11 second times from my car, but I'm uhhhh... missing a couple of cylinders on my Turbo Buick... :innocent0

    Been doing some work on it recently... Added an adder or two... :D

    Have always LOVED the Grand Nationals. I was working in a small garage/gas station in 87-88, and had a regular customer who daily drove a GNX...and it was hard watching it get slowly, but surely roached out and beat up...Actually had, and raced (@ Capitol, ironically), a "hot air" 85 T-Type, probably about 1995. The hot air cars were turds, but it was all I could afford then...and n ow the 86-87's are gold mines, so again...can't afford the better, faster version, LOL

    Just an FYI, the 10.88 was at CECIL. (sorry to not be clear)
    The car would hit "Boost Cut" and with how he set the Holley Terminator X ECU, it literally shuts the car down, until boost drops. Cecil closed that weekend, so Capitol was the only choice to retry the boost control settings, aside from doing it on the street, which we didn't want to do.

    And I agree 100% about our older cars. Stuff happens way too quick to invite it by racing at a slick track...JMO...

    Here's a couple pics, Cecil, then pulling into Capitol, then Capitol...
     

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    71Chevelle427

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2015
    3,298
    B'More County, Maryland
    Here's a video of their New Year's Eve "No Prep" race. This is just the "Small Tire" class. I didn't go, but quite obvious by seeing the video, the place was packed. This is the racing that the new track promoter wants to do, according to his son.

    So, for the "bracket racers" that hoped to be able to race there again...I wouldn't hold your breath. Personally, I don't see how it'd be possible for one "big" no prep style race there, every month or 2 can keep the gates open, but you never know.

    SideBar: I wonder what the Cadillac owner plans to tell his insurance company?

    https://youtu.be/q069wDyR8eA


    Here's a few still shots of ONE of the crashes...3 views, then 1 of the car who caused that particular wreck...then one HUGE WHEELIE by a nice looking old Chevy II, that didn't want to "let off", so smashed into the wall shortly after the screenshots I attached.
     

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    MaxVO2

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    That right lane looked pretty slick.

    I bet my buddy knows the Cadillac guy.

    *****That right lane looked more than just pretty slick. That's downright dangerous. I recognize a couple of the cars in the video as well.

    A cold day with little to no prep on a track, with the kind of HP some of those cars/trucks were producing is just inviting trouble.

    That Cadillac dudes car has enough damage it will be easy 5 figures to fix that. I feel bad for folks that pay money to go to a licensed and sanctioned track as opposed to just racing on the street - and then their car gets wrecked by someone in the other lane taking them out. It happens, but from the looks of how slick that track was, it would happen a lot more on a track like that.

    Broken axle, a broken tie rod end after launch, busted coil spring or tire failure can send you into the railing. That's why there's safety equipment required to race.

    It's not cheap to operate a track. Hope they get things squared a way a bit better. A good scraping and prep would virtually eliminate the drifting from loss of traction seen on several of those cars going down the road.

    Thanks for the video.
     

    71Chevelle427

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 19, 2015
    3,298
    B'More County, Maryland
    No doubt.
    They literally used, what looks like, a converted zero turn lawn mower, as the "scraper"...

    I don't think they even made it past the sixty foot area, with it, to be honest.

    There's definitely a decent sized following with this No Prep stuff, but there's also a lot of knuckleheads that do it, that (mid crash) won't let off the gas until it's beyond save-able...I mean, yes that Camaro is busted up pretty bad, but looked like a POS "BEFORE" it wrecked, IMO. Then the Caddy either has to pay out of pocket, or make a fraudulent insurance claim to get it fixed. "Race Car" insurance is available, but unlikely either had it.

    Ironically, he was doing a FB Live Feed from 75/80 this morning, talking about an "Invitational Only", No Prep race there. Personally, I think he should get ONE place operating with enough staff and equipment, and some sort of consistency of track surface and scheduling, before once again getting people hoping that 75/80 will return...
     

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