Western speedway is done! Last drag race ever at my local track, but we reached our goals!

Drag racing my 1968 Dodge Dart at my local track for the past 5 years and we finally reach our goals for this track on the last drag race ever here before it gets demoed. My 68 dart is small block mopar stroker motor powered amd we dialling in the suspension still and working the trans brake on this new combo. So glad to have the last here and look forward to a new track in the future. Thanks to all the crew here at western speedway over the years. You guys are the reason we can pursue our goals and do the sport we love!

[@justralphajerseyguystuckin3671]

A Bitter Sweet story, but glad to hear the car is getting Dialed in, and Really Glad to hear a NEW Dragstrip is being built- hoping it's gonna be a 1/4 mile THIS time !

[@larrybailey3831]

Awesome build. Great job!

[@circletrack7538]

What a travesty !!! Like we need more condos in this world !!!! Anything to turn a buck and make the world that much tougher to live in !!!!! Sorry to hear that it's quite disappointing !!!! Time to trailer her a little further down the road ??? Would love to see your beast roaring down the quarter mile !!! How close or far is the next nearest track if I may ask ??? Good luck with that awesome looking Mopar !!!!!

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

1/4 mile track is a day amd ferry ride away. A trailer is in my future!

[@Comet-hn3gm]

@@SimpsonsSpeedShop So sorry man. I really hope the new track happens.

[@michaeldelio1870]

On Long island, it was rumored that the West Hampton dragway was the oldest in the country. At one time, all the greats were there. One day, my wife and I decided to take a motorcycle ride to the drags. We were met by several excavators lined up at the gate. It was sad, frustrating, and common on Long Island. People moved in 50 years or more after it was built, complained constantly that it annoyed them, so,,,, ,,,,,, hello yuppies, good bye great times.

[@circletrack7538]

@@michaeldelio1870 I hate to say it but MOST people suck !!!!! They think they can go anywhere they want and dictate what other people do like those pure Nazi HOME OWNER'S ASSOCIATIONS who like dictate people's lives like they own them !!! But don't you dare step on their elitist toes !!!! It's nothing more then the controlling government to find another way to squash your rights and freedoms !!!! You've got to be a MORON to even consider moving into one of those so called communities !!!!!!

[@driver4237]

You don't need a trailer bro..you drive a mopar..all you need is bumper jack and your race wheels loaded in the trunk hehe

[@jamesmackinlay4477]

Shift a little earlier about 200 before the limiter I see 10.80s all day long. Sorry I had to say it great job beautiful car.

[@canabox7112]

I live in Calgary now we used to have a 1/4 mile track. 1/2 mile circle track. 2 1/2 Mike road course. Awesome Cart track. Now we have nothing. Motor cross track. That’s it!We are probably the largest city in North America with no race tracks!

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Bummer dude

[@dtruth5769]

GREAT JOB 10.9'S AWESOME!!!

[@thomasward4505]

You have way more Chrysler products at your track then I've ever seen at my track here in North Carolina.

[@dougdilley8115]

Nicely done Joe. It's fun to watch the changes that you've made and especially cool to see you getting quicker. Congrats on the new personal bests. It's great to see your dad out there on the last day too. Congratulations on your baby as well.

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 thanks bud!

[@NobilityandLoyalty]

Outstanding!! Memories from my youth 50 years ago. ❤ that Dart 🎯

[@thomasward4505]

That wheelie was perfect

[@chriswalker955]

Mopar small blocks rule

[@billevans7936]

Been years since I've gone to the Drags....was much fun..

[@circletrack7538]

Your dad has what I call the classic 70s and 80s hood scoop !!!! Dad's car is a rarer car then even yours !!!! Old and rare is an awesome combination !!!! Wish my dad was that cool , he never went to the track with me !!!

[@robertheymann5906]

Looks better and better every round

[@racebiketuner]

Always sad to me when a track closes. Sounds like you have a lot of good memories there. Very cool they made the commemorative badges.

[@elmandalorian6671]

Excellent video 📹! Very sad to see a track with so much local history close. Was very nice to see the track employees say goodbye 👋. On a positive note, great wheelie and looking forward to seeing the Dart at the new track. What a great end of the season breaking into the ten seconds 👏...

[@GeorgesMiniatureCars]

Gorgeous car!👍👍✌

[@Moses1973]

Nice. I can't believe the stands weren't full of people? Nice camera work as well 👍

[@thomasward4505]

Well your car looks fantastic and it's not slow. Great job

[@JD-ck1zn]

Thats BADASS!!! My 67 Dart goes under construction this winter!! I am inspired and motivated!!

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Hell ya brother

[@tmackinator]

I had Connecticut national speedway to run my camaro years ago , went the way of condos. Also English town was close. Your car rules You got that thing hauling ass!

[@dukesgarage42]

Nice job! It's a shame when a local track gets shutdown. Your 68 keeps me motivated to get mine running that good as well.

[@PoorBoysGarageUSMC]

Hell yeah bro she gets down now!

[@TonyGeneseo]

Hell yea man !! Awesome day and times ! Sad to see it closing but at least they’ll be a new one soon. Hope your wife and the little racer are doing good ! Take care Joe

[@tonybattaglia6358]

Hey,Joe!! Great video, like racing my own car,sitting on my couch!! Love to see it going more toward a race car,it seems to just happen that way.sorry you guys lost your track,hope you do get a new one.down here in Southern California, tracks are almost all gone.bummer!!! Great job,keep up the good work,and keep having fun!!!

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Hey thanks my man glad you like the vid, lots more on the channel! Losing tracks isn’t good but I’m hopefull. For the new track. Just gunna have to travel this year! Stay tuned!

[@vrm86gt]

congrats on new personal best!

[@ws2664]

Your getting closer, great run. Love the video of the staging lanes looking at all the old cars lined up, reminds me of my days at Englishtown, N.J. Keep up the great work, I can taste that donut.

[@craigcontofalsky4387]

Putting on the collector extensions worked!😀

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Well didn’t hurt, but not a great a to b test. The big change was the suspension changes that were made.

[@w2moparpaul419]

Great work Joe getting down to potential 10's! Look forward to the next video 🇦🇺

[@badjohnny6599]

100th comment. Your car is a beast! Good luck in your future races and modifications

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

💯👍🏻

[@joelenglish7092]

Great to see you and the MAX WEDGE in the staging lanes Darcy !! Good times TEAM CLARK !!

[@routemainstreet]

It’s always sad to see race tracks close, but on the bright side you have a new one in the works. You showed lots of progress with your build. Congratulations. And to your film crew, awesome job.

[@darrellhitchens426]

Great job Joe, thanks for bringing us along with your journey of improving the Dart, not only is it fast it is a gorgeous street machine. Well done!

[@4ondflor]

Sad to see, but what a cool event. Can’t wait to see what your new track brings. I knew you’d crack the 10s. Can’t wait to watch this car hit single digits

[@SamsterOne]

I hope the new track is 1/4 mile length. Excellent traction on the last run!

[@Anthony-nw5zv]

I'm glad you were hitting your goals! Great looking car 🚗

[@randyscales2636]

Bad ass car and channel

[@79tazman]

Where i live in ontario I got two tracks that are near me one is St.Thomas Dragway and the other is Grand Bend Motorplex

[@russellday5003]

That last Dart, what an Animal!

[@carlsenden]

Proper grass roots racing. Looks like so much fun🤙🏻Runnin sweet

[@circletrack7538]

I really appreciate the quick response back to me !!! You are one of the good guys !!! It's strange because all the speed shops down here in Pennsylvania USA make it a point to tell us to stay away from K&N filters. There telling us they don't flow as well and the lubricant in them can screw up the carb and distributor !!! I had an open hood scoop with an air pan so I never used a filter there !!!

[@FreakOlds]

Fantastic! I’m glad you achieved your goals for the season overall. You did a lot of changes and fared very well. I hope the future drag strip is a nice one. It’ll be a place where you and your children will grow together. Awesome video - keep em coming 😃👍

[@lenmaryan7943]

Sad day at that track. My Dart has been in the stable for over 35 years. I admittedly haven’t drove it for 2 decades. My focus has been a 71 6 pack Challenger, though I put a 360 or 372 roller motor together with w2 heads, Bullet cam, BRC pistons, Eagle forged crank, etc.. Anyways my home track when I lived in the mid south USA was George Rays wildcat run whatcha brung, enter at your own risk drag strip. George has been gone now for some years and they’re keeping it alive still, but for how long? Beautiful little Dart you have, and it runs as well. Mine ran 6.90 in the 1/8 at around a 100mph, and am shooting for 6.50 with this combo. Drove it to the track, and left the muffs on, so street legal and with a 340 and M&H race master tires. I had similar 60 foots off the foot brake, and don’t quite get why the lack of suspension rise on your car? I’m assuming it has to do with the Cal tracs? Not sure what spring you run, but 02 and 03 super stock springs were the norm, and most A bodies would literally leap off the line.

[@48northphotography5]

Thanks for sharing your progress on the Big Bad Mopar. Great camera work and top notch editing.

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

👍🏻👍🏻🍻

[@brianreynoldson1965]

Congratulations on the solid performance gains on your Dart! It's always sad to see a track close. But with a growing population, land becomes a pricey commodity. Even our local track (opened in 1966) is threatened by encroaching housing developments. Hopefully, we have another decade of operations. Congratulations on the new family member, solid performance gains on the Dart.

[@terosoini2092]

Nice Job💪

[@mikestackhouse9001]

The car is squatting perfectly, good runs. That's a badass little dart! I had a '71 Dart Swinger and a '74 Plymouth Scamp. Loved them both. Can't wait to see that car stretch out on the 1/4 mile. BTW, is the color of the car a Chrysler color or a special blend? It is purty.

[@paulmaul2186]

I love your car.

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Thanks! Mee too!

[@01trsmar]

Right On...

[@imken2392]

It's a real bummer about the track closure. My local track, even though I'm in washington near sumas is Mission raceway. I've heard rumors of it turning into condos too but I have been reassured it's just a rumor...lets hope so!

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Ya I have similar but I definitely think that there is still lots of years left at mission.

[@Steve69SS396]

I'm glad you are progressing and going faster!

[@angelonikitaras2977]

brilliant work great to see you getting quicker ...

[@bradhardy2629]

you guys needed a better wider longer track anyway ahh lol. Looks like you Red lighted your second pass . oh well . looking good anyway .

[@koboskolors]

Awesome sir! congrats on the daylight.

[@gregchristopher1019]

Congratulations to you and your wife with the new baby. I used to own a 1970 340 duster I did a lotvof reading on how to set the car up for drag racing. The rubber stops on the front can be cut in half to get more life out of the front end. What part of Canada do you live. I want to take my nova race and try it out at different tracks I'm 71yrs young he I'm living life .

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Ya I cut the stop down in last vid, I’m on the west coast Canada thanks for watching

[@tjt4036]

Good luck with the new track. Looking forward to more great videos.👍👍

[@Randy-lf2dp]

The other dart gave you good run

[@redbubbaneck]

Congratulations love the car!

[@smilsmff]

2 2:30 Almost the same color as my Swinger. OH! that guy was really fighting his car @ 6:30S. NICE VIDEO AS Always ! looking forward to more, you did this with smaller Carburetor too. I may suggest Larger Squirters, and 50 cc accelerator pump shot, and jet extensions all in that Holley kit

[@garyhopkinssr8561]

and you pulled the front wheels off the ground yay

[@michaeldeakin4287]

Well done with the time, when your car pulled the wheels, it may have unloaded the tyres, that's where double adjustables help, you can stiffen the compression damping to keep the tyres planted.

[@circletrack7538]

That is really a good consistent 60 ft. time which tells me the converter is the right one for you car !!! If I may the car is very consistent but I believe the driver needs to invest in a practice tree !!?? Get that going consistently you'll win a lot of rounds !!! All I did for the tree was adjusted front tire pressure really made a difference with consistency !!!! When we set the tires at the track we checked all 4 !!

[@pockets5628]

Nice job! Always good when changes result in improvement! I think you are going to find the shocks aren’t adjustable enough to really work the best. You still have a bounce on launch. You need more extension dampening in the front, to slow the front end rise, then more compression dampening to keep the front end up and not have it settle back down so quickly.

[@kurtpoblenz2741]

You’ve come a long way , with that hotrod dodge 👍🏻.

[@aaronkathyberry2099]

Hey Joey. Looked like a great day . To bad about Dads red eye. Dude it was a big one thou. Honestly gonna miss the content. Pulling my ‘65 Plymouth outa the moth balls & watching your achievements. It’s been great. Thinking about applying some of your trials to mine. An was gonna get Insta just because of you. Beauty A body too. Best to ya ! Pls don’t leave us hanging. Great job hanging the hoops! I’m not a small block guy . But, dang she screams

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Don’t worry more content coming! I’ll just have to get a trailer and travel to race now. Stay tuned!

[@bdogjr7779]

Awesome Joe👍🔥《☆》With immigration on the rise..oh well😁Big Congratulations Brother🔊What motor is in the green Dart ?🖖😎☮

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

392 w2 with a lenco. More vids of it on my channel

[@michaeldelio1870]

Enjoy, and support your local tracks. We lost our drag strips on Long island to developers, along with drive in movies, roller rinks, farms, and many other great things. The memories are great, but not enough.

[@ronde1135]

Yeah long island had a drag strip, I vaguely remember that (also I'm in brooklyn). I do go out to the local berry farms to pick blueberries

[@michaeldelio1870]

@@ronde1135 they had a couple. Islip I believe had one, I think Shinnicock, and West Hampton had all the greats of the 70s go there. I heard West Hampton was Americas oldest, but I cant confirm that. Thankyou for the reply 🙂

[@vikingrobot4179]

Tell us more about your Buddy Todd’s green beast.

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

More info in one of the other vids been on channel before but 392 w2 with a lenco!

[@rong4189]

Good job and MUCH better looking launches. That’s a shame about your track closing though.

[@MoParRus340]

Hopefully the new track will be 1/4 mile. 1/8 is just too short.

[@mickangio16]

Much better'n no track, though.

[@gregkersey6106]

You realize difference in 1/4 mile and 1/8 mile is only around 20 mph.

[@MoParRus340]

@@gregkersey6106 I’ve done both. A lot can happen in the second 1/8th. Personally I just prefer racing and spectating 1/4 mile.

[@davidingling9791]

It's a shame they are shutting it down! I live in osceola Indiana they future it down like two years ago and it's farmland and a bunch of hillbillies live in the house now.

[@davidingling9791]

Shut it down I mean

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Yep it’s a shame for sure. Will be ok when we get a new track tho

[@SteFFy7469]

You know the car better than me.... but in the future it might be worth playing with a bit more air in the tires, looks to me that they're collapsing a bit much and the climbing back up on them selves, nothing wrong with that, but might get a slightly better 60' with it. Not much more because it looks nearly perfect, maybe an extra half pound to 1 pound. Nice thing with those eagle tires is that are fantastic at recovering. Reason behind my suggestion: If the tire doesn't have to climb back up on itself, you distribute the force a bit more even at the launch, when they climb back up, it upsets the suspension a bit which can cause inconsistencies, basically hitting a 0.5" bump effectively... regardless hooks good as is. Sad to see this place close up, but glad that something will be around in the future for many years to come.

[@paullutherborrow637]

Excellent work mate 👌 I reckon if you lift the front end an inch or inch n a half you’ll transfer even better

[@derekalexander4030]

Had a 70 dart swinger like the last green on but NOT, ran 12’s. Also a 66 Nova ran 10.50s. We lost both drag strips, National Speedway and Bridgehampton raceway to condos, sucked. Where will you race now?

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Sounds sweet. Prob make a couple trips to mission raceway next thanks for watching

[@canabox7112]

Sorry to hear that Bro! May need a truck and trailer and go to Mission now?

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Have the truck and looking into trailers now

[@imken2392]

That looked good. I still see recoil in the back suspension causing the tires/suspension to unload a bit...don't know if the sliders would help with that or rear shocks with more dampening on the rebound???...Total respect bud, I fully respect your ride!

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Yes I know still hoppin. Sliders amd new shocks are on my list! Thanks for watching

[@victorwilburn3498]

Joey: Your close to..flying in your car now. EVERY single time your fire it up, I go..back in time. Just NOTHING like that cammed V8 sound and a good day at the track letting it..eat👍

[@racebiketuner]

Nice job!

[@circletrack7538]

Hello my favorite Canadian musclecar man !! Do you know the location of this new track and what is the difference on travel from your old home track ????

[@Torquemonster440]

Congrats on hitting your numbers.🍻.. My local track shut down over a year ago... NASCAR purchased the facility [Auto Club Speedway Fontana] and they have no interest in keeping the NHRA 1/4 mile strip in operation. No promise of anything new on the horizon.. pretty shitty.

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Bummer bud.

[@christopher5585]

I believe their are people at the civic level that trying to shut down all automotive performance related activity. This goes for engine and transmission shops, auto body and paint and just about anything Racers and Hot Rodders have relied upon for the last 60 years. Tyrrant Newsom already signed a law pushed by the Democrat State officials to ban the sale of gasoline operated vehicles by 2035. No one should be surprised by these Democrat California Communists.

[@ericbengtson3490]

Track closing for condos. A damn shame.

[@circletrack7538]

Sorry I guess I wasn't patient enough about the track information !!! I would guess that might be the shortest dragstrip I ever heard of !!! I believe it's 54 ft. beyond the 330 ft. mark which you usually get that increment in a quarter mile run ???!!! Looks like it has a good sticky starting line too !!! What are the time increments on that track if I may inquire sir ???

[@circletrack7538]

OK I went over some math extensively and if that new track is going to be an eighth you should be running 7.2s to 7.0s maybe 6.9s @ 98 to 102 mph !!!! Just interested I did wanted to figure out for myself too !!!! Just thought if I did it I might as well post it !!!! I hope the new track is done by springtime and ready to lay rubber !!!! Please keep us informed of this new track's progress !!!! Thanks Joe !!!!! ( it is Joe right )??? Sorry , how embarrassing !!!! I'm lousy at remembering names !!!!! Your new addition daughter or son ??? These days a girl or a boy will want to follow in dad's foot steps !!! Look at the John Force family !!!

[@circletrack7538]

Should be around 100 mph in the 1/8 mile or better because 11.0s would around 120 to 122 mph which would put the 1/8 about 98 to 101 mph if I remembered correctly !!! In the mid 6s that's rippin man !!!! I hope everything goes well for you up there in the upcoming frozen tundra !!!!! ha ha ! Time to put her to sleep for the winter ???

[@ultimatejay]

That track is way shorter than 1/8th mile.

[@calebsgarage485]

Did they say that the new track would be a 1/4 mile in the drivers meeting?

[@jmrides777]

Your car freakin rocks!!! But what the &^%& is your buddy Todd packin?? Watcing the forth vid straight through bud.

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

392 small block w2 full race program with a lenco!

[@guidosarducci3047]

Big Smiles Today! Happy for ya bro. So - are they closing that track?

[@circletrack7538]

The launch looked a lot better and cleaner !!! Was that the rev limiter I heard there ??? Hope that didn't slow it down !! You smoked that mopar beside ya !!! Gettin back to your video !! PS I always do the video in stages because my old brain doesn't keep my thoughts long !!!!😁😁😁

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Yep hitting a it rev limiter again. Things spins up fast lol

[@mickangio16]

I'm glad a couple people are recognizing the shift points into the rev limiter. Beautiful car, Joe. Watch the tach.

[@circletrack7538]

@@mickangio16 he either has to lower the shift chip 200 rpm or change the rev limiter 200-400 rpm higher in which either are not critical levels of to much or not enough !!!! He's looking at how can I go faster compared to how can I be consistent to go rounds !!!! If he wanted to be just a bracket racer the car is excellent for that, but he just wants to make it go faster instead of consistent !! His lights need to Improve but I don't believe that it's a big deal to him !!!! He doesn't seem to worry about that too much because I believe if he were interested In being just a bracket racer he could polish those skills quite easily but he's just haven a good ole time !!! Good for him he's having great enjoyment out of what he's doing !!!!! Success can come in many forms, to him it's all about improvements to his gorgeous ride getting the small details ironed out and sharing it with us !!!! He's a cool character from Canada just enjoying life !!! Bravo and hats off to him !!!!!

[@stevecampanale8402]

Nice Joe. 10s are awsome. Just wondering have you ever weighed your car?

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

I have it’s in a video. I need to re weight tho. Would also like to scale

[@dtracy03ss]

Did you Dyno the Engine with the Air Cleaner on? Does it add power, if not Get that Sucker off the Carb and Run it to see what happens!

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Air cleaner is good. Dyno with it.

[@dtracy03ss]

@@SimpsonsSpeedShop I would try it at the drag Strip without it a couple runs anyhow, I drag Raced 30 years and can tell you for sure it's worth a tenth on the 1/8 more on the 1/4 also on your car a good hemi scoop will probably pick it up a bit too! Just suggesting that's all, I know you want to get in the 10s!!

[@chriswalker955]

Over 355s

[@chriswalker955]

Eat up anything

[@TransAminal]

Joseph...is there a reason your steering is not straight? Or are me eyes playing tricks.... Car looks & hooks gr8..👍

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

I re did steering column and was just off a tooth. But left after I realized it lines the trans brake button up perfectly so I left it. Happy accident

[@lunatic3783]

I assume the new track will be 1/4 mile-are you gonna race 1/4 mile or stay with 1/8 mile?

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Both

[@johnnybrigham8154]

Pulling the front wheels very nice what did you do? What trans are you running. Rear gear 430?

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

All info in channel but 727 and yes 4:30 gear

[@johnnybrigham8154]

@@SimpsonsSpeedShop joe that a 1/8 mile track correct? May try 456 gears you go quicker to get into lower 10's I still think caltracs leaf springs are the way to go contact john at caltracs he runs them in his race cars with great results too.

[@michaeldeakin4287]

Where's your nearest track now.

[@zxtenn]

SHAMEFUL they destroy nostalgia, they did that in NY at NY national speedway many year ago.

[@chriswalker955]

Big gears I'm guessing

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

4:30

[@chriswalker955]

Hell yeah 340/ 360 rule

[@chriswalker955]

Add a big tutter and all set

[@chriswalker955]

Plus a tight conv.

[@chriswalker955]

I'm from NYC Englishtown is gone,so o moved to ma,with my gf,now I'm 20 mins from Lebanon valley dragway

[@drifterengines243]

Awesome 👏🏻 so as of now how much faster is the 408 over the 360?

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

Well on 1/4 mile it’s about .300 but I stilll haven’t tapped into the 414 proper. The 360 was as good as a combo could have been. Converter still not right for new motor.

[@circletrack7538]

What are the times-speed of your runs and what is the length of that unique track again !!!! Do you know if the new track is going to be a 1/4 mile ???

[@SimpsonsSpeedShop]

That info in vid, new track is sounding like a 1/8. Amd I’ll take it!

[@circletrack7538]

@@SimpsonsSpeedShop 660 ft. ??? 1/8 mile quite a bit more room then 384 ft.!!! But that little track had history and character behind it !!!! To think that it's gone forever is not only sad but disgusting to think it's being replaced by stinkin condos !!!!!! What a waste all In the name of $$$ !!! Happy to hear they're building an updated dragstrip and bigger for you guys who want to do it legitimately and responsibly !!!! If you have any further info when they intend to open it and name it please let us know !!!! I myself am very interested in that information !!!!! Thanks brother !!!!