Drag Racing Greenlit at EPCAL

Car enthusiasts who’ve long sought a place to drag race on Long Island are cheering the Town of Riverhead’s approval of five racing events in Calverton this summer, although residents concerned about noise are less enthused.

The town board approved a request to host at the Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL) a Race Track Not Street at EPCAL Drag Racing Series that will run four weekends in August and September. The board also approved the Scrambul Runway Challenge Drag Racing Event set for the last weekend in September.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar said she expects the events to be safe and be an economic boon for the community. The Republican town leader’s Democratic challenger in the November elections, Town Councilwoman Catherine Kent, abstained from the votes.

Despite assurances from race organizers that the races won’t be as loud as feared, neighbors remain concerned about the potential for excess noise, environmental damage and traffic that the events will bring to the area.