Words Phil Hutchison/Photos Dave Milcarek

For more of Dave Milcarek’s images from Atco, go to: http://davemilcarek.com/

The East Coast Stock/Super Stock Association Offers More Racing

In 1973, Jim Boburka and Lee Sherman came up with the idea of a drag racing circuit featuring NHRA Stock and Super Stock racing side by side in a “Combo” eliminator. The circuit was a big hit with racers from all over the East Coast participating in the association.

After Jim and Lee ran the program, Maryland racers Fred and Paul Reich took over. Then in 1992 New Jersey and part time Florida resident Dave Ley assumed the reigns and has been running the ECSSSA, as it is known, for what will be his 30th year.

“We migrated the Series to Atco Raceway in New Jersey after the original series raced at Pittsburgh and Maryland tracks,” said Ley, who also is a NHRA Division 2 Division Tech Consultant. “But on occasion we travelled to other tracks such as Cecil County, Island Dragway, Maple Grove, and Englishtown. With the central location at Atco we get the best turnouts there.”

The racers compete at five events during the season to gain points for the season ending championship. In 2021, Russell “Bubba” Linke drove his B/SA ’97 Camaro to the title. Bubba amassed 34 points in his championship season with Newburgh, New York, racer Wendy Caliendo’s SS/KA ’98 Firebird taking second and the SS/IA Camaro of Lincoln Morehead from New York coming in third.

Wendy Caliendo was #2 in the series in 2021

Racers are awarded five points for a win, three for a semifinal finish and two points per round raced.

Bubba pulls the wheels up in his series winning Pontiac

2021 champ Bubba Linke won the second event of the series in August along with the finals in November to capture his third ECSSSA title.

“I like the race that Dave puts on,” said Linke. “Unlike a Lucas divisional where I’m there for three or four days, Dave’s race is either a one day affair or a double header where we run two events in two days. Atco is close to where I live and the payout is good too.”

 Bobby Fazio (Near Lane) against Joey Cole

As racers in the NHRA Northeast Division have seven Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisionals to compete in along with NHRA national events, Ley schedules his races on weekends when Atco is available and the racers have an open weekend. “I try to schedule the events in the summer and fall as the spring can be wet and rainouts are hard to reschedule,” Ley added.

After a successful 2021, Ley said, “In addition to our regular five-race series at Atco, we are adding a sixth event (Fall Classic) which will be held October 9th, 2022, the day after our final points race making it a double weekend. This will be a higher entry and higher payout race as in years past.”

Dave and his wife Gloria, who also works for the NHRA, in the winner’s circle at Atco In addition to merchandise sales at all the events, Gloria works in the staging lanes getting the racers paired up before eliminations and also handles the paperwork for the series.

For more information regarding the circuit, go to: https://www.facebook.com/eastcoaststocksuperstockassociation