This month’s Day Trippin’ takes a look at dirt racetracks around South Carolina. Local dirt tracks were very popular in the area dating back to the 60’s, tracks like Summerville Speedway, Hardeeville Speedway, Oglethorpe Speedway in Georgia were our local tracks. The land these tracks sat on was sold and the areas have been converted into housing and retail areas.
There are still a number of tracks still in existence and successfully operating around the state. Laurens, Sumter, Florence, and Cherokee Speedway are just a few of the tracks. There are many more mostly in the Upstate and Pee Dee Regions of South Carolina the tracks can be found through an internet search. Some of the tracks even were paved in their later years such at the Myrtle Beach Speedway.
Dirt tracks are the root of auto racing, dating back to the 50’s when you would take your everyday car and take it to the track on the weekends. There was even a drag strip at the Walterboro Airport, not a dirt track but just an interesting fact. Today weekend racers and mechanics, take older cars and turn them in to race cars to put them on the tracks. This is the true fender rubbing and bumping racing where you bang out the dents and keep going until the car will not run any longer. In the past, the tracks have also hosted a number of other events such as Monster Truck Shows, Carnivals, Flea Markets, and Demolition Derbys. Some of the tracks also offer entertainment for the children.
The typical race weekend begins with qualifying races, these are usually short races with a limited number of cars. There are a number of categories for the cars and as the night goes on the winners are paired down into the main event this is the longer and last race of the night.
Here is a survival guide to your first dirt track race. These are suggestions based on personal experience. Your results may vary!! First, sitting close to the track fence and wall is not always the best seat. The tracks are typically clay and they are wet down with water trucks, The accuracy of the nozzles can take out the first few rows of the seats, kind of like the splash zone at Sea World. Wear old clothes as the clay will kick up and land on you. There is no getting away from the dust and mud. The most important thing I found is that it is cool to wear your sunglasses at night as the clay and tire rubber will get in your eyes if you do not have any eye protection. Pack some eye wash to use after the race. Normally the food at the track is outstanding, home cooked BBQ, grilled burgers, hot dogs, and all sorts of fair food. Here is a tip, get and eat your food between races as clay is not a good seasoning. A number of the tracks have concrete block grandstands and wood seats, a stadium cushion is a good idea.
If you have never gone to a local track race, I would recommend it. This is where NASCAR got its start. Some of the current and past NASCAR drivers come to the short tracks to participate in local races when they are nearby. So put on some old clothes, bring a hat, and some sunglasses and give it a try. You might find yourself at a local junk yard looking for your first race car. Happy Motoring!!!
