This month’s Daytrippin’ is a trip to dirt tracks in various location throughout North, South Carolina, and Georgia. These dirt racetracks were the training ground for the racers of Nascar today. The track doting the landscape are slowly disappearing to make way for development, with the land being worth more that the track itself. Tracks like Oglethorpe Speedway, Summerville Speedway, and even Walterboro Speedway that closed in 1959 (The track was located on Highway 15 North of Walterboro) have all but disapeared from the landscape.
Dirt track originated in the 1920’s, the racing is performed on an oval, packed-dirt or clay surfaces, ranging from ¼ mile to ½ mile in length. Drivers are required to adapt to constantly changing track conditions like “dry slick” or “cushion” buildup. Events often consist of hot laps, qualifying, heat races, and a main “A-Main” feature event
The track is an outing in itself, with events for the kids, exhibits for the adults, and opportunities for veteran and novice racers to test their skills on the track. A trip to the track will begin with entry into the venue. Typically, a dirt parking lot and entry gate similar to the entry to a county fair. They usually have a play area set aside entertain the children while the parents enjoyed the race. There are many other types of dirt racing cars that you can choose from. For instance, there are karts, which are open cars with four-stroke engines, quarter midgets that can do 30 to 45 mph, street stocks, which are popular, and many other racing cars. There are even Kart races that have drivers as young as 7 years old.
For the spectator the race itself is a thrill and also test of survival. The seasoned fan will bring a cushion for the concrete bleachers, wrap around sunglasses to protect them for the dirt being pelted from the track and of course a hat. The unprepared fan will leave with a head full of dirt, and a complexion that in the lowcountry will be a face that resembles a raccoon and in the upstate one that resembles a bad spray tan. A few minutes before the race, water is added on to reduce dust on the track. This is also the source of the skin treatment. The food is always good, with not a healthy item on the menu, but drop the diet, you’re at a dirt track. Eat that funnel cake.
One of the local tracks was Summerville Speedway. The was a renowned 3/8 of a mile and later a 4/10th of a mile paved oval racetrack that operated from 1965 until it closed in 2004. It was a popular Saturday track that hosted NASCAR-sanctioned events including Grand Touring and Busch All-Star attracted legends like Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Cross, South Carolina native Tiny Lund before being demolished for the Myers Mill residential subdivision in 2004.
Oglethorpe Speedway Park was a historic 1/2-mile dirt track located Pooler, Georgia. The track officially closed in November 2021 after 70 years of operation. The track hosted dirt late models, stock cars, and monster trucks before closing. The land was sold to an industrial warehouse development to build a 294-acre complex. Notably, Lee Petty won a Nascar Cup Series event at the track in 1955.
Thunderbowl Speedway was located in Valdosta, Georgia. Opening in 1959, the track closed in 1999. In its day the3/8th mile track presented late model and sportsman class races.
The Laurens County Speedway is an operating speedway today with races being held weekly throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall. The speedway has been family owned and operated for over 50 years.
Florence Motor Speedway is a 4/10-mile asphalt short track located in Timmonsville, SC. This is not a dirt track, but a favorite of NASCAR drivers looking for some racing before the Darlington Races.
Another track in South Carolina is the Greenville Pickens Speedway. The track is currently closed and making headlines in the upstate as the owner is trying to sell it to developers and the county is attempting to make the venue a historical landmark.
Dirt tracks are a great outing for the entire family, the racing excitement, the food, and the back-to-basics entertainment makes for a moment to remember. Pick a driver and have a great evening exploring the origins of racing. You might get the notion to try it yourself.
