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NEESES, S.C. - The small western Orangeburg County hamlet of Neeses may appear to most visitors as little more than a bucolic setting typical of many rural South Carolina towns, this image belies the fact that racing has become a thriving industry in the area.
Insiders will tell you Neeses literally buzzes with racing activity, from the building of dragsters to two local facilities that appeal to purists of flat track and mud racing. Both facilities are also well-respected by professional competitors.
William “Tootee” Tippins Jr., owner and operator of “Tootees” in Neeses, has been doing custom fabrication and construction of drag racing vehicles of all types. Tippins’ body of work includes nitro funny cars and dragsters, jet-powered funny cars and drag motorcycles. He also provides maintenance at both Neeses flat tracks—Thunder Valley Motorplex on U.S. 321 and Mid-Carolina Speedway on Henry Road. Tippins has even done work for factory race teams and national race teams when they come to Thunder Valley to test each spring.
“I’ve been here for 25 years,” said Tippins, a Charlotte, N.C. native, “and the racing scene in Neeses has really blossomed into a very active community for racers and car builders. Thunder Valley itself is one of the top quarter-mile flat tracks in the world, where national events have been held. Coupled with the (Mid-Carolina) mud racing track and Orangeburg Dragstrip, these facilities have turned us into a racing mecca in this part of the state.”
“When I moved down here, there wasn’t much in the way of racing car shops in this part of the country,” Tippins said, “so I was kind of a pioneer in that sense.”
Paul Steverson, who owns Mid-Carolina Speedway, has been involved with motorcycle racing since 1955. Steverson says he was bitten by the racing bug when he was stationed with the military in New Mexico. Steverson opened a machine shop in Orangeburg in 1972 and worked on motorcycles as a hobby. He notes that the goal of Mid-Carolina Speedway has been helping others get started in the sport of flat track motorcycle racing.
“I had a piece of property in Neeses that was just sitting there,” Steverson said, “but a good friend of mine who I let hunt on the land, the late Matt Smoak, convinced me to build a motorcycle dirt track instead. Matt was instrumental in the building and support of Mid-Carolina, which has been open since 2000. Lloyd Widner was also a major investor and supporter of the quarter-mile track, who bought and installed lights at the facility.”
Steverson said Mid-Carolina is a real racing “family” affair, with many volunteers behind the scenes who help maintain and support the track. He also credits “Speedy” Davis and Steve Fogle, the latter who owns Thunder Valley, for their help and support of Mid-Carolina, which features the entire spectrum of flat track motorcycle racing. The Matt Smoak Memorial Race is also run at Mid-Carolina each year, with the proceeds going to charity.
Professional flat track motorcycle racers say Mid-Carolina enjoys a good reputation among those who compete on the national level. Easley native Jason Griffin, who had his right arm amputated after a lawn mowing accident at the age of two, is the only flat track racer in the United States with a pro license. He says Mid-Carolina is an excellent track from a competitor’s perspective.
“This is a fantastic facility,” Griffin said. “It’s got plenty of runoff, it’s safe, it’s wide, and the pros come here to run test races on their motorcycles before they make their way down to Memorial Stadium (site of pro flat track racing) in Daytona Beach (Fla.). Not a lot of people know about this track but it’s well known throughout the flat track community across the country. It’s one of the best.”
Chris Carr, a seven-time American Motorcyclist Association Grand National champion and current holder of the world motorcycle land speed record, also gives Mid-Carolina high praise.
“It’s one of the most fun tracks I’ve ever raced on, and I’ve been racing for 35 years,” Carr said. “I rank it in the Top 10 tracks nationally because it’s safe, with no barriers into which riders can crash, and people-friendly. I have gone there every spring for the last eight years to test in the week prior to Bike Week in Daytona.”
Thunder Valley Motorplex, located on U.S. 321 south of Neeses, has been the site of mud bogging and mud dragging activity in the area since its opening in 2003. Dave Renfroe, the track announcer who handles promotions and advertising for Thunder Valley, said both sports have become popular with a young crowd, although people of all age ranges frequent the track.
“We race once a month from March through October, with the exception of June this year,” Renfroe said. “One key to the track’s popularity is that we have something for everyone. Everything from the junior class ATVs, featuring youth riders, to the normal rail dragster races are run here. Another factor involves the efforts by Mr. (Steve) Fogle to keep the facility user-friendly for the competitors and the spectators. This includes everything from permanent bathroom and concession facilities, allowing fans in the pits prior to races and right down to taking care of the grass so children can walk around barefooted.”
Racers who run at Thunder Valley Motorplex also give the facility high marks. The track is used by national mud racing teams for test runs prior to traveling to other parts of the country on the professional circuit.
Jimmy Smith of Neeses, who competes in the Pro Street truck classification in his vehicle, dubbed the “Color of Money,” says he has been racing since 1994 and considers Thunder Valley the best track in South Carolina and Georgia.
“There’s none better,” said Smith, who was with Chip Bolin’s team, the current crew chief for NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth. “It has the best clock, the best layout, and it’s the neatest. I like the way the track is laid out and prepared, which makes it very competitive.”
Even though both Neeses tracks share the landscape with nearby agricultural operations — directly across the road in both cases — the resulting effect is another part of the facilities’ allure for spectators.
The next time you’re in Neeses, remember: That thundering sound you hear won’t be the local farmers revving up their tractors.
T&D Correspondent Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at pmhsarata@aol.com.