Fans say goodbye to Myrtle Beach Speedway during track’s final race

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - After months of discussion around rezoning and closures, the Myrtle Beach Speedway is seeing its final race.

“There’s a saying that goes around; if you get racing into your blood, you never get rid of it,” said Ron Bruce, a fan of races at the track.

Ahead of the last laps at the speedway, fans who have racing in their blood prepared to say goodbye to a venue that, in their words, is like no other.

“A lot of memories, but life changes, things do too,” said Melton Dotson, another visitor to the track.

Bill Koch is another fan who said he hates to see the sport shrink.

“It’s been here for a real long time,” he said. “To see it get torn down and put back to the way everything else is getting built up and everything, it’s kind of sad. We’re sorry to see it go and we wanted to be here for the last race.”

Bruce said he’s been so involved at the track many times over the years, even performing performed weddings at the track for racers as part of his ministry.

“A young couple, they both drove in the mini stock division here and they came and asked if we would do their wedding,” he said. “We did and they came in before start was kind of neat, one race car coming in from one direction, one from the other direction.”

With the final few waves of the checkered flag and the last roars of the engines as they make their way through the half a mile asphalt track, 62 years of racing, three generations of Earnhardts and all four generations of Pettys are all coming to a close in Myrtle Beach.

Regardless, fans in attendance said nothing can make them leave the sport.

“I still love the sport of racing,” said Dotson.

A second reading to rezone the property will go before Horry County Council during a meeting on Tuesday. As of now, the future of the racetrack here isn’t set in stone but it would likely be redeveloped into some sort of residential property.

Copyright 2020 WMBF. All rights reserved.