In another time, before America's love affair with emergency 9-1-1 (not the terroist attack, the ambulance attack), cell phones, cable TV, CNN, and even the career of Dale Earnhardt, there was a go-Kart track in rural Horry county, South Carolina: "Buck Creek Go-Kart Track" Yeah, I know this is a stock CAR site, but there's many-a stock-car career that was first powered by Briggs & Stratton.It was 1977, really it wasn't THAT long ago..........it's just that we've had so much PROGRESS since then, 1977 seems to be in another dimension. Buck Creek wasn't too far from the Waccamaw river, was right off of hwy 905, and folks hauled their racing equipment to the track in backs of pick-up trucks, station wagons, or even the trunks of cars.............I AM NOT making this up.........the ubiquitous enclosed trailer had not reared its expensive head.. Unbelievably, racers were able to RACE in such spartan circumstances. But, it WAS a long time ago......... Jimmy Carter was president, and the world's first modern terrorist attack was two years in the future in a far away country called Iran.Much has been written on the promotional genius of H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler...........many can recite his accomplishements.............but you've probably never heard of the genius of Buck Creek's Horace Faircloth. If promoters are born, then Horace got a double dose. I don't know when Horace began his career, I've heard 1974, but he is still at it, still promoting Kart races. His current tack does have a name, "4-Way Kartway" but everybody calls it "Horace's"Arriving at Buck Creek, you really could not see the adjacent 'speedway' for the dog-fennels lining the ditch beside the hiway. There was a small driveway, manned by Horace's not-too-talky son, Bobby, the ticket taker. But, Bobby Faircloth could mentally add faster than a calculator those one dollar-per-person admission tickets........."two dollars................" was about all he ever said to me in my years at the 'Creek. It wasn't all fun and games and Bobby must have got a tad hum-drum, being the ticket-taker, after all, Horace raced EVERY Friday AND Saturday night YEAR 'round. Winter night racing with it's track freezing and bon-fire (from old car tires) standing conditions were (unexplicpably) much more poplular than the same thing in summer! Really. So, I guess Bobby was bored, and the fact that he was likely NOT on the payroll probably did not foster much enthusiasm either.The command center for Buck Creek Go-Kart track was the concession stand. It was a flat-roofed, pale green, plywood box of a building with a counter at one end and it was HEATED. The concession stand was manned by Mrs. Faircloth, and on special BIG races she would get that extra hair-do and we all (secretly) called her "Dolly" (Parton). Dolly could make hot dogs, and she did not have a can opener, not counting the 12 inch butcher knife that she used for such purposes. My brother once ate 21 hot dogs one night in about an hour's time. Dolly had about the same personality as her son...never remember her saying much either, not counting "you want chilli on that?"........ that payroll thingy.The Faircloth family had hand printed, with a black magic marker, their menu on the 2X4 studs of the building's walls..........I a'int making this up either:COCLA............................... .50 ( their term for "coca-cola")PEPIS.................................. .50 (Pepsi)COOFFEE........................ .50 (right!)I think that in 1977, I was the first one that ever noticed their peculiar spelling, but Hey, when something WORKS.......you just go with it........and it DID work!It cost $4.00 to race, and about once a month Horace would have a VERY special BIG TROPHY race. Karters would come from near and far, knowing full well, in advance, that many would NOT make the field. January 1978, Horace announced the next big trophy race would be on TELE-VISION!!! Folks started arriving a noon for the night-time event, and they kept coming, it was standing room only, as finally, Gene Motely, the sports anchor for WWAY-TV finally arrived, for a few photos and interviews...............but Horace was on TV! Another promo-bombshell was Horace'skart motor giveaway........WIN a FREE 5 horse Briggs!!!! No purchase required. On the grand prize night, Horace DID give a way an engine.........ONE PIECE AT A TIME.........everybody wanted to win the carburetor..............I WON the coil.........but the 'Creek was packed again and Horace was true to his word.Before becoming a promoter, Horace was an electrician and a plumber. I pretty sure that Horace self-electrified his speedway. It was a maze of floodlights perched on random lenghts of galvanized pump pipe ( when something works.......ya go with it) all interconnect by a rat's nest of 14-2 wire in a maze that shold have canceled the laws of electricity. But it did provide "light".....and I'm pretty sure Horace plumbed the dog-fennel shrouded 'comfort station'.One Saturday night, Horace confided to me..........."you shoulda been here last night.........the lighting system was beautiful..........'til it fell and landed on my van and made it look like a sway-back mule....."Horace also firmly believed in the 'no money refunded' creed. One frigid February night, the track FROZE........all the water that had been earlier apllied..........when that 32 degree thing kicked in, the track FROZE. Really. A specail driver's meeting was called........"Boys we are still gonna race (surprise) but I'm gonna put out the green and the yellow flags at the same time and you can go as fast as you want, BUT you can not PASS anybody! I LOVED IT as I had qualifyed ON THE POLE!!............Another time, after a monsoon-type rain, Horace calmly explained to all listeners that "any outdoor sporting event is subject to the weather............." LOL! Truer words were never more spoken.Horace has seen more kart tracks and rivals come and go than he can remember. Most are gone, long gone..but not Horace.......you can check him out this Saturday night........just ask anybody where "Horace's " is!It'll be a special evening..........................