Buffett fans don't despair..........I a'int infringing on JB's territory.............Most are familliar with South Carolina's famous Grand Strand.......ahh,the Redneck Riviera........... THE beach if you are from anywhere in the Palmetto state, the ONE AND ONLY ("who needs THE Islands, anyway?") BONAFIDE REAL BEACH if you are from Charlotte, NC .Now, South Carolinians (Sandlappers) have little affinity/fondess/warm fuzzy feelings for the concept of "north", God bless 'um. Once upon a time, there was not even a NORTH Myrtle Beach. Believe it or not, back when the water was high, and the road was two-laned, there were the indvidual, independent, municipalities: Little River, Ocean Drive, Cherry Grove, and Cresent Beach. And, becoming the Wacky Golf, "beach-ware", fireworks, and the original Calabash (NC) Seafood captiol of the world, did complicate things. Political clout does not rain down from a 'Roman Candle', Y'all, it was a down-right necessary, so indenties took a back seat to the new, improved and much cloutier municipality of NORTH Myrtle Beach.Right smack-dab where Eagle's Nest golf course is now , sat one of the finest dirt tracks to ever grace the Carolinas. That's right, y'all, just turn right there at the Willard Fireworks, in front of the (glitzy) Cocquina Harbor YACHT club/marina, and you're there..............well, sort of, if it was 40 years ago, you'd be there.................... Sadly, nothing remains.........except memories............... another supereme and frustrating example of a ghost track. A REAL ghost track, so ghostly, it's totally invisible."Grand Strand Raceway" was it original name, but everybody called it "Little River" because of the nereby community. After it first two seasons, an ownership and a name change occurred, and the name offically became "Little River Raceway". Little River was a super-fast and (very) high banked 3/8 miler. The clay was trucked in from somewhere in the Piedmont and it never got dusty, or rough and always remained tacky. It was heaven on dirt. Jalopies and "eastern" late models........that was the two divisions.................and, for some reason, it took just as long, back then to run those two events as it does now-a-days to run five or more. Going to the races on a Saturday night has always been a marthon of sorts.................................. still is.Every single car was different. All were home- made under car-ports, or in service stations or the back yard shade tree (complete with chain-hoist hanging from the largest limb). The jalopys were real interesting. Eligible body styles ranged from the pre-war coupes of the 1930's up to 1954. There was one colorful character that stood out, even in this sea of individuals: D.L. Suggs of Myrtle Beach. Never knew what "D. L." stood for, but his cars were painted bright red, and were emblazoned by a single white and lonely home-painted "8". That was it.........no other decals, sponsors or anything.........just that unsymmetrical number 8. Wait, I almost forgot, the sea-green colored rim on the left front.D.L.'s first car was a '53 Ford.........no front fenders, right side door cut down, floor board cut out, trunk lid decorated with geometric-shaped torch-cut holes..........aerodynamic enhanements (obviously). In one race at Little River, D.L. turned over at the flag-stand. The car landed on its side and the stunned crowd was amazed to watch D.L. calmly crawl out of the wreckage through the missing floorboard. Pretty cool.The frontstretch flip, sent the ol' '53 to the happy speedway in the sky. But, the very NEXT Saturday, a red '39-ish Ford coupe...........with an obvious home-painted (white) "8", came pulling in the pit gate. The Sugg's team, evidently, had spent all week readying the new coupe, and didn't expend any effort on the trivalities of "towing". The new #8 came rolling through the pit gate beign pulled by a single yellow nylon water skiing rope that was tied to the back of D.L.'s family car............while D.L.'s children rode in and steered the RACE CAR as the family made its way from THE Beach to Little River. You know, you don't see that too much these days..........actually such a sight was rare THEN..........but that was racing, in the '60's.A close inspection of the new Sugg's racing coupe, once they got 'er, in the pits and un-hooked and what-all, revealed a tire-less car/auto rim laying flat and welded to the coupe's floor. On top of this rim was the driver's seat..........actually the height worked out real good..........when ya find something that works.......... just go with it. And AROUND this rim was a bicycle inner tube. The OTHER end of the inner tube was looped over the clutch pedal..................voila'...........a clutch pedal return spring.............!!! Did I mention finding something that worked.............? This close inspection, also revealed the coupe's body significantly "leaning" toward the left side..........and it was not related to the car's "wedge". It was the tired ol' body. In the jalopy feature, that very night, D.L. made contact with the "wall" coming out the 4th turn. The new coupe did a couple of end over ends but landed on it wheels, and pointing in the proper direction. when the dust had settled, it was just a bare frame, with D.L. still sitting in his rim-mounted-bicyclye-inner-tubed-loooped-seat. The tired and listing ol' body was slung completely off!It was just another night at the races. Nothing special, and not that this night stood out anymore than all the rest, it's just that I remember every single detail some 45 years later. D.L.? that was hardly the last the coastal racing community would see of him............matter of fact, he would come, RUSH to my very own rescue..........at a go-kart race..........a decade in the future. But that's another story.That's "why" we race. It's the memories.........if ya leave the track angry, mad, or emotional, you've really lost it all...........'cause all you're ever gonna get from this is fun and memories.........but they are worth more than gold!