NEESES -- Tons of asphalt, thousands of feet of concrete wall, glistening aluminum stands, state-of-the-art timing equipment, temperature-controlled restrooms and a brand new concession stand.

Most of these are luxuries you wouldn't expect to find at a small, Southern, drag racing facility -- but each of them are features of Orangeburg Drag Strip LLC under the ownership of 63-year-old Buddy Boozer of Yemassee, whose goal was to make the drag strip as safe for drivers and spectators as possible.

Boozer -- owner of a bait and sporting good shop in Yemassee and partial owner of the Boozer Shopping Center in Columbia -- said he has already dropped more than $3 million in renovating the drag strip, and that figure could easily climb with the amount of work left to do, including placing the finishing touches on the track, planting grass and paving some five miles of road winding through the grounds.

"We've still got a lot of work to do," he said.

While not a racer himself, Boozer is the owner of two pro-modified drag cars -- a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Sonny Tindal of Cayce and a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette driven by Greg Godwin of Walterboro.

"I've always wanted a drag strip," he said. "I used to have some of the baddest street cars around Columbia in the '60s and '70s."

He also sponsors a junior dragster for 9-year-old Timmy Clifton Jr. of Yemassee.

For a year, Boozer has left his home in Yemassee for the drag strip at 5 a.m. every morning -- seven days a week except when it's pouring down rain -- and arrives back at 8:45 p.m. or so every night.

"I'd much rather be out here than in the real estate office or shopping center," he said, although he admits he probably shouldn't put in such long hours because of a quintuple bypass surgery he underwent in July 2002.

When Boozer first purchased the Orangeburg Drag Strip for a reported $660,000 from former owners Zane and Jimmy Dewitt in July 2005, he said much of the facility was falling apart. After assessing his purchase, Boozer called in a demolition crew from Columbia to "take it all down" and said he received maybe $4,000 for some of the debris hauled from the track.

"We've torn down everything except the old tower," he said -- a tower relocated from Central Correctional Institute in Columbia following its closure and subsequent demolition in the mid-1990s.

Among those helping with the drag strip's reincarnation are long-time track announcer Marvin Edgemon and fans and racers Skipper Davis, Skipper Davis Jr., Randy Brady, Ronnie Boozer, Timmy Clifton Jr., "Leon" from the drag strip, Sonny Tindal of Tindal's Electrics and William "Tootee" Tippins of Tootee's Race Cars.

Guardrails that once separated spectators from cars have been replaced with steel-reinforced concrete walls measuring 32 inches high, 12 inches wide at the top and 21 inches wide at the base.

"It's a lot safer than what it was," Boozer said. "I don't think a tractor-trailer could drive through them.

"I've seen people get hurt bad with guardrails, and I don't like guardrails. We race on plenty of tracks that are completely guardrails, but I'm one that believes they are not safe."

Brand new aluminum bleachers have been placed on either side of the eighth-mile track -- and are set a good 50 feet away from it.

The track itself is a 6-inch thick slab of concrete from start to finish and is wider than its predecessor. Sensors placed along the track will pick up the most accurate readings on a driver's speed, distance and time.

"It's amazing how fast those cars will take off ... like a shot out of a cannon," said Boozer, whose own cars can reach speeds of 180-plus mph in an eighth-mile.

Wells that once supplied the track's only source of water have been deemed unsafe and replaced with city water. The well will, however, still supply water for cars and grounds maintenance.

Spectators can grab a bite to eat at the new concession stand as they enjoy International Hotrod Racing Association-sanctioned events at the drag strip, and the connecting restrooms will be temperature-controlled.

"It's all state of the art," said Jerre Tippins of Shesayso Productions, which has been handling public relations for the drag strip. "All of us business people really appreciate what he (Boozer) has done for the county."

Orangeburg Drag Strip LLC, sanctioned by the IHRA, will be able to host larger and varying divisions of racing events, bringing visitors to the Orangeburg area and money to the local economy, she said.

When the track is completed, Boozer said he will hold several test sessions at the drag strip for racers to get a feel for the track. The events, which have yet to be announced, will be free to the public, he said.

"We're also endeavoring to be very family oriented," Tippins said, offering junior dragster events and providing a playground for the tiniest racing fans.

Boozer said he can't wait to begin holding races at the track, even though specific days and times of operation and admission price have not yet been determined.

"I'm excited," he said. "I just wish I could go ahead and get it open."

For more information about advertising opportunities at Orangeburg Drag Strip LLC, call Tippins at 803-247-2193. Visit www.orangeburgdragstripllc.com for the latest photos and updates on the track's progress and upcoming events.

T&D Staff Writer Wendy Jeffcoat can be reached at wjeffcoat@timesanddemocrat .com and 803-534-1060. Discuss this and other stories online at TheT&D.com.

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