OME OF Rhett Gardner ’ s earliest memories are at the dragstrip . Specifically , Darlington Dragway , where he ’ d study his elementary school vocabulary words while his father raced . He had no idea at the time that those formative years at the racetrack would eventually lead to a career in drag racing , serving in track official roles at two historic facilities , Darlington and New England Dragway .

When he was old enough , Gardner got his feet wet in a Jr . Dragster , spending the first year or so just tinkering around and getting seat time . That training was rewarded with a win in his very first race . He went on to win an IHRA Division 2 Jr . Dragster championship before stepping into the big car that his dad previously grudge raced .

Gardner , who grew up 10 minutes away from Darlington , struck up a friendship with local businessman Russell Miller , who purchased the track and assumed operations in December 2015 . One night while eating out at the Applebee ’ s in downtown Hartsville , South Carolina , with his parents , Gardner saw Russell and his wife , DeeDee , walk in . Miller introduced himself and said the couple had watched Gardner grow up at the track and would like for him to drive their Top Sportsman car , which Gardner grew up admiring and complimenting whenever he saw Russell . Gardner did end up driving for a stint , but he also traveled with the family ’ s PDRA Pro Boost team with Tylor Miller driving .

While he was in high school , Gardner got a part-time job at Darlington . He worked there through college . After graduating , he got a job as a microbiologist for Nestlé Waters , working on products like Nestlé Pure Life bottled water , but it wasn ’ t what Gardner ultimately wanted to do . He called Miller and asked if he had any full-time positions available . As it turned out , Miller was looking for a new track manager , so Gardner was hired as the assistant general manager , then promoted to GM , a role he held for five years . During that time , Darlington was named the 2018 PDRA Track of the Year and inducted into the IHRA Hall of Fame in 2022 .

Gardner ’ s time at his home track came to an end when he chose to support his wife , Autumn , whose career in the medical field sent her to New Hampshire in 2022 .

“ She was very supportive of me while we were together and I was working at Darlington ,” says Gardner , now 29 . “ She ’ s an anesthesiologist and she had to do her residency . You don ’ t get to pick where you go . They tell you where you ’ re

going . She was told that she had to go to New Hampshire , so I traveled with her and it just happened to work out that Epping was looking for somebody to help fill a void . The track is actually an hour and a half away from where I live . I drive a long ways to work here because I love it .”

New England Dragway is around 900 miles away from Darlington Dragway , and the two are equally different when it comes to the events and racers they host . The Epping , New Hampshire , track was previously a mainstay on the IHRA national event tour like Darlington once was , but it now hosts the NHRA New England Nationals , an NHRA divisional , and numerous bracket races and nostalgia events . It ’ s a shift from the eighth-mile-heavy Darlington scene with its Wednesday night grudge racing , nearly daily NHRA Pro Stock and Pro Mod testing , and outlaw events .

“ It ’ s so cool to be a part of national event and having a divisional . It ’ s just awesome ,” Gardner says of serving as the race director at Epping , which is owned by more than 200 shareholders .

“ Up here , it ’ s very die-hard , old-school racers . We have a . 90 weekly series with Super Street , Super Comp , and Super Gas . It is die-hard , quarter-mile bracket racing . All of our bracket races are quarter mile . I think we ’ re probably one of the only few tracks left that still do quarter-mile bracket races .”

Gardner hopes to someday get back to driving as well , even admitting that he ’ s looked around for cars on Facebook Marketplace . But for now , he ’ s focused on his opportunity as race director at NED . After all , it ’ s a whole lot more exciting than looking at test tubes of drinking water .

“ I really want to thank Russell and DeeDee Miller for giving me my start and having faith in a kid ,” Gardner says , also thanking his wife and parents Garrett and Robin . “ I was only 22 when I started . I was young , and they really put their faith in me to run a big , legendary facility . That really got my start to be able to do what I wanted to do . I ’ d also like to thank Paul Lorenti [ New England Dragway president ] and the board of directors for allowing me to continue my passion at NED .” – NATE VAN WAGNEN DI

138 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 191