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By Jessica Hicks Spears
As children grow into adults and embark on their careers and lives, it’ s unusual for a family to spend nearly every weekend together. Although, it seems the competitors at Greer Dragway are an exception to that rule. It feels as if you are visiting multiple family reunions within one facility while strolling through the pits full of siblings, cousins, in-laws, parents, and their children enjoying each other’ s company while brandishing a healthy dose of on-track rivalry. At the center of all the action is the deep-rooted dynasty that has kept Greer Dragway running efficiently for decades: the Greer family. The foundation for a lifelong commitment to drag racing dates back to the 1970s, when the matriarch, Vyrle Greer, patrolled the pits as security before becoming an official employee of Greer Dragway under Roland McAbee’ s management. Her son, Mike, started drag racing a few years prior, and he eventually became the track manager in 1988 when McAbee passed away. He managed Greer Dragway for over 20 years before becoming the owner in 2010.
Throughout the last 15 years, many improvements have been made to the facility, including a concrete racing surface and walls, climate-controlled bathrooms, covered grandstands, and a new concession building. That is where you can find his wife, Roxanne, and her team delivering freshly made food at affordable prices.
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Mike and Roxanne’ s daughter, Alisha, inherited the knowledge of operating the racetrack by being involved from a young age. At age 10, she first began racing in the Jr. Dragster ranks, where she met her eventual husband, Brandon, and competed for over 20 years before diving into her current role as the track operator. Their daughter, Maci, has now stepped into the driver’ s seat and is entering her second season in a Jr. Dragster at 8. So, if you’ re keeping count, four generations of the Greer family work or race every weekend, including Vyrle, who continued to greet winning racers at the payout window at 95 years old. She passed away just days before this |
issue went to print.
Several other families have cultivated a passion for drag racing at the smalltown facility throughout its nearly seven decades of operation. Marriages have bloomed, lifelong friendships formed, and children continue watching their family compete until they are old enough to buckle in for the ride. For a high-adrenaline sport with little room for error, drag racing also provides many families the perfect environment to enjoy each other’ s company week after week. Next time you’ re in the neighborhood of Greer, South Carolina, stop into Greer Dragway, and you will see exactly what I mean. DI
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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JESSICA HICKS SPEARS AND KAITLYN WARD |