Drag Illustrated Issue 152, January 2020 | Page 42

D.I. COLUMNIST
On the Road
with Van Abernethy
A
s I sit here looking out
across Mississippi’s coastline
from the balcony of Steve’s
Marina Restaurant in Long Beach,
Mississippi, it’s hard to believe an-
other year is about to slip by. The
fact that I’m at this particular res-
taurant can only mean one thing:
winter is closing in fast and I’ve
just made my annual pilgrimage to
Gulfport Dragway, positioned along
the warm gulf waters of southern
Mississippi. Gulfport Dragway is a
favorite stop of mine that I always
save for late in the year, after many
other tracks to the north have closed
for the season.
When I first visited Gulfport in
December 2014, my fondest mem-
ory was meeting Henry Hutto and
his wife, Cindy. They’ve lived
on the bayou for much of
their lives, and carved out
a living for themselves in
the shrimping business.
They had brought some of
their catch to the track on
the weekend I visited and
invited me to the feast they
had planned! The shrimp
were huge – the size of sil-
ver dollars, I distinctly re-
member. They boiled them
to perfection along with po-
tatoes and corn on the cob.
It was a Gulf Coast feast I’ll
never forget! I’ve remained
in touch with the Huttos on
Facebook ever since.
Something else I’ll never
forget from that first visit to
Gulfport five years ago was
the impromptu meeting I
had with Erica Enders and
her then husband, Richie
Stevens. Erica had just
clinched her first NHRA
Pro Stock championship
the week prior and she and
Richie came out to Gulf-
port to cheer on their young
friends, Cody and Harlie
Nye, who both were compet-
ing in Gulfport’s Jr. Dragster
ranks. The pits were buzzing
with excitement as a result.
As the sun was setting on
this perfect weekend, that’s
when I discovered Steve’s
Marina Restaurant five years
ago. Since it was December
I practically had the
restaurant’s balcony
all to myself...as well
the entire shoreline
for that matter. I
pulled off my shoes
and walked along
the coast and didn’t
see another soul for
miles, save a fisher-
man or two off in the
distance.
Back at the restaurant I sat out
on the balcony and enjoyed a sea-
food platter, and I’ve returned to
Steve’s Marina Restaurant each and
every year when visiting Gulfport
Dragway, including my most recent
trip in mid-November. The coastal
waters were calmer than usual as
I sat there clicking
away at this column
on my iPad.
It will be mid-
January when this
issue lands in mail-
boxes, and again, I’m
stunned at the swift-
ness of time, which
seems to gain steam
with each passing
year. Even though all
the major racing leagues have ended
their respective seasons, the “Van
Tour” never stops. After Gulfport, I
head back home to my native North
Carolina, where many Thanksgiving
races are scheduled during the lat-
ter part of the month, including the
Loose Rocker Fall Footbrake Frenzy
at Piedmont Dragway.
In early December, it’s time to
travel to Bradenton, Florida, for
the legendary Snowbird Nationals.
In recent years, I’ve made the trek to
Bradenton just as snow would begin
to fall here at home. Meanwhile in
Florida, Pro Mods are blistering the
track, jet cars are spewing fire, while
Open Outlaw entries are running
insane numbers.
After the Snowbirds, I hastily
drive to Indy for PRI. Talk about
a climate change that shocks the
senses! I’ve left Bradenton before
on a Monday and two days later
feel the sting of snow hitting me
squarely in the face, propelled by a
25-mph headwind as I walk down
S. Capital Ave to Lucas Oil Stadium,
all the while wondering why
I’m not still in Florida! Once
inside the stadium, though,
and the PRI scene unfolds
before my eyes, I remem-
ber why I came and why it’s
worth it.
Afterwards, I typically
take the next few weeks off
for Christmas, which often
represents the bulk of my
offseason! Shortly after
Christmas, I’m back on the
road to Kinston Dragway in
North Carolina for Winter-
fest, typically held the first
week of January.
A few weeks later, I’m
back in Bradenton for the
U.S. Street Nationals, and if I
can work out the scheduling
I love visiting Immokalee
Regional Raceway. Throw
in some Everglades fishing
and I’m a happy camper!
By February, it’s time for
Donald Long’s Lights Out
event at South Georgia Mo-
torsports Park and also the
NHRA Lucas Oil series is
beginning to start up in the
deep south.
By March, it’s wide open
again and suddenly I’ll have
races stacked upon races!
It’s a perpetual swing that
never really ends, and thank-
fully so. I wouldn’t be mad
though if time would slow
down a bit...just so I could
enjoy it longer!
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I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
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Issue 152