Peoria Speedway – 2013

What’s this new obsession?…………….more in “The Details”.

Who goes to a tavern in the middle of the day?……………..more in “The Details”

Why is the Peoria Speedway so special? ………..details in “Race Review”.

Not just trackchasing.

This is day 3 of my 28-day trackchasing adventure.  It’s important to note that not every day of the trip will be devoted to trackchasing.  A couple of days will be spent “racechasing”.  A few days will be spent with my newest obsession.

What is “racechasing”?

Recall that “racechasing” happens when a race fan chooses a racetrack solely on the quality of racing to be seen.  Yesterday’s visit to the Eldora Speedway for the NASCAR truck race fit that bill.  So does tonight’s race at the Peoria Speedway.  I don’t get the chance to racechase as often as I would like.  However, when I do go racechasing you can bet the tracks I’m going to see are special to me.

What’s this new obsession?

There will be a few days, not many, during this long trip where I can’t find any new tracks to see.  This will happen primarily during the middle of the week.  Sometimes there ARE tracks I could re-visit.  However, if they don’t offer a special entertainment option I won’t visit them.  I spend enough time on my trackchasing hobby that I don’t need to go back to tracks that hold no special charm with me.

On some of these “off” days you will be introduced to a new “sub-hobby” aka obsession if you will of mine.  This will be an exciting addition to my trackchasing.  Logistically, this new hobby will go hand in hand with my trackchasing efforts.  Stay tuned to find out more about that in coming reports.

A tank of gas….every day.

I woke up this morning in Richmond, Indiana.  I went to bed in Champaign, Illinois.  This is what today looked like.

After last night’s big event in Ohio I ended up staying overnight in the Indiana border town of Richmond.  I then ventured nearly 300 miles over to Peoria, Illinois the city where I was born.  Finally, after tonight’s races I made the 80-mile tow back eastward to Champaign, Illinois.  Even when I think I have a simple plan I still manage to burn a tank of gas. 

Who says you can’t go back home?  I do all the time.

I was headed to my hometown today.  That would be East Peoria, Illinois.  Some folks get East Peoria confused with Peoria, Illinois.  It’s important to note that these two cities, although only separated by the Illinois River, are in two different counties.  East Peoria is part of Tazewell County.  Peoria is in, what else, Peoria County.

Peoria has a current population of about 115,000 people.  It is home to the world headquarters of the Caterpillar Tractor Company.  Peoria, Arizona was named after Peoria, Illinois because it’s two founders were from Peoria, Illinois!  Comedian Richard Pryor, musician Dan Fogleberg and sports announcer Jack Brickhouse are some of the more notable people to come from Peoria.

Who goes to a tavern in the middle of the day?

My first stop today was Mooney’s Pub.  Yes, it was Thursday and it was about noon.  What was I doing in a tavern?  I was meeting Mr. Scott Shults.  Scott originated the Peoria Old Timers Racing Club (Peoria Old Timers Racing Club).  The club’s objective is “Remembering the Great Stock Car Drivers From the Past at Peoria Area Speedways”.

Scott started this club all the way back in 1981.  As the “World’s #1 Trackchaser”, whose boyhood track was the Peoria Speedway, I had the honor of being inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2011.  Of all the things in racing that I’ve seen and done nothing tops this honor.

Mooney’s Pub.

Mooney’s Pub in Peoria has a special room devoted to the old time racers from the Peoria Speedway.  The walls are covered with 8” x 10” photos of all the cars and stars from the Peoria Speedway near the Mt. Hawley Airport and the current Peoria Speedway on Farmington Road.  I could look at those photos for hours.  The memories are what make the Peoria Speedway my most favorite track out of the more than 1,900 that I have visited.

Lunch at Mooney’s Pub with Scott Shults

Today Scott and I would have lunch (they serve excellent pizza at Mooneys), catch up on what we had each been doing and reminisce about the past racing action at the Peoria Speedway.  I had seen Scott earlier this season at the Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Illinois where he handles the announcing chores.

Scott with two of Peoria’s all-time greats, Herb Shannon and Don Bohlander.

Scott was also the track announcer at the Peoria Speedway for 18 seasons.  During the summer he announces for the famous women’s softball team the Pekin Lettes.  If you’re ever at the Softball Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma you’ll see the members of the Lettes who have made it to that hall of fame.

Scott was also a racer of some note.  He raced USAC stock cars, mixed it up with the Iowa boys in places like Des Moines and raced at the Peoria Speedway.  Alas, Scott’s true talent seems to lie behind the microphone.

It was time to go home.

Following my lunch and afternoon with Scott I drove across the river back into my hometown of East Peoria, Illinois.  I lived in East Peoria until I graduated from high school.  For whatever reason I always try to stop back in the old neighborhoods, across the country, where I lived before settling in California.

If you want to check out where I grew up don’t miss the Picasa slide show or YouTube video of my visit to the Peoria Speedway.  For the first 15 years of my life I lived at 411 Doering.  Then we moved to 331 Arnold Avenue in East Peoria in 1964.  I live there through 1967.  Then it was off to college in DeKalb, Illinois and the rest is history as they say.

I checked out my boyhood home on Zillow.com.  There it tells me the house has all of 662 square feet.  Heck, the RANLAY Events Center (my indoor basketball court) has more space than that.  Before we go any further don’t be telling those Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers I have an indoor basketball court.  I’ll never here the end of it!

It was good to see these guys.

Scott and I had agreed to meet up for the races at the Peoria Speedway.  Scott, having been the announcer at Peoria for years, ran into many of his friends all night. 

Scott was also able to “re-introduce” me to a couple of long lost buddies.  First up was Mike Underwood.  Mike and his family used to live across the street from me when we were about ten years old.  I hadn’t seen Mike in more than 50 years!  Today Mike bears a striking resemblance to former Charlotte Motor Speedway track president Humpy Wheeler.

L-R. Larry Allen, Mike Underwood, me, Larry’s son.

It was fun talking to Mike.  Mike then escorted me over to meet Larry Allen.  I grew up with Larry’s younger brother Bobby.  Larry and Bobby and their dad Floyd, better known to everyone as “Pud” operated Allen Automotive forever.  They fielded the famous #16 Chevy stock cars.  It was probably the Allen’s more than anyone in this world that got me interested in stock car racing.

Sadly, Bobby died about ten years ago from a heart attack.  Pud has also passed from old age.  Larry continues to go to the races and sits in the top row of turn four.  Folks, it’s a small world and getting smaller all the time.  It’s fun to see people that you’ve haven’t seen in 50 years!  It made tonight’s visit to the Peoria Speedway all the more rewarding.

ONE CANNOT LIVE WELL OR SLEEP WELL IF ONE HAS NOT DINED WELL

Mooney’s Pub – Peoria, Illinois

I went to Mooney’s to have lunch with Scott Shults and visit the Peoria Old Timers Racing Club Hall of Fame display.  However, I’m here to tell you, they serve some great pizza at Mooney’s and the staff is more than friendly.  Check ’em out!  Plus, I LOVE their logo.

Peoria Speedway – Peoria, Illinois

#1 out of more than 1,900.

The Peoria Speedway is my all-time favorite track of the more than 1,900 tracks where I have seen racing.  How can that be?  How can one single track be the “most favorite” out of all the places I’ve been?

Permit me to explain.  I first started coming to the Peoria Speedway in about 1955.  At that time the “Peoria Speedway” was located out by the old Mt. Hawley Airport in Peoria.  In 1965 the speedway relocated to its current home along Farmington Road in Peoria.  I don’t have the details on why the track changed locations. 

When you think about it there are very few racetracks that have been in business for more than 60 years even if they did change locations one time during that span.  I find it amazing that I’ve been going to the Peoria Speedway for almost 60 years!

Why is the Peoria Speedway so special?

What makes the Peoria Speedway so special?  First of all, the track is a quarter-mile high-banked dirt oval.  Every aspect of that description will tell you why Peoria is so special to me.

I like oval tracks.  Why?  Because I can see the racing 100% of the time.  I know that most other countries race almost exclusively on road courses.  I suspect road courses are great fun for the driver.  However, as a fan, often times you won’t be able to see the cars for as much as 50% of the racing lap.  Frequently the viewing opportunity is much less than that.

Yes, I like ovals.  However, I like short ovals the best.  A quarter-mile track is perfect for bunching up the cars.  They do their share of “beating and banging” and I like that type of action.

Finally the Peoria Speedway is a high-banked dirt track.  I prefer dirt racing to asphalt racing.  With racing on dirt it seems as if the driver is a more important part of the equation.  Finally, the more banking the better.  With banking cars can race on different parts of the track.  At Peoria you can see cars battle side-by-side lap after lap.  One car will be hugging the bottom and one will be slapping its tail against the outside wall.  Please don’t miss the video of the racing action I saw today.

Doesn’t the Midwest weather ever let up?

The Peoria Speedway is positioned next to Kickapoo Creek.  It’s not unusual for spring rains to bring flooding to the area.  This year the floods were at their worst.  How bad were they?  The creek overflowed its banks to the degree that the Peoria Speedway had to cancel TWO MONTHS of their season because of the flooding.  Back in 1974 and 1975 Peoria Speedway’s famous “Illinois State Championship” race was cancelled by flooding.

The floods resulted in all of the permanent buildings (there weren’t that many) being destroyed.  I believe the concession stand had been there for nearly 50 years.  Today they have a temporary race trailer serving as the concession stand.  I was surprised to see they have Maid-Rites on the menu!

The racing is always great.

The racing was good as it always is*.  However, as the night wears on, the track can get dirty and dusty.  It wasn’t too bad tonight but when my entire family went a couple of years ago it was as dusty during feature time as I could ever remember.

I once went to the Peoria Speedway with Belgium Roland Vanden Eynde.  We were in town to see the UMP Summer Nationals stock car race.  On that night the racing at Peoria was well below average.  Why?  The UMP format called for all of the fast cars to start up front.  They didn’t water the track and it was dusty from the get go.  I won’t ever go back for a UMP Summer Nationals event at Peoria.

We watched the racing differently back in the day.

Yes, the Peoria Speedway was my boyhood track.  Back in the day we would be standing in line BEFORE the gates even opened waiting to buy our tickets and get a top row seat.  We would sit through wheel packing, hot laps, time trials and then watch every race of the evening.  It would be rare if nearly 100% unlikely for a trackchaser to do that in today’s racing world.  For whatever reason we never went down into the pit area (the cars were pitted in the track’s infield for many years) after the races.  It was always a mad dash after the late model feature event to get to the car and get on home….even though “home” was just ten minutes away.

I will never forget these names.

I’ve been to the Peoria Speedway hundreds of times.  By going that much I knew the names and racing histories of all the drivers.  Names like Don Bohlander, Ed Bolen, Coy Holt, Lloyd Caldwell, Jerry Roedell, Johnny Beauchamp (yes the Johnny Beauchamp that was declared the winner of the first ever Daytona 500, only to have that decision reversed three days later giving the victory to Lee Petty – Richard’s father), the Strube family (there were about eight of them), Veral Boken, Rocky Nohl, Herb Shannon and many many others.  As you can tell I loved the Peoria Speedway and all of my boyhood heroes who came there every Saturday night and holidays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

STATE COMPARISONS

Illinois

The Illini State

I’ve seen 85 lifetime tracks in the Illini state, yes the Illini state.  However I’ve visited the Peoria Speedway hundreds of times during my lifetime.  I hope to go back every year for a very long time to come.

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

Randy Lewis

World’s #1 Trackchaser

Peoria Old Timers Racing Club (P.O.R.C.) Hall of Fame Member

Illinois sayings:  Land of Lincoln

QUICK FACTS

AIRPLANE

Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – Dallas, TX (DFW) – 1,232 miles

Dallas, TX (DFW) – Nashville, TN – 630 miles

RENTAL CAR #1

Nashville International Airport – trip begins

Bowling Green, KY

Indianapolis International Airport – 315 miles

RENTAL CAR #2

Indianapolis International Airport – trip begins

Rossburg, OH

Peoria, IL

TRACK ADMISSION PRICES:

Southern Kentucky Fairgrounds – $13

Eldora Speedway – $40 (not trackchasing expense)

Peoria Speedway – $13 (not trackchasing expense)

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER COMPARISONS 

The three most important trackchasing comparisons to me are:

Total lifetime tracks seen

Total “trackchasing countries” seen

Lifetime National Geographic Diversity results

Total Lifetime Tracks

There are no trackchasers currently within 350 tracks of my lifetime total.  Don’t blame me.

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,869

Total Trackchasing Countries

There are no trackchasers currently within 10 countries of my lifetime total. 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 65

Current lifetime National Geographic Diversity results

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 5.10

That’s all folks!  Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report