2018 Trackchasing Goals
Editor’s note: You will find my latest goal results printed in RED below as they are posted at the end of each quarter. The goals themselves appear in BLUE.
Having goals in life is important. It doesn’t take much effort to set a few goals. However, there are some aspects of goal setting that ought to be considered. Why set any goals in the first place? It’s simple. By setting goals you can “stretch” to achieve more and/or improve yourself in whatever area you find important.
If you’re going to set goals there are a few things that will make the process better. First, the goals have to be as specific as possible. The more specific they are the easier it will be to see if you achieved your goals. It’s also most important to tell folks who care what your goals are BEFORE you try to achieve them. If one doesn’t do that it’s easy to “forget” about a goal when it is not achieved. It’s all too easy to pat yourself on the back for a goal that might only have “materialized” AFTER you achieved it! I’ve seen a trackchaser or two fall into this category. Finally, it doesn’t do much good to set “softball” goals. What’s that? Goals that can pretty much be achieved just by getting out of bed in the morning. I see that a lot too. No softball goals!
I think you will find my goals specific. I publish my goals during January of each year. So there you go. My goals are “out there” for all to see. Now I’ll go about doing the best I can against those goals that are important to me in trackchasing. At the end of each quarter I’ll post the results. Stay tuned. I probably won’t make them all but I will be trying.
GOALS/RESULTS
Below you will find my 2018 trackchasing goals for my 2018 trackchasing season.
Continue the sharing of my trackchasing hobby via social media.
Produce a minimum of 50 YouTube videos for my YouTube channel: RANLAY. Current 1/1/18 film total: 1,132. Increase minutes viewed to 1.8 million lifetime – currently 1/1/18 – 1.5 million. Increase total views to more than one million – currently 1/1/18 – 900,000+. Add at least 100 new Trackchaser Reports to my website. Share SmugMug photo album, YouTube video and Trackchaser Report on my Facebook page for each new track attended.
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
As of April 1, 2018, I had posted 1,157 videos on my YouTube channel. That’s twenty-five of those during the quarter. Lifetime minutes viewed are now at 1,591,647 and total views are 941,403. My computer guy told me my website had 150 views in a single day last week. That’s on a pace for a 45,000-view month. I am pleased with the impact my social media is doing for my trackchasing. I’m also very appreciative of the folks who learn about trackchasing through me.
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
Through the end of the second quarter I have posted 1,181 videos on my YouTube channel. That’s twenty-four new productions during the quarter. Lifetime minutes viewed are now at 1,648,900. That’s more than 50,000 minutes of viewing this quarter!
Total views at my YouTube channel, “RANLAY: are now 971,010. At this pace, and with it being the summer when views of auto racing videos are the highest, I should come very close to reaching ONE MILLION views by the end of the third quarter. Will YOU be the one millionth viewer? Folks have looked at my videos more than 40,000 times during the quarter. I continue to value and appreciate the impact my social media is doing for the hobby of trackchasing. If folks can get their first exposure to trackchasing through me that’s a good thing.
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
I did achieve a pretty significant YouTube milestone during the third quarter. My YouTube channel, “RANLAY” surpassed the ONE MILLION view level. I’m pretty happy about that.
I produced 17 YouTube videos for my YouTube channel during the quarter bringing my lifetime count to 1,197 videos. That’s 65 YouTube videos created in nine months against a goal of fifty for the year.
My “minutes viewed” are now up to more than 1.7 million life-time. I’ve got right around 1,300 YouTube subscribers. So far this year I’ve added 82 new Trackchaser Reports to my website. My plan is coming along and I expect to share a SmugMug photo album, YouTube video and Trackchaser Report on my Facebook page for each new track attend I attend in 2018.
I’ve been invited to be part of the prestigious “Race Track Business Conference” in Indianapolis in December. A feller from Hollywood has contacted me about doing a special project. We’re just in the beginning stage as this is written. I don’t think I could be sharing the word about the hobby of trackchasing much more.
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
The absolute highlight of my being able to share my hobby of trackchasing came at Indianapolis, Indiana in December. I was invited by National Speedway Directory’s Tim Frost to be a guest speaker at the famous Race Track Business Conference. This conference, held during the PRI (Performance Racing Industry) trade show, attracted the movers and shakers of the auto racing industry be it promoters, racing media, race car drivers and more. I was able to share the “fan experience”, which is really what the racing portion of trackchasing is all about. Many of the other topics at the RTBC concentrated on exactly how can racetracks better use social media.
There are several aspects of the social media that I am not involved in at all. There’s only so much time in the day! Nevertheless, I did finish the year with more than 1,200 unique and hopefully interesting moving pictures being posted onto my YouTube channel, “RANLAY”. The “minutes viewed” on my YouTube channel went from 1.5 million to 1.8 million. My total YouTube views increased from 900,000+ to more than one million.
Trackchasing for me has always been about the “story”. I share the story via my Trackchaser Reports. If you’ve ever read one you know it’s a pretty complete verbal and pictorial essay of exactly what the “story” was behind each of the trips I took. I have nearly 900 Trackchaser Reports posted to my website, www.randylewis.org. Some cover more than one track visit. Most Trackchaser Reports come with a SmugMug photo album was well. The average photo album shares 100-200 photos of the racing but just as importantly the “trip”. I estimate that my website now offers links to more than one million photos from all of the trips I’ve completed.
My website, www.randylewis.org, is now garnering more than 25,000 views each month. There really isn’t any other trackchasing social media effort generating any broad scale appeal at all. I once commented, after seeing the viewership counter on another trackchasing focused website, that they didn’t have much of a following. As soon as I made that comment the viewership counter was removed from that website!
As the 2018 year wraps up I’m proud that so many people has gotten some exposure to my hobby of trackchasing. My hobby isn’t really all that much different than what other people do. It’s really a “collecting” hobby. Lots of people collect lots of things. I collect travel, people and racetrack experiences. I’ve been doing it for some time and hope to continue trackchasing as long as I have fun doing it.
Goal – Foreign country trackchasing
Add at least two new countries to my trackchasing list. As I enter the 2018 trackchasing season I have seen racing in 77 countries. This is definitely a stretch goal. It will be difficult to achieve. However, I’m confident I can make this happen. Below is my current foreign country track list. It’s a long one isn’t it!
# 1 – UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – Peoria Speedway – Mt. Hawley (oval) – Track #1, Peoria, Illinois – circa 1955
# 2 – CANADA – Cayuga Speedway (oval) – Track #174, Nelles Corner, Ontario – 1988
# 3 – AUSTRALIA – Parramatta City Raceway (oval) – Track #180, Granville, New South Wales – 1989
# 4 – UNITED KINGDOM – Northhampton International Raceway (oval) – Track #378, Northhampton – 1999
# 5 – NETHERLANDS – Driesum Racetrack (oval) – Track #839, Driesum – 2005
# 6 – BELGIUM – Bellekouter oval (oval) – Track #841, Affligem – 2005
# 7 – FRANCE – Circuit de Croix en Ternois (road course) – Track #843, Saint-Pol sur-Ternoise – 2005
# 8 – GERMANY – Nurburgring (road course) – Track #844, Nurburg – 2005
# 9 – NEW ZEALAND – Western Springs Speedway (oval) – Track #1,134, Western Springs – 2006
# 10 – MEXICO – Triovalo Bernardo Obregon (oval) – Track #1,281, Tiajamulco de Zuniga, Jalisco – 2007
# 11 – BARBADOS – Bushy Park Racing Circuit (road course) – Track #1,296, Bushy Park – 2007
# 12 – THAILAND – Bira Circuit (road course) – Track #1,300, Pattaya – 2008
# 13 – SOUTH AFRICA – Durban Grand Prix (road course) – Track #1,315, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal – 2008
# 14 – JAMAICA – Dover Raceway (road course) – Track #1,322, Brown’s Town St. Ann – 2008
# 15 – SWEDEN – Sturup Raceway (road course) – Track #1,335, Malmo – 2008
# 16 – DENMARK – Ring Djursland (road course) – Track #1,336, Tirstrup – 2008
# 17 – CZECH REPUBLIC – Automotodrome BRNO (road course) – Track #1,381, Brno – 2008
# 18 – AUSTRIA – Lambrechten Stock Car Track (road course) – Track #1,382, Lambrechten – 2008
# 19 – IRELAND – Tipperary International Raceway (oval) – Track #1,388, Rosegreen – 2008
# 20 – GUYANA – South Dakota Circuit (road course) – Track #1,390, Timehri – 2008
# 21 – CHINA – The Guia Circuit (road course) – Track #1,392, Macau – 2008
# 22 – COSTA RICA – Autodromo La Guacima (road course) – Track #1,398, La Guacima – 2008
# 23 – ANDORRA – Grandvalira Circuit (road course) – Track #1,404, Port d’Envalira – 2009
# 24 – ARGENTINA – Circuito Efren Chemolli (oval) – Track #1,406, Buenos Aires – 2009
# 25 – QATAR – Losail International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,408, Doha – 2009
# 26 – BAHRAIN – Bahrain International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,410, Sakhir – 2009
# 27 – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Dubai Autodrome (road course) – Track #1,411, Dubai – 2009
# 28 – COLOMBIA – Autodromo de Tocancipa (road course) – Track #1,415, Tocancipa – 2009
# 29 – SPAIN – Motorland Aragon (road course) – Track #1,416, Alcaniz – 2009
# 30 – PORTUGAL – Circuto de Murca (road course) – Track #1,417, Murca – 2009
# 31 – ICELAND – Kapelluhraum (road course) – Track #1,420, Hafnafjorour – 2009
# 32 – HUNGARY – Hungaroring (road course) – Track #1,426, Mogyorod – 2009
# 33 – SWITZERLAND – Hock Ybrig (road course) – Track #1,427, Hoch Ybrig – 2009
# 34 – ITALY – Vighizzolo d’Este Stock Car Track (road course) – Track #1,428, Vighizzolo d’Este – 2009
# 35 – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Autodromo Mobil 1 (road course) – Track #1,515, Santo Domingo – 2009
# 36 – MALTA – Ta’Qali Race Track (road course) – Track #1,521, Ta’Qali – 2010
# 37 – FINLAND – Lake Pidisjarvi Ice Track (road course) – Track #1,524, Nivala – 2010
# 38 – JAPAN – Suzuka Circuit (road course) – Track #1,530, Suzuka – 2010
# 39 – CHILE – Autodromo de Interlomas (road course) – Track #1,531, Temuco – 2010
# 40 – MOROCCO – Circuit de Marrakesh (road course) – Track #1,535, Marrakesh – 2010
# 41 – BRAZIL – Circuit de Caruaru – Aryten Senna (road course) – Track #1,540, Caruaru – 2010
# 42 – ESTONIA – Laitse Rally Park (road course) – Track #1,571, Laitse – 2010
# 43 – LATVIA – Bikernieki (road course) – Track #1,572, Riga – 2010
# 44 – GUATEMALA – Autodromo Pedro Cofino (road course) – Track #1,580, Alotenango – 2010
# 45 – EL SALVADOR – El Jabali (road course) – Track #1,582, Quezaltepeque – 2010
# 46 – ROMANIA – Bradu (road course) – Track #1,603, Bradu – 2010
# 47 – BULGARIA – Closed Route – Burgas (road course) – Track #1,604, Burgas – 2010
# 48 – SOUTH KOREA – Korea International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,605, Yeongam, Jeollanam-Do – 2010
# 49 – PHILIPPINES – Batangas Racing Circuit (road course) – Track #1,608, Batangas – 2010
# 50 – NORWAY – Lyngas Motorbane (road course) – Track #1,648, Lier – 2011
# 51 – MALAYSIA – Sepang International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,656, Sepang – 2011
# 52 – INDONESIA – Sentul International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,657, Babakan Madang, Boder – 2011
# 53 – LUXEMBOURG – Alzingen (road course) – Track #1,711, Alzingen – 2011
# 54 – POLAND – Tor Slomczyn (road course) – Track #1,713, Slomczyn – 2011
# 55 – SINGAPORE – Marina Bay (road course) – Track #1,714, Singapore – 2011
# 56 – URUGUAY – Piriapolis Grand Prix (road course) – Track #1,724, Piriapolis – 2011
# 57 – SRI LANKA – Pannala Race Track (road course) – Track #1,732, Pannala – 2012
# 58 – ECUADOR – Autodromo Internacional de Yahuarcocha (road course) – Track #1,736, Ibarra – 2012
# 59 – SLOVAKIA – Slovakia Ring (road course) – Track #1,745, Orechova Poten – 2012
# 60 – MONACO – Circuit de Monaco (road course) – Track #1,747, Monte Carlo – 2012
# 61 – CROATIA – Automotodrom Drobnik (road course) – Track #1,762, Rijeka – 2012
# 62 – PERU – Autodromo La Chutana (road course) – Track #1,802, Lima – 2012
# 63 – GREECE – Serres Circuit (road course) – Track #1,807, Serres – 2012
# 64 –RUSSIA – Moscow Central Hippodrome (oval) – Track #1,824, Moscow – 2013
# 65 –LITHUANIA – Marijampole Autocross Track (road course) – Track #1,842, Marijampole – 2013
# 66 –INDIA – Buddh International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,915, Noida – 2013
# 67 –GEORGIA – Rustavi International Motorpark (road course) – Track #1,916, Rustavi – 2013
# 68 –TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – Larry Gomes Stadium (road course) – Track #1,928, Arima – 2014
# 69 – TURKEY – Istanbul Park (road course) – Track #2,035 Akfirat – 2014
# 70 – AZERBAIJAN – Streets of Baku (road course) – Track #2,037, Baku – 2014
# 71 – SERBIA – Usce (road course) – Track #2,224, Belgrade – 2016
# 72 – BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVNIA – Zaluzani (road course) – Track #2,235, Banja Luka – 2016
# 73 – PANAMA – Circuito Internacional de Panama (road course) – Track #2,290, La Chorrera – 2016
# 74 – ZIMBABWE – Bulawayo Motorsports Park (road course) – Track #2,291, Bulawayo – 2016
# 75 – NAMIBIA – Desert Raceway (oval) – Track #2,369, Walvis Bay – 2017
# 76 – MACEDONIA – Skopje Street Course (road course) – Track #2,386, Skopje – 2017
# 77 – UKRAINE – Autodrome Chayka (road course) – Track #2,387, Kiev – 2017
# 78 – BELARUS – Stadium Zarya (oval) – Track #2,421, Minsk – 2018
# 79 – MALDIVES – Hulhumalé Racing Track (road course) – Track #2,425, Hulhumalé – 2018
# 80 – BOLIVIA – Autodromo Santa Cruz (road course) – Track #2,429, Santa Cruz – 2018
# 81 – MOLDOVA– Autocross Colonita (road course) – Track #2,503, Colonita – 2018
# 82 – SAUDI ARABIA– Ad Diriyah E-Prix (road course) – Track #2,514, Ad Diriyah – 2018
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
I never really expected to have met this goal during the first three months of the year. Being able to knock off first Belarus and then Maldives was my most major achievement of the year so far. By the end of the 2018 season I think this will also be at the top!
I’m made some really good friends during these international trips. I’ve met so many people. In Belarus it was Владимир Киселёвand in Maldives, Pohthu and Tonikey. Without them my trips would have been about half as enjoyable. If you haven’t had a drink or a meal or played a round of golf with someone you don’t really have a friend. I am friends will all of these folks. Meeting people from different cultures and seeing the sights is what international trackchasing is all about. Oh! One more thing. I don’t think I’m done with international trackchasing in new countries for this year!
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
My foreign trackchasing traveling carnival continued during the quarter. I made a nearly two-week visit to Bolivia. The highlight was meeting my in-country contact Manolo Chavez and his family and friends during the first week. Then Sergio Kosky and Raul Espada took care of me up in La Paz for the last week of my trip.
I saw racing at two different tracks in each end of the country. However, the true highlight was meeting the people, having meals in their homes and spending time with them in town and even at the circus! Of course, seeing the world’s biggest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni was fun at a 12,000-foot elevation no less. My visit to the Autodrome Pucarani, at 14,000 feet, was a real topper (pun intended)! This racetrack competes at the highest elevation of any in the world.
One more thing…..I don’t think I’m finished seeing new countries for this year….stay tuned.
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
I didn’t add any countries to my lifetime list of eighty during the quarter. After seeing racing literally all over the world, and adding Belarus, Maldives and Bolivia already this year could there be room for more?
Well….maybe. I will tell you this. I expect to add at least one new country to my lifetime trackchasing country list during the fourth quarter. “At least”? What does that mean? It means I could add more than one country during the fourth quarter. I’m not promising. I’m just saying I expect to add “at least” one more country to my lifetime countries list during the next quarter. Stay tuned!
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
The fourth quarter was absolutely huge for foreign trackchasing! First, Carol and I went to Moldova. I wonder how many people reading this have ever been there or could even pick it out on a map? We had a grand time. Eastern Europe is fantastic opportunity for touring. There’s a lot to see and everything is so inexpensive.
I finished my new country foreign trackchasing year with a trip to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia! I doubt many people have ever been to Moldova. I’ll bet FEWER folks have ever been to Saudi Arabia. Our son J.J. tipped me off to this idea. What a cultural experience. You won’t want to miss my Saudi Arabia Trackchaser Report. SA was my 82ndtrackchasing country.
I am known at the “World’s #1 Trackchaser”. Most people think that’s because I’ve seen racing at more racetracks than anyone else, 2,519. However, you don’t become the world’s #1 anything unless you’ve done it all over the world. I’m the World’s #1 Trackchaser because I’ve seen racing in 82 different countries. I’m proud to say that wife Carol is the World’s #3 Trackchaser, with her 46 different trackchasing countries.
Goal – Trackchasing/Exercise
When I’m traveling out on the long and dusty trackchasing trail it is difficult to take time to exercise. The more I trackchase the less time there is for taking care of one’s good health.
In 2018, I’ll go with a goal of exercising a minimum of 250 times for the year. This is one of my most difficult goals to meet. I travel on average about 180 nights a year. Of course, only a little less than half of those nights follow a new track visit. The trackchasing travel begins with the ice racing season passes through the heat of our midwestern summers and includes trips all over the world. I average between 200,000-250,000 travel miles every year. It will take some willpower to fly and drive all day in these conditions and still exercise to meet these goals. I’m looking forward to the challenge. This year I am increasing the power walk time to 60 minutes per outing or 45 minutes of elliptical training or more than four miles of daily walking.
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
Each year I do well against some goals and not so well with others. I did not have a good quarter with aerobic exercise in January-March. There are some reasons for this…but the bottom line is my results were not good.
During the 90-day quarter I had 45 nights of overnight travel. The more travel I do the less exercise I get. I also suffered an injury. A tear in my calf muscle resulted in a visit to my orthopedic doctor, a series of x-rays and nearly ten trips to our local rehab center. I’m back to 100% now. Nevertheless, I only exercised 56 times during the quarter against a goal of sixty-three. I’m seven behind pace. It is never good to fall behind against this goal. It’s hard to gain on the pace I need to achieve. Nevertheless, I think I can get back in the game if I don’t get hurt again.
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
There is no doubt about it. This is my toughest “trackchasing” goal. I traveled 97 nights during the first six months of the year. With that travel schedule it’s difficult to exercise on most days.
I entered the second quarter with a deficit of seven exercise periods of four miles of power walking and/or 45 minutes of elliptical training. In order to just maintain pace, I need to exercise 21 times each month or about five times a week. When I fall behind pace and still have to get 21 exercise periods in during the month….that’s a problem.
This quarter my results were April-27, May-21 and Jun-24. Those were great results. When I’m on the road I do a lot of walking in airports. I used to just sit in a chair while I waited for my flights. Now I walk. I’m happy to report I’m now two exercise periods ahead of my six-month goal. However, I can never let up. The calendar never stops!
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
Last year I traveled overnight 131 nights during the first three quarters of 2017 on the way to being out 171 nights for the year. In 2018, through the first three quarters of the year, I have already traveled 161 nights. That’s a pretty significant stat when you’re trying to get four miles of power walking in a day at a rate of at least five days a week.
This is definitely my toughest trackchasing goal to meet in 2018. With my travel schedule there are lots of days where I really don’t want to be exercising. If I didn’t have this goal I wouldn’t! There is definitely a benefit to establishing stretch (I didn’t say softball!) goals.
I’m proud to say that through September 30 I have now exercised 194 times. In July I came in with 17 exercise efforts. That was a sub-par performance because I have to exercise 21 times/month just to stay on pace. In August I came back with 25 exercise credits and finished with a strong September and 24 credits. This gives me a “cushion” of five exercise periods above where I need to be for the first nine months of the year. That’s not a lot. Nevertheless, I’d rather be five ahead than five behind! Barring injury and despite having a very robust fourth quarter travel schedule I expect to meet and exceed this goal.
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
At one point during the fourth quarter I thought I would make this goal easily. I was way ahead of pace to meet and exceed my goal of exercising 250 times for the year. Then I turned up with a bum knee. The doctor says it might be a torn interior meniscus. We’ll see on that.
After laying off any exercise for 2-3 weeks, the knee felt a little better. At this point I had fallen pretty far off the pace. I needed to exercise virtually every day during December in order to get back on pace. I ended up beating my annual goal by ONE. Yep. During 2018 I exercised for at least 60 minutes per power walking outing some 251 times. I needed to exercise on two of the year’s last three days to get this result. How’s the knee? Not perfect. Not sure if I’ll need a surgical procedure or not.
In so many ways my beating this goal was the most difficult goal of the year for overachievement. That’s primarily true because of the extensive travel that comes with my trackchasing hobby and my personal travel schedule as well.
During 2018 I traveled overnight 213 nights for the year. That’s a personal best. It’s not really a personal best that I’m proud of. That’s too much travel in my opinion. I “only” trackchased over 98 days in 2018. That might tell you how much personal travel accompanied my trackchasing.
During the year I traveled more than 284,000 miles. That’s a personal best too. That’s an average of nearly 800 miles every day of the year. It’s difficult to stay motivated and focused to exercise for an hour for 250 days when most of those days involved traveling 800 miles or more every day.
I do know this. I would never have exercised more than 250 times if I hadn’t set a goal to do just that. I wouldn’t have done a lot of things in life if I didn’t set a very specific, stretch yet achievable goal. I have always been a goal-setter. For me this works very well.
By the way if you want to check on me to see if I really AM exercising you’ll find me power walking at the beach on most days, with the exception of the Fourth of July when when the beach is just too danged crowded. Check out my 3-5-mile route. It’s not hard to get a good workout with the views along my route! Click on the link below to see what I mean.
San Clemente – The World’s Best Climate….and great for exercising
Goal – Trackchasing Tourist Attractions (TTA)
Folks, just in case you didn’t realize this by now I do not hit the long and dusty trackchasing trail only to see races. If at the end of my trackchasing career the only memories I have are seeing races, which will not be the case, I would have failed. I want to see those interesting and unusual things that every area in the world has. I’ve been doing a good job with TTAs in the past and hope to continue to do so. I will try to see as many of them during the year as I possibly can.
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
The idea of “seeing things” and “experiencing things” is at the top of my list as a reason for even being in trackchasing. I call this activity “Trackchasing Tourist Attractions”. I did well in this area.
In advance of Carol and I having a trackchasing effort in the Northeast we stopped off in New Orleans for an early wedding anniversary celebration. There we had a food tour of this famous city and a tour of the best WWII museum we’ve ever seen. Of course, we visited the best restaurants. Later in the quarter there were two separate trips to Florida for Grapefruit League spring training games.
Probably the biggest TTA of the quarter was a two-day trip up to Barrow, Alaska following some ice racing near Anchorage. Barrow is the northernmost city in the U.S. and my tour was something I will remember for a lifetime.
Then tours of capital cities including Minsk, Belarus and Male, Maldives were almost “standard” TTAs. In Minsk seeing the circus and visiting the opera were tops. In Male, taking ferry boats from island to island was a highlight. I’m not sure I can top a Trackchasing Tourist Attraction quarter like this one again this year.
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
I spent nearly two weeks in Bolivia. Half of that time was at an elevation of 12,000 feet or more. The top attraction down there by far was the Salar de Uyuni salt flat. It’s the biggest salt flat in the world. After that tour I stayed in a luxurious “all salt” hotel, the first all salt hotel in the world.
Through the first six months of the year I trackchased in 18 states, 3 Canadian provinces, a Mexican state and six different countries. Those countries were Belarus, Bolivia, Canada, Maldives, Mexico and the United States. At every turn I stopped to see, tour or dine in a special place. Those stops were really too numerous to mention. You can read all about them in my Trackchaser Reports or by visiting my Trackchasing Tourist Attractions link.
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
The real highlight of the quarter was a two-week trip to the Atlantic Canada region. Most of our focus was in Newfoundland and Labrador, a province we had never visited. We pretty much saw it all!
It was fun re-visiting Wrigley Field in Chicago. Wrigley was my “home” park when I first started going there with my grandfather when I was less than ten. A trip to Nashville that included the Lane Motor Museum, The Johnny Cash Museum and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum were near the top of the list. Trackchasing Tourist Attractions are a MAJOR part of this trackchasing hobby.
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
For me a new trackchasing country visit is jammed packed with Trackchasing Tourist Attractions. Having first time visits to Moldova and Saudi Arabia was over the top in “seeing stuff”. Don’t miss my Trackchaser Reports from those spots.
To top off those trips I went to Australia on two different trips during the fourth quarter. The first of those adventures included my rookie visit to the Australian state of Western Australia. Then Carol and I returned to Australia to celebrate the New Year. That trip included our first ever visit to Tasmania. We loved it and want to go back.
Carol and I also had the chance to visit first Spain and then Portugal in the fourth quarter. Most of our focus was on Portugal, a country where we had not spent much time. Nice local people are a constant with our travel. The people everywhere we went were fantastic. Every time the mention of my trackchasing hobby came up people were impressed and happy for us.
Goal – Add one more country, province or state to my list of ice track totals.
Currently I have seen ice racing in seventeen separate states, provinces and foreign countries.
Beginning 2018 ice track list
| Alaska |
| Alberta |
| Andorra |
| British Columbia |
| Finland |
| Maine |
| Manitoba |
| Michigan |
| Minnesota |
| New Hampshire |
| New York |
| Ontario |
| Quebec |
| Russia |
| Saskatchewan |
| Vermont |
| Wisconsin |
| Iowa |
| Belarus |
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
All of my ice racing is done in one quarter, the first quarter. I couldn’t have done much more on the ice during these three months. I saw racing at TEN ice tracks.
Two of those tracks helped me meet and exceed my ice trackchasing goal for 2018. My first new ice “state, province or country” was in Iowa. I had tried to get the Hawkeye state last year and missed by a hair. Iowa was followed by Belarus. That makes 19 states, provinces and countries where I have seen ice racing. I don’t think any other trackchaser can claim more than a third of that total…..and I live in a warm climate!
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
Ice racing is a first quarter activity. By the time April 1strolls around there is no more ice!
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
The third quarter covers my trackchasing during July, August and September. There is not a lot of ice during those three months is there?
You’re not going to believe this! The Randy Lewis Racing Research Department has already received complete ice racing schedules from some of our nation’s ice race promoters. This is the earliest I have ever gotten these schedules. Now I just have to wait until January, 2019.
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
Ice racing is a January and February “thing”. I had another very successful year with ice racing. I saw racing at 10 new ice venues including Belarus and Iowa for the first time.
I now have 110 ice racing “points”. An ice racing point is achieved each time I see racing at a new location, a new country and/or a new state or province. I have now seen ice racing at 91 locations in 19 different countries, states and provinces. No other trackchaser has seen ice racing in any more than about 1/3 of those countries, states and provinces.
I’m particularly proud of this accomplishment for a few reasons. First of all, I live nearly 3,000 miles or more away from almost all of the ice racing venues I have ever visited. I have flown to every one of the ice racing tracks I’ve seen. There isn’t much ice anywhere close to where I live! I’m not exactly sure if any other trackchaser has EVER flown to an ice race! It’s a big commitment to buy an airline ticket given the fickleness of ice racing in a “global warming” environment.
Goal – Maintain a #1 ranking in the 24 states where I currently have seen the most tracks.
It won’t be easy to defend my #1 ranking across 24 borders. I would like to add a 25th #1 ranking during the year but it’s probably just too much of a stretch to do that in 2018…even though I will be trying. Come on Missouri promoters. Let’s schedule some races!
Going into 2018 #1 rankings.
Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Florida
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Minnesota
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wyoming
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
I’ve got some pretty strong leads in most of the 24 states where I currently have a #1 ranking. States like Kentucky, Minnesota, Rhode Island and South Dakota are still in play but there shouldn’t be a problem. Will I add a 25th leadership state in 2018? It’s possible but not likely.
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
No changes here. I still hold a #1 trackchasing ranking in 24 states. I’ve secretly got my eye on state #25. I went there once during the quarter. You could probably figure out which state that is by solving for “X”. I saw racing in about 15 states. In some of those states I already have the #1 rank. In others I’m not anywhere close to a top rating. Can you figure out which state might someday be #25?
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
Still no changes. I have “only” trackchased in 22 states so far this year. But….I have seen a race in all 10 Canadian provinces. No trackchaser has ever done that. I’ve also trackchased in five foreign countries, Belarus, Bolivia, Canada, Maldives and Mexico. That’s a pretty eclectic mix isn’t it?
I’ve still got my eye on getting a #1 trackchasing ranking in state #25. That could happen during the fourth quarter and it might not. If I can hold the top ranking in half of our states, living in a remote part of the country like California, I think that would be a top achievement. We will see.
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
This might seem like a difficult goal to meet. There are lots of states where the “local guy” has so much trackchasing experience in his state that an outsider could never come along and do any better. Nevertheless, I have been able to sneak into 24 different states, many a long way from where I live, and get a #1 ranking.
Almost all trackchasers are regional trackchasers. The vast majority of the tracks they have seen are within 500 miles of their homes. There’s nothing wrong with that. For most folks the entertainment value of trackchasing does not surpass the expense of getting there when the travel distance is too far. A track within 500 miles can be driven to thus keeping the expense somewhat reasonable.
Most trackchasers live in the eastern third of the United States. They’ve got most of those states locked up for trackchasing totals. Then there are a few “favorite sons” in the Midwest. They’ve got their own states sewn up because they’ve been seeing tracks in their own backyards for more than half a century.
I mentioned this is an “easy” goal. Why would I say that? In most in the 24 states where I lead the person in second place is either deceased or has nearly given up on trackchasing. They’re the best fellow competitors to compete against.
Goal – Maintain a 625 lifetime track lead over my nearest fellow competitor.
During first 2016 and then 2017 my goals in this area were 500 and 550 respectively. I begin the season with more than 2,400 tracks. My nearest fellow competitor, currently Guy Smith, has totals somewhere in the 1,700s. Unless someone makes this a more challenging competition I may be forced to discontinue this goal for overall lack of competitiveness.
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
Despite entering the year with more than 2,400 lifetime tracks I had a very good first quarter in 2018. I added 19 new tracks. Obviously, the more tracks you have seen in the past the more difficult it is to add more tracks in the future.
My nearest fellow competitor, Guy Smith, had a miserable first quarter with just four new tracks. However, his performance is in parallel with the results achieved by most trackchasers. The track numbers across the hobby are WAY down. Sadly, the old-timers have given up and they are not being replaced by much activity from the younger trackchasers. My lead now stands at 645 tracks.
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
I had another outstanding second quarter in terms of trackchasing production. I ended up with 34 new track visits during April, May and June. That gives me a six-month total of 53 tracks.
How am I doing against my goal in this category? My nearest fellow competitor (NFC) Guy Smith is having one of his worst trackchasing efforts in recent memory. For six months he’s seen just 18 tracks and now trails by 664 tracks on a lifetime basis.
Mr. Smith has been an active trackchaser in the past. However, his lackluster results are a direct result of his “Geographic Driving Circle” hemming him in. He’s seen almost all of the tracks that are within a reasonable driving distance. Other than just giving up he has only two choices. He can move or he can fly. Moving would cost tens of thousands of dollars in real estate transaction costs, etc. That would be difficult to amortize over a few extra figure 8 and UTV tracks! Flying is the cheapest option and even that isn’t that inexpensive. A true dilemma faces my NFC.
Trackchasing, as a whole, is likely in for the worst track getting performance in many, many years. As an example, last year’s Pennsylvania-based group leading trackchaser John Ritter saw 103 new tracks in 2017. This year he’s seen three! Long-time trackchasing veterans such as G. Killian (9), A. Brown (6) and A. Sivi (0), amongst the top ten worldwide trackchasers, have virtually stopped trackchasing. It’s very likely the very best Pennsylvania-based group chaser might not reach fifty new tracks for 2018. Over the past 15 years it has taken an average of more than 100 tracks to garner an annual championship.
Why is this happening? The old guys don’t do this much anymore. The new people to the hobby don’t have the passion the old guys had and they don’t do it much either. I can only share the numbers. I wish there was better news.
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
I know what you might be saying. “This was a softball goal, Randy! Obviously, your fellow competitors can’t keep up.” Well, it does seem that way doesn’t it.
However, every year I have increased this goal to make it a little more difficult for me. Just two years ago my goal was to stay ahead by “only” 500 tracks. This year it’s 625 tracks. How am I doing so far? Through September 30, 2018 my lead over my nearest fellow competitor, Guy Smith, is 668 tracks. I’m pretty confident I will be able to hold onto a 625-track lead to meet my goal for the year!
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
I’m sad to report that with just about every measurement trackchasing participation is in a serious decline. It’s sort of like watching one of my favorite TV shows, American Pickers. On most of their episodes “Dad and Mom” have collected stuff for their entire lives. Then they pass away. Their sons, daughters and relatives have no interest in carrying on the collecting hobby and the entire idea of collecting ends with the older generation.
The trackchasing pioneers have almost all passed away or decided to watch racing from the back porch at this stage in their lives. That’s to be expected as people age. The problem is there are almost no new people willing to put in the time and the miles to go trackchasing. Yes, there will be a person nearly every year who pops up with almost no trackchasing history. They will see a lot of tracks within a single year. Then they will look back on what they spent, how much time it took and decide this isn’t for them at least at a world-class level.
Then you get the trackchasers who retire from their day jobs. They send off the vibe, when they are working, that when they retire they’re really going to hit the road with their free time. Sorry folks. Look at the results. Most people trackchase much LESS in retirement than before they quick working.
I’ve been retired for 17 years. During that time I’ve averaged seeing 116 tracks in each of those years. My nearest fellow competitor (Guy Smith) retired four years ago. During those four years my trackchasing total has exceeded his by 230 tracks or nearly 60 tracks each year. Yep. When most trackchasers retire they just don’t trackchase very much.
I ended up my 2018 trackchasing season with a 688 lifetime track lead. That seems like a lot and it is. However, I don’t go trackchasing only to compare my totals with others.
I go trackchasing because I love to travel and see new things. My future trackchasing is going to slow down. That won’t have anything to do with my retiring or my age. Why then? There just aren’t as many trackchasing opportunities as their used to be. Many of the tracks that I’ve seen lately are not really “traditional” tracks like the Peoria Speedway where I grew up.
Goal – Racechasing
I spend so much time with the hobby of trackchasing that my “racechasing” is nearly nonexistent. Yes, trackchasing turns a race fan’s brain soft. My focus will still be with trackchasing.
Back in the day (above) I was an avid racechaser. I do want to go back to some of my favorite racechasing places just for the fun of it. I hope I make it to Peoria or Rockford or Martinsville again. I will plan to go to 3-5 major racechasing shows for the year without regard to existing trackchasing opportunities. I will also catch at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup show during the year. Watching NASCAR on TV is so much more convenient than going to the track itself. That’s why I don’t get to a lot of NASCAR races. However, I NEVER miss a NASCAR Sprint Cup race on TV.
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
I didn’t do all that well against my racechasing goal. Then again there isn’t all that much real racing happening during the first three months of the year. I returned to a couple of tracks but those were not really “racechasing” efforts. I hope to do better this summer.
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
I am not doing well at all with this goal. Here’s why. During the first six months of the year I traveled overnight away from home 97 nights. That compares to just 68 during the same time frame in 2017. More than 40 days were spent in foreign countries, cruising and Hawaii. What does all of this mean?
After seeing 53 NEW tracks with a good deal of foreign travel and other personal vacation travel there just isn’t much time to go “racechasing”. I simply don’t have the time or passion to invest much more effort in racing in general with everything that takes up my time. Maybe that will change in the future. We’ll have to wait and see.
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
I’ve actually been able to do a little racechasing this quarter. It wasn’t exactly “real” racechasing. I didn’t make any trips specifically to return to those tracks that produced great racing in the past.
However, during the course of my travels I returned to the Oyster Bed Speedway up in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Thunder Mountain Speedway in New York, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway dirt track in Indiana and the famous Knoxville Raceway in Iowa.
The racing at all of those places, especially Knoxville and Indy was fantastic. Does seeing racing like that make me wish I was a racechaser and not a trackchaser? Sometimes!
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
I don’t go “racechasing” all that often anymore. This year I did go trackchasing on 98 different days. There are very few trackchasers, or racechasers for that matter, that have routinely been to the races that often.
I traveled overnight away from my home some 213 nights in 2018. Less than half of those nights followed a day of trackchasing. That means I spent a lot of time on the road seeing family and touring just for the fun of touring. Frankly, I don’t WANT to spend any more time watching races.
I will tell you that some of the race programs, maybe quite a few of them, that I return to see aren’t as good as I remember them being 50 years ago, 30 years ago or even 10 years ago. I’m pretty content to watch 38 NASCAR Cup races each year on TV….but only on a recorded basis. I could never routinely watch a NASCAR race live and have to be saddled with seeing so many TV commercials. However, I never fast forward through a single second of the racing or the pre-race or post-race commentary. I watch the Cup races from the moment the broadcast begins until they sign off.
During the fourth quarter I didn’t go racechasing (that’s going back to a track I’ve already visited) a single time. What does that prove? Actions speak louder than words. People vote with their feet.
Goal – Have Fun
My plan is see as many new tracks in 2018 as I want too. If I don’t go trackchasing, it won’t be because of bad weather, a lack of tracks to see or any other form of restraint on my part. It will be because I found something more fun and interesting to do not because I couldn’t find a place to go trackchasing. I won’t always bring Carol along although she is invited on every trip. I’m not sure WHAT I would do if she accepted all of my invitations! Nevertheless, we’ll fit in a series of really cool non-racing trips for her. She will be well taken care of and we’ll will both have fun at our own pace.
I get the biggest kick out of listening to other trackchasers trying to persuade folks that they had some form of restraint and decided to do something else other than go trackchasing. In reality, they couldn’t find any place to go trackchasing so they “settled” for something else to do. Why don’t they just tell people that? If you’re going to brag about doing something else at least be honest enough to say the reason you went somewhere else is that there were no workable trackchasing opportunities!
If I do go trackchasing it will be for one simple reason…..I just wanted too. I do this for fun. I go trackchasing simply to have fun.
2018 – 1st Quarter Update
The amount of fun I have doing this can be measured by how often I go trackchasing. Remember, I am a volunteer. Personal satisfaction from the hobby on several fronts is what motivates me in trackchasing. Except for one weekend when we were on a Western Caribbean cruise I saw one or more new tracks every weekend during the first quarter. That would tell me I made and exceeded my “fun” goal for the period.
On the other hand, I traveled with both trackchasing and our personal vacation trips some 45 nights during the quarter. That’s what happens when I have a lot of trackchasing and a lot of vacation trips. I hope to travel a bit less in future quarters.
2018 – 2nd Quarter Update
I know I’m having fun because I don’t have to do this. I choose to do this! The best part of the first six months of the year were the foreign trackchasing trips. I met great people. I saw amazing sights. When I returned home from all of these trips there was still enough money in the bank to maybe take another trip somewhere down the road. Based on all of the above, I can confidently say I had fun!
2018 – 3rd Quarter Update
This quarter was really a lot of fun. Carol and I had a fantastic two-week trip up in Canada trackchasing. We saw racing in PEI, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. I wrapped up seeing a race in all ten Canadian provinces in one year. I had never come close to doing that. No one has. I did the annual county fair circuit, was introduced to microd racing for the first time and positioned myself well for another 100-track season, my thirteenth.
2018 – 4th Quarter Update
Did I mention that “Actions speak louder than words. People vote with their feet”? I went trackchasing some 98 days in 2018. I spent a good part of my 213 overnights coming and going to new tracks. I traveled more than 284,000 miles coming and going to those tracks. I drove rental cars almost 40,000 miles getting to those tracks, with no speeding tickets since 2003!
I’ve a volunteer. I don’t get paid to do this. I PAY to do this. No, I don’t pay on a trip by trip basis what my fellow competitors do. Heck, if I had their money I’d burn mine. I retired a very long time ago. I haven’t gotten any salary for some 17 years. I’ve never gotten a company pension. I never made my wife work to support my trackchasing hobby. Everything I spend on trackchasing comes from my meager personal savings that I earned working for the man.
Would I do this if it wasn’t fun? No, I would not. When I do stop trackchasing you will know why. I’ve either run out of money or it wasn’t fun anymore.
Living the dream.
If you get time check out the guestbook tab of my website at this link Randy’s past guestbook. I get lots of comments like this one from race fans and travelers, “You are living my dream”. Heck, I’m living my dream as well. Trackchasing is OPTIONAL for me. If I didn’t want to do it I wouldn’t do it. On the other hand, despite my “love for the road” it’s never a good idea to do anything too much. Right now I’m very happy with the frequency of my trackchasing. My current pace is one I would be comfortable with for many years to come.
Goal – Lifetime National Geographic Diversity results
Due to the lack of overall competitiveness in the NGD program, results will now be tabulated every two years. Additionally, this far into the NGD game the results just don’t change that much in lifetime totals and rankings. The next update will be at the end of the 2019 season.
Want to learn more about the National Geographic Diversity (NGD) program? Here’s a link that will explain the program’s entire history:
National Geographic Diversity history and lifetime results
2017 – Final National Geographic Diversity results. Year 2016 results in ( ).
Randy Lewis – 4.14 (4.37)
Gordon Killian – 6.59 (6.22)
Guy Smith – 8.00 (8.57)
Ed Esser – 8.84 (8.76)
Allan Brown – 9.14 (9.16)
Paul Weisel – 11.33 (11.33)
Mike Knappenberger – 11.41 (11.25)
Jack Erdmann – 11.55 (11.73)
Rick Schneider – 11.75 (11.43)
Pam Smith – 11.75 (11.73)