Greetings from Jetmore, Kansas
From the travels and adventures of the
“World’s #1 Trackchaser”
Jetmore Racing Complex Dirt oval Lifetime track #835 Reprinted with permission from my Sunday, April 24, 2005, Trackchaser Report. THE CLASSIC TRACKCHASER REPORT Editor’s note: This is a CLASSIC Trackchaser Report. What the heck does “Classic” mean? It’s simply a Trackchaser Report that comes from my trackchasing archives. Typically, these will be stories from tracks I visited five years or ten years or more ago. For whatever reason (usually not enough time) this trackchasing adventure didn’t get posted to my website when I first made the track visit. Often a classic TR will not have a video and/or photo album attached. I didn’t begin producing my YouTube videos until 2009 (YouTube channel: RANLAY). I didn’t begin writing a complete Trackchaser Report until I had seen about 425 tracks. This was during the 2000 trackchasing season. Photo albums were sort of hit or miss during the early years of my trackchasing. Additionally, if you see a website link know that link worked when the TR was originally written. Will it work now? Your guess is as good as mine! Nevertheless, this CLASSIC Trackchaser Report has finally bubbled to the surface and is now available for everyone to see at www.randylewis.org. I hope you enjoy it. I AM A TRACKCHASER. My name is Randy Lewis. I hail from the sleepy little village by the sea, San Clemente, California. I am a “trackchaser”. I trackchase. Have you ever in your life heard of “trackchasing”? I didn’t think so. I live in southern California. That’s probably the most inconvenient location in the country for seeing tracks in the U.S. Most of the racetracks in the U.S. are located well over 1,000 miles from where I live. My average trip covers 5,000 miles and more. I take 35-40 of those trips each season. In any given year I will travel well over 200,000 miles, rent more than 50 cars, and stay in more than 150 hotel rooms. I get the chance to meet people from all over the world. With trackchasing trips to 85 countries and counting just getting the chance to experience so many unique cultures, spend time in the homes of my friends and meet so many people is a huge reward for being in this hobby. I am indebted to several of these folks for their help and friendship. Once you begin researching my trip itineraries from my website, yes you will want to do that, you will be surprised. One day I’ll be in Tucson, the next in maybe Tuscaloosa and the following day in Syracuse. I do that kind of thing all the time. Figuring out the logistics of a trip like that is as much fun for me as watching a figure 8 race. Now you know a little bit about my trackchasing addiction. When you receive one of my Trackchaser Reports or find one on my website at www.randylewis.org I hope you will take the time to imagine in your mind what it took to make this trip from SoCal and understand the fun I had doing it. There you have it. That’s trackchasing…the way I do it. Do others trackchase? Absolutely. Do they share their experiences? Sorry. They don’t. If you want to see the true “essence” of trackchasing you’ve come to the right place. Today’s adventure was one more of the 2,000 trips that have taken me up, down and around the proverbial long and dusty trackchasing trail. If you would like to see where I’ve been and experience those adventures here’s the link: If you’ve got a question, comment or whatever please leave it at the bottom of this report. It’s very easy to do. Or you can visit me on Facebook. Thanks! FOREWORD Sunday, April 24, 2005. AND THE READERS RESPOND I received some very positive feedback about the Angel’s foul ball story I shared, especially from the guys at the golf club. Thank you. On the other hand, Wes M., from Tustin, California, had this to say, “The next time you claim a “potential life-threatening accident” I expect there to be more “threat”. Buck up, Randy.” Of course, knowing Wes, I consider this contribution complimentary as well. PEOPLE/TRAVEL NEWS Last night I stayed at the Super 8 in Russell, Kansas. Russell is the boyhood home of Bob Dole, a 1996 Republican presidential candidate. This is the first Super 8 I have ever stayed in that had WIRELESS high-speed internet. More and more budget hotels are advertising high-speed internet, both wireless and with a LAN cord. The scenery of Western Kansas is not as desolate as I expected. There is a bit of rolling terrain. Oil wells dot the landscape of this part of Kansas. Today was a perfect day for a blended double. The Jetmore Motorplex program started at 12 noon and the nearby Dodge County Raceway had a program beginning at 4 p.m. Nevertheless, I didn’t go for the blended double. You’re probably asking why I wouldn’t go for a double that featured two tracks just about 30 miles apart. Was it because of death threats, a rental car bomb scare, or anthrax mailing? I suspect that the non-trackchasing reader has no idea what I am talking about. That’s OK; I don’t want to make you an accessory to the crime. My choice of a trackchasing double was purely strategic. Track with me on this, while I do the math. The Jetmore Motorplex is located in Jetmore, Kansas. The Dodge City Raceway is located in Dodge City, Kansas about 30 minutes to the south of Jetmore. Dodge City has two countable oval tracks. Unfortunately, they were only racing on one of those ovals today. On the other hand, the Oberlin Speedway about 180 miles to the north of Jetmore was racing today at 6 p.m. Oberlin is about 210 miles north of Dodge City. If I went to Dodge City after Jetmore, there was no way I could then get to Oberlin in time to see their race. A Jetmore-Dodge City (one oval) double left me with the other Dodge City oval and Oberlin to see at a future time. Since those two tracks would be 210 miles apart, they would be a bit of trouble to see in one day. Going with the 12 noon starting time at Jetmore, would allow me to stay for at least three hours. I could then drive three hours to Oberlin and be there for the start of their show. Then, somewhere down the road, I could pick up BOTH Dodge City tracks at the same time with no driving since they are both at the same place. And you thought there was no strategy in the world of trackchasing! So, I went with the “Day/night” double and lived to see another day by avoiding the DBD (dreaded blended double). I must explain that I did show up twenty minutes late for Jetmore. I had a good excuse. I came across a Mongolian BBQ restaurant in Hays, Kansas. Mongolian BBQ is one of my favorite ethnic food choices. Seeing a Mongolian BBQ in the middle of Kansas was quite unusual. I don’t know if you have ever tried this type of Asian treat. I’ve eaten Mongolian BBQ many, many times. Here’s the way it works. You fill your plate with meat (usually frozen), vegetables and noodles. Various sauces (hot, mild, soy, garlic, etc.) are added. The cook dumps the entire concoction on a very hot, round steel grill. He moves the food around with too large wooden sticks until everything is cooked. A good Mongolian BBQ cook will then, in one sweeping motion, move your food from the grill to your plate. It is all very artistic and fun. Another unusual element of today’s dining experience is I showed up at 10:40 a.m. That might seem a little early to some for an all-you-can-eat Asian meal. Although the restaurant was not yet officially open, I was warmly greeted and admitted by the young Chinese eatery entrepreneur. Not only did they have Mongolian BBQ, but also a full Chinese buffet. I’ll give the Super Buffet in Hays, Kansas (785-625-8886, right in front of the Wal-Mart) a RANLAY Racing money-back guarantee. Although not as good as my favorite SoCal Mongolian BBQ places, for Kansas it was above average. I certainly don’t want to overeat when I’m at a Chinese buffet. Whenever I do eat at a buffet, I’m reminded of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. That guy ate like seventeen different people. I say after you eat one or two, you’re just eatin’ to be eating! They say he kept all their heads in his refrigerator. He should have known those go in the crisper. RACE TRACK NEWS: JETMORE MOTORPLEX – TRACK #835 – JETMORE, KANSAS Tonight’s track was my 10th-lifetime track in Kansas and my 26h track of the season. The Jetmore Motorplex is a relatively new track. They have some very nice spectator comforts. They have a huge new 15-row aluminum grandstand that runs the length of the front straight. They also have a state-of-the-art scoreboard. The P.A. system is a high-quality piece as well. What is most unusual is the landing strip that is adjacent to the track for fly-in spectators. Today’s afternoon show was contested on a poor weather day. Although we had a sunny, clear blue sky, the temperature was about 55 degrees with a strong wind of more than 20 M.P.H. blowing directly into the grandstand. Carol would have hated that wind and the dust and grit that went with it. The wind and sun really dried out the track. They put some water on the track, but not enough and things got very dusty. Because of my foray with the Mongolian BBQ, I missed the bomber and cruiser heat races. There were five classes in the competition. These included the bombers, cruisers, street stocks, modifieds and 305 sprints. Each class had from 9-12 entries. As I recall, they ran two heats for each class. Five and six-car heat races are not the most captivating events. The features were generally good. The modified feature was one of the better races, I’ve seen this year. I left during the sprint car feature, the last event of the day, after their fourth restart. The highlight of the day for me was an interview with Mike, the track announcer. Mike had a handheld microphone and roved up and down the grandstands announcing the racing events. I introduced myself to him during one of his passes by me. Mike was very intrigued by the trackchasing hobby. He asked if he could interview me during intermission. How could I decline his request? We talked for more than 20 minutes over the P.A. during intermission. Mike was a very interested and inquisitive fellow. I think he sensed there was something unusual about this hobby that his customers might like to hear. During the conversation, I pointed out that I was “bypassing” Dodge City in favor of Oberlin. For some reason, this statement drew applause and a very positive reaction from the crowd. When the interview was finished, I asked Mike why the crowd reacted that way. He told me there were some hard feelings when the nearby Dodge City Raceway changed their surface from asphalt to dirt and their race night from Friday to Saturday. This change competed directly with the Jetmore Motorplex, a Saturday night dirt track. I talked with one person who said it was touch and go as to whether Jetmore was going to open this year or not. The local Kansans I observed and met appear to be “good people”. They’re the kind of folks that look you in the eye, give a nod and say, “How ya doing?” These are the kind of folks you want to go to war with. I also learned that Jetmore had an inner oval when they opened, but that track has long been removed. The track is owned by local people. They tried tractor pulls and monster trucks shows last season without success. RACE TRACK FOOD: Although stuffed with Mongolian, BBQ, I did notice a somewhat unusual item on the track’s menu……roasted corn at $2 an ear. RENTAL CAR UPDATE: I’m just starting to get the National Rental Car racing Chevy Malibu broken in. The dust and potato chip crumbs are starting to dot its interior landscape. This is making me feel very much at home. LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE: The battle for positions that could change in the near future is as follows: 2005 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS CUMULATIVE DRIVING DISTANCES: Kansas City, Missouri Airport – trip begins Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas – 16 miles Salina Speedway, Salina, Kansas – 292 miles Jetmore Motorplex, Jetmore, Kansas – 499 miles TRACK ADMISSION PRICES: Lakeside Speedway – $10 Salina Speedway – $10 Jetmore Motorplex – $10 Thanks for reading about my trackchasing, Randy Lewis The #1 trackchaser living west of the Mississippi That’s all the news that’s fit to print from San Clemente where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, all of the children are above average and the real estate prices are way above average. April 24 – Oberlin Speedway, Oberlin, Kansas ** Great Yarmouth Stadium (oval), Yarmouth, England, March 27 You might have remembrances about this track. If so, please feel free to share your memories in the comments section below. If you have any photos from back in the day, send them to me at Ranlay@yahoo.com. I’ll try to include them here. 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 That’s all folks! Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report 
GREETINGS FROM JETMORE, KANSAS,
Planned new racetracks (on the last day of each racing trip I will post my tentative plans for my next trip)
Racetracks visited in 2005 (** not the first time to visit this track)