My longest trackchasing trip of the summer.
Trackchasing is a counting hobby. It’s pretty simple, really. I simply travel around the United States and the world trying to see motor racing at as many different tracks as I can.
Let me put it another way. Imagine you wanted to play golf at as many different golf courses as you could. First, playing golf at nearly 3,000 golf courses would take some time, take some money and take some planning. Most golf courses are open from sun up until sundown seven days a week. In many locations, the courses are open every day of the year. That’s not the way it is with racetracks.
Some racetracks are open for three hours during one day of the entire year. Even the most prolific motorsports venues are only open about 20-25 times a year. That makes “getting” these tracks just a little bit more challenging.
My hobby focuses on three major activities. First, I need to plan the trips. Honestly, that’s really the most fun. I need to find out when these racetracks (by the way I am only researching for tracks I have never been to) are racing. I have to find a way to get there from my faraway location in Southern California. Racing is weather dependent. I have to visit when it’s not raining! All of this is the “logistics” of my trackchasing hobby.
Once I GET to the area where the racetrack is located I will watch the race…and tour. If you ever get the chance check out my “Trackchasing Tourist Attractions” page on my website at www.randylewis.org. Although my listings are not 100% up to date (I’m too busy touring to keep things current!) I think you’ll get the point. Trackchasing has taken me all over the world. Here’s the link to where I have toured around the world.
Trackchasing Tourist Attractions
What follows is different than my normal Trackchaser Report. The main focus will be a short 5-6 minute video on the racing activity at the tracks I visited. I’ll give you a brief background on what the racing was like, and what the logistics were like. The racing brings me to these places. But it’s the “memory dividends” that create my “payday”. Let’s get started.
Brookfield Speedway – Brookfield, New York – Lifetime track # 2,886 – Dirt oval
To begin my trip, I flew overnight from Los Angeles to Washington’s Dulles Airport. The only forgiving grace for doing an all-nighter redeye flight was that I got to fly first class.
The racing at the Brookfield Speedway took place during the Madison County Fair. This was a small fair on a hot day. They had all of the traditional county fair food! The highlight of the racing was seeing the big block dirt modifieds bash their way around the tight little quarter-mile oval.
When I fly overnight and then drive six hours to the track I have to pace myself. That normally means if I have time, taking some short naps along the roadside. I do enjoy driving around upstate New York. Quaint. A good house paint salesman could do real well up here.
Check out the video from the Brookfield Speedway.
Racing from Brookfield, New York
Mountaintop Speedway – Accident, Maryland – Lifetime track #2,887 – Senior Champ Karts on a dirt oval.
There were several highlights on the way to the track in Maryland. The first of which was a stop at Yocco’s Hotdogs in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This is a little hole-in-the-wall chain of hotdog restaurants. The place will take you back to the 50s. They only accept cash. I just hope they declare all that cash to the U.S. government.
I frequently and almost always get in contact with the race promoter before I visit their track. I did that with the Mountain Top Speedway. This put me in touch with the promoter, Jim. I sensed he was a little leery that a guy from California was going to come all the way to Maryland from California to see racing at his very rural backyard go-kart track.
There always seems to be something unusual that I’ve never ever seen before at the track I visit. At the Mountain Top Speedway, they don’t sell concessions. All of the competitors bring a “covered dish”. Then everyone in the pit area gets the chance to sample the offerings at no expense whatsoever to anyone including the casual California spectator!
The go-kart racing was fun. In the hobby of trackchasing we don’t count racing by kids and we don’t count flat car racing. Did trackchasing’s founding fathers hate kids? That pretty much leaves caged kart racing done by adults.
The real highlight for me was getting a chance to meet a young trackchaser by the name of Bryan Davis Keith. Bryan lives in Virginia. He has taken up the hobby in the past few years and is doing very well. Somehow he recognized me in the crowd. Bryan came up and introduced himself. We spent several minutes talking about our mutual interests.
My lodging for the first three nights of my trip was all over the board. First, I slept overnight on an airplane. The next night I stayed at a Marriott. Tonight I slept overnight in my car at the Maryland Interstate Welcome Center. Why would I do such a thing? By the time I got to the rest area, it was past midnight. I needed to be at the airport to fly down to Atlanta the following day on a 6 a.m. flight. I had no choice. The reader might say, “But, Randy you DID have a choice”. Not really if I wanted to maintain my ranking as the World’s #1 Trackchaser. I saw a race in Maryland last night and my next best choice for a new track the next night was in Alabama. You can do the math.
Check out the video from the Mountain Top Speedway.
Racing from Accident, Maryland
Winder Barrow Speedway – Winder, Georgia – Lifetime track #2,888 – old time dirt oval
My original intention when I got into Atlanta was to drive down to Montgomery, Alabama to see racing. The Montgomery Motor Speedway would be offering racing competition on two different configurations, an oval track and a road course. They only do that once a year and tonight was the night. Unfortunately, they got rained out. That was a bummer. Because I missed out on seeing TWO tracks that was like getting rained out twice!
When this happens I go into scramble mode. I checked my proprietary database of race tracks that I haven’t seen yet. A couple of Georgia tracks popped up. This research directed me to the Winder Barrow Speedway up by the University of Georgia.
This track was definitely a throwback to the 1950s. If I closed my eyes and opened them again what I saw this evening was just about what I would have seen in 1957. The track has a lot of new residential housing surrounding it. That is never a good sign for a racetrack that was built 60-70 years ago. Sadly, the short-track racing industry, in way too many locations, is going the way of the drive-in movie.
I ended up sleeping overnight in a Walmart parking lot near the Atlanta airport. Please understand that I only go with these unusual sleeping accommodations when there is no time to get a hotel. About five years ago, for 43 nights, I slept on an airplane, overnight, in the airport, or in my car. I never WANT to do that. However, when I have six hours or so or less between my arrival at the airport and my next flight that is leaving in the morning what choice do I have? I didn’t travel across the entire country to not optimize my trackchasing opportunities.
Check out the video from the Winder Barrow Speedway.
Racing from Winder Barrow, Georgia
Jay County Fairgrounds – Portland, Indiana – Lifetime track #2,889 – autocross racing on a county fair dirt oval
This morning, I flew from Atlanta to Detroit at 6 a.m. I made the long drive down to Portland, Indiana. I stopped along the way whenever I felt tired for a 20-30 minute power nap. When I don’t get a full night’s sleep in a hotel I’ll make these stops just to keep everything safe and sound.
Just as a point of information, I don’t have all that many racetracks left for me to see. After seeing racing at nearly 2,900 racetracks around the world that isn’t surprising, is it? Folks always tell me, “I didn’t KNOW there were 2,900 racetracks!”
Overall I was disappointed in the “racing” at the fairgrounds today. They advertised this as an autocross event. Sports car clubs have autocross racing but that is normally done one car at a time in a parking lot where the drivers race around plastic cones. Autocross racing at a county fair is almost always an event for junk cars around a small temporary dirt oval. That’s not what they did today. These folks called their racing “Chicago-style autocross”. I have no idea what this has to do with the windy city. By the way, Chicago-style autocross racing is not addressed in the current trackchasing rules. However, I can guarantee you this. If I counted a track using the Chicago-style autocross format there would be a new “Randy rule” that would appear from the shadows outlawing the practice.
Chicago-style autocross racing has one competitor starting in the middle of the backstretch and one starting in the middle of the front stretch. Both racers take off with one green flag and race for a certain number of laps. When they get back to their starting line, which is now their finish line, after completing their laps their race is over. The first racer back to their finish line is the winner.
Luckily, I was saved by the bell when they held a three-car race where all of the cars started at the same time and ran for five laps. This was the only competition of the day where they did that. You can see this event in the video. If I hadn’t gotten lucky with that, I would not have been able to count this race. I would have been one unhappy camper if I had slept in a Walmart parking lot, flown for two hours and drove for another three, and been shut out. I don’t even like thinking about that outcome.
The real highlight of the day at the fair was watching a hay bale loading competition. Each team had three young men who had to load 40 bales of hay on a flatbed truck. Then they drove as fast as they could for one lap around the half-mile county fair dirt oval. As the truck came sliding to a halt the guys jumped out of the truck and off-loaded those bales of hay as quickly as they could. That was a fun diversion to watch.
I would have the next day away from trackchasing. Not by choice. I couldn’t find anyone racing on a Monday! I elected to stay in Cincinnati. I enjoyed a nice lunch with my good buddy Greg Robbins at Goldstar Chili. Greg and I worked together at Procter & Gamble. We get together for lunch usually a couple of times a year.
Check out the video from the Jay County Fairgrounds.
“Racing” from the Jay County Fairgrounds
Kenton County Fairgrounds – Independence, Kentucky – Lifetime track #2,890 – County fair circle track racing.
It’s hot in the Midwest and the South as you might expect in the middle of July. Tonight’s racing was being promoted by Top Dog Promotions and my good friend John Peck (above left). John and I go back about 10 years ago when I first started attending his events.
Top Dog Promotions is more of a demolition derby outfit. Demo derbies aren’t considered racing and can’t be counted by trackchasing rules. Top Dog started “circle track racing” a few years ago. That’s what lets me count their events for my hobby of trackchasing.
At some Top Dog Promotions events the fairs are small. The demo “ring” can be too small to hold full-on circle track racing. When that is the case they have races that are limited to two cars at a time. Races that are “limited” to two cars at a time, like drag racing, do not count in trackchasing.
Most of the racing tonight was for two cars because the space available for “racing” was limited. However, when I come to one of these events I can expect that Top Dog Promotions will have at least one countable trackchasing race.
I would NEVER and I mean NEVER ask a promoter to run a special race just so that I could count a track. In the past, on more than one occasion, trackchasers have actually paid a promoter to run a race just for them. At many county fairs, the track configuration is marked by two large tractor tires. Let’s say the event calls for a figure 8 race around these tires. It doesn’t take too much creativity, or money, for a “phantom” oval track race to materialize if the promoter’s palm is greased if you know what I mean. The trackchasers reading this know who they are if they ever specifically paid or “sponsored” a promoter to hold a special race. In my opinion, these chasers should be banned by the sport.
I will never ask a promoter to do anything special for me. At the same time, many promoters know what I need to count a track. I will ask them what their program is going to be and that’s it. There are times a promoter will run a special event so that I can count the track but that is their decision. I NEVER ask them for special treatment. I think of it as being similar to going over to your Aunt Sallie’s house for dinner. Aunt Sallie knows you like roast beef. You would never ask Aunt Sallie to make roast beef for your visit. At the same time if Aunt Sallie served you roast beef it would not be a surprise, would it? There is a 100% difference in asking for special treatment compared to getting special treatment.
Tonight Top Dog Promotions had one three-car event. A huge crowd looked on. Just like Sunday’s racing at the Jay County Fairgrounds this one and only event is what allowed me to count the track and justify my being in Independence, Kentucky tonight. I was amazed at what a large crowd of fair doors attended.
If you are a racing fan, you have definitely noticed that the events I have been describing here are not “typical” short-track racing. Why is that? Long ago I visited the likes of Thunder Road and Rockford and Knoxville and Eldora (above Carol with the legendary Earl Baltes). The remaining racing facilities for me to see are not going to be any of those big-time tracks. Don’t misunderstand. I’ll still go back to those places like I have been doing at Eldora. I have been to the “Big E” 40 times in my life, but that is not for Trackchasing.
I had another off day in Cincinnati and spent it at Skyline Chili rather than Goldstar. I like ‘em both and don’t see much difference. I watched a movie using my Regal Theater for three days straight. Basically, I was just passing time until I couldn’t make my way up to Michigan for my next trackchasing event.
Check out the video from the Kenton County Fairgrounds.
Racing from the Kenton County Fairgrounds
Croswell Fairgrounds – Croswell, Michigan – Lifetime track #2,891 – Bump N Run racing on a dirt oval
This event was promoted by U.S.A. Demolition Derby. For the first time, I had a chance to meet the promoter John who recently purchased U.S.A. Demolition Derby. Tonight he told me he had just bought their strongest competitor in Michigan, Unique Motorsports. That’s kind of like General Motors buying Ford! In my short time talking with John I could see he’s a hustler!
John was impressed with my trackchasing hobby. He told me that I would have complimentary admission to every one of his shows in perpetuity. That was nice of him. Many promoters “get” what I do. Some don’t. It seems that the ones who do and recognize the PR value of being associated with the World’s #1 Trackchaser is a value. These promoters always seem quite a bit more successful than others.
U.S.A. Demolition Derby offers three kinds of racing. They have figure 8 racing, which is self-explanatory. They have bump n run racing, which is essentially low-dollar stock cars racing on an oval configuration. They also have autocross racing which is not exactly what “Autocross” is in other locations. Autocross racing, with U.S.A., is racing on an oval track that has a crossover usually at one far away section on the track. In trackchasing parlance, any track that “crosses over itself” is a figure 8 track. This also means that I cannot see an autocross race and a figure 8 race sponsored by U.S.A. Demolition Derby at the same location and count them as separate tracks. They are both figure 8 tracks. I know this sort of sounds like an explanation of IRS tax regulations. I’m just trying to tell you how it works.
Check out the video from the Croswell Fairgrounds.
Racing from the Croswell Fairgrounds
Felts Park – Galax, Virginia – Lifetime tracks # 2,892 & # 2,893 – County fair racing on a dirt oval and dirt figure 8 course
This has been a good trip for me to pursue my hobby by myself. I am flying almost every day and driving between 200 and 400 miles with my rental car every day in the heat of the summer. Carol wouldn’t like to do that. I don’t have any friends or trackchasing competitors who are crazy enough to do this at the level I do it. I’m good with that. Carol seems to be good with that and that’s all that counts.
Today I flew into the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. It seems as if I am in Charlotte all the time. I stopped over in their Priority Pass airline club. The club serves really good food. Today’s special was fried pickles. There’s no charge and the club is a nice place to relax.
Felts Park was holding a competition tonight that would include racing on both an oval configuration and a figure 8 configuration. In point of fact, both tracks used two large tractor tires to mark the boundaries of their tracks. This was all done in front of a large covered grandstand.
Tonight’s competition was loud. It was made even louder with the covered grandstand that made the noise reverberate. Several fans were putting their fingers into their ears to knock down the sound. Somewhat miraculously, I still have very good hearing despite going to all the races I have in my lifetime.
Toward the end of the evening who would show up but Virginian Bryan Davis Keith. Bryan and I met for the first time just last week at a track in Maryland. Of course, Bryan was here for the reason I was. He’s a trackchaser. A trackchasing “double” is hard for any trackchaser to pass up. He and I spent several minutes talking in the grandstand.
Check out the video from Felts Park.
Elkins Raceway – Elkins, West Virginia – rained out – dirt oval.
I’ve been trying to see racing at the Elkins Raceway for probably 20 years or more. I had hoped tonight would be the night. However, Elkins had rain in the forecast for this Saturday night as long as a week ago. I am amazed at how accurate some of these weather forecasts can be when they start forecasting rain that far in advance. Rain was predicted and rain came. At least Elkins rained out far enough in advance that I didn’t have to make a commitment to go there.
High View Speedway – Highview, West Virginia – Lifetime track #2,894 – dirt oval for go-karts
On this Sunday morning, I woke up in Beckley, West Virginia. I did a little research and found out that the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is the #1 tourist attraction in Beckley. Who would’ve thought?
I drove over and took a tour that included a coal train car ride inside the mine. We were only about 20 feet underground. It was interesting that our guide had worked in the mines for 40 years. He definitely had first-hand experience which made his narrative all the more interesting.
I have a track promoter/ friend in Pennsylvania who is also a coal miner. He told me he did most of his mining 300 feet below ground level. He also offered to take me “down into the mine”. I would love to do that, but I am a little claustrophobic. I fear a ride 300 feet down in a coal mine elevator my freak out. If I ever do it, I’m sure I’m going to take a couple of shots of Jack Daniels just to call my nerves before I go!
The racing at the High View Speedway was rural. West Virginia is rural. Only one class out of all the different classes that would be racing on this particular day would count for my trackchasing. That was the senior champ class. They had just four of them. That was enough! Oh yeah. They had “juice box” racing for the youngsters. Who would have thought I would see electric car racing in West Virginia in 2023?
Check out the video from the High View Speedway.
Racing from High View, West Virginia
From West Virginia I had two days to get myself back to the Charlotte airport and then from the Charlotte airport over to Kansas City. Why Kansas City? Carol would be joining me for the last half of this 24-day trip. She was flying nonstop from Los Angeles into the brand-new Kansas City airport. Her trackchasing trip would be a little more “civilized”. When she comes along we don’t drive as much and we NEVER sleep in the airport or a highway rest area! We will still be driving a lot. The tracks left for me to see just aren’t all that close together. We’ll add a few more Trackchasing Tourist Attractions to our lifetime lists as well.
Will I see you for the back half of this trip?
Do you have an opinion on this “shortened” Trackchaser Report with a bit more focus on YouTube videos of the racing? If so please let me know one way or the other.
Cheers,
Randy Lewis.