Greetings from Butler, Missouri
.
From the travels and adventures of the
“World’s #1 Trackchaser”
Butler Motor Speedway Dirt oval Lifetime Track #1,213 Reprinted with permission from my Sunday, June 24, 2007, 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) it 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. 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 (ice racing is a big part of my trackchasing during the winter). 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. 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, June 24, 2007. Greetings from first Newton, Iowa and then Butler, Missouri (Sunday) and finally Peoria, Illinois (Monday) Editor’s note: This is a Trackchaser Report about our visit to the Butler Motor Speedway in Missouri. Earlier in the afternoon, we went to the races at the Iowa Speedway. The next day we stopped for another race event at my boyhood track, the Peoria Speedway. We woke up in Webster City, Iowa this morning. We went to sleep in Kansas City, Kansas. This is what transpired today. PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS The Strategy Wouldn’t everyone’s life strategy be to get maximum results with minimal effort? It’s the classic “work smarter, not harder.” This is the strategy that motivated me to develop both a right-handed AND left-handed forehand shot in tennis. I could get to more balls and run less! I try to practice this life strategy not just in trackchasing but anywhere and everywhere that I can. Today, I will give you two examples of how the “work smarter, not harder” theory was applied in my everyday trackchasing life. Today was the first-ever Indy car race at the Iowa Speedway. To Iowans, it was a big deal. All of the good seats had been sold long ago. We didn’t have any tickets for the event when we pulled into the back of a long traffic line several miles from the speedway. The traffic was bad. We would do well to get to the track by the time the green flag dropped at 12:15 p.m. How would we get tickets? What would we do? I simply pulled out my “need two” ticket sign from my briefcase. Carol quickly chewed a piece of gum. We used the gum to stick the sign to the driver’s side window. In less than five minutes, a woman was waving two tickets out the window of a black Cadillac Escalade. When the traffic slowed to a stop, the driver got out of the car and walked back to my car. His tickets were in the upper level just at the entrance to pit road. He wanted face value ($75) for the tickets. That seemed fair given the existing traffic circumstances. I gladly dug into my pocket for $150 cash. We didn’t even have to get out of our car for premium tickets at face value to the biggest event ever held at the Iowa Speedway. I’m telling you, it’s all about systems! We were in four lanes of traffic crawling toward the rain-soaked grass parking lots of the Iowa Speedway. These four lanes narrowed down to just one lane headed into the main parking lot. They allowed about 20 cars from one lane and then another of the four to move forward at one time. At this rate, it was going to take forever to get in. The race would not be delayed for the late-arriving crowd because of their commitment to starting on time for the TV audience. As I looked in my rearview mirror, the traffic was backed up for as far as I could see. The traffic backup was probably more than three miles. There were going to be a large number of people who were going to miss a big part of this race. There were just 20 minutes before the green flag would fly. What would we do? How would we get into the track in time for the start of the race? My theory regarding parking spaces is there “is always room for one more at the inn.” Yes, I guess that comes from my Bible reading. I was able to perfect my parking strategies as the Eldora Speedway during several World 100 events. It’s an easier theory to implement when I’m not driving my own car! I quickly nudged my way into a spot just wide enough for the Dollar Rental Car Racing Dodge Charger. Carol and I snuck past a security guard who was about ready to arrest a guy who had tried a similar but less stealth move. We put it into Olympic walking mode. I’m glad Carol goes to aerobics 5-6 times a week. She can easily keep up. We arrived in our seats just seven minutes before the race started. We would have missed the first 50 laps had we not been assertive with our parking arrangement. The fellow I bought my tickets from showed up a little later than we did. He said, “I saw that spot you parked in. I thought about taking it myself. Good move!” So…..what have we learned from all of this? First of all, no one looks out for your own well-being more than you do. Secondly, it’s better to have a good system than a good shovel. Finally, it’s important to abide by all rules and regulations. Therefore, when you win you will have the inner self-satisfaction of a problem well solved. Yes, these are pearls of wisdom. Be smart enough to bend over and pick them up. The Trip Following the afternoon race, Carol did most of the driving down to Missouri. I spent the time on cell phone arranging standby flights for Carol. She’ll be flying back to San Clemente from Kansas City on Monday. The flight availability looks good. I’ll stay out on the road a little longer. The People Yes! Trackchasing’s First Mother aka, wife Carol frequently comments on her experiences at the races. This is what she had to say today. CAROL’S COMMENTS (above with Ukrainian trackchasing friends) The Iowa Speedway was a gorgeous facility with three countable tracks at one location. Editor’s note: She’s always thinking ahead! The legroom in the grandstands was outstanding. The bathrooms were beautiful. They even had a lady in the bathroom pointing out which stalls were available! I liked the Indy cars because they go fast and they’re somewhat delicate. They remind me of sprint cars. I thought I would be fried in the sun, but it was quite pleasant under the overcast skies. I wasn’t too happy when the track security staff took my little umbrella away upon entering. At least I got it back on the way out of the track. It’s always entertaining watching my husband maneuver us in and around the world’s obstacles. STATE RANKINGS The Iowa Speedway was Carol’s sixth new track to see in the Hawkeye state. This was not a new track for me. I was here just last year for the speedway’s inaugural race on September 15, 2006. Carol is now tied for 30th place in Iowa with Steve Kinser among others. The evening portion of our trackchasing day yielded my 34th lifetime Show Me state track. This moves me into a tie for fourth place with Roger Ferrell of Majenica, Indiana. The track improves my lifetime NGD score by one more position. That gives me a net gain of two positions so far on this trip. The Butler Motor Speedway was Carol’s sixth Missouri track. She is now tied with trackchasing luminaries Pappy Hough and John Osowski, among others, for 26th place. Missouri Track Standings RACE REVIEW Indy car racing today is not the Indy car racing of your father’s era. That’s too bad. They started just 19 cars today on a nearly one-mile oval. They rarely passed. When they did they usually crashed. There were 69 yellow flag caution laps today out of the races total of 250 laps. Only ten cars finished. I went to the inaugural race more than 10 years ago at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The IRL was racing that day in front of a capacity crowd of approximately 75,000 people. It took us three hours to go 12 miles to get to the track. Based on the quality of that race as well as the traffic problems, only 10,000 people showed up for the IRL race the next year. That must show how well the fans liked the IRL. The IRL no longer races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I doubt the same fate will be in store for the Indy cars at the Iowa Speedway. The racing wasn’t much better, but I suspect Iowans don’t have as many entertainment options as the people in and around Las Vegas. They will likely remain more loyal to the track, even if that means going to a somewhat boring follow the leader style of racing as we saw today. The Iowa Speedway itself is spectacular except for the traffic management and parking areas. When I was here last September the grassy parking lots were bordering on being a quagmire. Today, after hard rains during the past couple of days, I suspect they were terrible. We parked on an access road and avoided those grass lots. I’d come back for a NASCAR Busch race. I’ll definitely come back for their road course and small oval racing. That won’t be because I like that type of racing. It will be because I am a trackchaser. I’ve learned to check my entertainment preferences at the door when I go trackchasing. RACE TRACK STATS: IOWA SPEEDWAY – CAROL’S TRACK #324 Track details Website: http://www.iowaspeedway.com/ Weather: The forecast called for a high temperature of 85 degrees. We were pleased that the weather stayed heavily overcast with a temperature of just 73 degrees. Track type: oval Surface: Asphalt Length: 7/8- mile Grandstands: The place seats about 50,000 folks now. Just about every seat in the tall aluminum grandstands is a good one. P.A.: Solid. We could hear the track’s announcer very well. Announcer: Professional and knowledgeable. On time: They started about 10 minutes later than the advertised start time of 12:15 p.m. I wish I could get a copy of Monday’s Des Moines paper. They are going to roast the track for its inability to get fans into the track for the start of the race. The track was lucky there was a wreck on the first lap. Had there not been a caution, as many as 100 laps would have been completed before all the fans would have reached their seats. Pit area: Located the infield of the track. Pit road was easy to see from everywhere. Classes: Indy Racing League – 19 starters, only ten finished. Radio Frequency: Don’t know my race scanner battery went dead because I left it on overnight L Concessions: We ate at McDonalds for fear of being stuck in long food lines at the track. As it was, since so many people were still out in traffic, there were no lines at the food booths. Scoreboard: Yes Extras: The track ran several ads over the P.A. including ads for the Knoxville Raceway and the I-35 Speedway in Mason City. I was surprised that a track of this size ran a 50/50 contest. I can’t imagine there being a 50/50 contest at the Daytona 500! BUTLER MOTER SPEEDWAY – TRACK #1,214 (CAROL’S #325) Website: http://www.butlerracetrack.com/ Weather: It was 81 degrees when I arrived at the track and 73 when I left at 10:15 p.m. Track type: oval Surface: Very smooth clay, although it was dusty. Length: 3/8- mile Grandstands: 12 row aluminum bleacher grandstand, P.A.: Very loud. Announcer: Enthusiastic and knowledgeable. On time: Started on time at 7:30 p.m. and went to intermission by 8:10 p.m. The entire three-class show was finished by 10:15 p.m. This is how a racing program should be run. Pit area: Located behind the front stretch grandstand Classes: Hobby stocks – 18 (looked more like mini-stocks), Street stocks – 8, USMTS Modifieds – 47. Radio Frequency: 469.500 – this is the USMTS frequency Concessions: Budweiser 12 oz. – $2.25, Diet Coke 32 oz – $2.00 Scoreboard: No Extras: The restrooms were in above average condition. One of the best! The announcer gave me a complete trackchaser mention. LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE: There are no trackchasers currently within 100 tracks of my lifetime total. Other notables These worldwide trackchasers are within 10 tracks (plus or minus) of Carol’s current trackchaser total. 2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS Tracks have been reported by 37 different worldwide trackchasers this season. RENTAL CAR UPDATE Chicago – Thursday-Tuesday The Dollar Rental Car Racing Dodge Charger has one minor little feature I like. You simply need to tap the turn signal lightly and it will emit 3-4 “blinks” to signal a lane change. Carol’s view of the Dodge Charger? “It’s basic, but it does the job.” I guess Dodge won’t be having her be their spokesperson anytime soon. I paid an average price of $2.96 per gallon. The Pontiac Grand Prix gave me 27.9 M.P.G. in fuel mileage at a cost of 10.6 cents per mile. The car cost 37.4 cents per mile to rent, all taxes included. Thanks for reading about my trackchasing, Randy Lewis Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser There’s an ass for every seat. CUMULATIVE TRAVEL DISTANCES: AIRPLANE Los Angeles, CA – Chicago, IL (Midway) – 1,709 miles RENTAL CAR – CHICAGO Midway International Airport (yes, he said Midway) – trip begins Memphis, MO – 319 miles (rained out L) Grain Valley, MO – 621 miles Jamaica, IA – 924 miles Rockwell City, IA – 979 miles Webster City, IA – 1,023 miles Newton, IA – 1,128 miles Butler, MO – 1,417 miles AIRPLANE Chicago, IL – Los Angeles, CA – 1,709 miles TRACK ADMISSION PRICES: Valley Speedway – $8 ($2 senior discount) Jamaica Raceway – Free (pit passes were $8) Calhoun County Exposition Fairgrounds – $7 Hamilton County Speedway – $5 (discount for late arrival) Iowa Speedway – $75 Butler Motor Speedway – $10 Total racetrack admissions for the trip – $105 LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS 2007 (current thru 6/11/07)** **Until the end of the year, NGD rankings are unofficial. Rankings are affected not only by the leader’s activities but also by other trackchasers impact on the leader’s position in each state. It’s time to drop Carol off at the airport. Should I stay out on the road or not? 1,139. Meremere Dirt Track Club, Meremere, New Zealand – January 1 1,140. Meeanee Speedway, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand – January 1 1,141. Top of the South Speedway, Richmond, New Zealand – January 2 1,142. Woodford Glen Speedway, Christchurch, New Zealand – January 3 1,143. Robertson Holden International Speedway, Palmerston North, New Zealand – January 5 1,144. Taupo Motorsports Park, Taupo, North, New Zealand – January 6 1,145. Waikaraka Park International Speedway, Auckland, New Zealand – January 6 1,146. Angels Stadium of Anaheim (inner oval), Anaheim, California – January 13 1,147. Angels Stadium of Anaheim (outer oval), Anaheim, California – January 13 1,148. West Valley Speedway, Surprise, Arizona – January 14 1,149. Sandia Motorsports Park (road course), Albuquerque, New Mexico – January 28 1,150. Grand Prix De Lanaudiere, Lavaltrie, Quebec, Canada – February 3 1,151. Ste-Eulalie Ice Track, Eulalie, Quebec, Canada – February 4 1,152. St Guillaume, St Guillaume, Quebec, Canada – February 4 1,153. Caldwell Rodeo Arena, Caldwell, Idaho – February 10 1,154. Balsam Lake Ice Track, Balsam Lake, Wisconsin – February 18 1,155. Northeast Pond Ice Track, Milton, New Hampshire – February 24 1,156. Lee Pond Ice Track, Moultonborough, New Hampshire – February 25 1,157. New Hendry Country Speedway, Clewiston, Florida – March 3 1,158. Florida Sports Park, Naples, Florida – March 4 1,159. Honeoye Lake Ice Track – Road Course, Honeoye, New York – March 10 1,160. Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas – March 16 1,161. Houston Motorsports Park, Houston, Texas – March 16 1,162. Dawgwood Speedway, Chatsworth, Georgia – March 17 1,163. Toccoa Speedway, Toccoa, Georgia – March 17 1,164. Tazewell Speedway, Tazewell, Tennessee – March 18 1,165. Malden Speedway, Malden, Missouri, Tennessee – March 23 1,166. Dacosa Speedway, Byhalia, Mississippi – March 24 1,167. Swinging Bridge Raceway, Byram, Mississippi – March 24 1,168. Florence Motor Speedway, Florence, South Carolina – March 25 1,169. Foothills Raceway, Easley, South Carolina – March 30 1,170. Mileback Speedway, Gray Court, South Carolina – March 30 1,171. Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Florida – April 1 1,172. Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas, Nevada – April 8 1,173. Huntsville Speedway, Huntsville, Alabama – April 13 1,174. Low Country Kartway, Aynor, South Carolina – April 14 1,175. Dillon Motor Speedway, Dillon, South Carolina – April 14 1,176. Valley Dirt Riders, Berthoud, Colorado – April 15 1,177. Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Lancaster, California – April 22 1,178. Sertoma Speedway, Tularosa, New Mexico – April 27 1,179. Sandia Motorsports Park (outer oval), Albuquerque, New Mexico – April 28 1,180. Sandia Motorsports Park (inner oval), Albuquerque, New Mexico – April 28 1,181. Hollywood Hills Speedway, San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico – April 29 1,182. Meridian Speedway, Meridian, Idaho – May 11 1,183. Diamond Mountain Speedway, Vernal, Utah, Idaho – May 12 1,184. Rocky Mountain Raceways (oval), Salt Lake City, Utah – May 12 1,185. Rocky Mountain Raceways (figure 8), Salt Lake City, Utah – May 12 1,186. Modoc Speedway, Modoc, South Carolina – May 18 1,187. Possum Kingdom Super Speedway, Belton, South Carolina – May 19 1,188. Laurens County Speedway, Laurens, South Carolina – May 19 1,189. Fairplex at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, Pomona, California – May 20 1,190. Lowes Motor Speedway (inner oval), Concord, North Carolina – May 24 1,191. Lowes Motor Speedway (road course), Concord, North Carolina – May 24 1,192. Madison International Speedway (inner oval), Oregon, Wisconsin – May 25 ** Madison International Speedway (outer oval), Oregon, Wisconsin – May 25 1,193. Thunderbird Stadium (figure 8), Bremerton, Washington – May 26 1,194. Thunderbird Stadium (oval), Bremerton, Washington – May 26 1,195. Whispering Pines Motorsports Park, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada – May 27 1,196. Magic Valley Speedway, Twin Falls, Idaho – May 28 1,197. Owyhee Motorcycle Raceway Park, Boise, Idaho – June 1 1,198. Race City Motorsports Park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada – June 2 1,199. Edmonton International Raceway, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada – June 2 1,200. Castrol Raceway, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – June 2 1,201. Hidden Valley Motorsports Park, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada – June 2 1,202. Boyd’s Speedway, Ringgold, Georgia – June 8 1,203. Fayette County Fairgrounds, Washington Courthouse, Ohio – June 9 1,204. Brush Creek Motorsports Park, Pebbles, Ohio – June 9 1,205. Brown County Speedway, Russellville, Ohio – June 9 1,206. Vinton Speedway, Vinton, Ohio – June 10 1,207. Hilltop Speedway, Millersburg, Ohio – June 10 1,208. I-70 Speedway – dirt (outer oval), Odessa, Missouri – June 13 1,209. L A Raceway, La Monte, Missouri – June 14 1,210. Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, Missouri – June 22 1,211. Jamaica Raceway, Jamaica, Iowa – June 23 1,212. Calhoun County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Rockwell City, Jamaica, Iowa – June 23 ** Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, Iowa – June 23 (new for Carol only) ** Iowa Speedway (outer oval), Newton, Iowa, Iowa – June 24 (new for Carol only) 1,213. Butler Motor Speedway, Butler, Missouri – June 24 ** Peoria Speedway, Peoria, Illinois – June 25 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. That’s all folks! Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report Click on the link below to see the video production from the racing action today. I went to the Butler Motor Speedway in 2007. I didn’t begin making my own YouTube videos until a few years later. As this is posted I have more than 1,300 videos on my YouTube channel. The channel name is “Ranlay”. Enjoy this video from ToughGuysRacing. Click on the link below for a photo album from today’s trackchasing day. You can view the album slide by slide or click on the “slide show” icon for a self-guided tour of today’s trackchasing adventure. A night at the races down in Butler, Missouri
RANK
NAME
TRACKS
1.
Ed Esser
52
2.
Jack Erdmann
48
3.
Max Allender
38
4.
Roger Ferrell
34
5.
Andy Sivi
32
6.
Allan Brown
31
7.
Randy Lewis
30
8.
Gordy Killian
26
9.
John Moore
26
10.
Ken Schrader
26
11.
Dale O’Brien
21
12.
Kevin Eckert
17
13.
Rick Schneider
17
14.
Nancy Brown
15
15.
Dale Danielski
11
16.
Mark Manning
11
17.
Tom Schmeh
10
18.
Johnny Gibson
9
19.
Steve Kinser
9
20.
Sammy Swindell
9
21.
Eleanor Weidman
9
22.
Paul Weidman
9
23.
Paul Weisel
9
24.
Bing Metz
7
25.
Norm Wagner
7
26.
Roscoe “Pappy” Hough
6
27.
Don McAuley
6
28.
John Osowski
6
29.
Alan Skinrood
6
30.
Bob Schafer
5
31.
Dwight Bucks
4
32.
Gary Jacob
4
33.
Carol Lewis
4
34.
Bernie Harlan
3
35.
PJ Hollebrand
3
36.
Mike Knappenberger
3
37.
Ron Rodda
3
38.
Andy Ritter
2
39.
Guy Smith
2
40.
Colin Casserly
1
41.
Bruce Eckel
1
42.
Pat Eckel
1
43.
Frank Gardner
1
44.
Mark Kelly
1
45.
Robin Shaw
1
46.
Will White
1
Iowa Track Standings
RANK
NAME
TRACKS
1.
Jack Erdmann
83
2.
Ed Esser
78
3.
Max Allender
71
4.
Randy Lewis
61
5.
Allan Brown
59
6.
Roger Ferrell
47
7.
Rick Schneider
47
8.
Gordy Killian
46
9.
Andy Sivi
43
10.
Dale O’Brien
42
11.
Dale Danielski
40
12.
Ron Rodda
34
13.
Tom Schmeh
32
14.
Nancy Brown
31
15.
John Moore
27
16.
Bob Schafer
24
17.
Don McAuley
21
18.
John Osowski
21
19.
Mark Manning
18
20.
Eleanor Weidman
18
21.
Paul Weidman
18
22.
Ken Schrader
15
23.
Roscoe “Pappy” Hough
11
24.
Dwight Bucks
10
25.
Kevin Eckert
10
26.
Johnny Gibson
9
27.
Alan Skinrood
9
28.
Sammy Swindell
9
29.
Colin Casserly
7
30.
Bernie Harlan
6
31.
Mark Kelly
6
32.
Steve Kinser
6
33.
Bruce Eckel
5
34.
Pat Eckel
5
35.
Chris Economaki
5
36.
PJ Hollebrand
5
37.
Gary Jacob
5
38.
Mike Knappenberger
4
39.
Robin Shaw
4
40.
Steve “Spike” Rixon
3
41.
Guy Smith
3
42.
Carol Lewis
2
43.
Andy Ritter
2
44.
Norm Wagner
2
45.
Paul Weisel
2
46.
Will White
2
47.
Bing Metz
1
48.
Virginia Schuler
1
49.
Roland Vanden Eynde
1
UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS
RACETRACKS VISITED IN 2007
(** not the first time to visit this track)