Reprinted with permission from my September 14, 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. For whatever reason (usually not enough time) it didn’t get posted to my website when I first made the track visit. Often times 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 430 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. I live in San Clemente, California. I am a “trackchaser”. I trackchase. Before you discovered my site had you ever heard of trackchasing? Maybe not? So….what the heck is trackchasing? Sit back, take a read and you’ll be an expert on my hobby of trackchasing when you’re finished.

 

 

Here’s my best explanation.

 

 

Trackchasing is a three-pronged hobby. I’m a racing fan. I love to travel. I love to analyze opportunities to get the most out of everything while saving time and money.

 

 

Trackchasing fills the need for all of the above. The racing part of my trackchasing has me trying to see wheel to wheel auto racing at as many different racetracks as I can all over the world. Yes, all over the world. So far things are going pretty well. As this is written, I’ve seen racing in 85 countries at more than 2,500 tracks. As a matter of fact, I’ve seen racing at more tracks than anyone else in the world.

 

 

Equally important to me are the things I get to see and experience over the “long and dusty trackchasing trail”. I call these adventures “Trackchasing Tourist Attractions”. You won’t want to miss my “Trackchasing Tourist Attractions” page. Here’s the link:  Trackchasing Tourist Attractions  or my “Sports Spectating Resume” page, Sports Spectating Resume  on my website at www.randylewis.org.

 

 

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. As a matter of fact, 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 all over the world. With trackchasing trips to 85 countries and counting just getting the chance to experience so many other cultures, spend time in their homes and meet their friends is a huge reward for being in this hobby. I am indebted to several of these folks for their help and friendship.

 

 

It takes a good deal of planning to do the above and not spend my entire retirement portfolio. I enjoy the challenge, the travel and every other aspect of “trackchasing”. In reality, my trackchasing hobby is a lot like being with the carnival. I breeze into town, stay a little while and then head on down the road.

 

 

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:

 

 

Randy’s Complete Track List

 

 

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!

 

 

Randy on Facebook

 

 

 

FOREWORD

 

 

DAY 1 – CAROL AND RANDY’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL MOUNTAIN WEST TRACKCHASING TOUR

 

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES

The trackchasing season is winding down, but I’m looking to my resources sprinkled across North America to keep me going for a little bit longer…………………more in “The Objective”.

 

 

Would you like to get an airline sponsorship deal like Carol and I have? …………..details in “The Trip”.

 

Carol is injured.…………..details in “The People”.

 

Is Carol really a dumb blonde?.…………..details in “Carol’s Comments”.

 

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I would like to wish a happy birthday to long-time and loyal Trackchaser Report reader, Mike Skonicki (September 17).  I would also like to thank Mike for his controversial political gifts he bestowed on Carol and me during my visit with him last week in Chicago.  Thanks, Mike, and happy birthday.

 

 

 

We woke up in San Clemente, California, California this morning and went to sleep in Blackfoot, Idaho. This is what transpired today.

 

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

The Objective  

It’s the middle of September.  The trackchasing season is rapidly winding down.  Most tracks in the Midwest and East will be closed in the next week or two.  New track production will dramatically fall off for my fellow competitors.  Although I have been on the road seeing new tracks for all but two weeks (one in January, one in February) in 2007, now is not the time to back off.  The best time to gain an advantage is when the others are sitting on their sofas.

 

 

However, there is a reason those folks might decide to sit the next few months out.  Why would that be?  There aren’t many races going on!  Once kids go back to school and the nighttime temperatures begin to fall, tracks start shutting down for the winter.

 

 

We have one fellow who usually makes an announcement about this time that he is going to dramatically curtail his trackchasing schedule.  He makes it sound as if he practicing some form of discipline or restraint.  He never mentions that it’s not really his choice, but the lack of racing that will force him to cut back.

 

 

I am affected by the same phenomenon.  Given the fact that I have seen hundreds of tracks more than most other chasers, my options aren’t too great either during the October-February period.  This just creates more of a challenge for the staffers at Randy Lewis Racing to come up with those elusive tracks that will be racing during the next few months.

 

 

I would like to give a shout out to the several “independent contractors” who provide me with race dates in their local areas.  You know who you are.  In some cases, I couldn’t list your name for fear of recrimination from your neighbors.  Suffice it to say, I couldn’t do it without you guys and guys and really appreciate your help.  Thank you!

 

 

I do have several more tracks planned for the balance of 2007.  I’m in active negotiations for one and maybe two NEW foreign country track visits.  Feelers are also being put out regarding ice-racing events.  I have a great network of supporters in the Northeast and Canada as well as a new pair of L.L. Bean boots.  I’m almost ready.  I expect that Carol will attend her first-ever ice racing event over the coming months.  She gets cold when we go to the movies, so I can’t wait to see what happens when she has to stand on a frozen lake in Quebec all afternoon!

 

 

As I told Paul Weisel at the beginning of the year, I’m going to try to see as many tracks as I possibly can.  If I don’t go trackchasing, it won’t be because of some form of restraint on my part.  It will be because I can’t find a place to go trackchasing. I won’t try to BS anyone about how I am “cutting back” of my own free will. Geez!

 

 

The Trip 

We first attracted our trackchasing airlines sponsorship from SkyWest Airlines (including Delta Connection and United Express) about one year ago.  Actually, we took our first flight with this support on September 29, 2006 (Desert Thunder Raceway, Price, Utah).  That was 160 tracks ago.  During this period Carol and I have flown on 147 flights (Carol 21, me 126).  Of course, that does not include a few round-trips we took that were unsponsored.

 

 

I write about a number of subjects, most of which relate to trackchasing, in my Trackchaser Reports.  Since most of my readers are NOT trackchasers, I hope you can take some of my ideas and reapply them to your favorite hobbies.  Trying to be efficient and cost-effective are not ideas that are unique to trackchasing.  Those topics can be applied to just about everything you do in your life.  I hope you see some reapplication opportunities for the things I mention with the things that YOU do.

 

 

Did you know that you could gain airline sponsorships just as I have?  Here are a couple of ways you might get the same results.

 

 

This is the way I did it.  When son J.J. was undergoing a serious life-threatening illness, I wanted to perk up his spirits.  He had always wanted to get his pilot’s license.  I plunked down $10,000 for his pilot’s training and VFR license.  This was more than ten years ago.  It wasn’t until recently that J.J. decided to pursue an airline career that started with his training back in the mid-90s.  I never expected my “investment” to pay off as it has.

 

 

Maybe you don’t have a child with an interest in flying.  Don’t worry.  Just drive out to your local airport and ask the airlines for a part-time job application.  You might just be able to work a few hours a week and be eligible for employee flight benefits.  Then you can begin to mount a challenge in the trackchasing wars.  I wish you the best of luck in this endeavor.

 

 

 

The People 

I’ve told you in the past that Carol is a real trooper.  She does all the work at our house and I just provide the funding.  I know I’ve said this in the past, but just in case you missed this particular point, I will repeat it.  I am willing to do chores and the like at home, I’m just not permitted too.

 

 

Apparently, I am more cut out for a managerial or supervisory position.  Although I have tried to do chores, my work has never passed Carol’s muster.  She almost always redoes whatever I have done to meet her satisfaction (she disputes this, but she is wrong).  We’ve come to an agreement that it’s best if I “just stay on the sidelines” while she does ALL the work in our household including preparing the meals, washing, cleaning, paying the bills, home maintenance and the like.  Please do not misinterpret what I am saying.  I am NOT bragging about this, I am only providing a description of what goes on in our house.

 

 

Without chores or any homebound responsibilities, I am free to trackchase (or travel, or golf, or whatever) to my heart’s content.  However, I am always looking for ways to get Carol away from a hot stove or a dirty window.  This often takes the form of trackchasing but not always.

 

 

Carol will be accompanying me on this weekend’s trip.  I figured she might as well come along for two reasons.  First, she just had surgery on her foot yesterday.  What good would she be around the house with a bad foot?  She had the full special “shoe” fitted so that she can hobble around.  I figured I could use her disability to let us board the plane first on our trip.  I will do my best to walk slowly through airports, etc. this weekend so that she can keep up.

 

 

The second reason is that she is in a battle with a woman from Pennsylvania for the 2007 Woman’s Trackchasing Season Title.  Carol is the two-time defending champion.  Carol is definitely the underdog this year and I doubt she will be in for a “three-peat”.  However, you never know until it’s over, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

 

 

Editor’s note:  Carol advised me not to write the above paragraph.  She said, “They (Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers) read these reports, don’t they?  That just puts a little spark under their butt, doesn’t it?”  A little spark never hurt anybody.

 

 

Nevertheless, I maintain that Carol is a real trooper.  No, she won’t be able to get any household chores done this weekend, but we expect to have a fun time “on the road”.

 

 

STATE RANKINGS

This was my eighth-lifetime track to see in the Potato State.  This increases my lead over second-place chaser Allan Brown who has seen six tracks here.  This is Trackchasing’s First Mother’s fifth Idaho track giving her a third-place state tie with one of my favorite women in trackchasing, Nancy Brown.

 

 

Some folks might ask why I would continue to trackchase in Idaho after taking over the lead earlier in the year.  In trackchasing, you can never have enough.  Although only 22 trackchasers have ever come to Idaho for racing (13 of those folks have seen just one track), you never know when some East coast interloper will try to unseat me.  Today’s track was added for insurance purposes against such a potential onslaught.

 

 

 

RACE REVIEW

 

 

NOISE PARK RACEWAY, IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, – TRACKS #1,273 (CAROL’S TRACK #340)

 

 

We pulled into Idaho Falls at 4 p.m.  We had left San Clemente at 5:45 a.m.  That meant it took us about 10 hours to get here from our doorstep.  It normally takes about 12 hours from my driveway to most tracks in the Midwest or East when I fly, including the driving time.  Since we were going to a track in the Mountain time zone, we got here quicker than usual.

 

 

The track’s website told us the racing would begin at 7 p.m.  We were not aware of any interesting tourist attractions in the area, so we decided to take in a movie.  “Dusty” our reliable portable GPS unit gave us the movie locations.  My cell phone told me about showtimes.  We picked The Brave One starring Jody Foster.  I predict her performance will yield an Oscar nomination.  I fully supported her vigilante problem-solving approach.  Carol did not.

 

 

Idaho Falls is a small city of about 50,000 people.  They seem to have a surface street traffic problem.  It’s common for small towns to have really long stoplights.  Although SoCal has more than its share of traffic, the road system is very good.  I am frequently more frustrated by poorly planned streets and stoplights in small towns than I am in urban traffic areas.

 

 

With the track being on the far west of town by about eight miles and the movie theatre being on the far east of town, we arrived late to the track at about 7:15 p.m.  I never like to be late for the start.  Before I’ve ever seen the program, I am anticipating a fine night of racing that will begin on time.  I do not feel the same about leaving a program before it is fully completed.  By that time, I have seen what the show has to offer and more often than not have decided it is not worthy of my time.

 

 

The trackchasing forum has had some rather strong comments about the quality of racing we trackchasers see in today’s “racing” world.  One chaser has even gone so far as to call most non-oval racing as “crap”.  Of course, that word can mean one thing to one person and something else to another.  I hope my use of that word in this Trackchaser Report is not offensive to anyone.

 

 

I have begun to classify tracks into two categories, permanent and temporary.  Permanent tracks would be your traditional ovals and road courses.  Temporary tracks would be most figure 8, and many small-time ovals and road courses at county fairs and such.

 

 

I don’t know if I would use the word “crap” to describe racing shows or not.  Maybe if I was in a bad mood, which doesn’t happen very often, I would.  I would say that good racing to me means high speeds, close racing with a good deal of passing for position.  Of course, high speeds would be relative.  At Daytona, you’re talking 200 M.P.H.  At the quarter-mile dirt oval that defines the Peoria Speedway, you’re talking 60-90 M.P.H.

 

 

I would say that most temporary tracks do not meet my standards for good racing.  I would say that most permanent tracks do but certainly not for every race.  I’m not a big one for saying racing at permanent tracks was better in the past than it is today.  I think people just remember it that way.

 

 

Tonight’s racing on the 3/8-mile dirt oval was for the most part “crap” if that’s a word in your vocabulary.  The track is permanent proving that permanent tracks can provide a poor show as well.  Nevertheless, the people we encountered were above average on the nice side, so that will temper my comments about their program.

 

 

With a scheduled starting time of 7 p.m., did they already have four heat races completed by the time we arrived at 7:15 p.m.?  No, they did not.  Actually, they did not run their first countable race until 8:33 p.m.!  This forced me to enforce a curfew of 10 p.m. on the Noise Park Raceway.  This way I knew that I would be at the track a maximum of three hours after the scheduled start time and two hours and forty-five minutes after we had arrived.

 

 

From looking at the previous results on the internet, I knew the car counts would be small.  The track did not disappoint in this expectation.  The modifieds had a massive car count of fifteen, much more than most of the previous racing nights this season.  However, the pure stocks (5), hornets (3), mini-stocks (1) and super stocks (3) more than met my pre-race car count expectations.

 

 

It was 82 degrees at 7:15 when we arrived.  The predicted low for the night was 43 degrees!  That’s how they do it in the rural far west.  They say it’s good sleeping weather.  It was 58 degrees when we left NPR at 10:01 p.m.  We stayed that extra minute beyond plan so we could watch the completion of the heart-stopping five-car pure stock feature.

 

 

The track is located out in the boonies in what we SoCalers call the “high desert”.  We were greeted by an elderly ticket taker at the edge of the track property.  He leaned in the window and said, “Anybody in here more than 63?”  No, political correctness is not a virtue of far west rural people.  I should know as my in-laws came from this environment.  And no, we did not get a senior discount and won’t for a number of years at NPR.

 

 

There was a series of 10-row high wooden and aluminum grandstands.  We sat directly in front of a speaker, so we could hear the announcer very well.  The announcer appeared to be a jack-of-all-trades.  He ran the driver’s meeting, held the pill jar, cajoled the racers to the track and called the races.

 

 

I met him during the hour and more delay while we were at the track and they weren’t racing.  I told him my trackchaser story.  He seemed to be “non-plussed”.  He mentioned that “Bill” their flagman had been to many tracks as well, but “maybe not as many as you have”.  This was a clear signal to me that he “wasn’t tracking” but I encounter that a lot.  We later learned that “Bill” had been to 138 tracks. I was seeing my 1,273rd track tonight. Nope. Bill hadn’t seen as many tracks as I had.

 

 

Tonight was Carol’s 340th-lifetime track.  She said, “Maybe you should just give the track my name and track total.  It sounds so much more believable.”  Yes, Carol is a logical woman.

 

 

At intermission, much to my surprise, the announcer went into a long speech centered on my press release.  He even mentioned the full names and residential locations of all top five worldwide trackchasers that I provide to every track on nearly each of my visits.  The announcement was so long that after the announcer mentioned my email address, we heard an elderly woman behind us say, “enough already”. Calm down, lady! 

 

 

Of course, we didn’t know for sure what the motivation of this comment might be.  Was she unhappy with having to hear the names and locations of those Eastern-based trackchasers?  Was she rebelling against technology when the announcer mentioned my website address?  On the other hand, was she simply fed up with a program that was running woefully behind schedule?

 

 

In addition to the classes already mentioned there were three classes racing on a small dirt inner oval.  These were all caged go-karts, some with wings.  These racing machines were all driven by children.  That made their racing uncountable by trackchaser rules.

 

 

Before we could see our first heat race at 8:33 p.m., did I mention this was more than an hour and a half behind the scheduled start time, we had to “meet the drivers”?  This involved having all 27 drivers park their car on the front straight.  Then each was introduced to the crowd.  I’m guessing most of these folks didn’t have to be anywhere soon.

 

 

I did hear one of the pure stock drivers say, when the hornets were being introduced, “I’ve got more money invested in tires than they do in their entire car”.  Please!  I wanted to yell at him, “I’ve got more invested in my portable GPS unit than you do in your pure stock” but Carol restrained me.

 

 

The announcer did try to tell the crowd that they had been waiting on “two track personnel” to arrive.  He told us these folks were the scorers.  Almost every race we saw tonight had five cars or less.  How difficult is it to score five cars?

 

 

I had a brief discussion with a man working the concession stand regarding the late start.  He told me that with the “large modified car count” it took extra time to get everyone checked in.

 

 

Regardless of a late starting time or small car counts, at least the lights were bad.  Yep!  You couldn’t see much in the turns.  One time a car became stalled up in turns one and two and the flagman didn’t see him until the cars had raced past the disabled car at full speed for a lap.

 

 

All of the above sounds like we didn’t have a good time, but we did.  We didn’t have to be anywhere that quickly.  In the end, it was the falling temperatures (58 degrees) and strong tailwinds (15-20 M.P.H.) that drove us from our seats.  We had seen four main events.  All of the above made us feel like we got our money’s worth.  The overriding factor was that the people we met were nice.

 

 

CAROL’S COMMENTS 

In this section of the Trackchaser Report, I will reveal to you certain statements that Carol made during the night that you might find interesting.  As an example, Carol told me, “Kristy (our daughter) told me that people who read ‘Carol’s comments’ probably think you’re a nice person but slightly retarded”.  Of course, Carol is a college graduate.  Her major?  Math.  She graduated with nearly a straight “A” average.  Yes, in some ways, she can be sort of a dumb blond, but she knows an isosceles triangle from an equilateral triangle and she knows how to spell them!  And yes, she’s MY dumb blond.

 

 

When I informed her that tonight’s low temperature was going to be 43 degrees, she asked, “It’s not going to drop to 43 before we see our first countable race is it?”  I couldn’t promise anything.

 

 

Our movie at the theatre wrapped up tonight at 6:45 p.m.  I leaned over at said to Carol, “Would it be O.K. if we just watched this movie and went out to dinner?  We can skip the race tonight”.  If looks could kill, I wouldn’t be writing this Trackchaser Report to you right now.  Yes, I have to be persuasive to get her out on the trackchasing trail, but once she’s out here she becomes as competitive as any East coasted based trackchaser I have ever seen.

 

 

“I hope people don’t read your tag line and get mad at you”.  She’s always thinking about my welfare.  You can’t beat that quality when you’re picking a spouse.

 

 

Her final comment was “Noise Park is really quiet when they’re not racing.  It actually very quiet when they ARE racing”.  She was right again.

 

 

 

 

 

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

 

Salt Lake City – Friday – Saturday (2-day rental) 

The National Rental car location in Salt Lake City is one of their worst.  They don’t have Executive Selection.  They don’t have Emerald Aisle.  Their cars never have XM radio.  They insist on a full vehicle damage assessment before the car is driven off the lot.  I can’t just tell you this is a bad location.  I have to give you the reasons I feel this way.  Then, you’re in a better position to evaluate my judgment.

 

 

We drove the Chevy Impala 507 miles.  I paid an average price of just $2.77 per gallon.  The Chevy gave us 32.9 M.P.G. in fuel mileage at a cost of 8.4 cents per mile.  The car cost 12.8 cents per mile to rent, all taxes included. 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite.

 

 

 

 

AIRPLANE 

Orange County, CA – Salt Lake City, UT – 588 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR – SALT LAKE CITY 

Salt Lake City International Airport – trip begins

Idaho Falls, ID – 255 miles

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMISSION PRICES: 

Noise Park Raceway – $10

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

There are no trackchasers currently within 100 tracks of my lifetime total. 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,273

 

 

 

 

Other notables

 

These worldwide trackchasers are within 10 tracks (plus or minus) of Carol’s current trackchaser total.

 

28. Max Allender, Des Moines, Iowa – 349

 

29. Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 340

 

30. Tom Schmeh, Knoxville, Iowa – 330

 

 

2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 135

 

2. Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium – 85

 

3. Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 77

 

4. Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania – 71

 

5. Pam Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 49

 

6. Paul Weisel, Orefield, Pennsylvania – 48

 

7. Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 46

 

8. Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 44

 

9. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 38

 

10. Roger Ferrell, Majenica, Indiana – 32

 

Tracks have been reported by 40 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

 

 

LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS

 

2007 (current thru 9/12/07)**

 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 6.61
2. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 6.65
3. Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 7.69

 

 

 

 

 

UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS 

The primary purpose of this trip is not trackchasing, it is football.  Yep!  It UCLA Bruin football.  You’ll learn more about that in the next report.

 

RACETRACKS VISITED IN 2007 (** not the first time to visit this track)

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

 

1,214. Kart Kanyon Raceway, Aztec, New Mexico – June 30

 

1,215. Aztec Speedway, Aztec, New Mexico – June 30

 

1,216. Sunvalley Speedway, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada – July 1

 

1,217. Georgetown Speedway, Georgetown, Delaware – July 6

 

1,218. Delmarva Motorsports Park, Middleford, Delaware – July 6

 

1,219. Hunterstown Speedway, Hunterstown, Pennsylvania – July 7

 

1,220. Shippensburg Speedway, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania – July 7 (Randy only)

 

** Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, Maryland – July 7 (new for Carol only)

 

1,221. Blanket Hill Speedway, Whitesburg, Pennsylvania – July 8

 

1,222. Lincoln County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Troy, Missouri – July 13

 

1,223. Pike County Speedway, Pittsfield, Illinois – July 13

 

1,224. Iowa Speedway (road course), Newton, Iowa – July 14

 

1,225. Mitchell County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Osage, Iowa – July 14

 

1,226. Scott County Fairgrounds (oval), Scottsburg, Indiana – July 15

 

1,227. Barry Expo Center (figure 8), Hastings, Michigan – July 16

 

1,228. Lycoming County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Hughesville, Pennsylvania, Michigan – July 17

 

1,229. Delaware County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Muncie, Indiana – July 18

 

1,230. Delaware County Fairgrounds (oval), Muncie, Indiana – July 18

 

1,231. Van Buren County Youth Fairgrounds (road course), Hartford, Michigan – July 19

 

1,232. High Banks Speedway (oval), Philpot, Kentucky – July 20

 

1,233. High Banks Speedway (figure 8), Philpot, Kentucky – July 20

 

1,234. SOIL MX, Bone Gap, Illinois – July 21

 

1,235. Western Kentucky Speedway, Madisonville, Kentucky – July 21

 

** Windy Hollow Speedway (oval), Owensboro, Kentucky – July 23

 

1,236. Windy Hollow Speedway (small figure 8), Owensboro, Kentucky – July 21

 

1,237. Teton County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Jackson, Wyoming – July 26

 

1,238. Gallatin International Speedway, Belgrade, Montana – July 27

 

1,239. BMP Speedway, Billings, Montana – July 28

 

1,240. Sweetwater County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Rock Springs, Wyoming – July 31

 

1,241. Washington County Fairgrounds (oval), Washington, Kansas – August 3

 

1,242. Maxville Fire Department Figure 8 Course, Maxville, Iowa– August 4

 

1,243. Carroll County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Coon Rapids, Iowa– August 4

 

1,244. Iowa Speedway (temporary inner oval), Newton, Iowa– August 5

 

1,245. Sarpy County Fair & Rodeo Arena (figure 8), Springfield, Nebraska – August 5

 

1,246. Newaygo County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Fremont, Michigan – August 6

 

1,247. Newaygo County Fairgrounds (road course), Fremont, Michigan – August 7

 

1,248. Shiawassee County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Corunna, Michigan – August 8

 

1,249. Tioga County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Wellsboro, Pennsylvania – August 9

 

1,250. Coopersville Festival Grounds (road course), Coopersville, Michigan – August 10

 

1,251. Winston Motor Speedway, Rothbury, Michigan – August 10

 

1,252. Jackson Speedway (dirt oval), Jackson, Michigan – August 11

 

1,253. Springport Motor Speedway, Springport, Michigan – August 11

 

1,254. Double X Speedway, California, Michigan – August 12

 

** Thunderhill Speedway, Mayetta, Kansas – August 13

 

1,255. RPM Speedway, Hays, Kansas – August 14

 

1,256. KAM Raceway, Hastings, Nebraska – August 24

 

1,257. Motorsport Park Hastings, Hastings, Nebraska – August 25

 

1,258. Boneyard Park (figure 8), Edgar, Nebraska – August 25

 

1,259. Lincoln County Raceway (inner oval), North Platte, Nebraska – August 25

 

1,260. Lincoln County Raceway (outer oval), North Platte, Nebraska – August 25

 

1,261. Dirtona Raceway, Hugoton, Kansas – August 26

 

1,262. Paris Fairgrounds (figure 8), Paris, Ontario, Canada – August 30

 

1,263. Autodrome Edelweiss, Cantley, Quebec, Canada – August 31

 

1,264. Barrie Speedway, Barrie, Ontario, Canada – September 1

 

1,265. Sunset Speedway, Stroud, Ontario, Canada – September 1

 

1,266. Kinmount Fairgrounds (figure 8), Kinmount, Ontario, Canada – September 2

 

1,267. Orangeville Fairgrounds (figure 8), Orangeville, Ontario, Canada – September 2

 

1,268. Warren County Prime Beef Festival (oval), Monmouth, Illinois – September 5

 

1,269. Warren County Prime Beef Festival (figure 8), Monmouth, Illinois – September 6

 

1,270. Camden Speedway, Camden, Tennessee – September 7

 

1,271. 24 Raceway (dirt oval), Moberly, Missouri – September 8

 

1,272. Westby Nordic Raceway, Westby, Wisconsin – September 9

 

1,273. Noise Park Raceway, Idaho Falls, Idaho – September 14

 

 

 

In the business world, the U.S. is often divided up into geographic areas that are referred to as East, Central and the “eleven Western states plus Alaska and Hawaii.”  No, I don’t know why they don’t just say the “thirteen western states.”  Those states include  Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming and, of course, Alaska and Hawaii.

 

 

The far west probably has the most beautiful scenery per square mile anywhere in the United States.  This got me to thinking.  Over the next 2-3 years, I’d like to put a “full-court” press on these far west states for trackchasing purposes.  I want to establish a goal of becoming the number one trackchaser in each of these states except California by the end of 2009.  Becoming #1 in California is not a realistic goal at this time. 

 

 

Below is a listing of these thirteen Far Western states.  The state’s name is followed by my current rank and how many tracks I need to see to gain at least a tie for 1^st place.  As an example, I’m currently in ninth place in Alaska and trail first place by three tracks.  I’m looking forward to spending more time than usual is the Far West, a great part of our country.

 

Alaska – 9^th by 3

 

Arizona – 1^st

 

California – 2^nd by 48

 

Colorado – 2nd by 1

 

Hawaii – 3^rd by 1

 

Idaho – 1st

 

Montana – 1st

 

Nevada – 2^nd by 2

 

New Mexico – 1st

 

Oregon – 1^st

 

Utah – 1st

 

Washington – 2nd by 1

 

Wyoming – 1st

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

So….what did our trackchasing day at the Noise Park Raceway look like?