2014 Trackchasing Goals
Final 2014 Trackchasing Goals Update
It doesn’t take much effort to set a few goals. However, there are some aspects of goal setting that ought to be considered. Why set any goals in the first place? It’s simple. By setting goals you can “stretch” to achieve more and/or improve yourself in whatever area you find important.
If you’re going to set goals there are a few things that will make the process better. First, the goals have to be as specific as possible. The more specific they are the easier it will be to see if you achieved your goals. It’s also most important to tell folks who care what your goals are BEFORE you try to achieve them. If one doesn’t do that it’s easy to “forget” about some goal when it’s not achieved. It’s all too easy to pat yourself on the back for a goal that might only have “materialized” AFTER you achieved it! I’ve seen a trackchaser or two fall into this category. Finally, it doesn’t do much good to set “softball” goals. What’s that? Goals that can pretty much be achieved just by getting out of bed in the morning. I see that a lot too.
I think you will find my goals specific. I publish my goals during January of each year. So there you go. My goals are “out there” for all to see. Now I’ll go about doing the best I can against those goals that are important to me in trackchasing. At the end of each quarter I’ll post the results. Stay tuned. I probably won’t make them all but I will be trying.
Below is an update of my progress against my 2014 trackchasing goals. My goals are both quantitative and qualitative.
Goal – Maintaining my title of the World’s #1 Trackchaser”
Maintain a lead of at least 350 tracks over my nearest fellow competitor. That should be enough to keep my title of the “World’s #1 Trackchaser” for a very long time.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
I had a very strong finish to the year getting 27 tracks during the fourth quarter. This gave me a 2014 total of 130 tracks. That was my fourth best year ever. My nearest fellow competitor Guy Smith finished the year with just 55 tracks. Only three of those were seen during the fourth quarter. I truly hope I am not crushing the spirit of my fellow competitors. They shouldn’t give up. They should get on the road and “get out there among ’em”.
I not only met my goal of maintaining a lead of at least 350 tracks over my nearest fellow competitor. The lead is now some 456 tracks. If I ever get a 500-track lead I think I might retire for a few years to let folks catch up!
Current results through September 30, 2014
The third quarter yielded outstanding results. During the quarter I saw 51 tracks giving me a nine-month total of 103. My nearest fellow competitor, Guy Smith, has seen just 52 tracks during the same time period.
I know what folks will say. “Randy, this was a softball goal. You should have set your goals much higher than just being 350 tracks ahead of your nearest fellow competitor”.
Maybe I didn’t make my goal in this area as aggressive as I should have. My lifetime total is now 430 tracks better than the next leading fellow competitor. I sincerely hope I have not so damaged my competitor’s psyche that they are discouraged from hitting the road. I say to them, “Even in the darkest hours don’t give up”.
Goal – Foreign country trackchasing
Add, at a minimum, five or more new countries to my trackchasing list. This will bring my lifetime “trackchasing countries” total to at least seventy-two. Adding this many new countries after I have seen racing in as many places as I have (67 countries) is one of my most challenging but most entertaining goals.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
I didn’t see racing in any new foreign countries during the fourth quarter. I missed my goal of seeing six new countries. However, it really wasn’t because of my own lack of performance. The countries I planned on seeing all disappointed in one way or another. You can see how that all came about in previous updates. I have now seen racing in 70 different countries. It’s getting harder and harder to add new ones….but I’m always on the lookout.
Current results through September 30, 2014
The year got off to a good start with a visit to the country of Trindad and Tobago. However, political troubles (Ukraine), local politics (Serbia) and flooding (Bosnia & Herzegovina) knocked me for a loop during the second quarter. At this rate I won’t meet my goal but I still have some firepower left internationally later this year.
I didn’t see racing in any new trackchasing countries during the third quarter. However, I didn’t plan too. I’ll do better in the fourth quarter…..I will not make my goal of seeing racing in six new countries because of the issues noted above.
Goal – Lifetime National Geographic Diversity results
1. Maintain my leadership position in the NGD lifetime category.
2. Lower my 2013 lifetime NGD score from the hobby’s all-time record high score of 4.96.
The National Geographic Diversity stats measure both numbers of tracks and numbers of states where a chaser has trackchased. You can’t be a “regional” trackchaser and do well in the National Geographic Diversity rankings. You can’t be a foreign trackchaser and do well in the NGD results. The NGD category rewards American trackchasers who pursue the hobby frequently all over the United States. Maintaining a #1 position in the lifetime NGD rankings is one of my three most important trackchasing ranking categories.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
I’m happy to report I was able to lower my lifetime National Geographic Diversity score to an all-time record of 4.88. I have now see the most tracks in 15 different states. I hold a top five or better ranking in 37 states. There are seven states where my ranking is worse than tenth. In those states I am saddled with NGD “penalty points” for my lack of achievement.
As you probably know by now I gather information from every source that I know of in the entire world to compute these scores. One of those chasers from “less traditional” sources even holds the #1 ranking in one state. Each chaser with a #1 ranking in an individual state gets a score of “1” point there. Second place finishers get two points, third place = 3 points etc. Trackchasers who can’t even break the top ten get a 15 point score in each state where they are a non-achiever. That’s the scoring system for the National Geographic Diversity program. Low score wins. The NGD ranking have been in existence for more than ten years.
Current results through September 30, 2014
My annual results won’t change until the end of the year. Why? I won’t know how my fellow competitors have done on a state by state basis until then. However, you can rest assured I will keep my eye on tracks that will benefit my “NGD” results all year. A track here and a track there will improve my score on a state by state basis.
Goal – Far Western states lifetime rankings
1. Maintain leadership position in 12 of the 13 Far Western states (x California). 2. Grow my lead in at least half (6) of the Far Western states where I do currently hold the #1 ranking.
I have an advantage with this goal. I live in the Far West. Virtually all other leading trackchasers live in the east. They won’t come out to the Far West to trackchase very often because the pickings are so slim. My leads in each state might not seem like much but since there are so few tracks to see the advantage in most cases is substantial.
There isn’t all that much happening in the Far West for me trackchasing wise now either. I’ve already seen the majority of tracks in this vast region. I don’t set a goal of ever beating Gary Jacob’s California totals unless some new genre of countable Golden state tracks pop up.
Current Results – Through 12/31/13 (my totals)
Alaska – (10) – lead by two
Arizona – (30) – tied for first with the racing Eckels
California – (124) – trail Gary Jacob’s total of 149
Colorado – (20) – lead by four
Hawaii – (5) – lead by one
Idaho – (14) – lead by eight
Montana – (12) – lead by five
Nevada – (27) – lead by seven
New Mexico – (14) – lead by eight
Oregon – (19) – lead by five
Utah – (11) – lead by seven
Washington – (25) – lead by six
Wyoming – (11) – lead by three
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
Alaska – (10) – lead by two
Arizona – (36) – lead by five
California – (134) – trail Gary Jacob’s total of 149
Colorado – (20) – lead by four
Hawaii – (6) – lead by two
Idaho – (14) – lead by eight
Montana – (13) – lead by six
Nevada – (31) – lead by eleven
New Mexico – (14) – lead by eight
Oregon – (20) – lead by seven
Utah – (11) – lead by seven
Washington – (27) – lead by eight
Wyoming – (13) – lead by five
Current results through September 30, 2014
I think this is going to be a very good year for my Far West trackchasing. During the first quarter five of my 18 tracks were seen “out west”. During the second quarter ten of my 34 tracks were from the Far West. During the third quarter six of my 51 tracks were from the Far West. I’ve now seen racing in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming this year. Since virtually no one else trackchases in this area I suspect I will meet and exceed my goal.
Goal – Exercise
Exercise at least 45 minutes per day for two times as many days as I trackchase. As an example, if I trackchase for 75 days I will need a minimum of 150 days of strong aerobic exercise in order to meet this goal.
Although this is a most worthwhile goal it is also one of the most difficult to attain. Why? My schedule, when I’m on the road, doesn’t fit well with exercise opportunities. Often times I am flying and/or driving for virtually every hour of the day. That doesn’t leave much time for exercising or create a mindset where I WANT to exercise. However, I know it’s important to do well in this area. This will have my focus this year.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
My exercise results for the fourth quarter were dismal. I only exercised aerobically for a minimum of 45 minutes over 21 days. Do to minor injuries I exercised for just ONE day during the first 54 days of the quarter! That did mean that I was able to get back to exercising for 20 days of the remaining 38 days in the fourth quarter. That was a nice improvement.
These were not the results I was shooting for. I exercised for only 105 days during the year or about twice a week on average. I went trackchasing for 108 days during 2014. In order to meet my goal I would have had to exercise for 216 days or about four days per week.
I have this goal to help me focus on exercise when my time gets tight with trackchasing. However, the more I trackchase the less I feel like exercising. Many of my trackchasing days have me getting up from 2-5 a.m. and going to bed at well past midnight. Those are not great hours to keep if one wants to work out a good deal. Nevertheless, as you will see with my 2015 goals I going to meet and beat this very same goal next year! Just watch me.
Current results through September 30, 2014
During the third quarter I went trackchasing 43 days. I have now trackchased 84 days during the first nine months of the year. That means my goal for aerobic exercise events would be 168 workouts. How did I do against that goal? Not as well as I would like. Not nearly as well as I would like.
I exercised 32 times during the quarter. In some ways I thought that wasn’t bad considering I spent 66 nights in a hotel or equivalent during the 92-day period. Travel and exercise don’t work that well together.
Nevertheless during the first nine months of the year I have exercised 78 times for 45 minutes or longer. During that time I trackchased 84 days. That puts me well behind my goal. I would hope that I could gain some traction against this goal during the fourth quarter although, for a couple of reasons, I might not. I’m not giving up on this goal for the future though. I will make it some day!
Current results through June 30, 2014
During the second quarter I exercised for a minimum of 45 minutes 28 times. That gives me 46 exercise periods in six months. I needed 84. As during the first quarter injuries and a general malaise held me back. However, if I remain healthy I still hope to achieve this goal. However, as the Marines taught me “You can hope in one hand and S$%T in the other and see which one fills up the fastest”. Ya, I learned a lot of things in the Marines. The third quarter is going to be a tough one. I will trackchase a lot and when I do that I usually don’t have much time for exercise. I may fall further behind but should catch up some but maybe not all of the deficit during the fourth quarter.
Current results through March 31, 2014
During the first quarter I went trackchasing over 17 days. That means my goal for aerobic exercise events was thirty-four. How did I do against that goal? Not so well. I exercised for 45 minutes just 18 times during the quarter. Injuries and a general malaise held me back. However, if I remain healthy I still expect to achieve this goal. The second quarter will be important to see if I can do it.
Goal – Trackchasing Tourist Attractions – Major League Ballparks
Continue to be the leader in the trackchasing hobby when it comes to Trackchasing Tourist Attractions. Strive to see all kinds of “fun stuff” when I’m away from home trackchasing.
My most specific goal is to see a major league baseball game in every currently active park. There are 30 major league baseball parks. To date, I have seen major league games in 28 different stadia. Doing the math it would seem as if I have just two to go. Not true.
Here is the list of those 28 stadia where I have seen a game. As you can see some of these parks have been closed and replaced. My goal is to see a game in every currently active major league baseball stadium.
Addendum added February 18, 2014
In the back of my mind I thought I had seen a game played at Kaufman Stadium home of the Kansas City Royals. However, because I couldn’t remember for sure I couldn’t count it. Today I came across a photo of my attending a game there in August, 1994. I checked my racing results from that year. Bingo! On August 4, 5 and 6 my brother Mark and stepfather Bill were first trackchasing (night 1) and then racechasing (nights 2 and 3) at the famous Belleville High Banks in Belleville, Kansas. The puzzle was complete. I had seen a game in Kansas City. The record will be updated to account for this stadium being seen.
American league parks seen (13)
Boston Red Sox – Fenway Park
Chicago White Sox – Comiskey Park
Cleveland Indians – Progressive Field
Detroit Tigers – Comerica Park
Kansas City Royals – Kaufman Stadium
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Angels Stadium
Minnesota Twins – Metrodome & Target Field
New York Yankees – Old Yankee Stadium & New Yankee Stadium
Oakland Athletics – Oakland Coliseum
Tampa Bay Rays – Tropicana Field
Toronto Blue Jays – Rogers Centre
National League parks seen (16)
Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field
Chicago Cubs – Wrigley Field
Cincinnati Reds – Riverfront Stadium & Great American Ballpark
Los Angeles Dodgers – Dodger Stadium
Miami Marlins – Marlins Field
Milwaukee Brewers – Miller Park
New York Mets – Shea Stadium & Citi Field
Pittsburgh Pirates – PNC Park
San Diego Padres – Qualcomm Stadium
San Francisco Giants – Candlestick Park & AT&T Park
Seattle Mariners – Kingdome
St. Louis Cardinals – Old Busch Stadium
Washington Nationals – Nationals Park
Ocean’s Eleven – Now revised to “Ten Little Indians”.
My goal in 2014 is to see a major league baseball game in the following 10 major league baseball stadia. If I achieve this goal I will have seen a game in 38 different major league parks and EVERY current MLB stadium.
I have seen these teams play in their OLD parks. My goal is to return for a game in each of these new parks where the teams now play.
Chicago White Sox – U.S. Cellular Field
Seattle Mariners – Safeco Field
San Diego Padres – Petco Park
St. Louis Cardinals – New Busch Stadium
I have not seen these teams play in their current locations.
Baltimore Orioles – Oriole Park
Houston Astros – Minute Maid Park
Texas Rangers – Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Atlanta Braves – Turner Field
Colorado Rockies – Coors Field
Philadelphia Phillies – Citizens Bank Park
Additionally, I’m building a pretty robust “Trackchasing Tourist Attractions” section on my website. I’ll update that as often as I can. I never get enough of seeing things for the first time. TTAs are a lot like trackchasing. Some places you might like to go back again and again. Others are “one and done”.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
I did it.! I needed to see games at ten major league ballparks during 2014 in order to have seen a game in all 30 of the active major league stadia. I was surprised at how challenging just adding ten more “dates” to my already burgeoning trackchasing schedule would be. It was worth it. How many people can say they’ve seen a baseball game at every active major league baseball park? Actually I’ve seen games at 39 different stadia in the majors. Nine of those parks are no longer active and in most cases have been replaced with a newer stadium. This was a goal that was tons of fun to work toward during the year.
Current results through September 30, 2014
I won’t make my foreign countries goal or my exercise goal. However I WILL make my “Trackchasing Tourist Attractions – Major League Ballparks” goal. As a matter of fact I already have!
During the third quarter I saw games in the following stadia:
Chicago White Sox – U.S. Cellular Field
San Diego Padres – Petco Park
St. Louis Cardinals – New Busch Stadium
Atlanta Braves – Turner Field
Colorado Rockies – Coors Field
Maybe THAT’S why I didn’t make my exercise goal! How many people can say they’ve seen a game at every current major league ballpark? I can!
Current results through June 30, 2014
Consider a rectangle that is roughly defined by Seattle, Boston, Miami and San Diego. That rectangle would cover a lot of geography. That’s what makes seeing a game in every MLB ballpark so tough. These places (30 of them) are a long way from each other. However, when I reach this goal I will be one of a very small group to have done this. That will make the effort very satisfying.
The second quarter was a great one for seeing new parks. Remember the season started about April 1 coinciding with the beginning of this quarter. The season will end pretty much at the end of September which conveniently marks the end of the third quarter. I hope I don’t have to rely on seeing any playoff games during October to meet this goal!
During the second quarter I saw games in Seattle, Baltimore, Texas, Houston and Philadelphia! That’s a pretty strong effort. I have just five to go. You’ll likely find me at the old ballpark in Chicago (Sox), St. Louis, Atlanta, Colorado and San Diego during the third quarter. I’ll be the guy with the big smile on my face.
Current results through March 31, 2014
This goal will be achieved during the second and third quarters of the year. Some 99% of all MLB games are played during this time. Seeing ten more ballparks will increase my travel and driving distances a good deal. That’s fine with me. It’s something I want to do. The challenge will be “blending in” the logistics of trackchasing and ball parking. I’m up for that challenge.
Goal – Racechasing
Go to 3-5 major race shows for the year without regard to existing trackchasing opportunities. Go to at least two NASCAR Sprint Cup shows including the Daytona 500.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
I am no longer a “racechaser”. I simply don’t have any more time to devote to auto racing as a spectator. I didn’t have any racechasing trips of consequences during the quarter. However, as you can see from earlier quarters in the year, I did have some impressive race chasing efforts. None can beat seeing the Daytona 500 for the very first time. It was everything I expected and more. Getting back to see racing at the Peoria Speedway is always a great time. Seeing Steve Kinser race up in Canada on his farewell tour to full-time World of Outlaws racing was fun as well.
Current results through September 30, 2014
During the third quarter I made “re-visits” to my beloved Peoria Speedway (IL). Peoria is my boyhood track and favorite of all time. I also made appearances at the Cornwall Motor Speedway (ONT), Legion Speedway (NH) and Castrol Speedway (ALB).
Please understand an important item. I DO NOT have the time nor the desire to go back to a lot of tracks I visit. Why? One of the main reasons is my personal life outside of trackchasing does not allow it. I don’t have the time! Consider that two of the best short tracks in the country, Perris Auto Speedway and Irwindale Speedway, are in my backyard. How many times have I seen those tracks race in the past five years? Twice! That’s two total visits in the last five years. Nope. When I’m not trackchasing just about the last place I want to be is at a racetrack.
Current results through June 30, 2014
During the second quarter Carol and I made a return trip to the Paradise Speedway in Maui. The bugs just about carried us away. I also made a return visit to the Slovakia Ring (in Slovakia no less) for Carol’s benefit. Then I made a special trip up to see the Dirt Cup at the Skagit Speedway in Washington.
Current results through March 31, 2014
The year started off in a fantastic manner with a visit to the Daytona 500 with good buddy Jim Sabo. The race was majorly effected by rain. For me that extended my time at the Daytona 500 from just a few hours to all day. That made it all the more fun. Who wants to go to such a big event and be outta there in just 4-5 hours. The Daytona 500 was a wonderful experience.
I also made a trip to the Volusia County Speedway during Florida Speedweeks. Toward the end of the quarter I made a return visit to the California Speedway, for the first time in 17 years, with my grandson Mitch. That was a great day of NASCAR Nationwide racing.
Goal – Free time diversification
This is my most revolutionary goal for 2014. Have you ever heard of a trackchaser setting a goal to LIMIT their trackchasing? No, I haven’t either. Pursuing any one hobby to the exclusion of others is a bad idea in my opinion. Therefore, I plan to limit my trackchasing to just 75 days in 2014.
Let me put 75 days of trackchasing in some context. During the three-year time frame of 2005-2007 I averaged 118 trackchasing days each year. That’s too much. My new goal of a maximum of 75 trackchasing days will be nearly a 40% decrease from before I became a “semi-retired” trackchaser. It will take a good deal of restraint (I could go trackchasing nearly every day of the year and still enjoy it!) on my part to meet this goal. Nevertheless, this area of trackchasing will receive my highest priority. It’s that important in achieving a well-rounded lifestyle.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
I guess I must have established some pretty tough goals for the year. I didn’t make several of them! At the beginning of the year I made a goal to limit my trackchasing to 75 days. I ended up trackchasing for 108 days! I missed my goal by a lot.
What happened? Actually a couple of important things contributed to my missing this goal. The first reason I will offer was simple. I simply wanted to get out on the road and keep going. I love what I do. If I don’t have a family or local sports conflict I usually have the means to go just about anywhere I want. So, that’s exactly what I did.
Secondly, I noticed an opportunity late in the 2014 season. I saw that with a little extra effort I could see more tracks than any other trackchaser for the eighth time in my career. At the end of April I was some 19 tracks behind a fellow by the name of Edward C. Edward trackchases with a Pennsylvania based trackchasing group. I figured I would step it up in the fourth quarter. This was about time that Edward was backing down his program for the year. I ended up with more than a 10-track advantage and my eighth overall trackchasing championship.
By the way here’s a list of the past trackchasing champs for nearly the past 50 years:
Current results through September 30, 2014
I guess if you’ve read this far you know I don’t always meet my goals. That’s a good thing. If every goal was a slam dunk what would be the point of setting goals.
During the quarter I decided to make my longest trackchasing trip ever. Why? Because I could. It would be 42 days in length. When was the last time you left home and didn’t return for that long? Ever? During that trip I sensed I might have a chance to win one more annual trackchasing championship. I’ve won seven of them up to now (7 of the last 10). Earlier in the year I was 19 tracks behind the leader. However, if I have a good fourth quarter I just might make it. I finished up the first nine months of this year by trackchasing 84 days. I’ve already missed my goal! However, I might win a championship.
Current results through June 30, 2014
I had a busy second quarter and have now trackchased some 42 days for the year. The third quarter will be big the fourth quarter not so much. I’m not sure where I’ll be but I do expect to have a bit more international activity. I still have a lot of fun doing this.
Current results through March 31, 2014
I trackchased for 17 days during the quarter. I don’t have the foggiest notion, except for about 6-8 races, where I will trackchase for the balance of the year. I just don’t plan very far ahead. Often times my plan changes on hours or even minutes notice. I do keep an eye on how often I trackchase. I have family and friend responsibilities. I have other hobbies. As you can see 75 days of trackchasing, when achieved, will be a dramatic decrease from my busiest trackchasing years.
Goal – Have Fun
I plan to see as many new tracks in 2014 as I want too. If I don’t go trackchasing, it won’t be because of bad weather, a lack of tracks to see or any other form of restraint on my part. It will be because I found something more fun and interesting to do not because I couldn’t find a place to go trackchasing.
Final 2014 goal results – period ending December 31, 2014
I guess when I consider that I do all of this for fun I would have to consider my 2014 trackchasing season a major success. No, I didn’t meet every goal I established. However, I went more than I expected too. What did that tell me? I was having fun or I would not have headed for the airport! See you in 2015.
Current results through September 30, 2014
Trackchasing is “optional” for me. I do it for the fun and adventure. I completed a 42-day trip during the quarter. Sounds like I’m still having fun doesn’t it.
Current results through June 30, 2014
This is a subjective goal. However, here’s a good way to think about it. I go trackchasing because I want too. It isn’t like a job. I don’t HAVE to go trackchasing. I do it because I enjoy it. If you see me trackchasing, you will know I’m having fun!
If you get time check out the guestbook tab of my website at this link Randy’s past guestbook. I get lots of comments like this one from race fans and travelers, “You are living my dream”. Heck, I’m living my dream as well. Trackchasing is OPTIONAL for me. If I didn’t want to do it I wouldn’t do it. On the other hand, despite my “love for the road” it’s never a good idea to do anything too much. Right now I’m very happy with the frequency of my trackchasing. My current pace is one I would be comfortable with for many years to come.