Bulgaria – Trackchasing Country #47

 

 

 

I am an international trackchaser.  My trackchasing hobby has taken me to well over 70 countries.  With all of that travel I have seen and done just about everything….but not EVERYTHING.  That’s why I’ll keep traveling for as long as I can.  There is always one more thing to see and one more thing to do.

 

 

I hope you enjoy coming along with me to Bulgaria, my 47th trackchasing country.  I made this trip solo back in October, 2010.  The trip began in Romania.  Then in one of the grandest examples of generosity I have ever experienced in trackchasing I found myself in Bulgaria.  I have never ever experienced any better adventure or hospitality than that provided by the “Brothers Simeonov”….never.  As you read through this report you will see exactly what I mean with those statements.  Going to Romania and Bulgaria made for a fantastic trackchasing weekend and life experience!

 

DAY 4 “WHY NOT ADD BULGARIA TO MY LIST” TRACKCHASING TOUR (part 1 of 2)

 

 

 

 

GREETINGS FROM RAZGRAD, BULGARIA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.

 

 

 

Editor’s note

 

Everything written in the “Advance Preparation” section of this Trackchaser Report was reported before I ever reached the race course in Burgas, Bulgaria. In order for a trip like this to be successful a good deal of advance preparation must be done. That planning takes place at the world headquarters of RLR – Randy Lewis Racing in San Clemente, California. Without the help of people on the ground in Bulgaria, specifically the twin brothers, Lyubomir and Plamen Simeonov, this trip would not have been possible.

 

 

Also if you’d like to learn a little more about Bulgaria, the country, check out the “background” information I prepared for you. I’ve included all of the information I found noteworthy. It appears at the bottom of this report. I have condensed this section so you can get a good “feel” for this Southern European country.

 

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES 

 

Bulgaria offered the potential of regaining the “total countries” lead in the trackchasing standings.

 

 

Why not just rent a car and drive from Romania to Bulgaria?

 

 

I didn’t know how I would make this plan work until Lyubomir Simeonov dealt me a ‘full house’.

  

 

Late in the evening I sat down with Lyubomir’s twin brother Plamen “Pako” Simeonov to have dinner in a Razgrad, Bulgaria hotel.

  

 

 

DON’T MISS THE VIDEO AND PHOTOS TABS LOCATED ELSEWHERE IN THIS POST.

 

 

 

 

 

ADVANCE PREPARATION 

 

 

My trip to Bulgaria developed in a most unusual way.  

This would end up being one of my more incredible trackchasing adventures. In reality every one of my international trackchasing efforts is incredible. However, each one seems to develop in a slightly different way.

 

 

You’ve just read about how I planned my trip to Romania and the people who helped me make it a reality. It seemed like a long trip to travel from California to Romania for just one day of racing. I asked myself this question, “Couldn’t I see racing in Romania on one of the weekend days I would be here and then travel to a nearby country to see a race on the other weekend day?”

 

 

Romania is in Eastern Europe. There are several countries near Romania including Moldova, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia and even Bulgaria where I have not seen racing. There was just one problem. After searching and searching I couldn’t come up with any race dates in these places. These countries have very few racing websites. When I did find a workable site it was usually in the local language which was Greek to me!

  

 

It was ‘Skippy’ to the rescue. 

I was about ready to give up. Then I happened across the Skip Barber racing forum. It’s called “Skippyforums.com”. I couldn’t tell you how I discovered this site. When I’m doing this kind of “trackchasing research” I just keep throwing stuff at the wall until something sticks. 

 

 

Then I hit the international trackchasing jackpot! 

Just days before I would leave for Romania I came across a fellow named Lyubomir Simeonov. I didn’t know it at the time but I had hit the “international trackchasing jackpot”! Lyubomir had several things going for him…..and me. First, he was from Bulgaria. Secondly, he wrote in English. Thirdly, he responded to my emails. Jackpot! It seemed like everyday we would correspond.

 

 

I had initially sent out a request for Bulgarian rally-cross racing. Lyubomir correctly advised there was no rally-cross racing happening in Bulgaria over the weekend I would be in Romania. However, a Russian website told of a street race in Burgas, Bulgaria.

 

 

I asked Lyubomir to help me with that potential racing venue. Soon he came back with more information than I could have found if I had researched it for a year. I also had help from some other Bulgarians who gave me more details about the race. This dog was starting to hunt!

  

 

Romania was #46; Bulgaria could be #47! 

The street race in Burgas, Bulgaria would be on Sunday. This meant I had to switch my racing plans in Romania from Sunday to Saturday. Of course that screwed up my transportation plans to get to the track in Bradu, Romania (discussed in my last report).  If you want to catch up with what happened in Romania here’s the link:

 

Romania – Trackchasing country #46

 

 

However, if I could pull this off I would take over the international trackchasing countries lead I had lost less than a month ago. Yes, that’s right! If I could see a race in both Romania AND Bulgaria I would have 47 trackchasing countries. Belgium’s Roland Vanden Eynde would then be in second place with 46.

  

 

I had incentive to overcome the problems that stood between me and the #1 international countries position. 

This gave me extra incentive to make this plan work. There were a couple of problems that needed to be overcome. One was how would I get to the Sunday race in Bulgaria when I was at the Romanian track until the late afternoon on Saturday?

  

 

I would have walked to make this happen. 

It was a seven-hour drive between the two tracks. I think if I had too I would have WALKED all the way if it meant taking over the lead in “international trackchasing countries”. As luck, and nice people, would have it there would be no need to walk.

  

 

I could not do any of this without help from my friends. 

First, my Romanian contact Octav Paraschiv (above left) offered to have one of his friends drive me to the race in Bulgaria and then back to Bucharest, Romania for my Monday morning flight. Wow! Do you have any friends who you could talk into making a 12-hour round-trip drive for someone you had never met? Neither do I!

 

 

I also thought about renting a car and driving from Romania to Bulgaria. However, I soon learned that none of the major rental car companies would let me take a car from Romania to Bulgaria. I guess the borderless European Union idea has not reached the Hertz Rental Car Company yet.

 

 

However, as we got further and further into the Bulgarian plan another way to get to the track surfaced. I really didn’t want to rent a car and drive myself. One of the reasons, other than the rental car companies would not LET me is the street signs in Bulgaria use the Cyrillic alphabet. Wow! That was REALLY Greek (or Bulgarian to me). Don’t know what the Cyrillic alphabet looks like? Check it out:

 

The Cyrillic alphabet

 

 

Of course, I didn’t speak any Bulgarian either. I’m not much into foreign languages and Bulgarian seemed to be VERY foreign. Click on this link if you would like to confirm that fact with yourself:

 

Learning to speak Bulgarian 

 

 

I needed a NEW plan. 

This pretty much sealed the deal for me. I was NOT going to rent a car. This is when Lyubomir dealt me a “full house”. It just turned out that Lyubomir’s TWIN BROTHER, Plamen aka “Pako” was visiting Bulgaria and on vacation. It seems Pako lives in Irvine, California just up the road from my home in San Clemente.

 

 

What followed next was hard to believe. Lyubomir had conferred with Pako. Soon word came to me that Pako would drive from the family home in Razgrad, Bulgaria to Bucharest to pick me up after the race in Romania on Saturday afternoon.

  

 

This was our plan. 

Let me give you some more information about how this was going to happen. First, Pako would drive three hours by himself from Razgrad (above) to Bucharest. While he was doing that my Romanian driver would shuttle me two hours from the track in Bradu, Romania to the Bucharest airport. If everything worked out well both Pako and I would arrive at the airport by 7 p.m. on Saturday night.

 

 

Then under the cover of darkness I would get in a car with someone I had never met and we would drive three hours back to Razgrad, Bulgaria where I would stay the night. Then on Sunday morning we would drive another three hours south to see the Bulgarian street race in Burgas scheduled for a late Sunday morning start.

 

 

If that were not enough Pako would THEN drive me 5-6 hours BACK to Bucharest on Sunday night. After he dropped me off at my hotel he would head solo back to Razgrad, another three hour drive. Pako would not get back home until 2 a.m. in the morning after driving 10-12 hours for the day.

 

 

On the one hand I was absolutely blown away that anyone would be willing to provide so much help. Neither Lyubomir or Pako wanted anything for their troubles. They wouldn’t even accept my offer to pay for gas.

  

 

Was I taking a chance? 

During the planning process, I had obviously never met either of the Simeonov brothers. I did have some second thoughts about the amount of trust I was putting in two Bulgarians whom I had never met. I guess I was taking a chance. However, if I wanted to get back into the “international trackchasing countries” lead, I might have to take a chance or two.

  

 

The plan worked perfectly. 

Pretty much as planned Pako and I met at the Bucharest airport. We hopped in Lyubomir’s Mazda MX-5 and off we went. Pako is 6’3” tall just like I am. However, at 29 years old, I believe he is a little more flexible than me. I believe my days of riding long distances in a little low-slung car are nearly over. However, I had at least one more ride left in me!

 

 

In a little more than an hour, we were crossing the Romanian-Bulgarian border. The trucks were lined up for more than a mile at the border check. Luckily, Pako drove us into the car lane and we passed the border relatively quickly.

 

 

From there we had another two hour ride to Razgrad where both Lyubomir and Pako had grown up. Lyubomir now lives an hour or two away in another Bulgarian city. Pako is in Bulgaria awaiting his work visa to be extended so he can return to California where he works as a computer programmer.

  

 

My first ever evening in Bulgaria will be remembered forever. 

Pako and I had a good time talking about just about everything during our three-hour ride on Saturday night. He had arranged for me to stay in a hotel in Razgrad and he would stay at his parent’s home.

 

 

However, when we pulled up in front of the hotel, there was no activity. No lights, no nothing. We would later find out they had closed the hotel for a weekend of cleaning despite my reservation being made only the day before! Not a problem. Pako grew up here and knew his way around town.

 

 

Soon we were pulling up in front of another hotel. This hotel had a distinct Soviet feel to it. It was inexpensive (about $30 U.S. for the night). They even accepted my credit card. The hallways to my room were long and dark. The hall lights only went on after a motion detector noticed my movement in the hallway. This was NOT a Super 8 and I didn’t want it to be. The more unusual the better.

  

 

There was still time to break bread. 

Pako and I had not eaten yet and it was getting late. We decided to try to the hotel’s restaurant as the clock closed in on 10 p.m. Pako helped me order and we ended up with appetizers of dried meat and Pottas Fritas (French fries) with white cheese (feta). Then we ordered several forms of meat (mainly steak and pork) before having a chocolate/strawberry crepe for dessert. Of course, we downed all of this good food with a bottle of white wine.

 

 

Folks, you may or may not ever want to be a “trackchaser”. However, you’ve got to admit that I lead an adventuresome life in my pursuit of a trackchasing legacy. I had just met a young man who grew up in Bulgaria. We had the opportunity to “break bread” and talk about all manner of subjects including Communism and the current lifestyles of Bulgarians. I wouldn’t pass up these experiences for anything.

 

 

Tomorrow would be a big day. I would get to meet Lyubomir for the first time. If all went well I would add trackchasing country #47 to my list. I went to bed in my Soviet-style hotel with a smile that no one could wipe off my face.

 

 

 

THE RACE

 

 

There must be a race.

It was confirmed. We had a race. I had first found this event on YouTube. They raced on the streets of Burgas during mid-October in both 2008 and 2009. That made me think they would do the same thing in 2010. Then Lyubomir and others made the final confirmation.

  

 

THE VISA

 

Just your passport, please. 

That’s right. All I needed to do was show up with a valid U.S. passport and getting into Bulgaria from Romania and back again would be easy. No visa required.

  

 

THE TRANSPORTATION

 

Bucharest to Razgrad to Burgas to Bucharest. 

Christmas came early for me in the form of a visit from the Simeonov brothers. They delivered on everything they promised and more.

 

 

TIME ZONES

 

What time is it? 

Bulgaria is in the Eastern European time zone. The EET time zone is two hours ahead of the “Coordinated Universal Time” (UTC). Here’s a list of other countries in the EET time zone:

• Belarus
• Estonia
• Finland
• Greece
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Moldova
• Romania
• Russia – Kaliningrad
• Turkey
• Ukraine

 

 

By now I was firmly entrenched in my new time zone. I would deal with “gaining” ten hours when I returned to California.

 

 

 

CURRENCY

 

Could I get by without any Bulgarian leva? 

The Bulgarian currency is the “lev”. One U.S. dollar equals about seven lev. By now I had some Romanian “leu”, some U.S. dollars and some Euros. I also had credit cards from Visa, MasterCard and American Express. I would have to get by with what I had since getting Bulgarian leva wasn’t part of my plan.

   

 

WEATHER

 

I don’t care if it rains. 

The weather forecast wasn’t that great but it was better than what I experienced in Romania. It was still cloudy and rainy but much warmer.

 

 

 

OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS

 

 

I rarely book ahead. 

Pako had set up my hotel in Razgrad for Saturday night. I would be staying at the Charter Hotel again in Bucharest on Sunday night. I had stayed there on Friday night as well. Then I would head off to first Paris and then Amsterdam before heading home. I guess you could say I truly am an “international jet-setter”.

 

 

 

THE RENTAL CAR

 

Pako would do the driving. 

With the Cyrillic alphabet it would have been very difficult to drive in Bulgaria. I was lucky I didn’t have too.

  

 

NAVIGATION

 

Pako was at the wheel. 

Pako, having grown up in the area, navigated the rough and tumble roads without the need for even a map. I was happy to see he was a devotee to GPS! His GPS was built into his cell phone. I rode shotgun, took pictures when I could and enjoyed the scenery although much of our driving was after dark.

  

 

THE TRAVELING COMPANION

 

 

This would be ‘hard core’ trackchasing. 

There are times when it’s better that Carol isn’t along for the trip. This was probably one of those times. I can do just about anything to make one of these trips a success. However, just because I can do that it doesn’t mean I should subject Carol to the inconveniences this type of travel can bring.

  

 

THE SUMMARY

 

This has been a good year for international trackchasing…..and I’m not done yet. 

During the first ten months of 2010 my travel schedule has been daunting. I’ve made trips to Malta, Canada, Finland, Japan, Chile, Morocco, Brazil, Estonia, Latvia, Guatemala, El Salvador and Romania. Now I will soon add Bulgaria to the list. That’s a pretty eclectic group of countries. Additionally, I’ve seen racing in 29 different U.S. states in 2010. Mind you, I’m “cutting back” this year!

 

 

However, there are still MORE countries to see. I plan on seeing them. I can’t tell you when (for security reasons) or where (again, for security reasons) but I will be adding new countries to my trackchasing list.

   

 

To be continued………………….

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

World’s #1 Trackchaser

Bulgarian saying: You are permitted in times of great danger to walk with the devil until you have crossed the bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

DAYS 5-7 “WHY NOT ADD BULGARIA TO MY LIST” TRACKCHASING TOUR (part 2 of 2)

 

GREETINGS FROM BURGAS, BULGARIA

 

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

 

The Simeonov brothers were looking out for my comfort.

 

 

Food is an important part of these trips.

 

 

This is what I want from Santa.

 

 

Day 5 – Sunday

 

Today is race day. 

Yes, today is “race day”. This is trackchasing country #47 for me. Three years ago I had seen racing in just nine countries. I’ve been on an international airplane for many hours since then. I have also met some fantastic people. Although I still enjoy domestic chasing, there is definitely a bigger “bump” when I travel to foreign places to pursue my hobby.

  

 

Now you will hear the rest of the story.

And, today I met the REST of the Simeonov family. I had overnighted last evening in Razgrad (More about Razgrad) Bulgaria. The Simeonov’s hail from here. I had dinner with 29-year old Pako last night in my hotel. Today I would meet Lyubomir (pictured left above), Pako’s twin brother. Lyubomir was my first-ever Bulgarian contact. He developed the plan that would ultimately turn Bulgaria into trackchasing country #47 for me.

 

 

We had agreed to meet at the hotel at 7 a.m. A special treat would be that Lyubomir and Pako’s parents would be joining us. I enjoyed meeting them briefly. The sun was just coming up. This gave me my first opportunity to see my hotel in the daylight. Unfortunately, at the last moment Mrs. Simeonov didn’t feel well so the elder Simeonov’s didn’t complete the trip.

  

 

My first chance to meet the man who devised the plan. 

This was my first time to meet Lyubomir after so many email messages that we had sent each other in preparation for this trip. Since I spent several hours with Pako in the car last night traveling from Romania, I felt like I already knew his identical twin brother, Lyubomir.

 

 

From the hotel we headed out to the racetrack in Burgas, Bulgaria. The three of us drove in TWO cars. Lyubomir would drive his sports car, a Mazda MX-5. Pako and I would ride together in the family car, a 1993 Renault 19 with all of 75 horsepower.

  

 

Why did I get the Renault? 

I was assigned the Renault for one reason. We would be traveling over some VERY bumpy and pothole filled roads. The guys felt I would be more comfortable in the Renault sedan. First, they were right! Secondly, this was just another example of how great I would be treated by the Simeonov twins. Their parents must be proud of them, they raised them well.

  

 

My first trackchasing encounter with the Cyrillic alphabet. 

Not only was the drive made more difficult because of the potholes (don’t miss the YouTube video!) but the road signs were unreadable….to me. Have you ever tried reading the Cyrillic alphabet? If you’re an American I’ll bet you can’t. I know I couldn’t make “heads or tails” out of it. Although Pako, having grown up in Bulgaria has no problem with Cyrillic letters, he still used GPS!

 

 

Here’s a link to the route we took from Razgrad to Burgas:

 

Razgrad to Burgas travel route

 

This is what Lyubomir had to say about our pothole filled drive, “Note that even Google doesn’t know about the potholes there and recommends it as a route. With a little research I would have found out the route is that bad, but oh well…..next time I will know”.

 

 

Pako was nice enough to let me take a short nap during our three hour drive over to Burgas. Soon we were pulling into the area where the street race would take place. We arrived at 10:30 a.m. The first of four races would begin at 11 a.m.

 

 

The weather was wet from a morning rain. There was a heavily overcast sky but no more rain. It was also relatively warm, maybe 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This was MUCH warmer than yesterday’s racing in Romania.

  

 

Ever heard of Burgas, Bulgaria? 

Burgas (More info on Burgas, Bulgaria) is a leading port city in Bulgaria’ southeast corner. The street racing circuit was laid out near the water and an industrial looking area of the town. There was no charge for admission to the race. Fans could walk through the paddock area without restriction. This allowed me to get lots of good pictures of the racecars and the crowd. By the way, I estimate that 95% of the crowd was male.

 

 

Burgas, Bulgaria will always be known as the place where I dropped my Panasonic camera for the very first time. A “first drop” has to happen somewhere right. It probably won’t be the last time this happens. Fortunately, there didn’t appear to be any damage.

  

 

The Bulgarian Touring Car Championship races in Greece. 

Today’s races were part of the Bulgarian Touring Car Championship Series. This was the seventh race of the season. The final race of the season will be held in Greece. I’ve never seen any racing in Greece. Hmmmmm!

 

 

Visibility for fans was somewhat limited. We found a good place to watch that was still near the paddock area. Nevertheless, we could only see about 15 seconds of racing from each 50-second lap.

  

 

I thought I was detailed. 

Lyubomir sent me all kinds of great links and information about Bulgaria and today’s race. One of those was a satellite link to the EXACT spot that we watched the race from. Yes, the Simeonov brothers were on the top of their game. Check it out:

 

Exactly where we watched the “Closed Route – Burgas” race from

 

 

I have come to expect lack of viewability with street racing. So the fact that I can’t see the cars racing much of the time is not a problem. I occupy myself with watching the people and the cars in the paddock area when I can’t see much of the racing. Remember, I’m in this for the adventure more so than the racing. This trip had plenty of the former which made it a 100% successful trip.

  

 

Do you ‘eat to live’ or ‘live to eat’? 

When we first arrived I had not seen any concession stands. Without breakfast I was definitely hungry by race time. Both Lyubomir and Pako stood about 6’3” and probably weighed in at nearly 175 pounds. One mentioned that he “ate to live”. I have a similar but yet different philosophy when it comes to food. I “live to eat”!

 

 

The only place we could find any food was at a nearby (50 yards) gas station and convenience store. It was a Russian chain gas station. The twins treated me to a few snacks and a “Pepsi Max” since I had no Bulgarian leva.

  

 

Now was race time. 

Then it was race time. There were four classes racing today in four races. Each race would run for 15 laps. As mentioned we couldn’t see all that much of the racing action. For the most part, the drivers who started up front finished up front. It was good that we had a long-distance view of the start/finish line.

 

 

The races started on time and finished at 1:30 p.m. That seemed like an early start and an early ending. However, that was a good thing. We had more than five hours of driving so that I could get back to Bucharest tonight. I already had a hotel reservation there.

 

 

Nevertheless, we would still have time for a nice but late lunch. I wanted to treat both Lyubomir and Pako. I figured if they stuck with me long enough I could change their view on eating!  The above shows one of our ordered items, meatballs stuffed with cheese.

 

 

We would have a late afternoon lunch in Pomorie, Bulgaria. The restaurant was along the “longer but better” road to first Razgrad and then Bucharest. This morning’s road was fraught with potholes that limited our speed to less than 10 M.P.H. in many spots. This afternoon’s ride was on much better roads at much higher speeds despite increasing our driving distance by 50-75 miles.  Pictured above “fritas with feta cheese”.

 

 

 

I had just one request: ‘Let’s eat local food’. 

When I take other people out to dinner, I always pick up the check. However, this afternoon’s restaurant didn’t take any of my three credit cards, my U.S. dollars, my Euros or my Romanian lei. The boys didn’t mind. They didn’t want me paying for anything anyway.  Seafood delight pictured.

 

 

We ate all kinds of Bulgarian delights. Once again we had Poppas Fritas (French fries) with feta cheese. We had a pizza looking item that was pretty much just cheese and crust but had been doused in garlic. Delicious! That was followed with cheese filled meatballs. Again fantastic. There was also some kind of “chicken stew” served in a pot. I was told this was a popular local dish. Then the biggest seafood food platter, still sizzling in the skillet was served. I had never seen so many sea creatures in one place in my life. Of course, the guys helped out with reading the menu and making local recommendations. They did a great job.

 

 

Here’s a link to where we ate lunch:

 

Pomorie, Bulgaria – lunch site

 

 

 

The perfect Christmas gift. 

During lunch we talked about racing simulators. I would LOVE to have a first-class simulator. It’s probably the one thing that could keep me off the trackchasing trail. If anyone would like to forward this report to Carol (since she doesn’t read them) and suggest this as a Christmas gift that would be appreciated.

 

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a big racing simulator fan. Check out this link of his “talking simulators”:

 

Dale Jr. talks race simulation

 

 

During the trip, we had talked about the former Communist influence of Russia over Bulgaria. Lyubomir mentioned a story his father had told him. Back in about 1980, before Lyubomir and Plamen were born, Mr. Simeonov, in order to buy an apartment, had to work at the construction site for two months.

 

 

 

From here it was time to head back home. 

From lunch we would travel back to the Simeonov hometown of Razgrad. Here we did a “car switch”. The Mazda MX-5 was deemed the more reliable car for the long ride back to Bucharest. Pako and I would make that ride. Then Lyubomir hopped in the Renault and drove it back to his parent’s home. Today was Sunday but he had to be back at work in Bulgaria the next day.

 

 

It would be a three-hour drive from this point back to Bucharest, Romania. I had to be in Bucharest to catch a flight on Monday morning (tomorrow) as I began the trek back toward California.

  

 

Pako was doing me a great favor. 

At this point, Pako was driving me three hours OUT OF HIS WAY to Bucharest. THEN when he dropped me off at my hotel he would have another THREE HOURS of driving to get back home before he could go to sleep. I’ve had a number of foreign friends go out of their way to make certain I was comfortable on one of these trips. The Simenov brothers continued in a long tradition of absolutely above and beyond foreign support.

 

 

Editor’s note: I hope my foreign friends know this. When people befriend me they have a friend for life. I will do whatever I can to help them out. It’s just that simple.

 

 

Pako and I would need to clear the border check to get back into Romania. In the truck line, the border wait must have been 2-3 hours. Luckily, in the car lane, we could cross in less than ten minutes.

  

 

What a welcoming committee. 

I must congratulate either Romania or Bucharest, or both, for their hospitality to the waiting truckers. What was so hospitable? Were they bringing cups of coffee to these waiting road-weary truck drivers late at night? No, something even better! It seemed as if a large number of very attractive young women, all very nicely attired, were the main part of the welcoming committee. I didn’t see any of the girls bringing these men coffee. Maybe they were just hovering around the border to provide some stimulating conversation to the drivers as they waited in line to cross into Romania. Whatever was happening everyone seemed happy about it.

 

 

Bulgarian roads were often bad. Romanian roads were pretty much the same. Pako and I got back to the Charter Hotel at 10 p.m. Remember, I had stayed here on Friday night. The hotel was a great value at 35 euros including breakfast, airport transportation and internet.

  

 

It was time to say good-bye. 

It was now time for me to say good-bye to Pako. We had met barely 24 hours ago, yet we had spent about 12 of those hours riding together in a car. I thanked him profusely for his generosity. He told me he would eagerly do it again…..and again if that would help me out. I think I will see Pako, and hopefully, Lyubomir again. Pako is soon returning to the U.S. to work within 20 miles of where I live. Maybe he would like to go to a California racetrack near where we will be living. I could show him some wingless sprint car racing. I think I might very well see Lyubomir again too. There’s lots of “country chasing” I haven’t seen near Bulgaria so I might be in his area again. I hope so.

 

 

 

Day 6 – Monday

 

I was still headed home…..via Bucharest, Paris, Amsterdam and Chicago! 

Trackchasing calls for lots of late nights and early mornings. Today I arrived at the Bucharest airport (OTP) at 4:45 a.m. That was just 6:45 p.m. on Sunday night back in San Clemente. I used my Truphone iPhone “app” to make a ridiculously cheap call to Carol over the VOIP (Voice Over Internet Phone) network using the airport’s free Wi-Fi. It’s weird talking to someone very early in the morning when it’s dinner time the DAY BEFORE where they are.

 

 

Today I would be flying standby on Air France Airlines to Paris. My plan was to continue on to Amsterdam where I had a Priceline hotel reservation for this evening. None of my airline partners could get me from Bucharest to Los Angeles in one day.

 

 

If I couldn’t get to Amsterdam, I would overnight in Paris and fly home from there. As long as I got out of Bucharest on Monday, I would get home on Tuesday.

 

 

It took me 60 seconds to clear airport security this morning in Bucharest. It took me another 20 seconds to clear passport control. The efficiency of both these operations has gotten so much better over the years.

 

 

Once I reached the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris I considered grabbing a quick flight to Minneapolis and aborting the plan to Amsterdam. That might get me home a day early. However, at the Paris airport, I would have had to clear passport control (leaving security) go to the airline ticketing area and then re-enter the airport’s security area. This was possible but unlikely in the time I had. I decided that a bird in the hand was better than nothing, so I hopped on the next flight to Amsterdam like I was getting on the bus to Peoria.

  

 

Priceline rocks the world over. 

I had already made a Priceline reservation in Amsterdam. I “won” the Marriott Courtyard for the princely sum of $71 U.S. I checked the hotel’s website and the BEST rate they had for tonight for “fully paying” customers was $250 U.S.!! Yes, western Europe is ferociously expensive. What would I do without Priceline.

 

 

My hotel experiences on this trip had been outstanding. I had averaged just $45 U.S. for my hotels in Romania and Bulgaria. They were modern, clean and quiet. I could not have asked for anything more.

 

 

Returning from Amsterdam was a good choice. That city offers more flight options back to the U.S. than just about anywhere in Europe. I had asked Priceline for a hotel near the airport. I figured the hotel would have an airport shuttle so there would be no need to rent a car. The Marriott Courtyard offered a FREE shuttle. Many European hotels charge for their shuttles. The hotel shuttle driver told me that cab fare from the airport to the hotel was $25-30 U.S…..one way. Yes, what we get for free in the U.S. can often be costly in Europe.

  

 

It never hurts to ask. 

Despite being on the “cheap” rate, I boldly presented my Marriott “Platinum” card at check-in. This netted me an upgraded room and their complimentary “welcome gift”. Living by my wits is the only way I can keep up with my fellow competitors.

 

 

Years ago, Carol and I had been to Amsterdam. I remembered the delicious pancakes we had eaten (they’re really what we would call ‘crepes’, but they call them pancakes here). I also remembered seeing the “red light” district on the recommendation of Ronnie Y. Asahara.

  

 

My last night of the trip would be in Amsterdam. 

It was with all of this in mind that I rode the hotel shuttle back to the airport and then took a train into downtown Amsterdam. I would spend the evening in the city. The cost to ride the train round-trip was about $10 U.S. That seemed like a value. In foreign language cities I often have to do things two or three times before I get it right.

 

 

However, I’m not bashful about asking for help. I missed the train stop on the way in. This necessitated switching trains until I got it right. My fellow riders took pity on my and guided me along. 

 

 

The red light district. 

Upon landing in downtown, I asked for some directions. It was pointed out to me that I was within two blocks of Amsterdam’s famous “red-light” district. Where I grew up near Peoria, Illinois this area was known as “Aiken Alley”. Prostitution is legal in at least part of The Netherlands if not immoral to certain of the clientele.

 

 

In Amsterdam, the red-light district covers a few blocks. It’s really rather amazing. The girls sit behind large glass windows, mostly at street level. Of course, they are wearing various “outfits” that best display what I might call their “attributes”. Some are much more attractive than others.

 

 

This reminded me of what a used car salesman told me years ago. I asked him how the old beat up pink car in the back row would ever sell. He looked and me and smiled, “there’s an ass for every seat”. And so I suspect that is the way it is with the ladies of Amsterdam in the red-light district. Photos are forbidden in this area and even I didn’t have the guts to override this policy.

  

 

It was time for some Amsterdam ‘pancakes’. 

From there I began to scout out some “pancakes”. I found a little hole in the wall place that advertised “steaks and pancakes”. If you’re imagining a “Perkins” you’re WAY off base. Check out the pictures to see what I’m talking about.

 

 

I ended up with an 18” in diameter crepe with three scoops of vanilla ice cream smothered in chocolate sauce. By the way, they also offer “savory” pancakes. These include bacon, eggs and cheese baked into the crepe. Of course, this was “fun” food. My pancake along with a large glass of orange juice cost me nearly $20 U.S. Yes, Europe is expensive!

  

 

New Orleans on ‘super steroids’. 

I would call Amsterdam, “New Orleans on super steroids”. New Orleans has craziness for just a few blocks. Amsterdam seems to have their craziness spread over a much larger area. You can eat at a place every 20 meters or so.

 

 

The city is dominated by young people. There seems to be a mix of locals and youngsters from all over the world. I don’t know if the legalization of marijuana has anything to do with this or not. There is a good deal of bicycle traffic as well. Riders use flimsy little bells to warn strangers they are approaching at 20 M.P.H. I was enthralled with all of the activity.

 

 

However, the hotel shuttle driver had told me rain was expected. Maybe he should have been a weatherman rather than a shuttle bus driver. Shortly after I finished my supper it began to rain. Although I had my umbrella and rain gear sightseeing in 58-degree weather with wind and rain isn’t that comfortable. I stayed long enough to get some good nighttime Amsterdam pictures for you and then headed for the train station.

 

 

With some of the learning curve behind me, getting back to the airport on the train and then over to hotel was easier. When I arrived at the hotel there was still time to spend an hour with my laptop, plotting tomorrow’s adventure of getting back home. I was in bed before 11 p.m. for the first full eight hours of sleep during this trip.

 

 

Day 7 – Tuesday

 

Seven days for two countries!

It does surprise me that it takes seven days and six nights to go trackchasing in Europe for just TWO days. However, that’s about as quick as I can do it in some places like Romania and Bulgaria and have enough cushion built in to avoid disappointment.

 

 

After that long in Europe I was nearly 100% acclimated to the 9-10 hour time change. I had a great night’s sleep and a good plan for getting back to the Southern California area today.

  

 

This type of travel can’t be done well without some personal flexibility. 

My plan would have me flying from Amsterdam to Minneapolis to Los Angeles. However, no one can trackchase successfully on an international basis unless they are flexible. I can’t imagine anyone being more flexible than me. I will drop an existing plan within seconds if a better choice becomes available.

 

 

My Marriott Courtyard had free Wi-Fi in the hotel’s lobby only. The “in-room” charge for Wi-Fi was nearly $20 U.S. per day. Europe is expensive to begin with. Yes, many of the things we get for free in the U.S. are very expensive in Europe.  

 

 

I had a new plan. 

I had to wait for the shuttle for about five minutes before I could ride to the airport. During that five-minute period I used my iPhone to check the seat availability on another airline. Things looked good there. I had a NEW plan. I would now be flying from Amsterdam to Chicago and then onto Los Angeles.

 

 

There was one thing that made this new plan the preferred one. If I took airline “B” then I would have more flexibility during future international trips through August 21, 2011. Some of my airlines limit my travel; some don’t. By switching today, I would have “one more” opportunity to travel internationally with airline “A”. It’s little strategic changes like this, that when added up, mean a real advantage. I can’t tell you any more about this strategic move because of RLR “secrecy rules”. I’m sure you understand.

 

 

During the past four years, I’ve used 115 different airports. 

What is somewhat amazing is that I made this “switcheroo” with just my iPhone. With that change I spent some time shopping in the Amsterdam airport. For shopping, trains and planes this is one of the best airports I’ve used. By the way, since gaining my airline sponsorships, I flown into and out of some 115 different airports all across the world.

  

 

Tulip bulbs…..yes, tulip bulbs.

I was able to get a very unique gift for “Trackchasing’s First Mother” at the airport. Tulip bulbs! Yes, tulip bulbs. When was the last time you got your loved one something like that. I can mention it here because she’ll have received them by the time you read this.

 

 

I ended up getting a business class seat on the nine-hour flight from Amsterdam to Chicago. The only time I think an upgraded seat is really worth it is on the international flights I take. Today’s seat reclined fully flat into a bed. I also flew in business class on the way to Europe. That flight was overnight but did not have fully reclinable seats.

 

 

 

At least the customs officer was impressed. 

When I landed in Chicago clearing customs was a breeze. The passport control officer was impressed with where I had been during this trip. The customs form requires that all countries visited be listed. My list for this trip included:

 

Italy

Romania

Bulgaria

France

The Netherlands

 

That’s a lot of moving around in five full days in Europe. The Chicago-Los Angeles flights were packed as they normally are. I had to wait through three flight choices before I got on. There was no good seat for me on this plane. I had a middle seat in the back of the plane for the four-hour ride back home. I would arrive in my driveway some 25 hours after jumping on my Amsterdam hotel shuttle.

  

 

This can get expensive. 

Yes, this type of international trip can be expensive. I flew from Los Angeles to New York to Milan to Bucharest to Paris to Amsterdam to Chicago to Los Angeles. Both flights coming and going to Europe were in business class. I stayed overnight in Europe for five nights. I traveled some 500-600 miles on European roads. I ate well wherever I went. For a small trackchasing team like mine, this could be a budget busting trip. You might be surprised at what I spent. If you want to learn more about that simply go to my website at www.randylewis.org and click on the “How much did it cost?” tab.

 

 

Of course, this is all part of the international trackchasing lifestyle when you live in the United States. I expect to be slowing down during the rest of 2010.

 

 

Do I get to stay home? 

Will I do any more international traveling? That all depends on what my fellow competitors do. If they travel, then I will travel. If they stay home, I’ll stay home. If I were them I wouldn’t waste the money in a futile attempt to keep up. But then they’ve never taken my advice before. Whatever. I will NOT be responsible for anyone else’s irresponsible financial behavior that jeopardizes their retirement plans.

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

World’s #1 Trackchaser

Bulgarian saying: God promises a safe landing, but not a calm passage.

 

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL DETAILS

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – New York, NY (JFK) – 2,467 miles

New York, NY (JFK) – Milan, Italy (MXP) – 3,980 miles

Milan, Italy (MXP) – Bucharest, Romania (OTP) – 849 miles

 

 

 

RENTAL CAR #1

 

No rental car!

 

Rode with friends for 480 miles roundtrip in both Romania and Bulgaria.

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Bucharest, Romania (OTP) – Paris, France (CDG) – 1,150 miles

Paris, France (CDG) – Amsterdam, The Netherlands (AMS) – 247 miles

Amsterdam, The Netherlands (AMS) – Chicago, IL (ORD) – 4,110 miles

Chicago, IL (ORD) – Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – 1,724 miles

 

 

Total Air miles – 11,984 (7 flights)

Total Rental Car miles – 0 (No cars)

Friend’s car/vans miles – 420 (3 cars/vans)

 

 

Total miles traveled on this trip – 12,404 miles

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMISSION PRICES:

 

Bradu – Bradu, Romania – No charge!

Closed circuit – Burgas – No charge!

 

 

Total racetrack admissions – Nada

 

 

 

 

COMPARISONS

 

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER COMPARISONS 

 

 

There are no trackchasers currently within 200 tracks of my lifetime total.

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,604

 

2. Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 1,338

 

3. Guy “The Kid” Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 1,320

 

 

 

Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report

 

 

THE COUNTRY LIST

 

#47!! 

 

 

RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Lifetime 

Trackchasing Countries

 

# 1 – UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – Peoria Speedway (Mt. Hawley, oval) 

 

# 2 – CANADA – Cayuga Speedway (oval) – Track #174, Nelles Corner, Ontario, Canada

# 3 – AUSTRALIA – Parramatta City Raceway (oval) – Track #180, Granville, New South Wales, Australia

# 4 – UNITED KINGDOM – Northhampton International Raceway (oval) – Track #378, Northhampton

# 5 – NETHERLANDS – Driesum Racetrack (oval) – Track #839, Driesum

# 6 – BELGIUM – Bellekouter oval (oval) – Track #841, Affligem

# 7 – FRANCE – Circuit de Croix en Ternois (road course) – Track #843, Saint-Pol sur-Ternoise

# 8 – GERMANY – Nurburgring (road course) – Track #844, Nurburg

# 9 – NEW ZEALAND – Western Springs Speedway (oval) – Track #1,134, Western Springs

# 10 – MEXICO – Triovalo Bernardo Obregon (oval) – Track #1,281, Tiajamulco de Zuniga, Jalisco

# 11 – BARBADOS – Bushy Park Racing Circuit (road course) – Track #1,296, Bushy Park

# 12 – THAILAND – Bira Circuit (road course) – Track #1,300, Pattaya

# 13 – SOUTH AFRICA – Durban Grand Prix (road course) – Track #1,315, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

# 14 – JAMAICA – Dover Raceway (road course) – Track #1,322, Brown’s Town St. Ann

# 15 – SWEDEN – Sturup Raceway (road course) – Track #1,335, Malmo

# 16 – DENMARK – Ring Djursland (road course) – Track #1,336, Tirstrup

# 17 – CZECH REPUBLIC – Automotodrome BRNO (road course) – Track #1,381, Brno

# 18 – AUSTRIA – Lambrechten Stock Car Track (road course) – Track #1,382, Lambrechten

# 19 – IRELAND – Tipperary International Raceway (oval) – Track #1,388, Rosegreen

# 20 – GUYANA – South Dakota Circuit (road course) – Track #1,390, Timehri

# 21 – CHINA – The Guia Circuit (road course) – Track #1,392, Macau

# 22 – COSTA RICA – Autodromo La Guacima (road course) – Track #1,398, La Guacima

# 23 – ANDORRA – Grandvalira Circuit (road course) – Track #1,404, Port d’Envalira

# 24 – ARGENTINA – Circuito Efren Chemolli (oval) – Track #1,406, Buenos Aires, Argentina

# 25 – QATAR – Losail International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,408, Doha

# 26 – BAHRAIN – Bahrain International Circuit (road course) – Track #1,410, Sakhir

# 27 – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – Dubai Autodrome (road course) – Track #1,411, Dubai

# 28 – COLOMBIA – Autodromo de Tocancipa (road course) – Track #1,415, Tocancipa

# 29 – SPAIN – Motorland Aragon (road course) – Track #1,416, Alcaniz

# 30 – PORTUGAL – Circuto de Murca (road course) – Track #1,417, Murca

# 31 – ICELAND – Kapelluhraum (road course) – Track #1,420, Hafnafjorour

# 32 – HUNGARY – Hungaroring (road course) – Track #1,426, Mogyorod

# 33 – SWITZERLAND – Hock Ybrig (road course) – Track #1,427, Hoch Ybrig

# 34 – ITALY – Vighizzolo d’Este Stock Car Track (road course) – Track #1,428, Vighizzolo d’Este

# 35 – DOMINICAN REPUBLIC – Autodromo Mobil 1 (road course) – Track #1,515, Santo Domingo

# 36 – MALTA – Ta’Qali Race Track (road course) – Track #1,521, Ta’Qali

# 37 – FINLAND – Lake Pidisjarvi Ice Track (road course) – Track #1,524, Nivala

# 38 – JAPAN – Suzuka Circuit (road course) – Track #1,530, Suzuka

# 39 – CHILE – Autodromo de Interlomas (road course) – Track #1,531, Temuco

# 40 – MOROCCO – Circuit de Marrakesh (road course) – Track #1,535, Marrakesh

# 41 – BRAZIL – Circuit de Caruaru – Aryten Senna (road course) – Track #1,540, Caruaru

# 42 – ESTONIA – Laitse Rally Park (road course) – Track #1,571, Laitse

# 43 – LATVIA – Bikernieki (road course) – Track #1,572, Riga

# 44 – GUATEMALA – Autodromo Pedro Cofino (road course) – Track #1,580, Alotenango

# 45 – EL SALVADOR – El Jabali (road course) – Track #1,582, Quezaltepeque

# 46 – ROMANIA – Bradu (road course) – Track #1,603, Bradu

# 47 – BULGARIA – Closed Route – Burgas (road course) – Track #1,604, Burgas

 

 

The ‘International Big 5’ standings.

 

During the last 37 months, I have added 38 trackchasing countries to my list. That’s an average of just over one new country every month for more than three years. Here are the current “total countries” trackchasing standings.

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California USA – 47
2. Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium – 46
3. Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California USA – 24
4. Will White, Quakertown, Pennsylvania USA – 23
5. Chris Economaki, Charlotte, North Carolina USA – 20

 

 

Well folks, this is a “dog eat dog” battle for first place in the “total trackchasing countries” category. When I went trackchasing in El Salvador (August 22, 2010) I moved into the “total countries” lead. That lasted for just 42 days!

 

 

Then Belgium’s Roland Vanden Eynde roared back into the lead with visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Bulgaria. With Bulgaria being his 46^th country I was relegated to second place in this prestigious trackchasing category. Who could have imagined that Bulgaria would be the country I would use to retake the lead just as Mr. Vanden Eynde had done. Now Roland will have to see racing in TWO more countries to take the lead back. I have the tiebreaker, since I reached country #47 first.

 

 

 

 

BULGARIA – FAST FACTS

* Much of this info comes from my research at Wikipedia.

 

 

BULGARIA! 

Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria is a country in Southern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north (mostly along the Danube), Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. The Black Sea defines the extent of the country to the east.

 

 

Bulgaria ranks as the 16^th largest country in Europe. Bulgaria’s capital city and largest settlement is Sofia with a population of 1,378,000.

  

 

Geography 

Geographically and in terms of climate, Bulgaria feature notable diversity, with the landscape ranging from the Alpine snow-capped peaks in Rila, Pirin and the Balkan Mountains to the mild and sunny Black Sea coast; from the typically continental Danubian Plain in the north to the strong Mediterranean climatic influence in the valleys of Macedonia and in the lowlands in the southernmost parts of Thrace.

  

 

Foreign relations and military 

Bulgaria became a member of the United Nations in 1955. It joined NATO is 2004 and became a member of the European Union on January 1, 2007. In April 2006, Bulgaria and the United States signed a defense cooperation agreement allowing the U.S. to use Bulgarian air bases.

 

 

The military of Bulgaria is an all-volunteer body. The active troops today number about 32,000, down from 152,000 in 1988. The country has a reserve force of 303,000 soldiers and officers.

  

 

Administrative divisions

Since 1999 Bulgaria has 28 provinces (states). All take their names from their respective capital cities. We were seeing racing in the province of Burgas in the southeastern corner of the country.

  

 

Economy 

Bulgaria has an industrialized, open free-market economy, with a large, moderately advanced private sector and a number of strategic state-owned enterprises. Bulgaria has experienced rapid economic growth in recent years, even though it continues to rank as the lowest-income member state of the EU.   Bulgarian PPS GDP per capita ranked at 40 per cent of the EU average in 2008. The Bulgarian lev is the country’s national currency. The lev is pegged to the euro at a rate of 1.95583 leva for 1 euro.

 

 

Bulgaria relies primarily on industry. It produces a significant amount of iron, copper, gold, bismuth, coal, electronics, refined petroleum fuels, vehicle components, firearms and construction materials. Since a hyper-inflation crisis in 1996/97, inflation and unemployment rates have fallen to 7.2% and 6.3%, respectively, in 2008.

 

 

A single nuclear power station with two active 1,000 MW reactors satisfies 34% of the nation’s energy needs and another nuclear power station with a projected capacity of 2,000 MW is under construction. In contrast with the industrial sector, agriculture in Bulgaria has marked a decline since the beginning of the 2000s, with agricultural production in 2008 amounting to only 66% of that between 1999 and 2001. Bulgaria remains a major European producer of agricultural commodities such as tobacco (3^rd) and raspberries (12^th).

 

 

Tourism 

In 2008, Bulgaria was visited by 8.9 million people. Greeks, Romanians and Germans accounted for more than 40% of the visitors.   Main destinations include the capital Sofia, coastal resorts such as Albena and Sozopol and winter resorts such as Pamporovo. Other popular attractions include the 10^th-century Rila Monastery and the 19^th-century Euxinograd chateau.

  

 

Science and Technology 

Due to its large scale computing technology exports to COMECON states, in the 1980s Bulgaria became known at the Silicon Valley of the Eastern Bloc. The country ranked 8^th in the world in 2002 by total number of ICT specialists. It operates the only supercomputer in the Balkan region.

  

 

Demographics 

In 2009, the country’s population stood at 7,606,000. It consists mainly of ethnic Bulgarians (83.9%), with two sizable minorities, Turks (9.4%) and Roma (4.7%). Bulgaria has one of the lowest population growth rates in the world. Negative population growth has occurred since the early 1990s, due to economic collapse, a low birth rate and high emigration. About 85% of the population speaks Bulgarian, the country’s only official language. Most Bulgarians (82.6%) belong, at least nominally, to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

 

 

Education

Government estimates from 2003 put the literacy rate at 98.6 percent, approximately the same for both sexes. Bulgaria has traditionally had high education standards, and its students rank second in the world in terms of average SAT Reasoning Test scores and I.Q. test scores according to MENSA International.

  

 

Health Care

Bulgaria has a universal, mostly state funded health-care system. Bulgaria has 181 doctors per 100,000 people which is above the EU average. Life expectancy remains below the European Union with an average of 73.4 years for both men and women.

  

 

Media 

The media in Bulgaria has a record of unbiased reporting. The written media have no legal restrictions and newspaper publishing is entirely liberal. Apart from the state-operated national television channel, radio station and the Bulgarian New Agency, a large number of private television and radio stations exist. Internet media are growing in popularity due to the wide range of available opinions and viewpoints, lack of censorship and diverse content.

 

 

Cuisine 

Bulgarian cuisine is diverse. Most dishes are oven baked, steamed, or in the form of stew. Deep-frying is uncommon, but grilling is widely practiced. Pork is the most common meat, followed by chicken and lamp. Bulgarian cuisine is also noted for the quality of dairy products and salad, as well as the variety of wines and local alcoholic drinks such as rakiya, mastika and menta. Exports of Bulgarian wine go worldwide, and until 1990 the country exported the world’s second-largest total of bottle wine. As of 2007, 200,000 tones of wine were produced annually, the 20^th-largest total in the world.

  

 

Sport 

Bulgaria performs well in sports such as volleyball, wrestling, weight-lifting, canoeing, gymnastics, sumo wrestling and tennis. The country’s volleyball team ranked 6^th in the world in 2010. Football (soccer) has become by far the most popular sport in the country. Bulgaria’s best performance at the World Cup finals came in 1994, with a 4^th place.

 

 

* Much of this info comes from my research at Wikipedia.

 

 

 

Official end of this RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report

 

It’s race day in Bulgaria.  You’ll see how the day went and meet the Simeonov brothers.

 

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Check out my tour of Bulgaria from the racetrack to the local restaurants and more!

 

 

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On the way to first Romania and then Bulgaria I stopped off in Italy.  What a fun time.  This video will allow you to look over my shoulder as I made this fun part of the trip.

 

 

 

Click on the links below to see my photo album of the adventuresome trip to Bulgaria.  My stop in Bulgaria was preceded by a few days in Italy and a day of trackchasing in Romania.  Those albums are listed below as well.

 

 

Bulgaria – Trackchasing country #47 one of my most memorable trips ever.

Bulgaria – The photo essay!

 

Here’s the photo album from Italy where I stopped on my way to Romania:

Italy….my stoppiing off point on the way to Romania

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You won’t want to miss this photo album of my trip to exciting Romania:

Romania – Trackchasing country #46 the pictorial trail