Greetings from Del Mar, California
From the travels and adventures of the
“World’s #1 Trackchaser”
Del Mar Arena – mixed surface road course
Lifetime Track #1,974
Home was on the way in more ways than one. Thanks Tim. Am I really at a disadvantage compared to those Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers? I don’t even own my own car! Would this boggle the mind? Today….one of the largest fairs in the country. Raquel Welch Did you know this about the San Diego County Fair? At the fair I picked up a 5-hour Energy trackchasing sponsorship. 50 bucks…..72 carnival ride tickets You won’t find these foods in no stinkin’ health food store. Fourth of July and what that means for my trackchasing. Released into the “Trackchasing wild”. It’s the start stupid. Beware of trackchasing’s political machine. Too competitive? Too much envy? Let’s ban ‘em. Trackchasing – dominated by just two groups. Too afraid to speak their mind. This is how the trackchasing voting system has worked. Don’t kill the messenger. The Del Mar Arena. Home was on the way in more ways than one. I woke up this morning in Houston, Texas. I went to bed at home in San Clemente after being on the road for 11 nights. This is how the day turned out. Thanks Tim. I get tips from racing fans all over the world on tracks I should visit. If not for a “tip” about this afternoon’s event I never would have known about a race just 39 miles from my doorstep. That tip came from Tim Frost. Tim owns the National Speedway Directory brand among other things. Thank you Tim! Of course getting to this track would not be as simple as getting into the Carol Lewis owned and MFunds sponsored Lexus RX 350 and driving 39 miles. Nope. Not all that much in my line of work is simple. Could I make it? You see I woke up in Houston, Texas. I was going to have to hustle to get back home for a reunion with Trackchasing’s First Mother. I was flying standby back to the John Wayne (Orange County) Airport (SNA). Recall I had “relocated” my car from LAX to SNA a few days ago when my trackchasing trip “transitioned” from the east coast to the northwest. Yes, there is a LOT of planning and strategery in the hobby of trackchasing. I made the 9 a.m. departure from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport. However, I did not go to the airport before I had the lovely buffet breakfast compliments of my Priceline.com sponsored Marriott Hotel. The flight was uneventful. Then I retrieved my car from my 100% fully sponsored airport parking location at SNA. Where is that? You really don’t want to know. If I told you I would have to have you killed and that wouldn’t be good for any of us. From the airport it was a quick 30-minute drive back to the home front. I had two hours to spend at home. What did I do? I started catching up on my missed NASCAR races (recorded on my DVR) and took a nap! Today’s racing would not be part of my previous East Coast/Northwest trackchasing trip because I had stopped at home albeit for two hours. If I don’t stop at home then this California track becomes part of the previous 11-day trip. Am I really at a disadvantage compared to those Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers? I would be driving the Carol Lewis owned and MFunds sponsored Lexus RX 350. You often hear me telling you that I am at a significant disadvantage from a resource standpoint to those “Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers”. I don’t even own my own car! Maybe when you see my results compared to theirs you find that hard to believe. Folks, I don’t even have my OWN car. Have you ever heard of a trackchaser that doesn’t have his own car? That’s the type of disadvantage I am operating with. Nevertheless, I don’t wear out Carol’s car trackchasing like some of those Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers. I don’t make Carol pay her share of the gas when she rides along in her OWN car either. Now you have it. I attempt week in and week out to compete on a level playing field with those Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers. However, I don’t own my own car. I don’t make Carol pay for my gasoline or lodging expenses. I don’t make Carol do the driving. Would this boggle the mind? Nevertheless, I can still compete effectively with my fellow trackchasers. How much MORE productive could I be if I had my OWN car, got others to pay my trackchasing expenses AND slept away while others did the driving? The answer to that question could boggle the mind. Let’s get this party started. It was a Sunday afternoon. Racing was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. The northbound traffic on Interstate 5 from San Diego was backed up for a long way. That’s common on a Sunday afternoon as folks return to the “L.A. Basin” from their weekends in the desert and Mexico among other places. However, southbound it was smooth sailing. Today we would be parking in a remote parking lot. That would save up $10 U.S. From the Mira Costa College parking lot we transferred to a big yellow school bus. I haven’t ridden one of those in a long time. It reminded me they don’t have much leg room. Soon we were at the San Diego County Fair. It’s located at the Del Mar Fairgrounds site of one of the best horse racing venues in the country. Today….one of the largest fairs in the country. This fair by attendance figures is one of the largest in the country. In 2011 it drew more than 1.4 million folks. The fair started out as an agricultural fair back in 1860. This was before SXS racing came about. The fair’s location moved around a few times until it settled, in 1936, in Del Mar, California. The fair’s name changed several times until in 2002 it became the “San Diego County Fair”. Many folks know it at the “Del Mar” Fair. Surprisingly Carol and I had never been to this fair although we’ve been to the horse races several times on the grounds. Did you know this about the San Diego County Fair? Here’s some interesting information from Wikipedia about the fair’s history: Raquel Welch “From 1936 through 2003 the fair included a beauty pageant. The winner was originally called Queen of the Fair; in 1947 the title was changed to Fairest of the Fair. The winner and her “court of lovelies” were featured at the fair and in public appearances throughout the year. In 2004 the pageant was discontinued due to high costs and legal wrangling over a disqualified entry in 2003. The best known winner of the Fairest of the Fair pageant was the 1958 winner, a La Jolla High School student named Raquel Tejada, better known as actress Raquel Welch.” As seniors, no not high school seniors, but aged seniors we paid just $8 U.S. to get in. “Others” paid an adult admission of $14. Surprisingly, there was no military discount in an area with so many military folks. Maybe that’s WHY there was no military discount. At the fair I picked up a 5-hour Energy trackchasing sponsorship. We had now paid $16 for the two of us to get into the fair. However, we would soon stumble across the “5-Hour Energy promotional booth”. Before the dust had settle we had scored six bottles of the “Berry” flavored drink. At $3.50 per we were now working on the fair’s money. We couldn’t beat that. We would have to wait just a little bit longer. We entered the fair at just past 3 p.m. I could see the Del Mar Arena just 200 yards over to the right. I knew they were having the first of their two race events at 1 p.m. today. As we got closer I could hear the engines racing. Maybe we could catch the last part of the first show and get this track in the books. I’ve long ago learned that a “bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”. However by the time we got there the engines were quiet. The 1 p.m. show was history. We would have to wait until 5 p.m. for the second and final show to begin. We consoled ourselves with an iced cinnamon roll. I was shocked and in awe when Carol ate her full share of the sweet delight. She didn’t get to be the “fittest woman” in trackchasing eating cinnamon rolls! We walked around the fair seeing what a “California county fair” looked like compared to the estimated 300 fairs I have witnessed all over North America. Soon it would be time for racing. Switch over to the “The Races” section to see how that went. After the races…… We were in good hands. We spent the evening with our nephew Joe and his friends Brad and Kristina. Joe and Brad are U.S. Marines Corps officers stationed at Camp Pendleton. Pendleton is a huge Marine Corps base that borders San Clemente. I was stationed there for rifle training all the way back in 1971. 50 bucks…..72 carnival ride tickets We rode carnival rides and ate fair food. Some 72 carnival ride tickets could be and were purchased for fifty dollars. That enabled the group, sometimes just four of us, to ride three rides. Nope stuff ain’t as cheap as when I first went to a county fair back in the 60s…but then what is? Our young Marines also tried their hands at the “strong man” competition….they came away with the above prizes. The Zipper! Our first effort was on the “Zipper”. This is one wild ride that I came to enjoy as a youngster. Joe and I were in one capsule. I asked him how many 65-year olds would be riding the zipper tonight? All went reasonably well except for a little back soreness after the ride’s adrenalin wore off! We followed that with a ride on the huge Ferris wheel. The view was fantastic. We were reminded we were just a couple hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean. Then Carol and the “kids” rode the “3D” ride. That was quite spectacular with it’s lighting after dark. We were out of ride coupons and went off in search of dessert. You won’t find these foods in no stinkin’ health food store. Carol and I had already dined on a “mac and cheese Philly cheesesteak” and a blooming onion. For dessert we chose an ice cream over brownie delight. It was all good. Then we all departed back on our buses to the remote parking lots. A good time was had by all. Fourth of July and what that means for my trackchasing. Now I move into the “Greater 4th of July” period. The 4th of July is the biggest holiday in our town of San Clemente. The landmark in SC is our ocean pier. It juts out into the Pacific Ocean some 1,296 feet (more than 400 yards). It was built in 1928 and then re-built in 1939 and 1983 after storm damage. The city shoots the 4th of July fireworks off from the end of the pier. We always have a party at our house to watch the fireworks. We’re just 500 yards from the pier. The view is spectacular. That’s why you will never see me trackchasing over the 4th of July holiday. Released into the “Trackchasing wild”. However, when the 4th is in the rearview mirror watch out! I will be released out into the “Trackchasing wild”. It’s county fair season my busiest trackchasing time all year. Del Mar Arena – Del Mar, California It’s about the journey not the destination. SXS (Side by Side) racing is exploding. Much of that racing is happening in the western third of the U.S. There has NEVER been a class of racing that has been focused on the west in the history of trackchasing. My patience is beginning to pay off. It’s the start stupid. The key point about SXS racing is the method of starting. SXS racing originated in the deserts of the Western U.S. They called it “Off-Road” racing. Off-Road racing features some of the most sophisticated and expensive racing machines in the world. Often times a “lap” around a desert off-road course could be 50 miles long. Yes, I’ve seen that. The nature of desert racing sometimes means very narrow racing at some points in the track. Sometimes the narrow points are only wide enough for one competitor to sneak through at a time. Often times the starting point is wide enough to accommodate only one or two racers at a time. Given the fact that some desert races have 50-100 competitors in a class they can’t start them all at the same time. At some races two racers will start and then a period of 15-30 seconds will elapse until the next two machines leave the starting line. This is done until all of the racers (sometimes 200-300 in all classes) have started the race. In a situation like this the racer with the quickest elapsed time is the winner. It would not be fair to count “laps” when one racer might start the event 10-20 minutes ahead of a fellow competitor. More on desert off-road racing. Desert off-road racing has very long events. They can last for hours. Some races cover 1,000 miles or more. Once all of the racers get started you have hundreds of competitors racing their tails off and passing like crazy. It would not be unusual for a leading racer to pass literally hundreds of cars/buggies/trucks or whatever in just one race. Contrast that that to the many races counted by the trackchasing group where the race winner doesn’t pass ANY cars to win the event! Beware of trackchasing’s political machine. Nevertheless, as soon as trackchasing’s “Political machine” saw that I was beginning to go to these types of events they took action. I saw two desert off-road races, explained them fully and submitted them to the trackchasing commissioner. They were promptly added to my list. Too competitive? Too much envy? Let’s ban ‘em. The eastern trackchasers couldn’t have this. The hobby is too competitive. The envy is too great. A rule was quickly proposed and passed to BAN for all time desert off-road racing and any racing where all of the competitors did not begin the race precisely at the same moment. Geography had a lot to do with this type of thinking. Can you think of any deserts in the eastern part of the U.S. There are lots of deserts out west. Desert off-road racing takes place almost exclusively in the West. How many trackchasers living west of the Mississippi, with enough tracks to be eligible to vote are there? Just two! Carol and me! Stopped in our tracks. Banning desert off-road racing type starts didn’t affect any Eastern based trackchasers. They didn’t go to these events anyway. However, it quickly stopped the two trackchasers who might benefit from these Western based tracks. Trackchasing – dominated by just two groups. I have come to find out that trackchasing is dominated by two groups. Not every trackchaser is in these two groups but many are. The first is the very competitive and/or envious trackchaser. They can’t stand for someone to have an advantage on them. Because trackchasing began in the East and is dominated by eastern based trackchasers the “political will” of trackchasing rests not far from the Atlantic Ocean. A Midwestern reader dubbed many in this political conglomerate the “Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers” (DECTs). I felt this was a most apt name. Too afraid to speak their mind. I grew up in sales. Over time I learned to effectively judge the character of folks quickly. This was a required skill as a college interviewer and hiring manager. Little things like eye contact and a firm handshake were positive indicators. We have far too many people who just “stare at the ground” when it’s time to speak up. They are too afraid of offending anyone when bad behavior is in the air. This second group of trackchasers is nearly as harmful to the hobby as the DECTs. They are the folks that don’t necessarily agree with the competiveness and envy generated by the DECTs but are too afraid to speak their piece. They form a silent majority of sorts. These are often soft-spoken people who don’t want to “get involved”. Sometimes these are trackchasers who are dependent upon the DECTs for financial support. They need the gas money and hotel money to continue their hobby and the DECTs have the funds to withhold or share at their choosing. If you don’t believe what is written above I offer this fact. Shortly after I submitted and had approved my two off-road racing events a rule was proposed to ban all events where every competitor did not start the race at the same moment. That rule was passed primarily by members of the Dreaded East Coast Trackchasing contingent and their silent minions. This is how the trackchasing voting system has worked. You see in the world of trackchasing “who voted how” is not much of a secret. The commissioner actually gets to see the votes before the voting period has ended. That’s the way Guy Smith did it when it was time to stall the “Let’s count go-karts” proposal. Actually one trackchaser, Allan Brown, submitted a proposal and then requested that all votes be sent to HIM rather than the trackchaser commissioner, Will White because Allan didn’t trust Will! Don’t kill the messenger. Before we go any further let me make two key points. The above material is factual. Secondly, please don’t kill the messenger. I am simply sharing recorded history with everyone willing to have an open mind of the subject. You the reader can decide if the behaviors exhibited are the types of things you want to see in your friends, business associates and/or family members. To be clear these are NOT behaviors I want to see from any people I interact with. We were here for side by side racing. This is required background for understanding what was about to unfold today. Yes, Carol and I were in the Del Mar Arena for some SXS (Side by Side) racing today. The term SXS is a synonym for UTV (Utility Terrain Vehicle) machines. I had confirmed the idea with the organizers of the event in advance that all racers would start the race at the same time. This is sometimes referred to as a “mass start”. I grew up watching racing at the Peoria Speedway. We called this type of start a “standing start” at Peoria. However, even when I try to “confirm” things with promoters I’m never 100% comfortable. Their world is not my world. Sometimes things get lost in the translation. The Del Mar Arena. The Del Mar Arena is a 3,500-seat arena located on the Del Mar Fairgrounds. It was built in 1991 and in 2009 a roof was added. From 2009-2012 it was home to the San Diego Soccers indoor soccer team. Today’s race course met lots of special category requirements. First it was an “indoor” event even though some of the racing took place outdoors. Secondly it was a “dirt road course”. Finally it was a “mixed surface” track. I’m not sure I have ever seen such a contraption. Who does the geographical planning for the Terracross group? The overall racing was called “Terracross” racing. I had never heard of Terracross racing before. However, the organizers were most willing to answer my questions when I gave them a call. They had just three events on their 2014 schedule. I’m not sure who their “geographical planner” is? Their three race locations are San Diego, Minneapolis and Charlotte! You’ll find more information on this group at www.terracrossracing.com. This race was being held in an arena with a roof but open sides. As a matter of fact the start of the race was held OUTSIDE the arena but the checkered flag was displayed INSIDE the arena! This was definitely a road course because drivers had to turn both left and right to get around the track. However, under the roof of the arena was a stretch about 50-75 yards long of concrete. I don’t know if there was originally dirt placed on this section or not. However, when we were in the arena there was no dirt anywhere in the stretch. That made this a “mixed surface (dirt/concrete) track. At times the arena was nearly at full capacity. We were told the event was being televised for later broadcast on CBS TV. That seemed odd since the group has only three races scheduled for the entire 2014 season. So how did this work? The UTV racers started the race just outside the Del Mar Arena. From our position we could not see the actual start of the race. Fans on the other side of the arena could. Fortunately, the “videotron” allowed fans under the arena’s roof to see the start of the race. This confirmed they were all starting at the same time. Whew! That hurdle was behind us. The announcing was loud. With the roof and the roar of the engines from the UTVs it was hard to hear what was being said. However, a problem that plaques many indoor shows, engine fumes, was not present today. The racing was fun to watch. I think you will enjoy my video of this still somewhat unusual racing. The feature event started 16 racers. It was wild. When the races were over we stepped outside a few yards and watch the “piglet’ racing. Don’t miss the video on that either. You’re going to see me at many more SXS races. SXS racing is grabbing a foothold all over the country but especially in the West. Is this going to be my “savior” as the tracks remaining for me to see diminish? I can imagine seeing 200-300 of these tracks. Can the eastern trackchasing hierarchy stand for that? Stay tuned! California California The Golden state This afternoon I saw my 130th lifetime track in the Golden state, yes the Golden state. You might think that would be enough tracks to hold down the #1 ranking in California. Nope. Gary Jacob, now deceased, saw 149 tracks here. I have long said that I would never be able to pass Gary’s total. The reason is simple. As this is written I have only about ten tracks that exist in the Golden state that I have not seen race. However, I didn’t know about today’s track in Del Mar until just a few days ago. If the SXS racing craze continues there might be more track opportunities. I’m not giving up on surpassing Gary’s total but I will say at this time that it doesn’t look good. Thanks for reading about my trackchasing, Randy Lewis World’s #1 Trackchaser Peoria Old Timers Racing Club (P.O.R.C.) Hall of Fame Member California sayings: Whatever. Totally. Awesome. QUICK FACTS AIRPLANE No airplanes! RENTAL CAR No rental cars! PERSONAL CAR San Clemente, CA – trip begins Cardiff by the Sea, CA SCHOOL BUS Mira Costa College, Cardiff by the Sea, CA – trip begins Del Mar, CA Mira Costa College, Cardiff by the Sea, CA – trip begins – 7.4 miles PERSONAL CAR San Clemente, CA – trip ends – 78 miles Total air miles – 0 Total rental car miles – 0 Total personal car miles – 78 Total school bus miles – 7.4 Total miles traveled on this trip – 85.4 miles TRACK ADMISSION PRICES: Del Mar Arena – No charge ($8 fair admission which included $6 senior discount) Total racetrack admissions for the trip – $0 LIFETIME TRACKCHASER COMPARISONS The three most important trackchasing comparisons to me are: Total lifetime tracks seen Total “trackchasing countries” seen Lifetime National Geographic Diversity results Total Lifetime Tracks There are no trackchasers currently within 350 tracks of my lifetime total. Don’t blame me. Total Trackchasing Countries There are no trackchasers currently within 10 countries of my lifetime total. Current lifetime National Geographic Diversity results That’s all folks! Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report 
