MEXICO

 

 

We live in San Clemente, California.  We are just 74 miles north of the Mexican border city of Tijuana.  Nevertheless, it took me until 2007 to see my very first race in Mexico.  It always seemed as if it was difficult to get racing information from south of the border.  Following my initial Mexican trackchasing conquest I went back for more in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and now in 2017.

 

Despite the reported dangers of visiting Mexico we’ve never had a problem when visiting these Mexican tracks.  The people and food are wonderful.  NASCAR has a major racing series in the country.  That series can provide several future trackchasing trips to Mexico.

 

In the meantime you can check on the six tracks I HAVE seen in Mexico to date.  In those few visits, we’ve seen lots of the country and eaten some outstanding Mexican food.  We even stop at roadside “restaurants” when we come south of the border.  

 

 

As you read along you might find some information that reminds you of a similar experience you have had or provides some stimulus for you to take a trip to these parts of the world.  I think you will find the scenery interesting and the people most friendly.

 

 

Mexico was the 10th different country where I have had the opportunity to see racing.  

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DAY 1 – “THREE COUNTRIES IN FOUR DAYS” TRACKCHASING TOUR

 

 

 

 

GREETINGS FROM ENSENADA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

TODAY’S HEADLINES 

 

Why am I so interested in the hobby of trackchasing? …………..details in “The Objective”.

 

 

I had never seen this Mexican item being sold at the border before……………..more in “The Trip”.

 

 

Today’s racing started on ‘Mexican time’………..details in “Race Review”.

  

 

THE OBJECTIVE, THE TRIP, THE PEOPLE…AND A WHOLE LOT MORE

 

The Objective 

 

It’s for the adventure baby! 

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in this hobby for adventure!  Part of the adventure is simply figuring out if I can get from point A to point B in X amount of time.  Someday my tombstone will read Randy Lewis, 1/23/49 – XX/XX/XX.  Most people think the exit is the most important item in the previous statement.  I would submit the most significant aspect of the previous statement is the “-“.  What happened during the “-“?  I enjoy filling up my “-“ with lots of unusual adventures.  Come along with me as I enjoy another one.

Drugs and guns, then more drugs and guns. 

Most of you reading this on a worldwide basis know that Mexico has been having problems with drugs and guns.  Most of my SoCal friends wouldn’t set foot in Mexico right now for any reason.  During the past year, Juarez, Mexico (across the border from El Paso, Texas) has had more than 2,000 murders!!! 

 

 

Nevertheless, the Ensenada Grand Prix was going on today.  No one had raced in Ensenada for more than ten years.  Yes, my fellow competitors might be a less than ethnically diverse county fair somewhere where the patrons all sported the skin color of a marshmallow.  While they did that Carol and I would head south of the border some 75 miles or so.

 

 

I really wasn’t worried about getting caught cross-wise in the middle of a Mexican drug cartel shootout.  I was somewhat concerned about the Carol Lewis owned and Life of Virginia sponsored Lexus LS430.  I wanted both us and it to come back to sunny San Clemente in the same shape we left it.  That would require special precautions.

 

 

The Trip

  

Would you call this a full weekend of adventure? 

I guess you might call this a “full” weekend.  First, I trackchased on Thursday night in Ontario, Canada.  Then the next night I was in Oklahoma for a race.  I hurried home to catch a winning UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.  Then, today, Sunday Carol and I head south to see the Ensenada Grand Prix in Baja California, Mexico.  I guess it would be accurate to say that my “golden years” are active if nothing else.

 

  

Mexico is so close. 

The Mexican border is just 74 miles south of our place in San Clemente.  Ensenada is another 75 miles south of the border.  We moved back to California in 1983 after having lived here for four years during the 1970s.  Our kids were aged 5, 7 and 9 at the time.  We had several fun camping trips in our Starcraft popup camper in Mexico.  Heck, I only left the state of Illinois a time or two (via car) during my first 18 years of life.  I wonder what it was like in the minds of our children to be having dinner in a remote little Mexican restaurant when they were less than ten?  Maybe experiences like that allows them to be adventurous travelers as adults.

 

 

The entire drive from San Clemente to Ensenada is along the Pacific Ocean.  Normally, this provides outstanding views.  However, today dawned cloudy and overcast.  The clouds never really went away.  That helped control the warm temperatures but certainly curtailed those striking ocean views.

 

  

This trip required some “on the road prework”. 

Before we got to the border we had some work to do.  First, we had to get gasoline.  There’s no need to hassle with getting gas in Mexico when we didn’t need too.  Of course, the station near the border has a limit of $50.00 U.S. for gas purchases.  I’ve been told the credit card companies set these limits, not the gas stations.  The gas station will sell you whatever they know the credit card company will pay in case of fraud.

 

 

Next up was getting some Mexican auto insurance.  Frequent travelers to Mexico know their personal auto insurance does not cover their cars in Mexico.  Maybe that should have sent me a signal!  By the way, you can’t drive American based rental cars into Mexico either.

 

 

In the past, the sellers of Mexican auto insurance had a cap of $30,000 per vehicle.  That meant that if your car was worth more than that amount, you would not be fully reimbursed if it were “lost” or stolen.  That limit has now been raised to $75,000.  The insurance agent told us our car (2004 Lexus LS 430) was worth $22,000.  But, “What if I washed it?” I asked here.  My humor seemed to be lost on her.  Nevertheless, she was a friendly sort and agreed to be photographed for www.randylewis.org.  The charge for our day’s worth of insurance was just $23 U.S.

 

  

At least we don’t get 12 cents worth of change anymore. 

Now we had gas and we had insurance.  We were headed to the races.  The main road to Ensenada in Mexico is a toll road.  We paid three tolls during the trip amounting to about nine dollars.  I remember when the toll was something like 13 cents.  You would give them a quarter and the toll taker had stacks of 12 cents waiting to give drivers in change!

 

 

There were a couple of stops where Mexican military men, fully armed, stopped up and looked the car and us up and down.  Satisfied that we meant no harm we were allowed to pass.  We also saw a few Mexican military convoys carrying fully armed and sometimes hooded soldiers.  It’s hard to get photos of these guys but I always try for you.  Carol thinks this is a bad idea.  Her adventure scale is just a few clicks different than mine.

 

 

After the races……

 

 

Following the race, it was time for dinner.  We were only 75 miles south of the border.  We could have easily made it back (well, maybe not easily) in time to have dinner in the states.  But, we don’t ROLL that way!  Why go to Mexico if you’re not going to immerse yourself into the culture to some degree.

 

  

This is how we roll. 

We headed into downtown Ensenada looking for supper.  We found it.  Check out my restaurant review in “Where’s a good place to eat”.

 

  

The meek will inherit the world…..but it will take some time. 

On the way into Mexico, the wait was minimal.  They don’t even stop you or ask for your passport.  We crossed the border going into Mexico in less than three minutes.  Returning to the United States was less efficient.

 

 

One of the drivers had estimated our wait might be two hours.  He was close.  We waited in bumper to bumper traffic for two hours and three minutes.  “Trackchasing’s First Mother” was not thrilled with this.  She is sometimes “wound a little tighter” than I am.  Of course, for the things I really care about I’m wound tighter than she is.

 

 

I had never seen this “Mexican souvenir”. 

During the wait, we watched Mexican peddlers selling everything from life-size Jesus ceramics to Chiclets.  Most of the items we had either seen or bought or both on our previous 50 visits to Mexico.  However, they had a new item today that we had never seen.  Puppies!

I fondly remember little Skippy. 

That’s right, puppies.  Folks who know me well know that I am not a big animal lover.  I had a puppy once named Skippy.  One time he had a broken leg.  It was up to me to shoot him.  Then poor little Skippy had a broken leg AND a gunshot wound (Ba Da Bing!).

 

 

Anyway, even I had a soft spot in my heart for today’s Mexican puppies.  In the traffic next to us was a pickup truck with a man, his wife and their six-year-old or so son.  The seller managed to get his puppy inside the cab of the truck so the buyers could have a closer inspection.  I bet Carol that would create the sale.  The puppy was probably in the truck for ten minutes.  Then he came out.  No sale!  I have no idea what the puppies were selling for.

 

  

A two-hour wait and that’s all you have to ask us? 

Finally, after waiting for two hours we arrived at the U.S. Border.  The border agent simply looked at our passports and waved us through.  That’s one of the bad things about being our age.  Nobody thinks you’re capable of doing anything wrong.  That’s right.  We don’t get no respect.  It makes life less interesting.

 

 

The People

  

I’m lucky to have so many international friends. 

I’m lucky to have so many international friends.  One the folks that helps me with the races near the California Mexican border in Carlos Perdoma.  Carlos actually lives in the United States but is of Mexican heritage.  He’s sort of the P.R. director for today’s racing series.

 

  

Was Carol interested in “going out for Mexican”? 

Carlos contacted me a few weeks ago with this race date.  I certainly didn’t want to miss a race date in Ensenada when it was so close to home.  I pitched it as a night quite dinner to Carol.  I simply asked her if she would “like to go out for Mexican tonight”.  When she said “Yes”, we were on.  She did look at me a little askew when I told her we needed to leave the house about eight in the morning!

 

 

Muchas gracias to Carlos for looking out for me.  I’ll be back for another of their races very soon.  Thanks again Carlos for all the hospitality.

 

 

Where’s the best place to eat?

  

 

RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Money Back Guarantee

 

Bronco’s Steak House – Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico

 

We were all set to eat at a place we enjoyed many times in Ensenada, the El Rey Sol restaurant.  Everyone has their favorites, right.  However, when you always stick to your old favorites you never get any “new” favorites. 

 

 

When we saw that the Bronco Steak House offered free private secure parking we decided to give them a try.  Check out the pictures.  This was good authentic Mexican food.

 

 

RACE REVIEW

ENSENADA GRAND PRIX – ENSENADA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

 

 

A track like this is a cultural experience.

Today’s racing would take place on a temporary street course.  I’m not at all enthralled with racing on street courses.  However, a race like the one in Ensenada today was a cultural experience as much or more than a simple race.

 

 

Years ago, most of the racers at these Mexican races were Americans.  The instability of much of Mexican’s underground has changed that.  Now only a handful of American racers venture down here.  They are encouraged by Mexican race officials to “meet at the border”.  From there they are escorted to the race track.  If fear worst than the “fear within fear”?

 

Today’s race started on “Mexican time”. 

Carlos had mentioned that racing would begin at 10 a.m. “Mexican time”.  In America, we call that “short track” time.  Yes, my local movie house starts the movie on time.  An Angels baseball game starts on time.  In auto racing, NASCAR starts on time.  However, at the local level, the races start when “someone damn pleases”.

 

 

Today’s first race actually started at about 2:30 p.m.  That’s only more than four hours late.  I didn’t feel bad about showing up at 11:30 a.m.  I kind of figured they might get off to a late start.

 

 

There were about 35 cars on hand.  They would race in three class races.  The fourth race of the day would be an “enduro” for all of the competitors. 

 

 

The course itself was run over Ensenada city streets.  This is one of the very few racecourses I’ve seen where you’ve got a great ocean view.  The Ventura Raceway is another.  There was little in the way of spectator seating.  I saw a few small sets of bleachers but most people stood behind roped off barriers within yards of the actual race track.  There were really no safety barriers to prevent the catastrophic from happening.

 

  

We met the Mexican V.I.P.s 

Carlo’s introduced us to the race promoter and one of the V.I.P. Mexican race officials from Mexico City.  We also talked with a few drivers.  One of the Americans remembered us from our visit last year to Tijuana.  He even gave me a new track tip that I will check out in the next month or so.

 

 

We ate well at the track too. 

The refreshments were unique as you might expect.  They were selling typical racetrack food, i.e. hamberquesas y hot dogs.  Small boys were selling various kinds of nuts.  Of course, we had to sample them as well as the red, white and blue cotton candy.

 

 

Our main course at the track came from some relatives of Carlos.  They offered a little sit-down eatery where we enjoyed horchata (a Mexican drink) as well as chorizo spread over a Mexican bread and served “sandwich” style.  Overall, it was very tasty.

 

 

From a spectator’s view street course racing isn’t that entertaining.  I suspect that for the competitors it’s a most fun race.  We could only see the cars race down a 400-yard or so straight piece of road.  Then they did a u-turn and raced back in the other direction. 

 

 

The entire process was spiced up a bit with some “chicanes”.  The chicanes were made from used automobile tires.  These barriers served to slow the cars and test their brakes.  There was much squealing of tires and some passing in this area.

 

 

This could have been a milestone track. 

Overall, it was a fun trackchasing event.  This would have made a great “milestone” track at #1,600.  Alas, it was only #1,599 because of the track that was “disallowed” by outgoing commissioner Will White.  However, rules is rules.  I have no problem with that.

 

  

STATE COMPARISONS

 

Baja California 

Today Carol and I each saw our 4th-lifetime track in the country of Mexico.  This gives us a strong trackchasing leadership position in the country even though our total would appear to be low.  As it turns out, just a few trackchasers have ever ventured down here.  None of them has seen more than one track in Mexico.  I hope that my international visits and those of the others in what is becoming the “international big four”  will encourage trackchasers from all over the world to branch out a bit.

 

  

Did you know that Mexico has 31 states in the country?  In addition to Baja California, we’ve also been to “Jalisco” and the “Distrito Federal” Mexico’s “District of Columbia”.  No trackchaser is the nearly 100-year history of trackchasing has ever pursued the hobby in the Mexican state of Baja California.

 

  

Coming Soon – RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Exclusive Features! 

I’ve added YouTube slide shows and movies with actual racing footage of the tracks I visit.  This is all in the name of “trackchasing promotion”.  I’ve got one more promotional idea in the “pipeline”.  Soon you’ll see what I’ve got up my sleeve.

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

World’s #1 Trackchaser

Ontario sayings:  The house does not rest upon the ground, but upon the woman.

 

 

TRAVEL DETAILS

 

AIRPLANE

 

No airplanes!

 

 

RENTAL CAR #1

 

No rental cars!

 

 

PERSONAL CAR #1

 

About 300 miles!

 

 

Total Air miles – 0 (0 flights)

Total Rental Car miles – 0 (0 cars)

 

 

Total miles traveled on this trip – 300 miles

 

 

TRACK ADMISSION PRICES:

 

Ensenada Grand Prix – No charge!

 

Total racetrack admissions for the trip – $0 pesos

 

 

COMPARISONS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER COMPARISONS

There are no trackchasers currently within 200 tracks of my lifetime total. Here are the deficits of the next two leading worldwide trackchasers. 

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,599

 

2.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin –  (-275)

 

3.  Guy “The Kid” Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – (-283)

Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the links below to see the video production from the racing action today.

 

 Ensenada Grand Prix 1

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Ensenada Grand Prix 2

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