GREETINGS FROM HAMPTON, VIRGINIA,
TRIP ENDING SUMMARY
All right, this is B.S.! I think somebody’s messing with me. Who in the world could see 100 consecutive days of trackchasing, dating all the way back to May 7 without having at least one day rained out? Hey, it’s not like I bring up the weather forecast and say, “You know it looks like they might get some rain today, I don’t think I’ll go trackchasing.” My trip locations are locked in stone from beginning to end. I committed to going SOMEWHERE by the airlines non-refundable penalties. I normally buy my airline tickets 2-4 weeks before the start of the trip. There’s no way to know what the weather’s going to be like where I headed that far in advance.
I think someone somewhere is doing something to make sure that no matter what happens I don’t get rained out. They just want to see me write about it time and time again. I wouldn’t put it past those East coast guys. I know how you readers feel; it’s like Groundhog Day to me too. Anyway, the “Streak” is now up to 149 tracks. Next week’s trackchasing trip is exclusively at indoor venues, so we’ll probably have to cover this (dry) ground again. Thanks for bearing with, it’s as hard on me is it is on you.
This wasn’t my most efficient or productive trip of the year by a long shot. Getting two scheduled new tracks with three overnights is not what I like to do. Nevertheless, I felt the Rio Grande Speedway owed me after last year’s rainout and getting a Virginia indoor winter venue is always a plus. I guess I’ll take two new tracks during the first weekend of December.
There won’t be any photos from this trip. Both of my cameras are in digital camera rehab for a 12-step program and a couple of two-day follow-ups. I hope to get them back before too long.
PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS
My two-year contract as a United States Air Marshall is set to expire at the end of this month. Sorry, I meant to say the trackchasing season is slowing winding down at the end of this month. It has been a fun and exciting year.
I am fighting the earth’s gravitational pulls that are trying to drag Carol and me to New Zealand for the holidays. After just five minutes of research I found one racing group that was running at six different tracks in a seven-day period down under. How can anyone resist that? Nevertheless, I THINK we’ll pass and maybe go next year. We can’t blow through all the good international trackchasing possibilities in one or two years or we won’t have any where to trackchase in our “golden years” whenever they are.
Unbelievably, after 179 new tracks this season, this is my first trackchasing effort of the year in the “East.” I was welcomed to this part of the country with a wind chill temperature of 18 degrees at the Baltimore airport. Of course, I was wearing my trademark surfer shorts. I was walking outdoors toward my rental car and one guy yelled, “Hey buddy, the beach is that way!” Those East coast folks can be pretty funny sometimes. I suspect I will have to endure this part of the country more than I would like next year since I avoided it this year.
Of course, I mean no offense to my many East coast friends. Nevertheless, now’s your time to get out. Don’t spend another miserable winter here. You can do it. Get in your car and start driving west. Don’t stop until you see the BLUE ocean. You will never regret it.
I had one of my most entertaining days of the season today. The entertainment involved both racing and non-racing activities, which is just the way I like it.
For some reason I enjoy pushing the envelope to get involved in adventure activities and/or social situations that are unique for me. I have readers who range in age from being a teenager to 90 years old. Social situations that would be unique to the people on the edge of these ranges could be very different. It might be a very unique social situation for a teenager to visit a nursing home. It might be equally unique for a 90-year-old individual to visit a young person’s dance club at 2 a.m. in the morning. Since I fall somewhere in the middle of that range, both of those activities are unique to me.
What was my social situation that was so unusual today? I went to a basketball game. Now just slow down a bit. I can hear you saying, “But, Randy aren’t you exaggerating a bit? How socially unique could attending a basketball game be?”
Permit me to explain. Today I went to the Hampton University home basketball game against Norfolk State University. The game was played in the Hampton University Convocation Center. This modern coliseum style arena seats 7,200 for basketball. The game began at 4 p.m. It was a perfect fit. My racing activity tonight starts at 7 p.m. and is less than 5 miles away from the game.
I pulled into the parking lot on the campus of Hampton University with plenty of time to spare. I walked up to the ticket window and asked for a ticket. “That will be $12, sir,” the ticket manager said. I asked if my seat was reserved. “No, it isn’t. We have reserved seats for $15.” I have never allowed three dollars to prevent me from getting the best seat available. “I’d like the best seat you have in the house,” I boldly proclaimed. In no time, I had a reserved seat ticket in my Diet Coke stained fingers. I would find that seat put me EXACTLY on the half court line in the very first row of seats. My row was elevated about six feet above the basketball floor. Jack Nicholson doesn’t have this good of a seat for Lakers games!
Now I know what you’re saying, “O.K. Randy you got a good seat. You always get a great seat, that’s not new news. Where’s the social uniqueness you’ve been bragging about?”
Well, you see both Hampton University and Norfolk State University are what is called “predominantly black” colleges. This phrase is meant to say that most of the students at these colleges are black. That’s not accurate. Actually, nearly 100% of the students, faculty and families at these colleges are black.
I looked around the Hampton University Convocation Center. For a very long time I did not see ANY white people in the crowd of maybe 4,000 folks. When was the last time, if ever, you were in a crowd that large and didn’t see any other folks of your race? Ultimately, I saw less than 10 whites the entire afternoon. Only two of those people other than me were fans, while the others were working in one capacity or another (police, radio announcer, media).
It reminded me of a trip Carol and I took to New York a few years ago. We visited a Black church on Sunday morning in Harlem. The services were four hours long. Carol and several of the people we were with were scheduled to leave after the first two hours and they did. I was enjoying the church service so much I stayed for the final two hours. I was the only white person in that black church of 200 worshippers from that point on. The church members could not have been nicer to me in including me in every part of their worship service.
Today I was wearing by blue windbreaker with huge gold capital letters that reads, “MICHIGAN.” The shirt is in honor of daughter Kristy graduating from there. Maybe the fans thought this tall white guy was scouting their teams.
I grabbed a bag of peanuts and a Diet Coke and sat down to for the action. I was 30 minutes early and was able to enjoy the pre-game warm-ups and activities. These two schools were playing the “Battle of the Bay” game. We’re talking about the Chesapeake Bay here. The universities are only a few miles apart.
This meant both schools brought their bands to the game. In a word, these school pep bands rocked. They also loved to challenge each other. When one band finished they pointed at the other school’s musical players as if to say, “Let’s see you top that.” Soon it was a real battle of the bands. Not only did the band members play their instruments they also danced in place with some of the wilder antics I’ve ever scene. They were good but the Hampton University pep squad was even better.
The pep squad was made up of two sets of 10 woman students. The bands could rock. The pep squad could REALLY ROCK! They stood in their seats. Each was positioned about 5-10 feet from the next and covering several rows. When the bands played, they danced in their seats. Their arms flew in nearly every direction at once. They were wild. I was really disappointed I didn’t have my digital camera and they didn’t allow me to bring my video camera into the game.
During the game, these pep squad members, who were dressed in sleeveless blue blouses with long black workout pants, sat with their legs crossed. They had both arms stretched out with their hands on their knees. They didn’t move…….until a time out was called and then they DANCED. Boy, could they dance. I really wished Carol were here to see this great entertainment.
On the other hand, it was easy to see why these players were not recruited by bigger name schools. Although they tried hard, they were not very good. Hampton last appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2002. Their blue and white banner proudly displayed they had reached the “Final 32.” I suspect they were a 15 or 16 seed.
The halftime score was just 23-20 with Hampton in the lead. Nobody held the ball; they just didn’t make any shots. The shot clocks malfunctioned frequently and each time the ref came over to within a few feet of my position to confer with officials. Hampton’s center, Bruce Brown #54, was a large hulking player who made several dunks. When he dunked, he became the most motivated player on the court and at other times, he wasn’t. The fan behind me didn’t like the fact that Mr. Brown did not race his hands while on defense. That fan kept yelling, “Get your hands up, 54, Get you hands up.” If I had a dollar for every time he yelled that phrase, I would have a thousand dollars. No, make that two thousand dollars.
I loved being in this environment. I was trying to have some sense of what a black person might feel like in a nearly all white situation. I don’t know if I replicated that feeling or not. I thought I did. Frankly, the other fans didn’t seem to pay much heed to me one way or the other, which is how I would hope my race would treat someone in a similar situation of any other race.
The Norfolk State University Spartans came back strong in the second half to beat the Pirates of Hampton University by about 15. Hampton scored only 20 points in the second half. It was an absolutely entertaining day and I only wish I had video to share with each of you.
SPECIAL NOTICE
Please mark January 23, 2006 on your email calendars. On that date, I will be sending you my 2005 Trackchaser Annual Report. Of probably more importance to you, the REGISTERED reader is that the RANLAY Racing ‘Contest and Prize’ department will be announcing a new contest for you to participate in. Some nice prizes will be available and you will not want to miss it. Details to follow.
RACE TRACK STATS:
HAMPTON COLISEUM, HAMPTON, VIRGINIA – TRACK #989 – 12/03/05
This Virginia track is my 7th countable track to see in the state. This is my first new track of the season in the Cavalier state. This is a blatant last minute attempt to garner more 2005 National Geographic Diversity points. I fear I am too little too late. I am mired in 22nd place, some 13 tracks out of 10th place. Virginia is a lost cause for me. Guy Smith leads Virginia with 43 tracks.
RACE TRACK NEWS:
HAMPTON COLISEUM, HAMPTON, VIRGINIA
The racing today was some of the most unusual and entertaining I have ever seen. That’s a pretty huge statement for someone who had seen 989 tracks. First, the racing was indoors. That was a good idea since it was less than 40 degrees outside and beginning to spit rain.
The Hampton Coliseum is an older arena that I estimate seats some 7-8,000 people. It looks better on the outside lit up at night than it does on the inside. Tickets were a little pricey at $14.25 per adult. The senior rate saved two bucks.
After getting my ticket, I needed food. The lines at the concession stand looked to be long and slow. The people were waiting for standard indoor stadium fare of hot dogs and nachos. I discovered just one other food stand and the line wasn’t long there. I grabbed the very last chicken strips and fries order for five dollars. I must admit this was the worst food I have tasted in a very long time. The beer line was short, so I washed down the dry, tasteless and cold food fare with a 16 oz. Budweiser popularly priced at five bucks. I did hear one patron complaining about the $3 price tag for a bottled soda. The server reminded him that she personally did not set the prices. Heck, that guy should go to a NASCAR race. Actually, he should “Act like he’s been here before.”
Tonight I was planning to me Mike K. of Reading, Pennsylvania. Mike and I have been corresponding off and on for a couple of years on email. Until tonight, we had never met. He had seen pictures of me on my website and given me a brief description of himself. He told me he would be near the track taking pictures. He would be near another photog from the Area Auto Racing News who was also taking pictures. Of course, when I walked into the arena I saw some 3,000 faces and backs of heads and none of them looked like the guy I was looking for whom I had never met. This might be a problem.
I grabbed a seat high up in the stands to survey the situation and try to finish my cardboard like chicken strips. I noticed there were the same percentage of black people in the stands for tonight’s auto racing as there had been white people at the basketball game. Why is that?
While I was scanning the crowd for Mike, I looked down for the first time to see the racetrack. The track was a temporary high-banked one-eighth mile (my estimate) oval made of metal and rubber. The turns were very high banked and even the straights were banked.
The cars racing tonight are called mini-cups. They are 5/8 scale versions of NASCAR stock cars. They were all colorfully painted and featured fiberglass bodies. The announcer was a big heavyset guy who never took a breath.
The more comfortable I got with the arena the better I understood what the promoter was trying to do. They were taking sort of a “World Wrestling Federation” approach to the promotion. This is always effective in attracting the “non-traditional” race fan that might be there more for the event than for the outcome. That’s why I was there.
The announcer began by explaining that the heat races had been run in the afternoon. Apparently, only folks with a pit pass can watch the heat races. Tonight the announcer told the crowd, they would start racing promptly at 7 p.m. (they did) and would have four 50-lap feature races. They would run a “B”, “C”, “A” (yes, in that order) and “Top Dog” feature event. Four drivers would come from the “B” and the “C” mains and six drivers from the “A” main to makeup the starting lineup for the “Top Dog” finale. Does this mean that someone who left after the “A” main had not seen a feature?
The announcer then went on to explain what each of the 6-7 racing flags meant. Then the lights went out and roving spotlights went through crowd while the announcer tried to whip the crowd into a frenzy with background music of “Let’s get ready to rumble.” By the way, they played the same music at the basketball game during introductions.
While the lights were out some very loud firecrackers and explosions went off. Then it was time for a chorus of third grade Brownies to sing the national anthem. Just as they came across, “Rockets red glare” in the song there were more loud explosions and fireworks sparklers from high up in the ceiling. They were getting the crowd into the program!
The racing itself was very entertaining and exciting. The cars circled the high-banked metal track in about eight seconds. There were lots of pushing and shoving and about 10 flips. Many times the cars would go into the turns from the low groove. They were going so fast, and with little banking from the low groove, centrifugal force would lift up their left side wheels and they would go flying.
When I was a college senior, I lived by myself in the basement of a church parsonage. Of course, Carol lived within a few blocks, so she could take care of me on a moment’s notice. I had a very large H.O. slot car racetrack laid out on a 4’ by 8’ piece of plywood. The track was aptly called, “RANLAY Raceway.” Pledges from our fraternity would have to come to my apartment to race on the track in order to get my “Signature” in their pledge books. Tonight’s racing reminded me of H.O. style slot car racing only on a slightly larger scale.
After watching the first race, I saw a fellow taking pictures in the first row of the grandstands. This fellow didn’t look anything like how Mike K. had described himself. Actually, I had my own email mental picture of Mike. After having corresponded with him about racing issues only, I had him pegged as a 30-year-old guy who went racing once in a while but not very often. Boy was I wrong.
I wandered down to where the photographer was taking pictures. I asked him if he knew anything about Mike K. Well, Mike K. was sitting right next to that photographer! Yes, I had found the proverbially “Needle in a haystack.” Mike had a big smile and a firm handshake. He made me feel like he was really excited to meet “Trackchasing’s #1 trackchaser of the 21st century,” even if Mike is from Reading, Pennsylvania.
He and I spend the next two hours talking racing and trackchasing. Mike is really more of a racechaser. A racechaser goes to races he wants to see. Of course, a trackchaser goes to tracks he wants to be at regardless of what type of racing there is. Many racechasers don’t understand the trackchaser mentality. Of course, true trackchasers no longer want to chase races. For the most part these are two forms of the auto racing spectator hobby that are mutually exclusive.
Mike is 50 years old and married with one daughter. He got the racing bug from his father who drove racecars out at the old Reading Fairgrounds. His dad was involved in a race where two other drivers were killed. Mike’s dad never raced again after that.
Mike has been to more than 200 different tracks himself during his career. He’s been to about 150-175 races just this season. Yes, he’s racechaser.
During my corporate career, I spent a good deal of time recruiting. Much of my recruiting was on college campuses. A campus interview normally lasted 30 minutes. We would do 14-16 in a day. Although there was not a lot of heavy lifting, let me tell you this was tough work. It didn’t take 30 minutes to decide if you liked someone or not. Sometimes that decision was made within 30 seconds. It’s hard to keep talking to someone during a job interview for the last 29 minutes and 30 seconds when you know they aren’t going to fit.
I’m happy to report that if I had been interviewing Mike K. I would have hired him. He’s a genuinely nice guy. I call him “Iowa-nice” and that’s the nicest thing I can say about a person. I’ll be trackchasing up and down the east coast next summer. I hope I get the chance to visit with Mike at some of those tracks. Somehow, I suspect I will.
The races ended at 10 p.m. This promoter was doing everything right. Maybe that is why he had families with children dominating his crowd. This is a very successful program and is only going to get bigger and better. WWF type stuff sells to the mainstream. The mainstream race fan likes to see fast-paced action with wrecks. They don’t want to see this slow motion, seven-division program with a yellow flag displayed after every two laps. Tonight when a car flipped, they dropped the yellow, turned the car back on its wheels and were racing again in 2-3 minutes. How else do you run four 50-lap feature events, have 10 flips, have a 20-30 minute intermission have the crowd being entertained by remote control powered flying cars and flying t-shirts into the crowd (Mike got one!) and still be finished in three hours?
I had a tough drive after the races. I had three hours of driving, five hours of sleeping and then 5.5 hours of flying and another hour of driving. That’s how a California trackchaser gets home from a race in Virginia. Of course, Mike would be driving some 5-6 hours after the races and would not get back home until the very wee hours of the morning. That’s no piece of cake either.
RENTAL CAR UPDATE:
I will be driving the Budget Rental Car Racing Chevy Impala. It’s got a good heater. The Budget Rental Car “Fast Break” program allowed me to get my rental car in record time.
Since the rental car company wants you to return the car with a full tank of gas, it’s important to make sure you START with a full tank of gas. Recently, that was not the case and I was lucky enough to catch their mistake. They credited me with the shortfall or I would have been stuck paying the difference.
LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:
These worldwide trackchasers are within 100 tracks (plus or minus) of my current trackchaser total.
- Rick Schneider – Bay Shore, New York – 1,038 (+49)
- Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 1,020 (+31)
- Any Sivi, Clairton, Pennsylvania – 1,007 (+18)
- Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 1,003 (+14)
- Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 989
- Gordon Killian, Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania – 986 (-3)
Other notables
- Andy Ritter, Wellsboro, Pennsylvania – 233 (+5)
- Colin Casserly, Stevenage, England 232 (+4)
- Bernie Harlen, Goshen, Indiana – 229 (+1)
- Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 228
2005 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS
- Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 180*
- Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 129
- Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium – 94
- Paul Weisel, Orefield, Pennsylvania – 80
- Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 61**
- Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 61
- P.J. Hollebrand, Webster, New York – 59
- Roger Ferrell, Majenica, Indiana – 57
- Pam Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 44
- Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 32
- Andy Sivi, Clairton, Pennsylvania – 32
* Trackchasing “New Tracks in One Season” record
** Trackchasing “New Tracks in One Season” record for women
Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,
Randy Lewis
Trackchasing’s #1 trackchaser of the 21st century
Trackchasing doesn’t have to be fun to be fun.
CUMULATIVE TRAVEL DISTANCES:
RENTAL CAR
McAllen, Texas Airport – Rio Grande Speedway – 3 miles
Rio Grande Speedway – Rio Grande Speedway – 36 miles
Baltimore, MD Airport – Hampton Coliseum – 257 miles
Hampton Coliseum – Washington Dulles Airport – 439 miles
Total rental car miles – 475 miles
AIRPLANE
Los Angeles, CA – Dallas, TX – 1,256 miles
Dallas, TX – McAllen, TX – 468 miles
McAllen, TX – Dallas, TX – 468 miles
Dallas, TX – Baltimore, MD – 1,215 miles
Washington, D.C. – Los Angeles, CA – 2.294 miles
Total air miles – 5,701
Total auto and air miles traveled on this trip – 6,176 miles
TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:
Rio Grande Speedway – $8
Hampton Coliseum – $12.25
Total race admissions for the trip – Very near $20.25
UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS
December 10 – Jackson County Expo, Medford, Oregon
December 10 – River Arena, Roseburg, Oregon
Racetracks visited in 2005 (** not the first time to visit this track)
Sungold Stadium aka Premier Speedway, Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia – January 1
Freedom Hall (oval), Louisville, Kentucky – January 15
Freedom Hall (figure 8), Louisville, Kentucky – January 15
Southern Illinois Center, DuQuoin, Illinois – January 16
Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, California – February 5
Golden Aisles Speedway, Waynesville, Georgia – February 25
Zephyrhills Antique Racecar Track, Zephyrhills – Florida, February 26
Dirt Devil’s Speedway, Land O’ Lakes, Florida – February 26
Ringwood Raceway, Ringwood, England – March 25
Birmingham Wheels, Birmingham, England – March 26
Boiling Hills Farm, Sleaford, England – March 27
Snetterton Circuit, Snetterton, England – March 27
Great Yarmouth Stadium (oval), Yarmouth, England – March 27
Great Yarmouth Stadium (figure 8), Yarmouth, England – March 27
The Grove Farm, Monkland, England – March 28
Grimley Raceway, Grimley, England – March 28
Castle Combe Circuit, Castle Combe, England – March 28
Boyd Raceway, Boyd, Texas – April 1
Port City Raceway, Tulsa, Oklahoma – April 2
Outlaw Motor Speedway, Oktaha, Oklahoma – April 2
Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Jennings, Oklahoma – April 3
JPR Speedway, Tulsa, Oklahoma – April 3
Charlotte County Speedway (figure 8), Punta Gorda, Florida – April 9
CORA Speedway, Dixon, California – April 16
Reno-Fernley Raceway (road course), Fernley, Nevada – April 17
Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas – April 22
Salina Speedway, Salina, Kansas – April 23
Jetmore Motorplex, Jetmore, Kansas – April 24
Oberlin Speedway, Oberlin, Kansas – April 24
USA Race Track, Tucson, Arizona – April 30
Tucson Raceway Park (outer oval), Tucson, Arizona – April 30
Tucson Raceway Park (inner oval), Tucson, Arizona – April 30
Driesum Race Track, Driesum, Netherlands – May 5
Autosportsdadion de Polderputten, Ter Apel, Netherlands – May 5
Bellekouter Autocross (oval), Affligem, Belgium – May 8
Bellekouter Autocross (road course), Affligem, Belgium – May 8
Circuit de Croix-En-Ternois, Saint-Pol sur-Ternoise, France – May 8
Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany – May 13
Lopik (oval), Lopik, Netherlands – May 14
Lopik (road course), Lopik, Netherlands – May 14
Ten Boer Autocross, Ten Boer, Netherlands – May 14
Rennplatz “Casper Gerd”, Rutenbrock, Germany – May 15
Zuidwolde Autocross, Zuidwolde, Netherlands – May 15
Midland Speedway Circuit, Lelystad, Netherlands – May 15
Aalten Autocross, Aalten, Netherlands – May 16
Circuit de Peel International Speedway, Venray, Netherlands – May 16
U.S. 30 Speedway (permanent inner oval), Columbus, Nebraska – May 26
U.S. 30 Speedway (outer oval), Columbus, Nebraska – May 26
Hitchcock County Speedway, Culbertson Nebraska – May 27
Pikes Peak International Raceway (road course), Fountain, Colorado – May 28
Colorado National Speedway (asphalt oval), Dacono, Colorado – May 28
Colorado National Speedway (figure 8), Dacono, Colorado – May 28
Rocky Mountain National Speedway (oval), Commerce City, Colorado – May 28
Rocky Mountain National Speedway (figure 8), Commerce City, Colorado – May 28
Broken Bow Wilderness Park (figure 8), Fullerton, Nebraska – May 29
Casino Speedway, Watertown, South Dakota – May 29
Sioux Speedway, Sioux Center, Iowa – May 30
Madison Speedway, Madison, Minnesota – May 30
Hawkeye Downs (outer oval), Cedar Rapids, Iowa – June 3
Hawkeye Downs (inner oval), Cedar Rapids, Iowa – June 3
Autobahn Country Club – North Course, Joliet – Illinois, June 4
Shadyhill Speedway, Medaryville, Indiana – June 4
Pottawattamie County Fairgrounds, Avoca, Iowa – June 5
Dawson County Speedway, Lexington, Nebraska – June 5
Marshfield Super Speedway, Marshfield, Wisconsin – June 14
Red Cedar Speedway, Menomonie, Wisconsin – June 15
Victory Lane Speedway, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – June 16
River Cities Speedway, Grand Forks, North Dakota – June 17
Raceway @ Powercom Park, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin – June 18
Jefferson Speedway (outer oval), Jefferson, Wisconsin – June 18
Jefferson Speedway (inner oval), Jefferson, Wisconsin – June 18
Golden Sands Speedway, Plover, Wisconsin – June 19
Langlade County Speedway, Antigo, Wisconsin – June 21
Thunderhill Raceway, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin – June 22
Luxemburg Speedway, Luxemburg, Wisconsin – June 23
Monster Hall Raceway, Unity, Wisconsin – June 24
Crandon International Off-Road Course, Crandon, Wisconsin – June 25
Pepsi Raceway Park, Tomahawk, Wisconsin – June 25
TNT Speedway, Three Lakes, Wisconsin – June 25
Shelby County Speedway (permanent oval), Shelbyville, Indiana – June 26
Shelby County Speedway (temporary oval), Shelbyville, Indiana – June 26
Jennings County Fairgrounds, North Vernon, Indiana – June 27
Paducah International Speedway, Paducah, Kentucky – June 28
Crystal Motor Speedway, Crystal, Michigan – June 29
Dells Motor Speedway, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin – June 30
Van Wert County Fairgrounds, Van Wert, Ohio – July 1
Baer Field (3/8 mile oval), Ft. Wayne, Indiana – July 1
Gingerman Raceway, South Haven, Michigan – July 2
Thunder Valley Motorsports, Jones, Michigan – July 2
New Paris Speedway, New Paris, Indiana – July 2
Durand Downtown Circuit, Durand, Illinois – July 3
Ripple Ridge Raceway, Rawlins, Wyoming – July 8
Sheridan Speedway, Sheridan, Wyoming – July 10
Livingston County Fairgrounds (figure 8) Fowlerville, Michigan – July 12
Eaton County Fairgrounds, Charlotte, Michigan – July 13
Laird International Speedway, Echo Bay, Ontario, Canada – July 14
I-96 Speedway (inner oval), Lake Odessa, Michigan – July 15
I-96 Speedway (outer oval), Lake Odessa, Michigan – July 15
Thunderbird Racepark, Muskegon, Michigan – July 16
Bob’s Family Racetrack, Clarksville, Michigan – July 17
Orleans Raceway, Orleans, Michigan – July 17
Mid Michigan Raceway Park, Muir, Michigan – July 17
Franklin County Park (oval), Brookville, Indiana – July 19
Franklin County Park (figure 8), Brookville, Indiana – July 19
81 Speedway, Wichita, Kansas – July 21
McCook Speedway, McCook, Nebraska – July 22
Pikes Peak International Raceway (oval), Fountain, Colorado – July 23
I-25 Speedway (oval), Pueblo, Colorado – July 23
I-25 Speedway (figure 8), Pueblo, Colorado – July 23
Thomas County Speedway, Colby, Kansas – July 24
Waterloo County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Waterloo, Illinois – July 27
Western Michigan Fairgrounds (figure 8), Ludington, Michigan – July 28
Blackbird Bend Speedway, Onawa, Iowa – July 29
English Creek Raceway, Knoxville, Iowa – July 30
Beatrice Speedway, Beatrice, Nebraska – July 30
Cedar County Raceway, Hartington, Nebraska – July 31
Bull Valley Speedway (figure 8), Audubon, Iowa – August 1
Saginaw County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Chesaning, Michigan – August 2
Ingham County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Mason, Michigan – August 3
Goodells County Park (figure 8), Goodells, Michigan – August 4
Wonderland Speedway, Lambeth, Ontario, Canada – August 5
Cheboygan County Fairgrounds (road course), Cheboygan, Michigan – August 6
Northern Michigan Speedway, Elmira, Michigan – August 6
Standish Asphalt Raceway, Standish, Michigan – August 7
Spartan Speedway, Mason (oval), Michigan – August 7
Spartan Speedway, Mason (figure 8), Michigan – August 7
Branch County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Coldwater, Michigan – August 8
Eastern Michigan Fairgrounds (figure 8), Imlay City, Michigan – August 9
Bay County Fair Derby Arena (figure 8), Bay City, Michigan – August 10
Shiawassee County Fairgrounds – (oval), Corunna, Michigan – August 11
Mt. Pleasant Speedway, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan – August 12
Waterford Hill Road Race Course, Clarkston, Michigan – August 13
Jackson Speedway (concrete oval), Jackson, Michigan – August 13
Owosso Speedway, Owosso, Michigan – August 13
Grattan Raceway Park, Grattan, Michigan – August 14
Ionia Fairgrounds Speedway, Ionia, Michigan – August 14
Galesburg Speedway (oval), Galesburg, Michigan – August 14
Galesburg Speedway (figure 8), Galesburg, Michigan – August 14
Lenawee County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Adrian, Michigan – August 15
Genessee County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Mount Morris, Michigan – August 16
Berlin Raceway, Marne (7/16M oval), Michigan – August 17
Will County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Peotone, Illinois – August 24
Volunteer Speedway, Bulls Gap, Tennessee – August 25
Tri-County Motor Speedway, Hudson, North Carolina – August 26
Lake Village Speedway, Lake Village, Indiana – August 27
Kamp Motor Speedway, Chase, Indiana – August 27
Jules Raceway, Wilmington, Illinois – August 28
Milwaukee Mile (road course), West Allis, Wisconsin – August 31
Proctor Speedway, Proctor, Minnesota – September 1
Lincoln Park Speedway (oval), Putnamville, Indiana – September 2
Lincoln Park Speedway (figure 8), Putnamville, Indiana – September 2
Kentucky Speedway (inner oval), Sparta, Kentucky – September 3
Shelby County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Shelbyville, Indiana – September 3
Edinburg Veterans Memorial Park (figure 8), Edinburg, Illinois – September 4
Peoria Speedway, Peoria, Illinois – September 5
Eagle Park Fairgrounds, Eagle, Michigan – September 9
Dixie Motor Speedway (outer oval), Birch Run, Michigan – September 9
Richmond Good Old Days Festival (figure 8), Richmond, Michigan – September 10
Sandusky Speedway, Sandusky, Ohio – September 10
Mercer County Speedway, Celina, Ohio – September 11
Sunset Speedway Park, Banks, Oregon – September 23
Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington – September 24
Western Speedway (figure 8), Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – September 24
Western Speedway (oval), Victoria, British Columbia, Canada – September 24
Evergreen Speedway (road course), Monroe, Washington – September 25
Chula Vista International Off-Road Raceway, Chula Vista, California – October 2
Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado California – October 9
Superbowl Speedway, Greenville, Texas – October 14
Texas Motor Speedway – Road Course, Fort Worth, Texas – October 15
Lawton Speedway, Lawton, Oklahoma, Lawton, Oklahoma – October 15
Abilene Speedway, Abilene, Texas – October 16
River River Speedway, Wichita Falls, Texas – October 16
Thunder Valley Speedway, Lawndale, North Carolina – October 21
North Carolina Motor Speedway – Road Course, Rockingham, North Carolina – October 22
County Line Raceway, Elm City, North Carolina – October 22
Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Virginia – October 23
211 Speedway, Red Springs, North Carolina – October 28
Fayetteville Motor Speedway, Fayetteville, North Carolina – October 28
Liberty Raceway Park, Staley, North Carolina – October 29
Caraway Speedway, Sophia, North Carolina – October 29
Bear Creek Raceway, Dobson, North Carolina – October 29
River Valley Speedway, Arkadelphia, Alabama – October 30
East Alabama Speedway, Phenix City, Alabama – November 4
Motorsports Ranch, Cresson, Texas – November 5
Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas – November 5
Texas Motor Speedway – 1.5M oval, Fort Worth, Texas – November 6
Texas Motor Speedway – 1/4M inner oval, Fort Worth, Texas – November 6
Wheel 2 Wheel Raceway, Victorville, California – November 19
Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, Thermal, California – November 20
Clinton Motorsports Park, Clinton, Oklahoma – November 26
Rio Grande Speedway, McAllen, Texas – December 1
Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia – December 3