Greetings from Springfield, Illinois
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From the travels and adventures of the
“World’s #1 Trackchaser”
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Illinois State Fairgrounds
Dirt oval – 1 mile
Lifetime track #25
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Multi-Purpose Arena @ Illinois State Fairgrounds
Dirt figure 8
Lifetime track #2,154
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Multi-Purpose Arena @ Illinois State Fairgrounds
Dirt oval
Lifetime track #2,155
THE EVENT . . Today’s undertaking was just one of more than 2,000 trips that have taken me up, down and around the long and dusty trackchasing trail. If you would like to see where I’ve been and experience those adventures here’s the link: You’ll read about my visits to the “Springfield mile” back in the 80s and 90s. Then the big trip in 2015 where I added my 99th and 100th lifetime Illinois tracks to my ever growing list of track visits. If you’ve got a question, comment or whatever please leave it at the bottom of this report. It’s very easy to do. I’ll try my best to respond. Thanks! . . I sometimes see two or more tracks in a single day. When I do I will commonly combine my observations from both tracks into a single Trackchaser Report. That is the case today. I am a native of Illinois. I grew up in East Peoria. I lived there from birth until I went away to college in the fall of 1967. I graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1971 after living in DeKalb for four years. After a stint in the United States Marine Corps I returned to work in Peoria for one year. Then following a series of corporate relocations where we moved to Ohio, Arizona, California and Connecticut we moved back to Inverness, Illinois for three years (1980-1983). In 1983 we moved to California for good. Despite all of that moving around the country I am an Illinois “boy” by birth. . . As a youngster we would go to the Illinois state fair with my grandparents. Although Springfield was only an hour or so from our home in East Peoria we sometimes stayed overnight at the fair. When we did that we overnighted in huge tents that were assembled on the fairgrounds. We slept on “Army cots”. I remember how hot those tents were. . . Back in those days the “dirt cars” or “big cars” raced on the fairgrounds one-mile dirt track aka the “Springfield mile”. I come from a very humble background. Even though I loved “racecars” we never went to the races on these boyhood state fair trips. We didn’t have the money. I remember we would peek our heads into the nighttime country and western shows that attracted all of the big name talent. Nope, we never saw any of those shows either. Although we had so little money I was never ever bothered by that. I never felt we were poor. Nobody I knew has any more than we did. . . However, once I got a good job I could now afford a ticket to a short track racing event. That was good news. The Illinois State Fairgrounds mile racetrack is one of my “Group of 71”. These are the seventy-one tracks I saw before 1980. For those tracks I never thought to record the date I saw the racing or any other details. I have now assembled those 71 tracks in an order that I “think” I saw them. I might be off by a little but not much. Here’s a little of those 71 tracks. . . . . With the Springfield Mile being listed as my 25th lifetime track I would have first come there in the early 70s. I’m pretty sure it was for a “late model special” event to follow my favorite drivers such as Darrell Dake. I was there in 1981 to see George Snider win in a Silver Crown car. I was back in 1982 to watch Sammy Swindell win a World of Outlaws feature on a Saturday. The next day Danny Smith won the WOO event and Larry Dickson was the USAC Silver Crown victor. In 1994 I watched Chuck Gurney win in the Silver Crown cars. As far as my records indicate that was the last time I saw any auto racing at the Illinois State Fairgrounds until my August 21, 2015 visit. That was a special night. You can read all about it behind the “Arena racing” tab. ON THE WAY TO THE RACES . . One of my most important trackchasing days…ever. Today is an HUGE day for me and my trackchasing hobby. I think it’s one of the biggest and most important days of my entire trackchasing career. What could possibly make me say that? . . 99! Today I was planning to see my 99th lifetime Illinois track. I was headed to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois. . . As soon as the first green flag dropped on tonight’s racing action I would move into a first-place tie for most tracks seen in Illinois with Wisconsin native Ed Esser. Sadly Ed died a few years ago or he would likely have a higher Illinois total by now. . . Randy, Carol, Ed and Jim Holland – sports reporter Rapid City Journal Friendly fellow competitors. He and I were always friendly fellow competitors in trackchasing. We never shared advanced track information. Nevertheless, by my count we met up at the track and sat together on 33 different occasions. After nearly every one of those encounters we would sit in the grandstands long after the races were over or move into the parking lot. There we would talk about our hobby for an hour or more every time we met. . . As a matter fact Ed and I travelled together to Canada to trackchase. There he was able to see his first ever as well as his last foreign country trackchasing event. He passed away four days after that trip. I was very lucky to spend more than a day with Ed by my side just before his passing. The two of us talked about trackchasing on a nonstop basis for nearly the entire time. Rest in peace Ed. . . Ed lived just across the border in Madison, Wisconsin as he traveled to see all 99 of his Illinois tracks. I grew up in Illinois. However I lived nearly 2,000 miles from the Illinois when I was visiting most of my Illinois tracks. No disrespect to Ed Esser but I would have to say I made a stronger commitment to see 99 tracks in Illinois that anyone did. I’m sure Ed would be happy to see me move into a tie for the number one position in my home state. . . I have special memories from the Illinois State Fair. I was also most happy about returning to the Illinois State Fairgrounds. As a boy we used to go down to the fair with my grandparents. Frequently we would stay overnight at the fairgrounds itself. . . Most people’s lifestyles have improved for the better over time. Some of that was simply “a rising tide raises all boats” With better technology, better highways, better nutrition and the like folks are bound to have better lives. Others increased their standard of living by making the right decisions with education and job choices. I probably fall into the latter group. . . We had zero material things during my Illinois boyhood days. As a boy when we stayed at the fairgrounds we slept in a large tent on army cots. Of course there was no air-conditioning. There were lots of flies and bugs and man was it HOT. . . Last night I slept in a hotel suite in St. Louis, Missouri. When I woke up I was served a complimentary buffet breakfast in the upscale Sheraton Hotel. Yes I guess things have changed a good deal from when I was coming to the state fair as a 10 year old. . . One of the highlights of staying at the Sheraton last night was something I had not expected to see. They were having a Studebaker car show at the hotel over the weekend. On Friday night the Studebaker show cars were just beginning to arrive. I have never driven or Studebaker or even ridden in one. However, I have always loved their styling. I remember when Jim Strube used to drive a “55 Hawk” Studebaker at the Peoria Speedway. The cars on display in the parking lot brought a smile to my face. . . South Dakota was calling. I slept in until a leisurely 9 a.m. When I woke up I noticed a phone message had been left on my Apple iPhone. It was from South Dakota. I thought I knew who might be calling me from there. . . I checked the message and sure enough it was from the Lonetree Creek Race Park in Scotland, South Dakota. My contact there and I talked a few days ago. He was calling me back to confirm they would have racing tomorrow night in the Mount Rushmore state. . . After being rained out last Tuesday in Parker, South Dakota I was going to make a return trip to the state in hopes of adding my 19th lifetime track. There was even an outside chance there might be racing on two different tracks up in Scotland. I wouldn’t know for sure until I got there. . . If that happened I would move into a tie with racing buddy Butch Knouse a resident of Cavour, South Dakota. Butch has seen 20 tracks in his home state. If I ever made it into a tie with him, just like I will do tonight with Ed Esser in Illinois, I would consider it a distinct honor. . . Another phone call…more good news. I also received another phone call with good news this morning. My lost bag had arrived into St. Louis from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It arrived several hours sooner than I expected. This would allow me to pick up the bag with all of my clean clothes before I left for Springfield this afternoon. That eliminated an unplanned laundry stop or the idea of wearing underwear for more than one day. I know too much information right? . . Meeting up with Trackchasing’s First Mother….soon. Today was Friday. I would be meeting up with Trackchasing’s First Mother a.k.a. wife Carol on Sunday afternoon. I will pick her up at the St. Louis International Airport. Then we will head to Branson, Missouri for a week of country fun and entertainment. . . Getting a bit shaggy. In preparation for my meeting with Carol I was sadly in need of a haircut and beard trim. Where was I going to find a barber in St. Louis? I would turn to Yelp! . . You have probably noticed by now that my lifestyle is a little different than most people you know. I travel away from home about half the number of days in any given year. That means I don’t know where the nearest barber is or the nearest good restaurant or the nearest anything. That’s why I usually use Yelp! to help me out. . . Not just restaurants. Lots of people think Yelp! is only good for finding restaurants. I use it for EVERYTHING. Today it helped me find a barbershop in Bridgeton, Missouri. They had three reviews and they were all good. . . Back home I pay an incredibly low nine dollars for my haircut. I get it at Popeye’s barbershop in San Clemente. The guy does a good quick job. I never have to wait. . . Today I made an appointment with Jack of Jack’s Barbershop himself for 12:30 p.m. I figured there would be just enough time to run over to the airport to pick up my lost bag before my appointment. Of course without using my Waze GPS system I could not have done any of this efficiently or effectively. . . Not so fast. I was hoping to park at the airport parking garage for less than 15 minutes. In California and lots of other places if you park for 15 minutes or less there is no charge. . . I was as quick as I possibly could be given the fact that I was behind some lady you had no idea what to do when entering a parking garage. Nevertheless at the St. Louis airport they only give you a five-minute “grace” period. How long had I been in the parking lot? Seven minutes. How much would it cost me for being two minutes over? Five bucks! . . That I was off to Jack’s Barbershop. Jack was a friendly conversationalist. I enjoyed my time with him. He did moan about the fact that his rent was jacked up every year. He told me there was no way he could raise his haircut rates every year. . . Buying good stuff cheap. During the conversation I mentioned that I paid nine dollars for a haircut back home. Jack couldn’t believe it. He did a nice job on my haircut today. . . Nevertheless my haircut cost me $18 and another six dollars for the beard trim. I’ve only had my beard for a couple of months. I don’t plan on keeping it much longer. I don’t think I can afford to! With tip I was in for $26 for my barber’s services. Nevertheless even after 43 years of marriage I still need to look good when I give Carol a big hug and kiss to welcome her to her part of this 63-day adventure. . . Did I really save on my rental car bright idea? No. I mentioned previously that I saved $64 on a last-minute 10-day Priceline.com car rental. However my car doesn’t have satellite radio. That’s a bummer. No. No you don’t understand. This is a MAJOR bummer. . . I had succumbed to “buy cheap” thinking. I never like it when I do that. I don’t like being a part of other people’s plans when they have “bought cheap”. I only want to buy good things change. Please slap me on the side of the head the next time I attempt to buy a cheap things cheap. . . . . THE RACING . . Multi-Purpose Arena @ Illinois State Fairgrounds – Springfield, Illinois . . My biggest days in trackchasing. When I pulled into the Illinois State Fairgrounds neighborhood along Sangamon Avenue I knew this was going to be a big day. There have been some “big” days. . . I would say two of the biggest days I can ever remember in my hobby were when I saw my 500th track in Delavan, New York and then my 1,000th track in Auburndale, Florida. I guess when I moved into the #1 spot of the worldwide trackchasing rankings with track #1,040 that was a pretty big day too. . . Why was today so important? However today’s trackchasing effort was going to rank right at the top. I’ll tell you why. I’m sure after you hear my story you will agree that for me this was a huge day in my trackchasing hobby. . . I’ve been to more than 300 county fairs. I’ve been to many many state fairs. However today I was going back to MY state fair, the Illinois State fair. . . It was a gorgeous Friday afternoon. Temperatures were in the low 80s with blue skies and white puffy clouds. There wasn’t much humidity. It was just a very nice late August day. . . $12 – $7 – $5 – $3 – $2. At the Illinois State Fair people rent out their front yards so people can park near the fairgrounds. The first sign I saw said it would be $12 to park. Then before I could decide whether that was what I wanted to do or not I saw another sign for seven dollars, then five dollars, three dollars and finally two dollars. . . I didn’t want to drive any further to see what pricing plan might be next. I feared people further down the road might be paying ME to park in their front yard. I accepted the two dollar offer and parked of the National Car Rental Racing GMC Terrain SUV. . . Error-prone. I nearly made a couple of critical errors that would have lessened the overall enjoyment of my state fair touring. However when I was only about 200 yards from my parked car I decided to go back. First, I grabbed my sunglasses. Then, and much more importantly, I switched from my sockless blue suede deck shoes into my black Nike trainers with black low-cut socks. Now I looked “gangsta” and was ready for a long day of walking the state fair grounds. . . I’d pay just two dollars to park at the state fair. General admission to the fairgrounds itself was seven dollars but folks over 60 paid just three bucks. I was slowly but surely getting back the some of the money I had squandered at the St. Louis airport a couple of hours ago. . . Let’s go to the state fair. It was only about 3 o’clock. Tonight’s racing program didn’t start until 7 p.m. I would have all the time in the world to see everything at the fair that I wanted to see. . . Memories. I vaguely remember coming back to the Illinois State Fair about 15 maybe 20 years ago. I can’t remember much about it. I’ve got to think when we lived in Chicago from 1980-83 I brought the family down here. . . However my last REAL remembrance of the fair was going with college fraternity brother Phil Thompson. We drove down in my 1964 Ford Falcon for day. For some unknown reason I got sick and rode all the way back to East Peoria in the backseat while Phil drove my car. He and I still laugh about that adventure. By the way that’s Carol next to my Ford Falcon back in 1970! . . You can’t go home? They say you can never “go home”. I think there’s a lot of truth to that adage. Often times your remembrances of something in the past may be much better or even much worse than they really were. My experiences at the state fair were top notch. I wondered whether or not today’s visit could stand up to the comparison of what I remembered it was like as a 10-year-old boy. . . One of the first sites at the fair that I passed by was “Happy Hollow”. Happy Hollow was always home to the huge carnival at the state fair. It no longer is. That was a little disappointing. The carnival has now moved to another corner of the fairgrounds, which I didn’t visit today. . . Maybe I could go home. Then I stopped inside the coliseum building at the fairgrounds. During the afternoons of my previous visits we would step inside and watch the various horse shows and judging competitions. That’s what I did today. It brought back good memories. . . I remember as a kid peeking inside the coliseum doors for their evening programs. They had big country and western acts performing. Of course my family didn’t have the money for shows like that nor the forethought to get the tickets. Nevertheless I was intrigued by this country music genre and still enjoy it very much today. . . My next stop was to visit the state fair grandstand, which overlooks the “Springfield mile”, a dirt track used for stock car racing and USAC Silver Crown car racing. The likes of A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti raced here on dirt back in the day. . . The state fair hosts harness horse racing. If there had been harness racing on the dirt mile on Wednesday of this week I never would not have gone trackchasing in Victoria, British Columbia. When I noticed there was no harness racing that freed up that day for British Columbia. Today there was no action on the big track. The gates were locked. I couldn’t go into the grandstand to reminisce. . . What was tops on my state fair agenda today? There was just one main thing I had to see at the fair today. When I tell you what it was you’re going to smile or maybe have a belly laugh. I wanted to see the famous “butter cow”. . . That’s right. At so many state fairs in the past my highlight was seeing a full-sized cow statue made out of butter. I stopped and ask a couple of ladies who were manning the local information booth if the butter cow still existed. After recovering from being called “Sonny” I found that It did! . . Not only did the full-sized butter cow exist, in it’s refrigerated cocoon, they had also added a farmer, young girl and a calf. The presentation was on a rotating platform. People stood around looking inside the refrigerated glass case in awe. I was one of them. . . The dairy building’s second attraction. Half of my reason for being at the Illinois State fair was now satisfied. However the dairy building held something else equally as special as the “Butter Cow”. . . From days gone bye I remembered the famous creampuffs made with real whipped cream. Some 55 years after I had my first one would I still be able to re-create that experience? Yes! . . For just five dollars I met the woman who made each one of the creampuffs AND got a creampuff. By the way of a creampuff I’m talking about a croissant stuffed full of whipped cream and chilled. . . Would I be disappointed in this creampuff? Was I going to be disappointed in today’s creampuff? Would it not match up? I am so pleased to report that today’s creampuff was as good as I remembered it. If possible it might have been even better. It took every ounce of self-discipline in my body not to immediately go back and order a second one. . . Bounty paper towels. You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face with a full roll of Bounty paper towels (A Procter & Gamble product). I had seen the butter cow and consumed a creampuff. When I left the fair I did regret not having that second creampuff. I didn’t know if I would ever have the chance to have one again. . . I took some time to tour the farm animal barns. Back in the day the farm kids, who are members of 4H, slept on cots in the animal barns. They still do today. . . Dinner? No supper. In the Midwest they have “supper”. In California we have “dinner”. I needed some supper and an Illinois pork chop was going to do it’s best to satisfy me. I’m trying to stay away from bread as much as I can so had a large Illinois pork chop grilled to perfection. After smothering it with mustard the pork chop was just what the doctor ordered. Remember pork is the “other white meat”. . . Would they refill THIS cup? I entered the fairgrounds with a large plastic McDonald’s cup. I was just finishing up the last part of my Diet Coke when I saw a lemonade stand. The signage told me they would accept any cup and refill it for three dollars. That seemed like a good deal. . . I would end up going back to the same stand three separate times for “refills” of my large drink cup. This was the first ever lemonade stand at a county or state fair that served Splenda rather than sugar in their drinks. . . Where’s the arena? Now it’s time to go trackchasing. I had to ask for directions to the new “arena”. It wasn’t here the last time I visited. I asked several people. They each said I had a “long walk ahead of me”. . . The arena is located at the end of Happy Hollow where the carnival used to be. I was at the state fair in about 1970 when there was a major riot in the midst of the carnival. Who was rioting? The famous Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and the Illinois State police. Any guesses on who won? . . I was feet from billy club yielding state police as they battered the Hells Angels into submission. That was the last time for many many years that motorcycle races were held at the Illinois State fair. . . Redneck boat races! Tonight’s racing attraction would be the “redneck boat races”. Whenever I hear a term like that I’ve got to get on the phone and talk to the race promoter. . . My conversations with promoters in these circumstances are rather comical. I’m asking all kinds of questions that relate to whether or not the racing I will see will be considered acceptable by the trackchasing rules. . . Of course in almost all cases the race promoter has never ever heard of my trackchasing hobby. That means they don’t really understand my questions that relate to “Do the racers all start at the same time? Do you have any winged karts driven by adults?” and on and on and on. . . When I called up the race promoter for tonight’s event he was happy to hear my story about trackchasing. He told me that when I got down to Springfield to give him a call the day of the race. He would “take care of me”. I was told to ask for “Shaner” and everything would be just fine. . . Cache? I must admit there is some “cachet” associated with being the World’s #1 Trackchaser. I suppose if I called someone up and told them I was the number 2 or number 12 in the worldwide trackchasing they might say, “nice to hear from you, have a good day, see you at the admissions booth, ticket prices are 10 bucks each”. . . However as is often the case I am offered a complementary admission as a reward for being on the trackchasing trail as much as I am. Today at about 6 p.m. I gave Shaner a call. True to his word he dropped everything and met me at the ticket gate. . . I’ll tell you a little more about Shaner in a moment. However when I called him in advance he told me he would come down to the gate and escort me into the track. General omission for today’s racing and entertainment was $10. I don’t know how much a pit pass was but my program allowed me into the pits as well. . . Goofy rules in the trackchasing hobby? Shaner told me there would be three major parts to the program tonight. First they would have a tough truck competition. He asked me if tough trucks counted in my totals? They do not. He looked at me as if to say, but he didn’t say it, “those are some pretty goofy rules you guys have in the trackchasing hobby. Often times I would agree with that assessment. . . The “redneck boat races” would be run in a series of heat races culminating in a feature event over a figure 8 course. This meant that my 99th lifetime track in Illinois would be a state fair figure 8 race. That was fine with me. . . Live wrestlin’. Just five days ago I had seen live wrestling for the first time in more than 50 years. Yep, that was the big WWE event in Minneapolis. What were the chances that just four nights later I would see live wrestling again? I guess because I’ve asked you this question you know the chances must be pretty good. . . That’s right! Tonight’s racing program included live wrestling. A ring was already set up right in front of the grandstand. Going into tonight I have seen Racing at 2,153 different tracks. I had never ever seen live wrestling at any of the other events. . . While Shaner tended to his promoter duties I took a tour of the pit area. There were about seven tough trucks here tonight. They were from as far away as New York. . . No, I did not understand the economics of that. However, there was a California trackchaser here tonight as well. I did not understand the economics of that. . . Figure 8 racin’. There were about twenty figure 8 racers in the pits. Each and everyone of them was towing a boat or at least towing something. Yes, tonight was going to be figure 8 redneck boat racing! Got a love it. This is America and one of the many reasons I love my country. . . I had confirmed with Shaner in advance that this was in no way a demolition derby. We talked about what constituted a race in advance. He assured me that they would be racing with lots of crashing but it wasn’t a demolition derby. . . The driver’s meeting. I sat in on the driver’s meeting. It seemed as if three major groups of people had brought cars to the track tonight. One group featured cars, another minivans and the third group favored pickup trucks. . . Family racing! I was seeing lots of new stuff tonight. The three heats races were split up by “families”. The one or two drivers who had come to the event tonight by themselves were adopted by one of the racing families. Everybody had a place and time to race. . . The tough trucks would start the program with their time trials. Since tough truck “racing” has never counted in the trackchasing hobby I’ve never been much of a fan. Tonight’s truck time trial times ranged from 25-30 seconds in length. I’m still not a fan of tough truck racing. . . Time to wrestle. Following the tough trucks were the wrestling matches. You simply have to look at the video and my photo album to see what these guys were up to. This was the “minor leagues of professional wrestling. . . Later on in the evening I talked to one of the fellows who had been videotaping, at ringside, tonight’s event. He was a “major” race wrestling aficionado. The guy told me we were watching Pinfall Wrestling Association. He surprised me by saying there are 40 different wrestling associations in Illinois alone. . . These guys are just getting their start in professional wrestling. I met one of the fellows who have been advertised as being from my home area of Peoria, Illinois. He was kind enough to stop by and meet up with the World’s #1 Trackchaser. . . Let’s get to the racing. Next up was what I had come to see from a racing point of view. This was the figure 8 redneck boat racing. . . In these events every racing competitor is pulling a trailer. Normally the trailer is carrying a boat. Sometimes the racer is hauling a camper or a riding lawnmower or whatever. It’s a little crazy. Don’t miss the photos. . . Can you get “lost” on a figure 8 course? At the driver’s meeting Shaner had to explain to the drivers how the figure 8 configuration was going to work. As you’ll see from the video a couple of guys got “lost” in the figure 8 race. Nevertheless my 99th lifetime Illinois track was in the books. They had some wild crashes with the campers and boats. . . What in the heck was this? Soon the second “boat race” came out on the track. Much to my shock and amazement these guys raced around three barriers in a tri-oval fashion. I didn’t know why, I didn’t expect it, and I didn’t ask for it. Frankly I don’t think Shaner knew much or anything about our trackchasing rules as regards tracks and configurations. . . By the way I am always telling you that I see something for the very first time that I’ve never see before at each track I visit. How can that be after seeing racing at more than 2,000 tracks? I don’t know but it’s true. I had never seen pro wrestling at a racetrack before tonight. PLUS I had never ever seen a LEXUS demolition derby car either. That one’s checked off now. They were raffling a pink Lexus for use in tonight’s demo derby. Amazing but true. . . With these guys clearly racing on an oval, which really was more like a circle, my 100th Illinois track was now born. What a shocker! . . I have now seen 100 or more tracks in four states, which include California, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois. No other trackchaser has seen 100 tracks in more than two states. . . The third boat race would also race on the oval track. I asked Shaner a little later in the program why they talked about racing on a figure 8 track with these last two races being on an oval. His quick and succinct response was, “Them guys like to race on ovals”. That was good enough for me. . . Topping off a great day. Between a couple of the heat races Shaner took the opportunity to interview me over the very robust PA system. I told the crowd a little bit about my trackchasing adventures. I mentioned that I had never seen live wrestling at any track I had ever visited despite going to more than 2,100 racetracks. . . Shaner…an interesting fellow. I must tell you Shaner was an interesting fellow. He told me he had been part of a promotional team with his father. They had promoted demolition derbies and the like all around this area and even as far east as Indianapolis. . . Shaner was generally a quiet guy. When we spoke we didn’t engage in long conversations. At times he seemed a little distracted which was only to be expected considering he was directing a large operation at the arena tonight. . . However Shaner was also tonight’s track announcer. He went from being a seemingly shy possibly introverted individual to one of the most outspoken enthusiastic and entertaining announcers I’ve heard in a long time. He really did a great job entertaining the crowd. He did what all good announcers should do. He explained, entertained and created drama. The crowds want drama. Tonight’s program gave it to them. . . A friendly face. As soon as my interview was over a friendly face came my way. It was the fellow I told you about when I last went to the Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois. I meet a lot of interesting people in my travels especially when I sit next to them at the races. . . A lot of times those people “sign up” for my Trackchaser Reports. I’ve got to admit it. I couldn’t remember my friend’s first name. However, I did get to meet his wife tonight as well. That was fun. They looked to be having a great time at the figure 8 boat races tonight. . . What a day! What a day! I had seen the butter cow and had a state fair creampuff. I had come to the fair expecting to tie up Ed Esser’s Illinois record of 99 tracks. I left the facility having seen both my 99th and 100 lifetime Illinois tracks. . . I had seen, for the first time ever at a race track, pro wrestling. I had a good interview with tonight’s promoter and track announcer Shaner and reunited with a friend I had met just a couple of months ago at another Illinois track. It really couldn’t and doesn’t get any better than this. Tonight was one of my best trackchasing days ever. . . . . AFTER THE RACES . . Following the break crumbs. After all of the action was completed at the arena I headed back to find my car. I could see how it would be easy to get lost in a large state fair like this and not find your car for a very long time. Luckily I had anticipated such a potential fiasco and made landmarks so that I could get back to my car on the first try. . . I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t think about getting another creampuff. Fortunately for me the dairy building was closed by the time the races ended shutting out that opportunity. . . From Springfield, the capital of Illinois, I would be driving 114 miles along Interstate 72 over to Palmyra, Missouri. Palmyra was on the way to tomorrow night’s destination in Scotland, South Dakota. . . I’m having more South Dakota trackchasing action this summer than I think I ever have. It wasn’t that long ago that I went to the Sturgis motorcycle rally to see TORC off-road racing. Then I got rained out last Tuesday for a race in Parker, South Dakota. I was heading back for a third trackchasing opportunity in the Mount Rushmore state, which could yield some very good results. . . That’s it from Illinois’ #1 trackchaser. That’s it from the World’s #1 Trackchaser and now the number one trackchaser in the state of Illinois. I bid you farewell and fair weather. Good night. Not a commentary on politics or religion. P.S. My trackchasing reports are never meant to be commentary on political or religious issues. Nevertheless, I will tell you that I believe in the afterlife. . . Can I ask you two questions? The other evening as I was leaving the Carlton County Fairgrounds figure 8 racing event a fellow walked up beside me and engaged in conversation. He wanted to know if I wanted to see his new book. I soon discovered what he was up to. . . He was preaching religion. When I go to these county fairs, especially in the commercial buildings, I see representatives from most political parties. I’m now beginning to see more and more religious affiliations for people who are “sharing the word”. . . I told the man in Minnesota that I was already “covered” on this particular subject. He seemed to be a bit skeptical. He said “Can I ask you just two questions?” I agreed. He did. I won’t tell you what those questions were but I answered them correctly. He seemed to be satisfied that I was “covered” on the subject matter at hand. . . North = stress free; South = global warming. I perceive the afterlife to be a stress free existence. Of course that won’t be any different than what it is now for me. I don’t believe I have an ounce of stress in my life. I worked hard to make it that way! . . It will be good at that point not to have to deal with the “Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers” anymore. They will likely be housed “south” of me if you get my drift. . . Influence from above? So why am I bringing up this topic of the afterlife.? I strongly believe that, up until tonight, Illinois state trackchasing leader Ed Esser has been messing with me from “above”. I know that seems strange and I can’t prove it but I believe it. . . Coming into “The Long and Arduous Mega Trackchasing Summer Tour of 2015”, a 63-day trackchasing trip, I had several chances to overtake Ed’s Illinois trackchasing total, or at least match it, of 99 tracks. . . I showed up in Greenup, Illinois on a lovely Saturday afternoon to see what I hoped would be my 99th lifetime Illinois track. There wasn’t anybody there! That was strange. They claimed they had canceled the race a few days before but I didn’t see anything about the cancellation on their social media site. Did Ed have something to do with this “cancellation”? . . Then a couple of weeks later I was slated to see a race at a brand-new track known to no one in the trackchasing hobby in Illinois but me. I hadn’t been rained out for single day during my trip. Then after about 40 days on the road somehow “mysteriously” it rained hard. The race was canceled. Now I KNEW Ed was messing with me. He just wanted to see how strong my desire was to become the number one trackchaser in Illinois was. . . The green light. The thumbs up. The nod. I think maybe Ed had been consulting with the powers to be and canceling one Illinois event after another. When I kept coming back for more Ed knew that I was worthy to finally take over the Illinois trackchasing lead. Tonight he would give me the green light, the thumbs up, the nod. . . Ed seemed to be saying you can finally see your 99th track tonight on the figure 8 configuration with the redneck boat races. Ed was now feeling so generous that somehow “mysteriously” a figure 8 race changed to an oval trackchasing effort with the second heat tonight. That gave me my 100th lifetime Illinois track topping Ed’s total of 99. . . March 18, 2011 – Springfield, Missouri I’ve seen the twinkle in Ed’s eyes. Like I said I can’t prove any of this. Many of you may wonder whether or not the story could possibly be true. I know Ed. I’ve seen that twinkle in his eye. It’s true. . . . . . Illinois The Illini state This evening I saw 99th and 100th lifetime tracks in the Illini state, yes the Illini state. Tonight’s achievement sends me into a #1 ranking in my boyhood state. Ed Esser has seen 99 tracks in Illinois. I have now seen 100 or more tracks in four different states. 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 Illinois sayings: No, Chicago isn’t the capital. QUICK FACTS . . AIRPLANE Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – Chicago, IL (ORD) – 1,745 miles RENTAL CAR #1 O’Hare International Airport – trip begins London, KY Indianapolis International Airport – trip ends – 766 miles RENTAL CAR #2 Indianapolis International Airport – trip begins Bedford, KY Indianapolis International Airport – trip ends – 603 miles RENTAL CAR #3 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – trip begins Aitken, MN Morten, Manitoba, Canada LaGrange, IN Manchester, IA Oskaloosa, IA Bowling Green, IN Buncombe, IL Ionia, MI Osgood, IN Hemlock, NY Taylorville, IL Cambridge, MN Mora, MN Urbana, IL Bedford, KY Owenton, KY LeMars, IA Belleville, KS Grayslake, IL Brazil, IN La Grange, KY Grayslake, IL Sturgis, SD Martinsburg, WV Tazewell, VA Henry, VA Belmar, NJ Berryville, VA Croton, OH Stockton, KS Bates City, MO Farmington, MO Barnum, MN Victoria, British Columbia Springfield, IL . . . TRACK ADMISSION PRICES: Laurel County Fairgrounds – $10 (not a trackchasing expense) Trimble County Recreational Facility – $10 Aitken County Fairgrounds (oval) – complimentary admission Aitken County Fairgrounds (RC) – $8 ALH Motor Speedway – complimentary admission LaGrange County Fairgrounds – $10 Delaware County Fairgrounds – $10 Mahaska County Fairgrounds – $5 Sandstone – $15 (include pits) HBR Raceway – $10 (included pits) Ionia Free Fair – $13 Ripley County Fairgrounds – complimentary admission Hemlock County Fairgrounds – complimentary admission Christian County Fairgrounds – $8 Isanti County Fairgrounds – $12 Kanabec County Fairgrounds – $10 Champaign County Fairgrounds – $6 Dirty Turtle Off-Road Park – complimentary admission Owenton County Fairgrounds – $10 Plymouth County Fairgrounds – complimentary admission Belleville High Banks – $20 Lake County Fairgrounds – $8 Staunton MX – $15 Oldham County Fairgrounds – $10 Lake County Fairgrounds – $10 Buffalo Chip – $20 Berkeley County Youth Fairgrounds – $10 Tazewell County Fair Speedway – $10 Providence Raceway – $10 Wall Stadium Speedway – no charge Clarke County Fairgrounds – $7 Hartford County Fairgrounds – $7 Rooks County Speedway – $10 JSI Off-Road Park – No charge St. Francois County Raceway – $5 Carlton County Fairgrounds – $15 Western Speedway – $5 Canadian (about four bucks U.S.) Multi-Purpose Arena @ Illinois State Fairgrounds 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 500 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 Click on the link below to see the “Video Plus” production from the Multi-Purpose Arena – Illinois State Fairgrounds. A picture is worth more than 900 words. That’s right. Click on the link below for a photo album from today’s trackchasing day. Double click on a photo to begin the slide show or watch the photos at your own pace. Hover over a photo to read the caption. A great day and night at the Illinois State Fair! 
PRE-1980 RACING RESULTS
#
1
Peoria Speedway-Mt Hawley
Peoria
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
2
Peoria Speedway
Peoria
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
3
Davenport Speedway-1/4 mile
Davenport
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
4
Davenport Speedway-1/2 mile
Davenport
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
5
Sterling Speedbowl Park
Sterling
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
6
Rockford Speedway-oval
Rockford
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
7
Rockford Speedway-road course
Rockford
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
8
Freeport Raceway
Freeport
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
9
Kenosha County Speedway
Wilmot
Wisconsin
UNITED STATES
#
10
Wisconsin State Fair Park
West Allis
Wisconsin
UNITED STATES
#
11
Sycamore Speedway
Sycamore
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
12
Salem Super Speedway
Salem
Indiana
UNITED STATES
#
13
Road America
Elkhart Lake
Wisconsin
UNITED STATES
#
14
Belaro Speedway
Billings
Montana
UNITED STATES
#
15
Capital Super Speedway-asphalt
Oregon
Wisconsin
UNITED STATES
#
16
Interstate Speedway
Sheridan
Wyoming
UNITED STATES
#
17
Shelby County Speedway
Harlan
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
18
Hawkeye Downs Spdwy-dirt
Cedar Rapids
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
19
Fairbury Legion Speedway
Fairbury
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
20
Grundy County Speedway
Morris
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
21
Santa Fe Speedway -1/2 mile
Hinsdale
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
22
Santa Fe Speedway -1/4 mile
Hinsdale
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
23
Atlanta Intl Raceway (1.5 oval)
Hampton
Georgia
UNITED STATES
#
24
Riverside Intl Raceway
Riverside
California
UNITED STATES
#
25
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
26
Eldon Raceway
Eldon
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
27
Farley Speedway
Farley
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
28
Marshalltown Speedway
Marshalltown
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
29
Southern Iowa Speedway
Oskaloosa
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
30
West Liberty Fair Speedway
West Liberty
Iowa
UNITED STATES
#
31
La Crosse Interstate Speedway
La Crosse
Wisconsin
UNITED STATES
#
32
Queen City Speedway
West Chester
Ohio
UNITED STATES
#
33
Northern Kentucky Speedway
Unlow
Kentucky
UNITED STATES
#
34
Lawrenceburg Speedway
Lawrenceburg
Indiana
UNITED STATES
#
35
Baer Field Raceways
Ft. Wayne
Indiana
UNITED STATES
#
36
Champaign Motor Speedway
Champaign
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
37
Daytona Intl Speedway
Daytona Beach
Florida
UNITED STATES
#
38
New Smyrna Speedway
New Smyrna
Florida
UNITED STATES
#
39
Ocala Raceway
Ocala
Florida
UNITED STATES
#
40
Volusia County Spdwy East-dirt
Barberville
Florida
UNITED STATES
#
41
Daytona Beach Mem Stadium
Daytona Beach
Florida
UNITED STATES
#
42
Deland Speedway
Deland
Florida
UNITED STATES
#
43
Golden Gate Speedway
Tampa
Florida
UNITED STATES
#
44
Farmer City Raceway
Farmer City
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
45
Knoxville County Fairgrounds
Knoxville
Illinois
UNITED STATES
#
46
Reading Fairgrounds
Reading
Pennsylvania
UNITED STATES
#
47
Manzanita Speedway -1/3 mile
Phoenix
Arizona
UNITED STATES
#
48
Manzanita Speedway -1/2 mile
Phoenix
Arizona
UNITED STATES
#
49
Phoenix Intl Raceway-oval
Phoenix
Arizona
UNITED STATES
#
50
Phoenix Intl Raceway-road course
Phoenix
Arizona
UNITED STATES
#
51
Central Arizona Raceway
Casa Grande
Arizona
UNITED STATES
#
52
Las Cruces Speedway
Las Cruces
New Mexico
UNITED STATES
#
53
El Paso Speedway Park
El Paso
Texas
UNITED STATES
#
54
Ascot Park -1/2 mile
Gardena
California
UNITED STATES
#
55
Ascot Park -1/4 mile
Gardena
California
UNITED STATES
#
56
Ontario Motor Speedway
Ontario
California
UNITED STATES
#
57
Speedway 605
Irwindale
California
UNITED STATES
#
58
Corona Raceway
Corona
California
UNITED STATES
#
59
West Capital Raceway
W. Sacramento
California
UNITED STATES
#
60
Craig Road Speedway
Las Vegas
Nevada
UNITED STATES
#
61
Dixon Frgrds Speedway
Dixon
California
UNITED STATES
#
62
El Toro Speedway
El Toro
California
UNITED STATES
#
63
All American Raceway
Roseville
California
UNITED STATES
#
64
Cajon Speedway
El Cajon
California
UNITED STATES
#
65
California Mid-Winter Fairgrounds
El Centro
California
UNITED STATES
#
66
Mesa Marin Raceway
Bakersfield
California
UNITED STATES
#
67
Orange Show Speedway
San Bernadino
California
UNITED STATES
#
68
San Jose Frgrds Speedway
San Jose
California
UNITED STATES
#
69
Saugus Speedway
Saugus
California
UNITED STATES
#
70
Speedway 117
Chula Vista
California
UNITED STATES
#
71
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville
Iowa
UNITED STATES
