Phoenix Speedway

 

 

 

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:

 

 

Randy’s Complete Track List

 

 

If you’ve got a question, comment or whatever please leave it at the bottom of this report.  It’s very easy to do.  Or you can visit me on Facebook.  Thanks!

 

 

Randy on Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

ON THE WAY TO THE RACES

 

 

 

SUNDAY.

 

 

I was able to stay in my Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hotel room today until 11 a.m. I always like that. I have far too many days when I arrive after midnight and have to leave early in the morning.

 

 

It’s fall in the Northeast now. Of course, it’s fall everywhere in the United States right now. However, the Northeast is one of the most beautiful if not the most beautiful locations during the fall season. It looks as if I am just about a week early to see the full “fall colors” in the Susquehanna Valley. Most of the trees are just starting to turn from green to beautiful golds, browns and a few reds here and there.

 

 

Today I am headed to Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Phoenixville is home to the Phoenix Speedway. I saw some signs that read “Phoenix Speedway” and some said, “Phoenix Raceway”. I’m going with “Speedway”!

 

 

Back in my business days we had a customer service center in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania. When we went there our local hosts would take us to the Seven Stars restaurant. What a great place. Today on the way to the track I passed by Seven Stars. They are still going strong from a building that was likely built in the 1700s. That old country inn served the best food and drink in a most congenial atmosphere. If there was more time today I would have stopped at the Seven Stars Inn for dinner.

 

 

I am always impressed with the Pennsylvania landscape. In the summer it’s lush and green from summer rains. The gently rolling hills are heavily forested with lots of beautiful old farm scenes. It’s a little bit like stepping back in time in so many ways.

 

 

‪The Phoenix Speedway is home to quarter midget racing. You might think that quarter midgets are about 25% the size of a full-sized midget. Not true. However, they are smaller than the traditional open wheeled midget race cars.

 

 

“Randy”, you might be saying to yourself. “Are you trying to pull one over in the heartland of the Dreaded East Coast Trackchasers’ territory? You’ve been trackchasing long enough to know that quarter midget racing is not a countable form of racing competition according to trackchasers rules.”

 

 

Yes, sadly I know that. For whatever reason trackchasing’s founding fathers decided that racing that was done by “kids” was not going to count in trackchasing totals. Was this because the trackchasing founding fathers had no kids? Was it because they were abused as children. I’m not saying. I don’t know.

 

 

All I do know is that in order for a trackchasing countable class of CARS to count in trackchasing totals the division must be at least open to drivers 18 years of age. Here’s an important point to consider.

 

 

A racing class may be open to all ages. That by itself as a race class would make the class “countable”. However, if I showed up on a day where there were five racers and every one of those racers was 11 years old the racing would STILL count. The class just needs to be OPEN to drivers aged 18 or more. The actual drivers that are racing in a class with those limits can all be less than eighteen.

 

 

How can that be you might ask? Lots of people do ask that question. People ask me all the time about the rules of trackchasing. I plead the fifth! I didn’t MAKE the rules. I only play by them.

 

 

In the above example, I would be watching an entire field of 11-year-olds race their hearts out on a dusty dirt oval. However it isn’t the racing or the drivers that “counts”. It’s the “small print” that counts. Is this how our lives should be run? I don’t think so. Nevertheless, I did not write nor was I asked to be involved in trackchasing’s original rules where these precedents were established.

 

 

Much to the dismay of ardent trackchasers I joined the group after the founding fathers had put pen to paper on what became the rules that exist today. It should be pointed out that I am no longer a part of this group. I resigned my membership when Guy Smith took over leadership. I could accept the standards meted out by trackchasing commissioner Will White. When he ran things I knew what I was getting into. However, when Mr. Smith took over things changed. Promises were not kept. He knows that. It’s all on him.

 

 

Let’s not forget the original question. Why was I gleefully anticipating a visit to a quarter midget track when I knew none of the drivers would ordinarily be “countable” because of their age? Today was a special day at this quarter midget track.

 

 

Today they were having a “handler’s race”. Lots of quarter midget tracks, at the end of the season, have a race where the parents, mechanics etc. (handler’s) can drive the kid’s cars. In that situation BOTH the car and the driver and therefore the track are all “trackchasing countable.” Yes, I keep my lawyer’s phone number in my speed dial.

 

 

Northeastern based trackchasers are able to see “handler’s” races on a routine basis. I cannot ever recall seeing a handler’s race at any of my previous 2,286 tracks. Of course, the handler’s race is simply another form of northeastern based strategy that allows them to pad their totals. Isn’t that convenient (wink)?

 

 

By the way I’m using my Waze GPS system as I normally do on this trip. I have it set to “no tolls ” to avoid the onerous charges that toll road driving creates in this area. A trip just last month cost me $65 in tolls over the weekend.

 

 

Of course before I embark on a no toll road option I will compare the travel itineraries between using toll roads and not using them. As long as the time difference isn’t much I will flip on the no tolls option in a heartbeat. I believe that men and women all over the world should be able to drive free.

 

 

I would not normally fly out to the northeast for a four-day three-night trip simply to see a cross-country UTV race and a quarter midget handler’s race. However, the option of seeing a college football game up in State College, Pennsylvania added to the intrigue of the trip.

 

 

The real overriding factor was the option of seeing my 100th track for the 2016 season yesterday in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Today I hoped to add my one hundredth lifetime Pennsylvania track. Those were two very important sub-goals that made this trip, with an acceptable advance weather forecast, a doable and viable idea.

 

 

I still have a couple of far western trackchasing trips left for the year. I’m hoping to add my 73rd trackchasing country as well. I might even catch a Midwestern indoor event. However, this is my last planned trip to the east in 2016.

 

 

It was a most idyllic drive through the Pennsylvania countryside. It reminded me of a simpler time of life that actually exists in this area in 2016.

 

 

I was seeing signs for apple cider and ham and beans suppers and “bazaars”. I saw that 50 pounds of tomatoes could be bought for just $13. I have no idea what the price of a tomato is. I hate tomatoes and have probably never ever taken more than one bite of one. Nevertheless, if you liked tomatoes, it seemed like getting fifty pounds of them and change from a twenty was a good thing. There were lots of Amish furniture outlets as well.

 

 

 

 

THE RACING

 

 

Phoenix Speedway – Phoenixville, Pennsylvania

 

 

It wasn’t long before I zeroed in on the Phoenix Speedway. The Phoenix Speedway has been home to the Montgomery County Quarter Midget Racing Club since about 2002. Actually the track organization has been operating for some 62 years. The sign at the entrance to the track says they’ve been racing since 1955. They are the longest operating quarter midget racing association in the United States. That’s impressive.

 

 

It was an absolutely beautiful fall afternoon. Temperatures were in the low to mid-60s with a beautiful blue sky and lots of white puffy clouds. The landscape was dotted with fall foliage and leaves were flying through the air. Nevertheless, winter is coming…..but not in Southern California.

 

 

Once I parked my car I entered the speedway. I didn’t see anyone selling tickets anywhere. I walked through the pit area taking photographs of the caged quarter midgets. There were no flat carts racing in an event like this. It’s all caged quarter midgets for drivers aged 5-17.

 

 

I spent a few minutes talking to one of the fathers in the pit area. He told me that once the regular racing was completed there would be a short intermission for the kids to “trick-or-treat” in the pit area. That celebration would be followed by the handler’s racing. I had come to see the handler’s race but was going to enjoy all of the quarter midget racing this afternoon.

 

 

My track contact was Michelle P. The group’s website has a solid contact list from the president, vice president on down through the secretary and treasurer. Currently Michelle is in the secretary position.

 

 

It didn’t take me long to ask around for Michelle’s location. I found her in the souvenir trailer. She was happy to see that the California visitor had made it all the way to the Phoenix Speedway.

 

 

I had explained to her in our earlier communications that trackchasing’s rules allow for the counting of racing divisions where competitors 18 years of age or greater are allowed to race. With that background she understood why I was coming today.

 

 

I had a nice chat with Michelle. She and Ian, a fellow who had been president of the group for eight years, spent several minutes giving me the background of the Montgomery County Quarter Midget Racing Club. It’s impressive that they’ve been able to stick together for that long through with what I am assuming have been several changes in regimes.

 

 

Toward the end of our conversation they both graciously offered me a complementary T-shirt. The shirt features the MCQMRC logo. It’s sharp looking. That was certainly nice of them to do that. I very much appreciated their generosity. I’ll wear it proudly in the future. Each time I do I will remember my visit on such a beautiful day to the Phoenix Speedway.

 

 

With the sun at my back for better photo and video production, I sat just outside of turned four. There was a small crowd in the stands that ran all the way from the second turn through the exit of the fourth turn. The pit area was located beyond turns one and two of the short minorly banked dirt oval.

 

 

I don’t follow this genre of racing all that much. I think of it as an alternative to little league baseball. Sometimes, one of the drawbacks to both little league baseball and auto racing little league are the parents. I’ve seen more than one father or mother, and I did today, lose their cool and yell at their young racer or the officials for not performing/ruling as expected.

 

 

It didn’t happen often. It’s never the fault of the race track or the organization. It really falls at the feet of the father or mother. I’ve even been on the receiving end of committing poor behavior as a Little League dad myself.

 

 

I was watching a baseball game when I thought the umpire made a bad judgment against my son’s team. I was seated all the way down the left-field line near the outfield fence in a beach chair. I yelled something all that distance to the home plate umpire. I wasn’t even sure he could hear me.

 

 

He heard me! He stopped the game and walked methodically all the way from home plate past third-base out into left field where I was sitting. I can’t recall his exact words but they were essentially don’t do what you just did. He made his point. Nevertheless, nobody wants to be one of “those” dads.

 

 

The Phoenix Speedway is a spotless little place. You can tell that the management and its members have gone to great efforts over the years to build up a quality quarter midget racing track. They even have an electronic scoreboard.

 

 

The announcer, like at most small karting tracks, doesn’t say much. Today she would recap the winners by name and tell the crowd which race was coming next. That was about it. I think karting tracks are missing the boat by not having a little more information/entertainment value coming from the announcing booth.

 

 

This track normally races on Wednesday nights during the warmer summer months. They also race a Saturday night or two. This weekend they were scheduled to race on both Saturday and Sunday. However, yesterday, which was Saturday, was rained out. I was fortunate that my plan included a visit today, Sunday.

 

 

I certainly wish that trackchasing’s founding fathers had not established an age limit on how old drivers needed to be in order to count a track in the trackchasing hobby. I think they missed the boat on flat karts as well. It may be too late to render these mistakes. I know that if go-kart tracks were added lots of trackchasers would have a little bit more to do during the summer. It might bring some people back into the fold who have left the hobby.

 

 

I did have to keep an eye on the clock. I needed to return my rental car back to Washington, D.C. by 11:54 p.m. It was going to be about a three-hour drive from the Phoenix Speedway down to the Ronald Reagan International Airport. That meant I could probably leave as late as 8:30 p.m. and still make it. I didn’t expect time to be a problem.

 

 

Today’s racecars all had to be pushed started. There weren’t any push trucks like you might see at a sprint car show. The dads could simply get behind the car and push for a few steps. In most cases the cars would start at that point.

 

 

There were a few yellow flags. There was nothing serious. The restarts didn’t take long after one of the yellow flag caution periods.  Often times the fathers jumped out on the track to get the disabled car pointed in the right direction.  These guys were too young to have bad backs!

 

 

It seems that despite the large number of racetracks I have visited that every one has something unique and different offer. Unique as in the sense that I’ve never seen it before. That was the case today with the Phoenix Speedway.

 

 

Following the races for all the regular classes, which included drivers aged 5-17, they went to intermission. That’s not unusual at a racetrack. What is unusual is what they did at intermission.

 

 

It seemed that a large number of the drivers were of trick-or-treating age. All the racing teams had brought their candy and treats for the drivers and other youngsters. During intermission they all dressed up in their Halloween costumes and went from trailer to trailer trick-or-treating.

 

 

That was cool.  The kids were having a great time trick-or-treating.  During the one-hour break I went to the local McDonald’s and picked up a triple cheeseburger. Why not eat at the track? Currently my dining choices must meet the parameters of the Atkins eating plan. That pretty much means meat, cheese and eggs with little or no carbohydrates. This has worked for me in the past. It seems to be working pretty well right now.

 

 

I was back in plenty of time when the racing resumed for the “handler’s” at 5:30 p.m. My car was all packed and ready to go for the drive down to the Ronald Reagan International Airport.

 

 

This had been an excellent weekend. In a couple of moments I would add my 100^th lifetime track in Pennsylvania. I had seen a big time football game at Penn State. Yesterday, I had also seen my 100^th new track of the 2016 season.

 

 

Actually, the 2016 season has been an excellent trackchasing year. I must tell you this. As I look back on my trackchasing hobby I can never remember a bad trip or a bad trackchasing year. Each and every one of the trips has been just wonderful. I can’t say that for each and every day when I was playing golf!

 

 

Today I was wearing my “World’s #1 Trackchaser – San Clemente, California” t-shirt. A number of people came up to say hello based on that advertisement.

 

 

One of the first was Ray, the track photographer. He gave me several photographs from the racing at the Phoenix Speedway as well as a couple from a local short track. Ray’s been photographing racecars for 54 years. He told me he sold his entire collection with negatives to the Henry Ford Museum up in Dearborn, Michigan. That was impressive.

 

 

Then a fellow by the name of Dave introduced himself. Dave has been with the Montgomery County Quarter Midget Racing Club since the beginning in 1955. He was nice enough to share with me much of the history of the organization.

 

 

There are very few racing groups that have been going since the mid-50s. It would have been interesting to see what the club was like more than 60 years ago.

 

 

Dave told me that the track they use now, which was constructed in 2002, is the sixth location where they have raced during their entire existence. They actually raced at one of those six locations on two different occasions.

 

 

He told me about all of the help they had received from local racers and businesses to make their racing a reality. He also told me an interesting fact about the current track and its location. Everything at the track is portable. If they had to move, which they hope they never have to, they can move the souvenir stand, the press box… everything. That’s good planning!

 

 

Dave also gave me a very special card.  It was a card from a very special young man named Jack Culbertson.  Jack began racing with the MCQMRC when he was just five years old.  However, at the young age of just six he was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease.  He would come back to win several races including a special event at the Harrisburg Farm Show.  Sadly, Jack lost his battle with High Risk Neuroblastoma at age 10.  Dave was very proud of Jack Culbertson.  I promised Dave that I would share Jack’s story here….in loving memory of Jack Flash.

 

 

During the handler’s driver’s meeting it was explained that each of the races would be for 10 laps. Many of the drivers didn’t care for that news. This was their one and only chance to race at the track this year. They wanted more laps. In the end they were given a couple of minutes of warm-up laps as well as 15-lap feature events.

 

 

It was these hander’s races that would allow me to count the Phoenix Raceway as my 100th lifetime Pennsylvania track. I’m pretty proud to have seen 100 or more tracks in six different states now.

 

 

On the way out I was able to catch up with Michelle my primary track contact at the Phoenix Speedway. I told her what nice people I had met and how much I enjoyed my day. I had arrived at 1 p.m. and watched the racing continuously, with a 10-minute McDonald’s break, until past 7 p.m.

 

 

It was a glorious fall day. Please don’t miss the photographs and video of the racing action that comes from the Montgomery County Quarter Midget Racing Cub. This is a hidden little gem.

 

 

 

 

AFTER THE RACES

 

 

The trip down to the airport offered little traffic. Because I was using the “no tolls” option my Waze GPS system took me through some unusual areas.

 

 

When it was time to get gas I took an exit in the heart of Washington D.C. This proved to me that not every American is sharing in the American dream. When I go to these locations I can count on no restrooms at the convenience stores, panhandlers hitting me up for spare change and my credit card not working as per normal at gas pump. Nevertheless I made it over to the Ronald Ragan airport by about 11 p.m.

 

 

I had my rental car for two days. I drove 697 miles. In my world that’s about an average driving distance for two days maybe even a little bit below average.

 

 

It was Sunday night. The plan was to catch a few hours sleep overnight in the airport. At the Ronald Ragan airport they close the airside terminals overnight. This meant I would have to sleep “landslide”.

 

 

I consulted my “go to” airport sleeping reference. That would be www.sleepinginairports.net. They concluded there were not any fantastic places to sleep at the airport. All of the chairs had armrests. That’s never a good thing when trying to sleep overnight in one of these places.

 

 

Nevertheless, I grabbed one of those chairs as well as a portable wooden rocking chair where I could rest my feet. It was here where I would spend the evening.

 

 

 

Good evening from Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

 

 

 

 

MONDAY

 

 

I slept in a chair last night at the Ronald Reagan International Airport in our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. It really wasn’t all that bad. I spent 12 weeks doing a lot worse in United States Marine Corps Boot Camp.

 

 

At 4:30 a.m. I moved from my chair over to the American Airlines Admirals Club. This is a private lounge for members willing to pay a fairly steep annual membership fee. In the Admirals Club I could relax in a much softer chair.

 

 

There was something ironic about last night’s situation and my visit to the Admiral’s Club. When I was working I was staying in Marriott hotels and visiting Admiral’s Club on the company’s dime.

 

 

Now I don’t work for money. I am in my 15^th year of retirement. Can I ask you a question? If you are still working what would it have been like to have no work income for the past 15 years? Yeah, that’s quite a question isn’t it.

 

 

Nevertheless, I still made it to Washington, D.C. for a weekend of fun. I was still hanging out in the Admirals Club. I guess things turned out all right after I gave my retirement notice so long ago.

 

 

I don’t think very many people understand what it takes to manage effectively my airline sponsorship program. This morning I was in Washington, D.C. I wanted to get to Los Angeles, California soon as possible.

 

 

I’m going to guess that there were hundreds of flight combinations that could make that happen. However, I had to choose flights that would have a seat open for me on the standby basis. I had to choose flights that would connect properly since all the non-stops appeared to be sold out.

 

 

When I have a plan to connect in one city or another that doubles the risk. In those situations I have to find two airplanes rather than one that will have an open seat for me.

 

 

However, I do consider myself a professional in this particular area. I chose a combination of flights where I could change planes in Seattle. I made those flights. The combined flying time was a little bit more than 7 1/2 hours.

 

 

I would be getting back to San Clemente, California at about 5 p.m. Pacific time. That would be 8 p.m. Eastern time.  I was just in time to see a gorgeous sunset.

 

 

Let’s think about this. Last night I left the quarter midget track at about 7 p.m. local time. Now some 25 hours later I was pulling into my driveway in the little seaside village of San Clemente, California. I would love to know the time it took every other trackchaser who has ever visited the Phoenix Speedway in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania to get home!! I think it was less than 25 hours.

 

 

 

Good day from San Clemente, California

 

 

 

Pennsylvania

 

 

The Keystone state

This evening I saw my 100th lifetime track in the Keystone state, yes the Keystone state. I’ve seen 100 or more tracks in 6 separate states. No one can match that stat.

 

 

 

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

Pennsylvania definitions: Cheesesteak

 

What it means everywhere else: A chunk of steak with cheese on it.

 

 

What it means in Pennsylvania: A hoagie bun stuffed with hot sliced beef, topped with melted cheese and often sautéed onions. Most people are passionate about their favorite shop and prepared to defend it in long, fiery debates.

 

 

Editor’s note: I love “my” kind of cheesesteaks. I always get ‘em with chicken rather than steak. I’m not much on Cheese Whiz. I’ll try to some form of white cheese if given the opportunity. Yes, I’ve been to both Geno’s and Pat’s!

 

 

 

 

QUICK FACTS

 

 

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 550 tracks of my lifetime total. Don’t blame me.

 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 2,287

 

 

 

Total Trackchasing Countries

There are no trackchasers currently within 10 countries of my lifetime total.

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 72

 

 

 

Current lifetime National Geographic Diversity results

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 4.47

 

 

 

That’s all folks! Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the link below for a photo album from today’s trackchasing day.  You can view the album slide by slide or click on the “slide show” icon for a self-guided tour of today’s trackchasing adventure.

 

It doesn’t get any more beautiful than this fall photo album