Third Quarter Trackchasing Goals Status Update
Period ending September 30, 2013
I think it’s important to set goals in life. This is especially true if you’re focusing on some form of self-improvement or where others are depending upon your success. There’s a great book on this subject entitled, “If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going You’ll Probably End Up Somewhere Else” (You can buy this book on Amazon). I have successfully used goals for my entire life. Goal-setting has allowed me to have a wonderful family, retire early and stay healthy so that I can enjoy the rewards of establishing and meeting all kinds of future goals.
Trackchasing is one of my main hobbies in life as you might have guessed by now. Years ago, I decided what aspects of the trackchasing hobby were most important to me. Then I set about putting in place a set of goals that focused my trackchasing attention in those areas. It is impossible to predict the future. However, it is not impossible or even that difficult to set small goals that when achieved again and again will allow me to be in the places I want to be within the hobby of trackchasing and elsewhere in life.
Below is an update of my progress against my 2013 trackchasing goals. My goals are both quantitative and qualitative.
Lifetime trackchaser totals
Stay within 10 tracks of my nearest fellow competitor, Guy Smith. At that rate it will take him more than thirty years to catch up. He’ll be in his mid-80s by then!
Current results through September 30, 2013
Through the end of the third quarter I have seen racing at 98 new tracks. I guess you could say I had a pretty good quarter seeing 59 new tracks during July, August and September! Guy Smith, my nearest fellow competitor has seen 52 tracks year to date. I’m well on my way to achieving this goal.
Foreign country trackchasing
Add, at a minimum, four or more new countries to my trackchasing list. This will bring my lifetime “trackchasing countries” total to at least sixty-seven.
Current results through September 30, 2013
I’m off to a good start here with the addition of Russia and Lithuania, my 64th and 65th different trackchasing country. Believe it or not I have a minimum of two more foreign countries in the “active/final planning stage” for the remainder of 2013. Adding countries will be difficult from this point. However, I still expect to add more countries for many seasons to come. I believe I will make this year’s goal but I’m not sure. I do plan to do some international trackchasing during each of the three months in the fourth quarter.
Lifetime National Geographic Diversity results
Maintain my leadership position in the NGD lifetime category.
Current results through September 30, 2013
My 2012 lifetime NGD score of 5.10 topped the list for the fourth consecutive year. At this stage it will be difficult but not impossible for anyone to beat this score in the near future. Staying on top of the lifetime NGD rankings is one of the three most important trackchasing statistical categories to me.
Why is that? Because the NGD stats measure both numbers of tracks and numbers of states where a chaser has trackchased. You can’t be a “regional” trackchaser and do well in the National Geographic Diversity rankings. You can’t be a foreign trackchaser and do well in the NGD results. The NGD category rewards American trackchasers who pursue the hobby frequently all over the United States.
Far Western states lifetime rankings
Maintain leadership position in 12 of the 13 Far Western states (x California).
Current results through September 30, 2013
I have an advantage with this goal. I live in the Far West. Virtually all other leading trackchasers live in the east. They won’t come out to the Far West to trackchase very often because the pickings are so slim.
There isn’t all that much happening in the Far West for me trackchasing wise now either. I’ve already seen the majority of tracks in this vast region. However, during the third quarter I did trackchase in Oregon.
I must report that the racing Eckels, Bruce and Pat, added two new tracks in Arizona giving them a total of thirty. That beats my results of twenty-nine. I now have just three months to scare up a new track in Arizona or risk missing out on this goal. Will I make it? I think so!
Exercise
Exercise at least 45 minutes per day on three times as many days as I trackchase. As an example if I trackchase on 60 days I will need a minimum of 180 days of strong aerobic exercise in order to meet this goal.
Current results through September 30, 2013
During the third quarter I trackchased 47 days. I exercised for a minimum of 45 minutes just 31 times! I’m disappointed with that result. I find that the more I travel the less time and energy I have for exercise. Too many of those travel days have very early starts, lots of driving and/or flying and late bedtimes. I’m going to have to figure a way around this.
Cumulatively (for the first three quarters!) I trackchased 78 days and exercised 98 times. That gives me a score of 1.26 (yuck) still short of my 3.0 goal. My number of trackchasing days during the fourth quarter will be small. I’ll improve against this goal but I still won’t make my goal of excercising on three times as many days as I trackchase. I could trackchase a few less days next year AND/OR exercise a few more days. I’m going to have to figure out a solution. Maybe selected two a days would help narrow the gap.
First quarter score – 1.21
Second quarter score – 2.16
Third quarter score – 1.26
Trackchasing Tourist Attractions
Continue to be the leader in the trackchasing hobby when it comes to Trackchasing Tourist Attractions. Strive to see all kinds of “fun stuff” when I’m away from home trackchasing.
Current results through September 30, 2013
The third quarter was a fantastic quarter for touring. During this period I worked on my newly established goal (to become official in 2014) of seeing a major league baseball game in every active MLB park. I’ve seen games in 28 different MLB parks. However, some of those parks are now closed. I have seven parks still to see where I have never seen the home team plan. I have an additional four parks where I have to make a “re-visit”. That means I’ve seen the team play in their “old” stadium but now they’re in a “new” one. I’ll tell you more about this goal as we transition into the 2014 trackchasing season. There were lots of other fun places seen as well. I think this third quarter might have been my most prolific “Trackchasing Tourist Attraction” results ever.
Racechasing
Go to 3-5 major race shows for the year without regard to existing trackchasing opportunities. Go to at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup show.
Current results through September 30, 2013
I did very well against this goal in the third quarter. Carol and I made our first ever re-visit to the Barona Speedway (CA) because my brother was visiting and he wanted to see a race. Then I joined up with Greg Robbins, Jim Sabo and Paul Weisel for the historic (first time in 43 years) NASCAR truck race on the dirt at Eldora Speedway (OH). I made my nearly annual visit to the Peoria Speedway (IL) joining up with pal and former Peoria Speedway announcer Scott Shults. I continued with track re-visits by going to the Florence Speedway (KY) for the induction of my all-time favorite driver Darrell Dake into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. I was allowed to speak briefly where I told the crowd what a great driver and person Darrell was. The next night we moved our family reunion over to the Quad City Speedway (IL) for a night of racing action. Oh yeah….I went back to the Butler Farm Show F8 race as well. That really wasn’t a re-visit though. I thought I was going to the OTHER Butler F8 track! That’s not a bad results of re-visits when you consider I saw 59 new tracks on 47 trackchasing days during the quarter.
RESULTS
February – Lucas Oil Late Models – East Bay Raceway – Florida
March – World of Outlaws Sprints – Silver Dollar Speedway – California
June – Wingless Sprints – Placerville Speedway – California
June – Stock cars – Sycamore Speedway – Illinois
July – Stock cars – Barona Speedway – California
July – NASCAR trucks – Eldora Speedway – Ohio
July – Late models – Peoria Speedway – Illinois
August – Late models – Florence Speedway – Kentucky (National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Induction)
August – Late models – Quad City Speedway – Illinois
Take a look at my leading fellow competitors. You will see them making almost no attempt at racechasing (that’s returning to tracks they have already visited) on a national basis at tracks beyond their backyard. It’s a tough balancing act but this is a good goal to have.
Free time diversification
This is my most revolutionary goal for 2013. Pursuing any one hobby to the exclusion of others is a bad idea in my opinion. I plan to take off a minimum of 23 weekends (a complete weekend is Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from trackchasing in 2013. Heck, that’s almost half the weekends of the entire year!
Current results through September 30, 2013
Through the third quarter I went trackchasing on 47 days. That’s a lot. Nevertheless, I have taken 14 weekends away from trackchasing during the first nine months of this year.. I’m well on my way to meeting this goal. At this time, I expect to meet this goal by the end of the year.
Have Fun
I saved the most important goal for last. I plan to see as many new tracks in 2013 as I want too. If I don’t go trackchasing, it won’t be because of bad weather, a lack of tracks to see or any other form of restraint on my part. It will be because I found something more fun and interesting to do not because I couldn’t find a place to go trackchasing.
Current results through September 30, 2013
If you get time check out the guestbook tab of my website at www.randylewis.org. I get lots of comments like this one from race fans and travelers, “You are living my dream”. Heck, I’m living my dream as well. Trackchasing is OPTIONAL for me. If I didn’t want to do it I wouldn’t do it. On the other hand, despite my “love for the road” it’s never a good idea to do anything too much. Right now I’m very happy with the frequency of my trackchasing. My current pace is one I would be comfortable with for many years to come.