Vallée-Jonction Ice Track

 

 

It’s serious ice racing time now.

 

 

Stay calm and golf.

 

 

This climate is not for me.

 

 

What country would I sleep in tonight?

 

 

This did worry me some.

 

 

Did you know this about Vermont?

 

 

Gourmet!

 

 

I take my winter gear seriously.

 

 

The menu for lunch was in French…only.

 

 

I can’t believe I forgot this on such a cold winter Canadian weather day.

 

 

There’s something different every time!

 

 

Not really racing?

 

 

It’s all about the “get”.

 

 

When was the last time YOU did this?

 

 

 

 

THE EVENT

 

It’s serious ice racing time now.

I woke up this morning at home in San Clemente, California. I went to sleep in Mansonville, Quebec, Canada. This is how the day turned out.

 

 

My ice-racing season for 2015 begins in earnest now. I’ve had a great week of playing golf with my old college buddy Mike’s Skonicki.

 

Stay calm and golf.

Mike flew in from Chicago last Tuesday. We played golf and reminisced for three full days. I was proud to take Mike to his first even In N Out Burgers experience during his visit. However when Friday came it was time for both of us to begin our “day job”. What does that mean?

 

 

There are very few things in life that would motivate me to get us this early.

First I would set my alarm for 3:45 a.m. After a quick shower (no time for a shave) I was leaving for the Los Angeles International Airport. Mike, a newly minted retiree from Morton Salt, would sleep in. Then Trackchasing’s First Mother a.k.a. Carol (wife of the World’s #1 Trackchaser) would drive Mike to the Orange County airport, later in the day, for his flight back to Chicago. Yes, we have a well-oiled logistical machine.

 

 

I was headed to Boston on American Airlines. I spent most of the five-hour flight listening to iTunes movies. I had already planned in detail my trackchasing trip to first Quebec and then New Hampshire.

 

 

I can’t share everything I know.

I had several other tracks planned as backups. I can’t go into those details. Why? Competitive reasons.

 

 

When I landed in Boston I had to “hang out” in the terminal for two and half hours. Why? I didn’t want to begin my rental contract at 3:30 p.m. I wouldn’t be returning my rental car on Sunday until about 6 p.m. If I picked up my car at 6 p.m. or so on Friday I could return it at 6 p.m. on Sunday. Using this strategy would eliminate a full day’s rental expense.

 

 

Waiting for a couple of hours in the airport terminal was no big deal. I had still more movies to watch and other items to plan. Whenever I have any downtime I simply pop open my laptop or my iPhone. There are plenty of projects and entertainment/information from those two devices to keep me busy for a good long while.

 

This climate is not for me.

As I looked out the window of Boston’s Logan International Airport I couldn’t help but think of the climate. I will say this it’s hard to believe that people live in places like this. I guess the two main reasons would be to be near family and your job. However you can always move your family to California and get a job!

 

 

I rented my usual Hyundai Sonata. It came with satellite radio and 35 miles per gallon. The car had just 1,200 miles on it when I sank into the driver’s seat. I’ll put on nearly that many miles in just the next 48 hours.

 

 

Boston has some of the worst traffic you’ll see in and around the airport. This was especially true on a Friday night during winter when snow was piled higher than the rooftop of my Sonata. I’ve never found Boston a very attractive city considering its climate and traffic.

 

 

What country would I sleep in tonight?

While waiting in the airport I researched possible hotels for tonight. When I left the house this morning I didn’t have any idea where I was staying tonight. Frankly I didn’t even know what country I would be staying in. Have you ever attempted a trip like that? If you knew you were traveling to a foreign country would you wait until a few hours before check in to find a place to stay?

 

 

I did some quick internet searching using Booking.com. I soon settled on a little five room B&B in Mansonville Quebec Canada. The La Chouette was going to be a perfect location. Mansonville is just across the border from Vermont into Quebec. It would be a four-hour drive up from Boston. Then it was just a three-hour drive Valley-Junction site of tomorrow’s ice racing.

 

 

I sent an email to the B&B proprietor advising that I would be arriving as late as nearly midnight. They quickly came back to say that would be no problem at all. Off I went into the dark windy snow blown highways of first New Hampshire and then Vermont.

 

This did worry me some.

As I got closer to the Canadian border the more I began to worry that possibly the border crossing would not be open this late at night. In this part of the country many border crossings are just about one-man operations.

 

 

I did stop at a New Hampshire interstate rest area in Canterbury, New Hampshire during the drive. The rest area was only open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Welcome to New England! They don’t have the conveniences we do in California by a long shot. The rest area attendant was mopping the men’s bathroom floor when I arrived. I asked him how his day was going. He responded in a less than positive tone saying “I’ve been mopping up salt off the floor all day!” Luckily we don’t have to do that in San Clemente.

 

 

Did you know this about Vermont?

Did you know that Vermont shares 15 separate border crossings along its 90-mile border with Quebec? I crossed at a little past 11 p.m. at the North Troy/Highgate crossing. The place was pretty well deserted. There were lots of flashing red lights, which made me initially think the place was closed for the night. However when I pulled to a stop the Canadian border agent came out of his office. He was a nice guy although he did ask me a million questions. He asked a couple twice. I wasn’t sure if he was just forgetful or trying to see if I would provide the same answer to the question asked a second time. I must’ve answered the questions correctly because he let me pass.

 

 

In about 10 more minutes I was arriving at La Chouette my bed-and-breakfast hotel in Mansonville. Proprietors Lynn and Luke welcomed me and I was quickly shown to my room. There was no paperwork to complete, no need for a passport or credit card. They simply handed me the key to my room and gave me the Wi-Fi password.

 

 

Mansonville, Quebec, Canada.

Mansonville is the main village in the township of Potten. Mansonville has achieved some prosperity because of its proximity to the Owl’s Head ski resort. I was surprised to learn that 42% of the local residents speak only English. I suspect those numbers have something to do with being just 10 miles from Vermont. I’ve never encountered many English-speaking folks in Quebec.

 

 

My room was small but warm. It didn’t take long for me to go to sleep after traveling nearly 3,000 miles for the day. I love adventures like this. I can’t wait until tomorrow’s ice racing where it is supposed to be 3° at race time and topping out at 5° for the day!

 

 

Saturday.

 

 

Gourmet!

The day began on a high note with one of the most beautiful breakfasts I’ve ever seen. It featured eggs sunny side up, bacon, fried potatoes, toast, fruit and orange juice. Don’t miss the photo of this breakfast it was right out of a gourmet food magazine.

 

 

I take my winter gear seriously.

Then I went back to my room and began to assemble my ice racing winter gear. Over the years I’ve acquired a piece or two of winter clothing in advance of every ice-racing season.

 

 

As I looked around the room I noticed my latest ice-racing apparel acquisition. It was a pair of size 14 full on winter boots. They were acquired at REI in Austin, Texas as part of a half-price sale. I would be going with two pairs of socks. I began with some ankle high black golf socks. I attached some REI acquired toe warmers to those socks. Then I pulled on some calf-length well insulated wool socks. I added some “Warm Feet” inserts in the bottom of my boots. These were acquired from REI as well.

 

 

I had insulated underwear tops and bottoms, a pair of heavy blue jeans and a long-sleeved Rock ‘n roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland) heavy T-shirt. I added both leg gators and a neck gator to the list. Then I put on a sleeveless wool zippered fleece. This is one of my favorite pieces.

 

 

All of the above was all followed by a army field jacket and two stocking caps. I also had a pair of safety sunglasses to help block the wind. My field jacket had a hood as well. I felt I was well prepared for the expected 5° high temperature with 10 to 15 miles an hour per wind. The wind chill temperature was going to be -13 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

 

I was then off on my three-hour drive from my bed & breakfast in Mansonville up to Valley-Junction, Quebec, Canada. Since I didn’t have a foreign data plan with my iPhone I was using my GPS to guide me. The Garman unit did an excellent job.

 

 

A normal winter Saturday morning in Quebec.

The roads were snow packed. I saw lots of people with snow blowers taking care of their driveways and lots of commercial snowplows as well. It’s definitely a very different lifestyle than what I’m used too with the unusual cold and snowy climate.

 

 

Canadians seem very proud of their country. They fly their flag more than we do in the U.S. I saw lots of “temporary” garages up here. I’m talking about plastic enclosures that are big enough to park the family car. These “garages” are inexpensive. They keep the snow off the car and shelter it from the wind. I suspect that is mighty helpful when it comes time to start old “Betsy” in the dead of winter.

 

 

Quebec residents probably speak more French than people who live in France! I’ve now been to Quebec on 13 separate occasions to pursue my hobby of trackchasing. I first went there all the back in 1992.

 

 

I was thinking the races began at 12 noon. When I pulled into the parking area my first encounter was with a French-speaking man. Since we couldn’t understand each other’s language he summoned his English-speaking friend. That gentleman was able to tell me that racing didn’t begin until 1 p.m.

 

 

I hadn’t had lunch yet so I asked the man for a recommendation. He pointed to a restaurant about a block away. He told me that would be my best choice.

 

 

The menu for lunch was in French…only.

I popped in there to find a hostess who again didn’t speak any English. Nevertheless she worked in a restaurant and I had walked in the front door. That meant I wanted something to eat.

 

 

It wasn’t long before I was consuming a pepperoni pizza with Diet Pepsi. I thought about going for the poutine but passed at the last moment. Pepperoni up in Quebec is not the same as pepperoni back home. In reality it was just bologna. The pizza was prepared in a unique way. The meat was cooked between the cheese and pizza crust. Looking at the pizza you wouldn’t have thought there was any pepperoni on it and reality it was jam-packed with the meat. Overall the food was good and the experience of existing in this French culture is always fun.

 

 

After the races………

 

 

Mission accomplished.

Soon I was driving westward into the setting sun. I could see how strong the wind was blowing. The snowdrifts sometimes blocked my view of the highway.

 

 

I had to take a 12-minute power nap in a small town along the way. I parked near a hockey rink and watched some youngsters practicing their craft and then fell asleep for a bit. Later in the drive I stopped at Tim Hortons. Luckily the servers spoke enough English to allow me to order a medium hot chocolate and an order of Timbits.

 

 

Just kicking back.

By about 7:30 p.m. I was back to the B&B. I spent about an hour just sitting in the living room with a warm real log fire crackling away. I felt just like I was sitting in my own living room.

 

 

Then I retired to my bedroom for the remainder of the evening. The B&B offered some outstanding Wi-Fi. I stayed up until 10:30 p.m. Eastern time so I could watch the live broadcast of the UCLA-Colorado basketball game. It didn’t end until past 12:30 a.m., which certainly cut into my sleep time. I was looking at a 3 1/2 hour drive down to New Hampshire for tomorrow’s ice racing. That should include another border crossing which I hope doesn’t take too much time.

 

Overall today was another good day of ice racing. I expect to have a busy month of watching wintertime competition. As I do I will continue to solidify my position as the World’s #1 ICE Trackchaser.

 

 

Special thanks to special people.

I can’t close without offering my thanks to several people who made this trip most enjoyable. First, Christian, whom I met a couple of years ago at the Autodrome Chaudière permanent asphalt oval also in Vallee-Jonction. Christina is a very valuable and willing French-speaking resource. He goes out of his way to help me.

 

 

Next up is Francois. Francois found me at www.randylewis.org. He is also a French speaking resident of Quebec. I’ve enjoyed my many conversations with him and appreciate the help he continues to provide.

 

 

Finally, special thanks go out to Wes Moody. Wes was most helpful in “hooking me up” with the UCLA basketball games from the Pac-12 TV network. It’s important to have contacts in the media industry. 

 

 

Thanks, Christian, Francois and Wes. Your help is most valued and appreciated.

 

 

 

 

THE RACE 

 

 

Vallee-Jonction Ice Track – Vallee-Jonction, Quebec, Canada

 

 

I can’t believe I forgot this on such a cold winter Canadian weather day.

Following lunch I jumped back in the car and drove all of one block. There I parked and walked a few yards over to the racetrack. Spectator admission today was five dollars Canadian. That seemed reasonable.

 

 

It was about a moment after I left the car that I discovered something. It was disappointing to make this discovery. I had forgotten my TWO stocking caps! They weren’t in the rental car. I suspected I had left them in my room. Editor’s note: When I returned to the hotel in the evening the first thing my hostess handed me were my stocking caps. They had fallen out of my coat just before I left the B&B. Luckily I could pull my neck gator over my ears and I used the hood of my field jacket to keep my head (relatively) warm.

 

There’s something different every time!

I have now been to 2,056 different tracks. Every place I go there is something unique and different. Today’s racecourse was a oval of sorts with a snow and ice-racing surface. The snow and ice was covering a parking lot at the Valley-Junction Municipal Center building. Whenever I see racing on ice and or snow I classify it as a ice racing track regardless of whether it’s on a frozen lake or not. This seems only logical. Trackchasing differentiates one track from another based upon what type of racing surface is being used. Today’s racing surface was ice and snow.

 

 

What made today’s racetrack so unique? I think it may have been the smallest track I’ve ever seen full-sized automobiles use. I’m no expect in estimating the distance around a racetrack. However, I’m guessing today’s distance might have been 100 yards or so!

 

Not really racing?

When I got back home I texted a video of the racing to a couple of friends. They both came back with messages along the line of “This didn’t seem like racing. It seemed more like a demolition derby”. I could not argue with their logic.

 

 

It’s all about the “get”.

However, as I have repeated more than 1,000 times trackchasing is not about “racing” it is about the “get”. Today’s racing met trackchasing’s stringent guidelines. All of the cars started at the same time and raced for a certain number of laps.

 

 

Granted the cars rarely exceeded 20 M.P.H. The cars were very basic racers without much safety equipment. They didn’t have roll cages. This is down home “enduro” type racing on ice. I understand what trackchasing is all about. In most cases nowadays it is not about racing. It is ALWAYS about the “get”.

 

It didn’t seem THAT cold.

I’m not sure the temperature ever reached 5°F. Nevertheless it wasn’t too cold because the wind was at my back. Cold weather is not as much about the temperatures as the wind. I was able to grab a viewing position right next to the fence where the cars were racing. When they went by my spot they could’ve been more than 5 to 10 feet away. This was not a safety concern because a huge snow bank separated me from the racetrack. Also the slickness of the racing surface kept the speeds down.

 

 

I would say there were 150-200 people watching today. Some watched from small grandstands and others stood around the perimeter of the track as I was did.

 

 

They had a good PA system and announcer who spoke exclusively in French. Therefore I had no idea when I was seeing a heat race or feature event or whatever. 

 

 

In addition to watching four-cylinder stock cars race with an occasional eight cylinder Ford Crown Victoria, they also had ATV races and snowmobile races. I can’t recall if I’ve ever seen snowmobile racing around it oval track at one of the tracks I have visited.

 

 

Please don’t miss the video. The cars weren’t very fast but they certainly did their share of banging, spinning and crashing. It was entertaining show.

 

 

When was the last time YOU did this?

I left at 3 PM. When was the last time you stood in one position for two hours in 5°Ftemperatures? I was happy that my toe warmers, double socks and new boots kept my feet warm. I used my iPhone for several photograph and video opportunities. I had to remove my gloves to operate the iPhone. That’s when I discovered how cold it really was. As soon as I finished taking a picture or video I immediately jammed my hand back into my gloves and squeezed my hand warmers for all they were worth. 

 

 

Quebec

 

 

The La Belle province

This afternoon I saw my 27th lifetime track in the La Belle province, yes the La Belle province. As mentioned I’ve now been to Quebec on 13 separate occasions to pursue my hobby of trackchasing. I first went there all the back in 1992.

 

 

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

Quebec sayings: J’vas te donner une claque si t’arrêtes pas de brailler. I’m gonna give you a slap if you don’t stop crying.

 

 

 

 

QUICK FACTS

 

 

AIRPLANE

Los Angeles, CA (LAX) – Boston, MA (BOS) – 2,611 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR #1

Logan (Boston) International Airport – trip begins

Vallee-Jonction, Quebec, Canada

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMISSION PRICES:

Vallee-Jonction Ice Track – $5 Canadian

 

 

 

 

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

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 2,056

 

 

 

Total Trackchasing Countries

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

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 70

 

 

 

Current lifetime National Geographic Diversity results

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 4.88

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Click on the link below to see what I saw today in beautiful Quebec, Canada

A day in the beautiful winter scenery of Quebec, Canada