Watkins Glen International

 

 

 

THE EVENT

 

 

I often see two or more tracks in a single day or in a single weekend. Sometimes when that happens I will combine my observations from multiple tracks into a single Trackchaser Report. That is the case today.

 

 

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

 

 

 

SATURDAY

 

I pulled into Watkins Glen at 2 a.m. early Saturday morning. I left California about 60 hours ago. During that time I had added two new tracks to my lifetime totals.

 

 

In the next 44 hours, if all went according to plan, I will add three more tracks to my totals. That would make five tracks over the span of four nights out. I like trackchasing production like that.

 

 

My plan called for me to sleep overnight on Friday in my car. On my drive up toward the rural burg of Watkins Glen, New York I tried to scout out locations which would be a good place for such an overnight sleep. I didn’t find much.

 

 

I made it all the way to Watkins Glen International without finding just the right spot to pull over at. There wasn’t much activity in Watkins Glen at 2 a.m. in the morning. I did find a security guard at the track. He directed me to a quiet parking lot within yards of the entrance to the raceway. It was there where I would lean back the front seat of the National Car Rental Racing Toyota Avalon and get as much sleep as I could.

 

 

The first race of the day on Saturday morning was scheduled to begin at an early 8 a.m. I set my alarm for 7:30 a.m. and slept pretty well for the better part of five hours. However, I couldn’t help but notice cars entering the venue as early as 7 a.m.

 

 

You can’t go fishing unless you’re willing to put your line in the water. I hastily crafted a “need one” sign on the back of a Vanguard financial prospectus booklet. I then walked out to the road where folks were beginning to enter for a weekend of viewing the race action from the U.S. Vintage Grand Prix.

 

 

I had checked the track’s website for ticket pricing for this weekend’s event. A weekend pass was $70 U.S. A Sunday only pass was $50. I was only planning to be at the track for two or three hours on Saturday morning only. I certainly didn’t want to spend $70 for such a frivolous activity.

 

 

However I consider myself an expert on buying and selling tickets to entertainment venues. I’ve done it hundreds of times.

 

 

I understand that lots of people have a “extra” ticket. Often times they don’t feel comfortable reselling it. That’s where I come in. I consider myself a “promotional wholesaler”.

 

 

I’m here to help the person with an extra ticket. If I don’t bail them out they will enter the event and in two or three hours they will have a useless piece of cardboard (that unused ticket) in their possession. If I can pay them “anything” for that ticket it’s better than nothing to them. I guess I win too!

 

 

I hadn’t been standing out with my sign for as much as five minutes when a fellow in a black pick up truck pulled over. It was not shocking to me that he had an extra ticket. Oh my goodness. Now the “dance” would begin.

 

 

I asked him how much he wanted for his ticket. He told me he would sell it to me for face value. I’m sure he would. I was born at night but not last night. The chances of me paying face value for his ticket were about the same as me weighing 180 pounds again. It wasn’t going to happen.

 

 

 

He told me the face value of the ticket was $60. I didn’t know how that married up with the idea from the website that said the tickets were going for $70 face. Nevertheless, I offered him 20 bucks. That’s right. I’m not bashful.

 

 

He came back with a counter offer of $40. He was playing hardball. Most people don’t do that in his position. They simply cave-in. This was going to take just a little bit more work than I had anticipated.

 

 

I countered his $40 with a $30 offer. He came back with thirty-five. Yes this guy was a hard-nosed negotiator. Frankly, he was starting to piss me off just a bit. I was in control here. There would be plenty of other people coming along with an extra ticket. No one else was going to buy THIS guy’s ticket as he entered the track. I wouldn’t budge. We finally settled on 30 bucks.

 

 

You might think if you could walk into a major venue like Watkins Glen International and get a ticket on the spur of the moment for half price that you would be satisfied. I wasn’t all that satisfied. I had imagined that someone might come along with an extra ticket, maybe given to them by a sponsor, and simply give it to me for free. I really didn’t expect to pay more than $20. Yes I had saved 50% off the face value of the ticket price. On the other hand I had spent $30 to come to an event that under any other circumstance I would’ve been interested in at all. I guess I’ll call the entire transaction a wash. I was tempted to display this guy’s name and address (printed on the ticket he sold me) in my photo album just because he was ornery. However, I didn’t.

 

 

They first started racing on the streets of Watkins Glen back in 1948. In 1953 they moved the racing up “on the hill” where the track is currently located.

 

 

Trackchasing rules allow chasers to count two different variations of a road course when those configurations overlap. However there must be some minor differences in each configuration.

 

 

NASCAR has made Watkins Glen famous in recent times. The NASCAR drivers race on the 2.45-mile configuration. However, most other racing groups that come to Watkins Glen race on the traditional 3.4-mile layout.

 

 

The larger track includes the “boot”. This adds four turns and four small straights to the nearly extra mile of road course. That would be just enough “variation” for me to count the 3.4-mile version as a second track at Watkins Glen.

 

 

Given my druthers I would never ever come to watch a race at a place like Watkins Glen. Why would I make such a strong statement? Because you can’t see a thing! From any one spectating location you might be able to see the cars go by for 10-15 seconds at most.

 

 

However, if you were with your friends and wanted to have a gigantic fantastic weekend party place Watkins Glen would be perfect. You could sit around the campfire, tell stories, drink yourself silly and never see much of any kind of racing. Remember, in life there is an ass for every seat.

 

 

I had been to Watkins Glen International all the way back in 1994. On that day I saw Mark Martin win a NASCAR Winston Cup race. On that August afternoon I was seeing my seventh lifetime track in New York as well as my 241st lifetime track worldwide. Yep, that was all a long time ago. I didn’t starting writing my famous Trackchaser Reports until I had seen about 340 tracks.

 

 

I had virtually no interest whatsoever in the racing today. I say that because there was absolutely no way to see much of the actual racing at all. I couldn’t have an interest in seeing something that I couldn’t see. I was mainly disappointed in myself that I had paid $30 U.S. for such a thing.

 

 

However I WAS very much looking forward to seeing all of the vintage race cars that had shown up for this major event. I was also looking forward to walking the interior of the 3.4-mile circuit. When I left the track I had logged 4.02 miles. I did cover just about every inch of Watkins Glen. That’s why you won’t want to miss my Phanfare photo sharing album.

 

 

A highlight of the day was coming across a racing trailer that sported the words “San Clemente, California” on it. I struck up a conversation with the occupants. I found that they had hauled all the way out from my hometown of San Clemente for this weekend’s racing as well as next weekend’s activity in Lime Rock, Connecticut.

 

 

We chatted for a few minutes and discovered that we live within a mile or so of each other. I was impressed that they had come out to Watkins Glen. They were impressed that I did what I do with my trackchasing hobby.

 

 

When I arrived for the first race, which began promptly at 8 a.m., it was raining lightly. Luckily the rain stopped but it was still awfully damp to be traipsing around the entire property. People were just waking up from their overnight sleep in either their campers or tents. I thought I was at a KOA campground.

 

 

All over the property I could hear the two announcers explaining which race was on the track and giving little pieces of background information about Watkins Glen and some of the drivers. They did an excellent job. I had a track map, which kept me grounded as I made my lap around Watkins Glen.

 

 

I have never been a big fan of counting multiple “variations” of road courses. One of the reasons I feel that way is that at any given point in time a trackchaser might be hard-pressed to know that the cars were racing on one variation versus another. Where’s the fun in that?

 

 

At least when you see two different variations of racing on oval tracks it’s pretty obvious that they are competing on one of the tracks or the other. I don’t mind it too much when I can see a road course variation in the afternoon and tie it in with an evening track visit somewhere else. Nevertheless, it is what it is. I go out of my way to abide by the current trackchasing rules. In order to remain competitive and have my track totals on a comparable foothold with others I will continue to see road course variations.

 

 

I had been at the track for about 2 1/2 hours. I had walked more than 4 miles and seen virtually every part of today’s 3.4-mile course. I had covered the paddock thoroughly and checked out the NASCAR garage area. I took as many photos as was prudent and felt that I had gotten my money’s worth.

 

 

O.K., all of the above paragraph is true with the exception of my feeling that I got my money’s worth. Paying $30 to see this “type of racing” was a rip. The only bigger rip would have been if I had to pay face value for my ticket today.

 

 

Nevertheless, being on the grounds of such a historic venue was fun. Seeing all of these racecars that had substantial and glorious histories almost made me feel as if I DID get my money’s worth. I was also able to add one more track to my New York lifetime totals. That is never a bad thing.

 

 

Good afternoon from Watkins Glen, New York

 

 

 

 

SATURDAY – Part two

 

 

Believe it or not I had a plan to head up to northern Ontario for the evening. I was going to visit Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Owen Sound is a six-hour drive northwest from Watkins Glen.

 

 

They race just one time a year in Owen Sound. I had a much closer alternative for tonight at a track that races a dozen times or more every year. However, I was willing to make the longer drive to Owen Sound so that next year I will have 12 different opportunities to see a new track rather than just one. That makes all the sense in the world doesn’t it.

 

 

I will drive nearly 2,000 miles on this four-day trip. My only incremental expense for such a long geographical excursion to Owen Sound is for gasoline. It’s not gonna cost me any more time or money. I’m out here for four days. I might as well see as much as I possibly can during that time.

 

 

From the time I left Watkins Glen until the expected race starting time in Owen Sound I would have nine hours. The drive was going to take six hours. The wildcard in the entire plan was how long it was going to take me to cross into Canada over the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, New York.

 

 

I must tell you that the scenery in upstate New York is beyond beautiful. The old farmhouses and small quaint towns are absolutely right out of a Norman Rockwell painting. I don’t think I want to be here in January but in September it’s a beautiful place. Today I saw the first leaves turning on the heavily forested landscape. It’s only early September.

 

 

I stopped just south of the border to fill up with fuel in Buffalo. The cost of petrol in the United States is about 25% and sometimes more than that cheaper than what it sells for in Canada. I filled the tank to the brim. If all goes right I may have just enough to get me back across the border in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

 

 

I did stop for just one 15-minute power nap in New York on today’s ride. Although I was a bit tired I didn’t want to stop any more frequently for fear that I might not get to my Canadian location on time tonight. After I crossed the border I would have a better sense of how much “free” time I was going to have before the 7 p.m. green flag.

 

 

I have crossed into Canada at the Peace Bridge, which connects Buffalo, New York with Niagara Falls, Ontario many times over the years. I can never recall it going smoother than it did today.

 

 

When I reached the Canadian border check I was the third car in line. They had about 10 lanes operating at this particular checkpoint coming into Canada. I would say that I was through the checkpoint in a minute or two at most. Then I used my E-ZPass toll transponder to pay the toll for getting into Canada. I can’t ever recall crossing faster or easier in my life.

 

 

I have discovered that by sleeping in my car when I need to that I can cover 600-800 miles a day. That gives me a very broad reach. The race in Owen Sound, Ontario is the furthest off the beaten path for this trip of any of my stops.

 

 

Owen Sound also had the sketchiest weather forecast of the five tracks that I have seen or expect to see on this trip. However, the show is being produced by Thrill Show Productions. They have a very good record of racing rain or shine. We will see.

 

 

With a plan for a race time of 7 p.m. I was in the parking lot by 5:30 p.m. I took advantage of my early arrival. I leaned back the driver seat of the National Car Rental Racing Toyota Avalon and took an hour’s nap.

 

 

Following tonight’s racing I would have 12 hours to cover nine hours of driving so that I could see the final track on this race trip over in Massachusetts. That wasn’t going to be an easy drive. However, I had a figure 8 race to watch before any of that came into play. 

 

 

Thrill Show Productions is Canada’s #1 demolition derby promoter. I know the guys who run the company. They are all nice and friendly people. I’ve seen more than 20 of their shows all over Ontario, Canada.

 

 

One of the good things about their events is they start on time. I wish everybody could do that. I also wish that there weren’t any major delays and every show was completed in 2-3 hours. Sadly, I don’t think that’s going to happen across the industry.

 

 

Just before race time I paid my $10 Canadian admission fee. Right now that’s about $7.66 U.S. The fairgrounds was extremely wet from the afternoon’s rain.

 

 

On the way to Owen Sound tonight I had passed the Full Throttle Speedway in Varney, Ontario. Carol and I saw that track back in 2000. Then it was called Varney Speedway. That was my 416^th lifetime track. Tonight the Full Throttle Speedway had already canceled for the evening because of the rain.

 

 

The good thing about seeing a fair figure 8 race is they almost never cancel. I think after being at more than 300 county fairs I can only recall one cancellation maybe two. Tonight they would run under some very wet and sloppy conditions but they would race.

 

 

 

THE RACING

 

 

Owen Sound Fairgrounds – Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

 

 

Tonight’s grandstand although uncovered was huge. It was made exclusively of wood. Maybe that’s why the announcer kept telling the fans that there was absolutely no smoking in the grandstand or anywhere near it.

 

 

I found a seat high up in the stands and sat down next to a fellow who I would come to know as Peter. Peter was a farmer. He worked on a 9,000-acre farm and had just purchased his own 100-acre small farm. He was a most congenial Canadian fellow. I enjoyed talking with him.

 

 

My weather radar seemed to look as if all of the rain had already left the area. I joined the crowd in standing for the Canadian national anthem.

 

 

The Thrill Show Production group always starts their on track action with a “best looking car” contest. Just before about 10 cars were to pull into the arena for this event a cloudburst descended upon the packed grandstand.

 

 

I got soaked!  I was pretty much the only person in the stands wearing shorts.  Everyone else had long pants, sweaters and coats.  Luckily the heavy rain only lasted about five minutes. In the U.S. I think this rain would’ve cleared the grandstands. However up here in northern Ontario the crowd simply brought out there umbrellas and their plastic see-through ponchos and hunkered down.

 

 

Two heavy rain occasions come to mind based upon tonight’s Owen Sound downpour. Once I was at a track in England. It poured continuously for two hours. The racing never stopped and the track commentators never ever even mentioned the rain.

 

 

On the other occasion, I was in United States Marine Corps boot camp at Camp Pendleton somewhat near San Diego, California (that me on the left in the white t-shirt winning a guys complete cassette collection). We were in an outdoor “classroom” session on rifle training. All of the recruits were sitting in the cold and rain trying to take notes from the drill instructor leading the class. Again, there was never ever a mention of the wind, cold and rain. This was one of the hardest times I have ever concentrated in my life. I was concentrating on just one thing. I could not drop my pencil in the stands. They probably would have literally killed anyone who did such a thing. If you’ve never been in this situation you’re just not going to understand.

 

 

Tonight I was pleased the rain only lasted about five minutes. I hate to think what it would have been like had it rained all night. The track was a quagmire as it was.

 

 

 

There were about 25 figure 8 cars in the pits. They ran five heat races. The second-place finisher in each heat went to the consolation race. The winner of the consolation joined all of the heat race winners for the feature event. That meant six cars raced in the main event.

 

 

I have seen nearly 300 figure 8 racetracks. I have a only one figure 8 driver that have made my “Favorite drivers” section on my website at www.randylewis.org. By the way here’s the link:

 

 

Randy’s Favorite Drivers

 

 

 

That driver is Mr. Peter Becker. I met Peter several years ago when he was driving car number 53. He told me he always has a car number to match his age in any given year. Tonight Peter was driving car number 60!

 

 

Peter has to be the smartest and fastest driver in figure 8 cars within his classification that I have ever seen. He knows how to stay out of trouble. As soon as the coast is clear he accelerates rapidly. Tonight the races were 15 laps in length. Peter won his race by three laps.

 

 

Following the heat races I planned to watch the consolation and feature event from ground level. I did exactly that for the consolation race.

 

 

Then the Thrill Show Production folks changed up the program compared to the ones I’ve seen earlier this year. Rather than run all of the figure 8 races and then move into the demolition derby they decided to run a couple of demo derby heats after the figure 8 consolation.

 

 

I figured that on such a wet, muddy and slick track it would take the demolition derby drivers forever to knock each other out of contention. I didn’t have the time to wait for the two demolition derby heats before I could see the figure 8 feature.

 

 

 

AFTER THE RACES

 

 

That was a bummer for me. I really wanted to see Peter Becker win the main event. Nevertheless I had to be practical. Under a best-case scenario I was only going to get three hours of sleep after driving nine hours overnight to tomorrow’s Massachusetts track. It was time to leave Owen Sound, Ontario.

 

 

 

Good evening from Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York

 

 

The Empire state

This morning I saw my 74th lifetime track in the Empire state, yes the Empire state. I’ve seen 74 or more tracks in 10 separate states.

 

 

 

Ontario

 

 

The Yours to Discover province

This evening I saw my 62nd lifetime track in the Yours to Discover province, yes the Yours to Discover province. I’ve seen 62 or more tracks in 12 separate states and provinces.

 

 

 

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

New York sayings: Take it there – To get into some kind of altercation

 

 

Ontario sayings: Hoser – A foolish or uncultivated person.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 2,279

 

 

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.

 

Racing from Watkins Glen International

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Racing from Owen Sound Fairgrounds 

 

 

 

 

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.

Watkins Glen International….the photo album 

U.S. Vintage Grand Prix racing from Watkins Glen International

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Figure 8 racing from the Owen Sound Fall Fair, Ontario, Canada….the photo album

Figure 8 racing from Canada with some beautiful farm scenes