Wild Bill’s Raceway

 

Back on June 26, 2010 I had a very memorable trackchasing day.  From a trackchasing perspective it was a most productive effort.  The afternoon began with a visit to the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.  I went there to see the Lucas Oil Stadium Off-Road series compete on a temporary dirt road course.

 

 

Then it was off to the uniquely named “Wild Bill’s Raceway” in Ephraim, Utah.  Sometimes I get lucky in trackchasing.  This most rural location was racing on two separate tracks.  The first was a roughly made dirt road course for pickup trucks.  Then the racing switched over to stock cars racing on a dirt oval.  

 

 

However, this trip was not just going to be for the fun of trackchasing.  I was on my way to Florida for the funeral of my stepfather Bill Virt.  Bill and my mother were married for nearly 40 years until my mother passed away in 1997.  Bill and I had been to well over 100 tracks together all over the U.S. and Canada.  He shared my passion for racing.  It was a sad trip knowing that I would no longer be spending any time with him.  It was a happy trip to see all the members of my family who had come to Florida for the funeral.

 

 

 

 

Reprinted with permission from my June 26, 2010 Trackchaser Report

 

 

DAYS 1 & 2 – “THREE IN A DAY KEEPS THE COMPETITION AWAY” TRACKCHASING TOUR

 

 

 

GREETINGS FROM TOOELE, UTAH AND THEN EPHRAIM, UTAH

 

SAD NEWS TO REPORT

I wanted to let my friends know that my stepfather, Bill Virt, passed away unexpectedly on June 20, 2010 at his home in Auburndale, Florida. Bill had been at the hospital bedside for more than three weeks of his wife Betty who wasn’t doing well after having complications from heart surgery.

 

 

I think the stress of her health problems were just too much for him to handle. The official cause of death was heart failure. Although I don’t darken the door of a church very often I do believe in the afterlife. I am certainly saddened at Bill’s passing. However, if one is a true believer then what’s in store for us “after life” is much greater and better than what we experience on earth. I choose to remember all the fun times that he and I had together. I can remember those happenings as if they were yesterday even though many of them happened nearly a half-century ago. If Bill hadn’t been such a huge “race nut” I wouldn’t take your time in a forum like this. However, permit me to cover some of our “racing highlights”.

 

 

Bill came into my life when I was 14 years old. He began dating my mother who had been divorced for 11 years. About a year after the courtship began Bill married my mother, also named Betty. They were married until her death in 1997 after 34 years of marriage.

 

 

My mother’s “strategy” to introduce a new man into a 14-year old’s life was to stress Bill’s interest in racing. That made sense to me. The first time I ever met him was during a planned dinner/race date to the Davenport Speedway about 100 miles from our home in East Peoria, Illinois. I was excited to see my first ever track away from my home speedway in Peoria.

 

 

Of course, my mother and Bill were in their “courtship”. I remember the three of us stopped at a “supper club”. The lights were low and these two “lovebirds” seemed to have a lot to talk about! I was a bit antsy, especially when the talk went on and on. To make a long story short, we arrived at the Davenport Speedway at 10:30 p.m. The races were over and I had missed my first interstate trackchasing opportunity. Things would improve from here.

 

 

Bill was a laid back guy and never hassled me in anyway whatsoever. He was a “car guy”. His primary occupation was being a “weld engineer” at the Caterpillar Tractor Company. However, during the early years he also worked part-time at a Texaco gas station. The “station” owned and sponsored a stock car. Bill did the welding on the car. The racecar was a ’54 Mercury. This was when ’55 and ’57 Chevies were the fast cars. A ’54 Mercury was NOT a good racecar. The car normally ran in the “consie” and the “semi-feature”. The highlight was the winter that the Mercury was stored at our house. We only had about ten houses on our block and three of those (including us) were home to a stock car. Having that old car parked next to our driveway in 20 below degree temps made me feel important.

 

 

I remember the day I returned home from my day at high school to find a beautiful 12-year old 1955 Pontiac Chieftain sitting out in front of the house. Bill and my mother had bought the car for me. They either paid $170 or $185 for it. I can’t remember for sure. What a cool car!

 

 

This was a couple of weeks after I had driven Bill’s 1957 Pontiac to driver education class. That Pontiac had a big 348 cubic inch engine and could fly. On the way home from driver’s ed I picked up a couple of my friends who were hitchhiking their way back home. I wanted to show these guys what this car “could do”. We were on a four-lane highway with two lanes in each direction.

 

 

I got that Pontiac going about 80 M.P.H. in a 35 M.P.H. zone. I looked over at my friends to make sure they were properly impressed. Then I looked back toward the road only to find a huge dump truck, about 200 yards ahead, stopped in our lane waiting to make a left hand turn! That Pontiac never did have very good brakes.

 

 

As we closed fast on the dump truck, I stomped on the brakes. There was no way we were going to avoid a crash. At the very last minute I yanked the big steering wheel to the right and nearly missed the inevitable impact. I caught the left rear quarter panel and rear bumper on the dump truck. The driver of the truck never stopped. Maybe he didn’t even know I hit him. However, I had “done a number” on Bill’s car. It was a long wait that afternoon for me. When Bill got off work at 5 p.m. I would have to tell him what happened. I did and, as I remember it, he didn’t get mad at all. That’s just the way he was.

 

 

Shortly after Bill and my mother were married, they bought a new house. I think it cost about $20,000. I’m pretty sure the monthly payment was around $100 per month. Nevertheless, money was always very tight at our house. Back then when you didn’t have any money, I guess you didn’t miss it.

 

 

There was one Christmas a year or two after they were married that was memorable for the most part in a bad way. I can’t really explain where my head was at during this part of my life. It was nearly 50 years ago. For some reason, when we began to open up the Christmas presents for my mother, my 13-year-old sister and the newly arrived twins, who are now 45 years old, there were no presents for my mother! No, I have no plausible explanation about how this could have happened. Blame it on a thoughtless 16-year old boy and his stepfather. When Bill and I realized our “error” we left the house on Christmas morning on a mad mission. Somehow the local hardware/variety store was open on Christmas morning. I guess they did things differently back then. We scrounged together a Christmas gift package for my mother from the store’s meager offerings. As time went on I left for college and the “money situation” got better for my parents and their new “arrivals”. Thank goodness.

 

 

During my 30-year business career, I only spent one year in the same city where my parents lived. Nevertheless, I always showed up every three months or so for all those years. I was lucky my job allowed me to fly just about anywhere I wanted just about anytime I wanted. Actually that part of my work life isn’t much different than the way I’ve operated during my eight years of retirement.

 

 

Bill retired from Caterpillar at age 53. He died at age 80. I’m happy he got to have 27 years of healthy retirement. Very few people get that. He spent most of those years going camping with my mother before they relocated to Florida. During the past 11 years of his life he very much enjoyed his life with the “new” Betty.

 

 

Bill and I went race chasing all over the country. I’ve included a list of the tracks we visited together at the bottom of this report. The list includes well over 100 tracks from New York to Florida to California and many points in between. We did much of our travel back in the days when I was still a “racechaser”. We went all over seeing the very best races there were.

 

 

I recall one night we had parked our car in the infield of the Nashville Fairgrounds for a major asphalt-racing event. This had to be 25 years ago or so. As luck would have it the rains came. The track announcer told us that anyone could take their car out on the track to try to dry the racing surface. We were driving Bill’s Ford Escort back then. Soon I was driving it with Bill as my navigator around the high banks of the Nashville Speedway! My mother had stayed back at the hotel. When she heard what we had done, she wasn’t happy.

 

 

The highlight of that evening was not driving a Ford Escort around a NASCAR Winston Cup track. Ultimately, that race was rained out. It was still early in the evening. I had “contacts” over at the Grand Ol’ Opry. We drove over to see if we could get in. Once my “friend” saw Bill and I she got us backstage. There the first person we met was “Lil Jimmie Dickens” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Jimmy_Dickens). I didn’t know who Mr. Dickens was but Bill did. He was impressed. We finished off the evening watching the Grand Ol’ Opry in the very first row. When we told my mother THAT story she didn’t believe us!

 

 

My final visit with Bill and Betty was this past New Year’s Eve. We went trackchasing at their home track in Auburndale, Florida. We all had a good time. Yes, I’m sad that I won’t be seeing him anymore. However, whenever I really want to “see him” I can think back on the memories mentioned above and hundreds more. It’s like he’s right next to me anytime I want him to be. Rest in peace, Bill.

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

This was a weekend I just wanted to “get through” …………..details in “The Objective”.

 

 

Would you think you could rent a car, drive it more than 700 miles and then just “leave it” for less than the cost of a Big Mac?………………more in “The Trip”.

 

 

Was someone from “above” helping me on this trip? …………..details in “The Objective”.

 

 

 

THE OBJECTIVE, THE TRIP, THE PEOPLE…AND A WHOLE LOT MORE

 

 

The Objective 

 

 

I had some special help tonight. 

My objective was simple for this trip. I just wanted to get through the weekend. Following Saturday night’s racing I would be heading to Florida for the funeral of my stepfather, Bill, on Monday. This trip had been on my schedule for some time. Bill was a major race fan. There is no question he would have wanted me to go.

 

 

I actually thought he was responsible for some “special” things that happened at this evening’s track. He always wanted to see me getting new tracks. Do I think he “stepped in” and setup something special at the aptly named “Wild Bill’s Raceway”? Yes…..I do. 

 

 

The Trip

 

 

Our life changes from one day to the next….we just try to keep up. 

Today was planned to be a simple flying trip from sunny SoCal to Salt Lake City. Many of the tracks I end up seeing get on my schedule a day or two before I go. However, this trip had been planned for months. My plan was to see a “day/night” trackchasing double, stay just one night in SLC and then head back home. Circumstances changed that plan some.

 

 

With Carol flying to Florida from LAX, I decided to leave two days early from the Orange County (SNA) airport. Strategically this made sense. We would have cars at two different airports upon our return. This gave us more flexibility when it came time to choosing an airport to fly back into.

 

 

Carol’s sister and our niece had planned to visit from Wyoming for the weekend. Our plan allowed Carol to stay with her guests as long as possible before she needed to head out for the long journey to Florida. 

 

 

The summer is the toughest three month period for me to fly. 

Flights are tight this summer. I had five non-stop options to get me from SNA to SLC today. My best option was first on my most preferred airline, SkyWest. They give me the best priority. However, I still missed that flight when one paying passenger, a “Judith Kelly” showed up at the last minute. Nothing against Ms. Kelly but I hope her bunions hurt at the end of the day.

 

 

I still had four non-stop flights that would get me to Salt Lake. However, each of those would be on an airline where I had a lower boarding priority. The very people I was ahead of on the flight I had just missed would now be ahead of me on the next four airplanes. That didn’t seem like a good idea. 

 

 

What were my options? 

I sat down in an airline terminal and assessed my options. It was 10 a.m. I really needed to get to Salt Lake City. It was not so much for the trackchasing opportunities but that was where my “semi-guaranteed” flight was leaving from on Sunday bound for Florida.

 

 

I used my Apple iPhone “Maps” app to find the distance from where I was in the airport to Salt Lake City. It was a cool 695 miles. The route would take me through Las Vegas and the southwestern dessert. Should I drive or wait for a flight that I might not make? I decided to drive.

  

 

For the price of a Big Mac. 

I am “lucky” that I have so many sponsors willing to aid my trackchasing activity. Where would I be without them? I explained my predicament to the folks at the National Rental Car Company, my primary trackchasing rental car partner.

 

 

They had a solution. They would let me rent a car at the Orange County Airport, drive it to Salt Lake City and then leave it there. Most folks would pay well over $100 to do that. What was National going to charge me? Just $3.45. Yes, for the cost of a “Big Mac” I could drive a brand new car almost 700 miles across the scorching dessert and then………..just leave it there!! Yes, I sure am “lucky”.

 

 

We used to make the drive from our home in sunny SoCal to southwester Utah frequently when the kids were young. We went skiing in Brian Head, Utah. The scenery is this part of the country is some of the most beautiful of any in the United States. By the way, I have traveled to more than 50 countries. I strongly believe that the U.S. has more beautiful and diversified scenery than any other country I have visited by a factor of several. 

 

 

It was going to be hot. 

During the drive the dessert’s high temperature reached 111 degrees Fahrenheit. I suggest that anyone who shrugs this off as being a “dry heat” needs to have his or her head examined. One hundred and eleven degrees is hot!

 

 

I arrived into Salt Lake City a little before midnight. I could get a good night’s sleep before the racing action began Saturday afternoon. I would be able to use my new www.roadfood.com capabilities to grab a good place for breakfast or lunch. More on that in the “Where’s the Best Place to Eat” section.

  

 

The People

 

 

Not everyone has a fair chance at life.

While I was waiting for the restaurant to open at 11 a.m. I pulled the car into a shaded spot beside a convenience store. From there I did some of my “computer work”. However, the strangest group of “twenty somethings” kept walking past. 

 

 

I didn’t know if I was in Salt Lake City’s “red light” district or maybe just in the area of the cities’ “rehab” centers. Heck, I didn’t even know if Salt Lake City HAD a red light district.

 

 

The women were most attractive but seemed a little down on their luck. It makes me disappointed to see so many people in such bad shape. Their past can’t have been too good and their future doesn’t look bright either. I suspect their parents put them in this position. I think I support well-run orphanages for the children of the disadvantaged.

  

 

Where’s the best place to eat?

  

 

RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Money Back Guarantee

 

Navajo Hogan – Salt Lake City, Utah

 

(http://www.navahohogan.com/)

 

 

I’ve been telling you recently about “Roadfood.com”. I recently joined their “insiders” group ($19.95 per year). One of the benefits is being able to download their entire database of more than 1,600 unique restaurant locations into my GPS. Now, regardless of where I’m at, “Garth” will tell me which Roadfood locations are nearby.

 

 

Today there were three selections near me in Salt Lake City. I had already been to one of them (twice) the “Hires Big H Drive-in’. This is an old-time drive-in restaurant that uses “curbies”. The food isn’t that healthy but it’s a “blast from the past”.

 

 

This place was a “diamond in the rough”. 

Today I chose the Navaho Hogan restaurant. I actually showed up at 9:30 a.m. However, they don’t open til 11 a.m. That’s why I was parked in a shady spot for a few minutes waiting to get something to eat.

 

 

The Navajo Hogan specializes in “Indian fry bread”. Racing fans from the northeast will know this is similar to “fried dough” or “elephant ears” sold at the racetracks out that way. However, fry bread is a little bit lighter and sweeter than fried dough. 

 

 

This seemed weird. 

During the course of my visit I met the owner. He gave me his card. It simply said, “Bill – owner”. That seemed weird. I was headed to “Wild Bill’s Raceway” tonight. Maybe my step dad “Bill” was sending me off with a unique luncheon meal and a hole in the wall racetrack, named in his honor. It did seem a little bit difficult to explain.

 

 

This place has been in business for 20 years. It’s definitely a “hole in the wall” place, my absolute favorite. I went with Bill’s recommendation, a “Navajo taco”. This was a piece of Indian fry bread about 12” in diameter. It was topped with meat and cheese. I added hot sauce and green onions. It was delicious. I topped it off with a Navaho Hogan dessert. This was another piece of Indian fry bread covered with butter and cinnamon. This was a fantastic place for an unusual lunch. I will be back. Don’t miss the pictures. That’s half the fun.

 

 

 

RACE REVIEW

 

MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK – TOOELE, UTAH

 

 

They didn’t spare much change in building this place.  

Back in 2006, I watched racing on the brand new Miller Motorsports Park asphalt road course. The best-appointed road course I have ever visited is the Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, Alabama. However, the MMP probably comes in second in the “amenities” category.

 

 

Today I was here to watch the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series. This is fun spectator racing with the “Stadium Off-Road Racing” genre. They’re pretty proud of this type of competition. They charge $33 to see it.

 

 

I arrived about an hour early. This gave me plenty of time to see the pit area. One of the good things about “Stadium Off-Road Racing” is that you ticket includes admission to the pit area. That’s a huge plus. Please don’t miss the pictures.

 

 

The first race of the day began at 1 p.m. I needed to be on the road by 3:45 p.m. I figured being at the track for nearly five hours was plenty. During this time, I saw six classes race their feature events in five races. Three of those classes were “countable”. Three others were just as entertaining but “non-countable”. 

 

 

Do trackchasers discriminate? 

Did the trackchasing “Founding Fathers” decide to discriminate based upon the age of the drivers? You betcha! Since Jeff Gordon started racing at age 13 (I saw him do it at the Easy Bay Raceway) I feel very good about watching 13 year olds race. However, the trackchasing commissioner (who may have been kidnapped) interprets the “age rule” as requiring a minimum age of 18 years in order to be trackchasing countable. 

 

 

Don’t forget; this is entertainment. 

I love taking pictures of the UTVs, buggies and trucks going through the jumps on the track. Today I caught one shot with at least five competitors in the air at one time. These guys don’t throw a yellow flag when a competitor flips. However, they do throw a “competition yellow” at the race’s midpoint to let the back markers catch up. Remember, the track’s management is in the “entertainment” business and not the “racing” business.

 

 

Today’s dirt road course is a “temporary” track. The asphalt road course at MMP is a permanent track. They don’t overlap at all. These conditions allow me to count both tracks in my lifetime trackchasing totals.

 

 

 

 

WILD BILL’S RACEWAY – EPHRAIM, UTAH

 

 

Tonight I really WAS lucky.  

I had been looking forward to this weekend for several months. It’s not often trackchasers can get a “day/night” trackchasing double in Utah. Wild Bill’s Raceway only races about six times during the year. They alternate races dates with the Desert Thunder Raceway in Pryce, Utah.

 

 

Most of the time I will call the track a few days ahead of race day just to confirm everything is going to happen. Sometimes I’ll just go with what the track’s website has to say but it’s better to talk with a real person.

 

 

Often my phone conversation is just limited to, “Are you racing? What time do you start?” and that’s about it. For some reason I kept the conversation going with the person I was talking to at “Wild Bill’s”. That’s when the conversation got interesting.

 

 

My informant told me that during the first race of the year they featured “tough truck” racing. He told me this was a series of timed events where one truck raced against one other truck. Of course, under trackchasing rules that type of “race” is not countable.

 

 

However, I was told that today the truck drivers would all be racing “side by side” in one race. Wow! I was expecting a simple “day/night” trackchasing double and it looked as if I would see three new tracks in one day in Utah. That was wonderful.

 

 

Ethical behavior is important in trackchasing. 

It’s important to note that I did not encourage or in any way instigate the idea of changing the format of the trackchasing from trackchasing “non-countable” to trackchasing “countable”. I fear that some of my fellow competitors try to do that from time to time. I think that is unethical trackchasing behavior. I wouldn’t do it and never have.

 

 

 

Why so early? 

The Wild Bill’s Raceway schedule called for racing to begin at 6 p.m. I don’t know why they start so early. The track has lights, they don’t have very many cars and it doesn’t get dark during the summer until after 9 p.m.

 

 

As it was, the temperature at 5:40 p.m. when I arrived was 86 degrees. The sun would end up setting directly into the eyes of the spectators. That is never good. What made the viewing almost intolerable was the wind blew the more than ample dust directly into the grandstand.

 

 

Luckily, Carol was not with me tonight. Had she been I would have had to send her directly to the car after just one heat race. I couldn’t ask my “date” to sit through “desert storm” racing conditions like this. I’ll do it but I don’t expect anyone else too.

  

 

What was the biggest problem? 

In addition to the heat, sun and wind, this area is fraught with mosquitoes. They were so bad that several days after this race my right arm still sported huge red welts the size of a quarter. Maybe some other desert critter bit me beyond just the mosquitoes.

 

 

Tomorrow I was headed to Florida for my stepfather, Bill’s funeral, on Monday. Was it just a coincidence that I was seeing the race before his funeral at “Wild Bill’s Raceway”? I didn’t think it was. This is a small and rural racetrack. Would they have any souvenirs for fans like me? Yes, they did! I nearly bought out their entire t-shirt collection with the logo “Wild Bill’s Raceway” emblazoned across the front. I bought one for each of my brothers and sisters as well as each of our children, all grandchildren of my step dad, Bill. I’m sure they can keep these shirts forever in his memory.

 

 

The regular admission tonight was seven dollars. The senior rate was five bucks. The woman selling the tickets asked me “which ticket do you want”. I said, “Well, I’m 61 years old, which ticket do I qualify for”. She came back with a most unusual response. “The owner didn’t tell me what the cut off is this year, so I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt”. Thanks!

 

 

Tonight’s track was extremely dusty. The grandstands weren’t very large but they were nearly full with some 200 fans. Those folks got a dusting. When the wind wasn’t blowing sand and dust into the stands, the sun was baking our skin and causing premature aging.

 

 

When the above wasn’t a problem (it was always a problem) the mosquitoes were. As mentioned, I had huge red welts all over my arms from those bites. Carol always says, “They always like Randy”. She’s talking about the mosquitoes and not my high school girlfriends. 

 

 

Did they get a deal on paint? 

The “Wild Bill’s Raceway” definitely has its own racing colors. Just about everything is painted red and gold. This is annoyingly similar to the colors of those “cheaters” the usc Trojans. I hope you are all aware that usc has been put on football bowl probation for two years and been forced to forfeit several football scholarships among other things. Their basketball coach was fired for cheating and their football coach resigned to take a job in the NFL before he might have been fired. No, I didn’t feel comfortable with all of this “red and gold” around me. It gave me the “heebie jeebies”.

  

 

Two tracks was a huge bonus. 

As promised they started out with a truck race on a crudely constructed dirt (sand) road course in the oval track’s infield. There were about ten competitors. They all started at the same time in rows of two. Boy was it dusty. Less than 100 yards from where the trucks started the dust became so bad the racers were barely visible for the remainder of the five-lap race.

 

 

Next up was racing on the oval. The dust was bad here too. After each heat race the track was watered for one lap. This didn’t do very much good. The 3/8-mile dirt (sand) oval ran downhill on the backstretch and uphill on the front stretch. The sun sat just over turn three facing into the grandstand.

 

 

I watched most of the racing from turn four. At that point the P.A. didn’t work at all. Therefore, it was impossible to hear what the announcer was saying about the racing. I chose this viewing location because the dust was less of an annoyance than anywhere else in the stands was.

 

 

There were 3-4 classes of lower lever stock cars. They also had five mini-sprints and five modifieds (really two sport mods and three “full” modifieds). In total they ran about seven heat races. Remember that between each heat there was a 10-minute delay to re-water the track.

 

 

This was a less than entertaining racing event. It was hot, dusty and the sun shone directly into my eyes. The heat races featured just 4-6 cars and there was a minimum delay of ten minutes between each race. By 8 p.m. I had all I could stomach. The last heat race of the evening had just finished up. I had been standing in these conditions for more than two hours. That was enough. How much of a poor situation is someone expected to take? 

 

 

What were the highlights? 

What were the highlights of the evening? There were three. First, being able to get an “armload” of those “Wild Bill’s Raceway” t-shirts made my entire evening. Next up was a cowboy who rode up on his horse to watch the races. Please don’t miss his picture. He’s a most unique looking individual with a name to match, “Jeradia”!

 

 

This was followed by my meeting a fellow taking pictures of the racing activity near me. It turned out he was from Spain. He told me he wasn’t “into racing” but enjoyed taking pictures anyway. I take a lot of pictures; however this guy never stopped taking shots. I didn’t get a chance to ask him how he ended up at “Wild Bill’s Raceway” in the first place.

 

 

 

STATE COMPARISONS

 

Utah  

Today I saw my 7^th, 8^th and 9^th lifetime tracks in the Beehive state, yes, the Beehive state. That gives me a first place ranking here. San Clemente’s own Carol Lewis and Pennsylvania’s Andy Ritter hold down second place with four tracks. Although 26 trackchasers have come through here, just the three of us have seen as many as four tracks. 

 

 

I have one lonely track left to see in Utah. No one but me knows about it. However, after I see a show at that track everyone will know about it. They won’t just know the track exists but they’ll get a recommendation on where to have a unique lunch as well as every little detail about this mystery trackchasing location. That way they will be able to enjoy the show to the fullest based upon my experiences. And that is the way it should be.

 

 

 

 

Coming Soon – RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Exclusive Features!

 

Has a conspiracy been committed in the international tracks “counting world”?

 

 

I’ll soon be introducing two new promotional ideas to the hobby of trackchasing. Neither has ever been offered by any trackchaser in the hobby.

 

 

Effective July 1, 2010, I will announce a new charitable giving program that will be funded from my trackchasing.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser 

Utah sayings: Our Jesus is better than your Jesus.

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL DETAILS

 

RENTAL CAR #1 

Salt Lake City International Airport – trip begins

Salt Lake City International Airport – 697 miles – trip ends 

 

RENTAL CAR #2 

Salt Lake City International Airport – trip begins

Tooele, UT – 53 miles

Ephraim, UT – 198 miles

Salt Lake City International Airport – 343 miles – trip ends

  

Total Rental Car miles – 1,040 (2 cars)

 

Total miles traveled on this trip – 1,040 miles

 

 

 

TRACK ADMISSION PRICES: 

Miller Motorsports Park – $33

Wild Bill’s Raceway – $5

 

 

Total racetrack admissions for the trip – $38

 

 

 

COMPARISONS

 

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER COMPARISONS 

  

There are no trackchasers currently within 200 tracks of my lifetime total. 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,560

 

2. Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 1,286

 

3. Guy “The Kid” Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 1,272

 

 

 

 

Tracks that my stepfather Bill and I visited together.

 

Peoria Speedway	Peoria	Illinois
Davenport Speedway-1/4 mile	Davenport	Iowa
Davenport Speedway-1/2 mile	Davenport	Iowa
Sterling Speedbowl	Sterling	Illinois
Rockford Speedway-oval	Rockford	Illinois
Rockford Speedway-road course	Rockford	Illinois
Freeport Raceway	Freeport	Illinois
Wisconsin State Fair Park	Milwaukee	Wisconsin
Salem Super Speedway	Salem	Indiana
Hawkeye Downs Spdwy-dirt	Cedar Rapids	Iowa
Fairbury Legion Speedway	Fairbury	Illinois
Grundy County Speedway	Morris	Illinois
Santa Fe Speedway -1/2 mile	Hinsdale	Illinois
Santa Fe Speedway -1/4 mile	Hinsdale	Illinois
Atlanta Intl Raceway (1.5 oval)	Hampton	Georgia
Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield	Illinois
Farley Speedway	Farley	Iowa
Southern Iowa Speedway	Oskaloosa	Iowa
West Liberty Fair Speedway	West Liberty	Iowa
Queen City Speedway	West Chester	Ohio
Daytona Intl Speedway	Daytona Beach	Florida
Volusia County Spdwy East-dirt	Barberville	Florida
Deland Speedway	Deland	Florida
Golden Gate Speedway	Tampa	Florida
Farmer City Raceway	Farmer City	Illinois
Knoxville County Fairgrounds	Knoxville	Illinois
Ascot Park -1/2 mile	Gardena	California
Ascot Park -1/4 mile	Gardena	California
Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario	California
Knoxville Raceway	Knoxville	Iowa
East Bay Raceway	Gibsonton	Florida
Big H Motor Speedway	Houston	Texas
Stafford Springs Motor Speedway	Stafford Springs	Connecticut
Eldora Speedway	Rossburg	Ohio
Orange County Fair Speedway	Middleton	New York
Albany-Saratoga Speedway	Malta	New York
Indianapolis Raceway Park	Indianapolis	Indiana
Mansfield Raceway	Mansfield	Ohio
Illiana Speedway	Schererville	Indiana
Kankakee Speedway	Kankakee	Illinois
Slinger Super Speedway	Slinger	Wisconsin
Springfield Speedway	Springfield	Illinois
East Moline Speedway	East Moline	Illinois
Winchester Speedway	Winchester	Indiana
Nashville Intl Raceway	Nashville	Tennessee
Bristol Intl Raceway	Bristol	Tennessee
Anderson Speedway	Anderson	Indiana
Charleston Speedway	Charleston	Illinois
Kokomo Speedway	Kokomo	Indiana
I-70 National Speedway	Odessa	Missouri
Paragon Speedway	Paragon	Indiana
Oswego Speedway	Oswego	New York
Pennsboro Speedway	Pennsboro	West Virginia
Mobile Intl Raceway	Mobile	Alabama
Rennsselaer Raceway	Rennsselaer	Indiana
Hales Corner Speedway	Franklin	Wisconsin
Casey Speedway	Casey	Illinois
Action Track	Terre Haute	Indiana
Spoon River Speedway	Canton	Illinois
North Wilkesboro Speedway	North Wilkesboro	North Carolina
Martinsville Speedway	Martinsville	Virginia
311 Speedway	Madison	North Carolina
Ventura Raceway (oval)	Ventura	California
I-55 Raceways	Pevely	Missouri
Vermillion County Speedway	Danville	Illinois
Metrolina Speedway	Charlotte	North Carolina
Bakersfield Speedway	Bakersfield	California
Hawkeye Downs Spdwy-asphalt	Cedar Rapids	Iowa
Charlotte Motor Speedway	Charlotte	North Carolina
Friendship Speedway	Elkin	North Carolina
Thunderbowl Speedway	Valdosta	Georgia
Richmond Intl Raceway-3/4 mile	Richmond	Virginia
Thirty-Four Raceways	Burlington	Iowa
Autodrome Rive Sud	St. Phillippe	Quebec
Sanair Super Speedway	St. Pie	Quebec
Autodrome Granby	Granby	Quebec
Bureau County Speedway	Princeton	Illinois
Lasalle Speedway	LaSalle	Illinois
Citrus County Speedway	Inverness	Florida
Charlotte County Speedway	Punta Gorda	Florida
Talladega Superspeedway	Talladega	Alabama
Independence Motor Speedway	Independence	Iowa
Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway	Dubuque	Iowa
Belleville High Banks	Belleville	Kansas
Macon Speedway	Macon	Illinois
Quincy Raceway	Quincy	Illinois
Tulsa Expo Raceway	Tulsa	Oklahoma
Volusia County Spdwy-West-Dirt	Barberville	Florida
Paradise Speedway	Geneva	New York
Rolling Wheels Raceway Park	Elbridge	New York
USA International Speedway	Lakeland	Florida
St. Augustine Speedway	St. Augustine	Florida
Tri-City Speedway	Granite City	Illinois
Ransomville Speedway	Ransomville	New York
Fulton Speedway	Fulton	New York
Evans Mills International Spdwy	Evans Mills	New York
Cayuga County Fair Speedway	Weedsport	New York
Hawkeye Raceway	Blue Grass	Iowa
Orlando Speedworld Speedway	Bithlo	Florida
Brownstown Speedway	Brownstown	Indiana
Macomb Speedway	Macomb	Illinois
Flag City Motorsports Park	Findlay	Ohio
Red Hill Raceway	Sumner	Illinois
Thundercross Motor Sports Park	Okeechobee	Florida
Brockville Ontario Speedway	Brockville	Ontario
Can-Am International Spdwy	LaFargeville	New York
Brewerton Speedway	Brewerton	New York
Glag Rag Raceway	Saratoga Springs	New York
Utica-Rome Speedway	Vernon	New York
Jacksonville Speedway	Jacksonville	Illinois
Auburndale Speedway	Auburndale	Florida
Desoto Speedway	Bradenton	Florida
Shannonville Motorsport Park	Belleville	Ontario
Frogtown Intl Speedway	Hogansport	New York
Cornwall Motor Speedway	Cornwall	Ontario
Autodrome Drummond	Drummondville	Quebec
Bakersfield Raceway Park	Linton	Indiana
Indy Raceway Park (RC)	Clermont	Indiana
Sebring International Raceway	Sebring	Florida
Desoto Speedway – Fig 8	Bradenton	Florida
Zephyrhills Antique Racecar Track	Zephyrhills	Florida
Dirt Devil’s Speedway	Land O’ Lakes	Florida
Auburndale Kartway	Auburndale	Florida
Ocala Speedway – asphalt	Ocala	Florida
Volusia Spdwy Park East – 1/6M	Barberville	Florida
Speedway Park	Fruitland Park	Florida
Sand Mountain Speedway – RC	Fort Meade	Florida
New Hendry County Speedway	Clewiston	Florida
Florida Sports Park	Naples	Florida
Sumter Cty Raceway Park	Bushnell	Florida
Auburndale Speedway – F8	Auburndale	Florida

 

 

Official end of the RLR – Randy Lewis Racing Trackchaser Report