GREETINGS FROM STE-EULALIE, QUEBEC, CANDADA AND THEN ST GUILLAUME, QUEBEC, CANADA

DO NOT MISS THE “SUNDAY” REPORT OF TODAY’S TRAVEL SECTION.   YOU ARE LIKELY TO GET A GOOD LAUGH OUT OF IT.

AND THE READERS RESPOND

 

From a New Zealand reader regarding my comment a billboard I saw in New Zealand advertising “calf teats.”

“You wanted to know what calf teats were for, these fit onto mechanized calf feeders (calfs=little cows). these machines are called calfeterias (small kiwi joke).

ALL PICTURES HAVE BEEN UPDATED AT WWW.RANLAYRACING.COM  FOR THIS TRACKCHASING TRIP.  MY WEBSITE HAS MORE THAN 5,000 PHOTOS OF THE TRACKCHASING SIGHTS I’VE SEEN DURING MY TRAVELS.

I WOKE UP IN DRUMMONDVILLE, QUEBEC AND WENT TO SLEEP IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

The Strategy                                                                                    

 

If you are trying to become a world-class trackchaser, then you need to get trackchasing doubles.  That means seeing racing at two different tracks in one day.  That happened to me today.  In 2007, I have gone trackchasing on ten separate days.  I have had four doubles during that time for a season total of 14 new tracks.  I won’t be able to maintain this double ratio, but it’s a good start.

The Trip

 

SATURDAY

 

I left Saturday afternoon’s track (Lavaltrie) at about 3 p.m.  The wind was starting to pickup and it was getting cold.  I had two new ice racing tracks scheduled for today (Sunday).  I wanted to try to scope each one out on Saturday so I wouldn’t spend time trying to find them on Sunday.

 

My Saturday afternoon drive covered just 60 miles or so.  Nevertheless, in that short distance I was able to get an insight into the lives of these local Canadians. 

 

I was surprised to see so many people outdoors considering it was about 15 degrees Fahrenheit.  By the way, in the future all of my temperature references will be measured on the Fahrenheit scale unless specifically noted otherwise.  Heck, that should shorten the reports by a page or two!

 

My route paralled Lac Saint-Pierre near Sorel, Quebec.  This lake looks more like a river as it runs several miles in length.  The lake has been frozen for some time.  There were ice fishing huts on the lake located about 100 yards apart.  These huts were quite sophisticated and complete with stovepipes for what I would imagine is a heater of some sort. 

 

I have never ice fished, but if I ever do, I think I could be quite successful.  Some time ago, an old man gave me an ice fishing tip that I have remembered to this day.  You might like to use it some time.  He told me, “Sonny (he always called me Sonny), the best way to ice fish is to cut a hole in the ice about 24 inches in diameter.  Then take a can of peas from your local grocery store.  Place one pea every two inches or so around the hole in the ice.  When the fish comes up to take a pee, grab him!”  I’m thinking that just might work.

 

There were also a large number of people snowmobiling.  I saw one man riding an ATV on the lake and pulling four children by a rope as they rode on their snow disks.  The sidewalks of these small towns, if they have them, are all covered in snow.  This means that pedestrians must walk in the road.  I saw at least three young people walking home with just one thing in their hands…..a hockey stick.  I saw people bundled up talking in their driveways.  The sights and sounds as I drove along Canada’s back roads were so stereotypical of what I’ve seen in the movies about Canada.  From the comfort of my temperature controlled rental car, it was a sight to see.

 

I also came across another event that surprised me.  I would need to cross this large lake via a ferryboat.  I have used ferries a few times during my trackchasing career.  My most recent ferry boat excursion came just last month in New Zealand.  I’ve also used them often in Washington and British Columbia.

 

I think my French must be getting pretty good.  The toll collector greeted me with a hearty “Bonjour.”  When I told the toll collector “Je ne parle pas Français” (meaning “I don’t speak French”), he immediately came back with a smile and crisp English to say, “That’s O.K. with me!”  All right, I’m speaking French.  Maybe, he had some orange juice.  Of course, this is an inside joke only for you readers who don’t miss a thing.

 

He informed me that my timing was good to ride the Sorel-St-Ignace-de-Loyola ferry.  It runs every hour and would be leaving in just 20 minutes.  The fare was more than reasonable at $5.50CAN.  The ride lasted only about 15 minutes and covered just 1-2 miles.  Once on the other side, I was off to St Guillaume.  I plan to see this ice track tomorrow in the second half of a planned blended double. 

 

I hope the term “blended double” no longer strikes fear into the hearts of my fellow trackchasers.  I was just the first one to actually say what had been and remains a common practice among virtually EVERY trackchaser today.  Yes, I am one of the few willing to actually say what really happens in the soft underbelly of daily trackchasing.  Someone has to stand up for what is right and just.

 

I had been to St Guillaume on my ill-fated ice-racing trip in 2001.  It was our only planned track of the day.  The temperature was about 15 degrees below, a perfect day for ice racing or so I thought.  Unfortunately, it had rained the night before.  The roads, sidewalks and everything were one big sheet of ice.  The races that day at St Guillaume were cancelled because of rain, freezing rain.  That was a major bummer!

 

When I arrived at St Guillaume on Saturday afternoon, it was nearly dark.  There were actually two drivers running together on the track.  Maybe I was seeing countable racing.  No, I suspect they were just practicing for Sunday’s race.

 

There would be no time to try to find the track at Ste-Eulalie.  It was too dark.  However, whenever I can I like to scope out the locations of the tracks that will make up my trackchasing doubles in advance.  I don’t want to waste time getting lost.  I want to do everything I can to minimize the driving time between tracks.  I’m estimating the drive time between these two tracks will be about 40 minutes.  If it is, that will make a perfect blended double.

 

I really had not eaten much since my breakfast back in Montreal.  I would be passing through Drummondville, a large town.  That would be a great place to stay and eat.  I came across a restaurant named St-Hubert.  The restaurant is part of a Canadian chain.  It looked like an Applebee’s on steroids.  The parking lot was packed with cars so I suspected it would be good.  Rather than wait in line I opted to accept an invitation to eat in the bar area.

 

My waitress (yes, I could call her by the generic term “Server” but I want you to now the gender of the person serving tonight) greeted me in French.  I told her I didn’t speak French.  She held up two fingers just an inch apart and told me she spoke just a “little” English.  We both got along famously.  I enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken breast, cold slaw (all I could eat) and French fries in brown gravy along with a glass of Chardonnay. 

 

If anyone comes to Quebec, thinking the locals speak “French lite” they will be in for a surprise.  This is a full on French speaking part of the world.  I rarely heard any English being spoken.  Several times when I informed an individual that we would need to speak English in order to do business, they asked for backup.  I loved it!  This was like being in a real foreign country and not just some place that’s north of Minnesota.

 

When I left the restaurant, my car was covered in snow.  Just next door to the St-Hubert restaurant was a Comfort Inn.  It was brand new with a room rate of $85CAN.  That would do just fine.  The clerk asked me if I was a member of “CAA” (Canadian Automobile Association.)  I told her I was a member of “AAA.”  No problem, she said that was good enough for her.

 

I spent the evening using their high-speed internet.  Most foreign hotels don’t offer this option yet.  I also noted that Canadian TV broadcasts nearly X rated movies on their public television stations.  The motel also offered something else I have never seen.  They had a beer vending machine!  You could buy Budweiser in the hallway.  I bet the high school hockey players staying here love the place. 

 

The weather is getting colder.  Tomorrow is going to be a real challenge.  The wind chill temperature is expected to be 15-20 below zero.  If you would like to see what today’s Canadian fishing huts look like as well as everything else I’ve seen in Canada just tune into the home page of www.ranlayracing.com.

 

SUNDAY

 

The day started off just fine with breakfast at Mike’s Café.  This is another Canadian chain again along the lines of Applebee’s.  The greeter asked me what I was doing in Canada.  I gave him the 15-second version of trackchasing.  At the end, he stuck out his hand and said in a French accented version of English, “I am pleased to me you.  I felt I have met a celebrity.”  Who was I to try to correct him?

 

Soon, the logistical/security side of my day was about to go south.  Very south.  To protect my laptop from being stolen, I normally just put it in my briefcase and leave it in the rental car trunk while I’m at a racetrack.  Somewhere along the line, security experts at RANLAY Racing convinced me to increase my level of protection.

 

I have a Kensington lock for my computer.  This lock affixes itself to the side of my computer.  The lock has a six-foot wire cable about one-quarter inch in diameter.  The cable is encased in a clear rubber material.  It’s very similar to the flexible cables you commonly see protecting bicycles.  My new plan has me running the cable through car’s steering wheel from the computer.  I then place the computer on the floorboard and put something over it to disguise it.  I then plop the key in the pocket of my cargo pants and off I go.

 

Today when I returned to the parking area from the Ste-Eulalie ice races, I couldn’t find my key.  I was in a rush to get on the road.  I didn’t have time for a lost key.  I figured I could drive to my next stop (about 45 minutes) with the cable still connected to the steering wheel.  Granted I would not be able to make any u-turns.  Even making a 45-degree required some patience and the understanding that the further I turned left the closer my laptop got to me.

 

Once I reached the St Guillaume racetrack, I figured I would be able to find the key.  Luckily, I was able to watch the races at this track from my car.  I then went into full search mode.  I searched every pocket of my ski pants and my ski jacket.  I reached below the seats, between the seats and into the seats.  I lowered the sun visors.  I searched every nook and cranny of my briefcase.  There was no key.

 

I feared the woman sitting in the pickup truck next to me thought I had a severe case of A.D.D.  I was all over the interior of that car and everything inside the interior including my own body cavities.  Truth be told, I could not remember where I had placed the key when I put the lock on the computer.

 

There was no key to be found.  My new plan following the completion of the last feature (part of my blended double strategy is to not leave the second track until the last race is completed) would be to find a computer store that might have a key or a home improvement store that could cut the cable.  I would soon learn how difficult it would be to implement that plan.

 

Carol and I have long lamented the lack of convenience offered to us in foreign countries.  For some reason, the American consumer has demanded and received the nth degree of customer service.  Our stores are open 24/7 offering every type of service one could imagine.

 

This level of service started on the West coast.  When we moved from California to a smaller town in Connecticut in 1979 we were shocked to see that grocery stores were not open on Sundays.  Stores closed at 5 p.m.  You couldn’t buy liquor anywhere other than a state operated liquor store.  One Sunday afternoon, while looking for houses with a realtor, we could not even find a place open to sit down and have a Coke.  I’m happy to report that situation has improved for my East coast friends.

 

However, the same cannot be said for my Canadian friends.  I think the worst time for me to lose a computer lock in Canada was Sunday evening.  After what I am about to tell you, I am convinced of that fact.  Here, in chronological order are the steps I took to solve this problem.

 

Step #0.  This is step #0 because I didn’t take it.  I should have confronted one of the racing teams for a wire/cable cutter while I was at today’s track.  I didn’t for two reasons.  First, it was just like a Siberian winter outside.  I figured that a Wal-Mart would offer much more friendly climactic conditions.  Secondly, I was still holding out hope that I would find a computer store with a key because my lock is very common.

 

Step #1.  I had seen a Wal-Mart about 30 minutes from the track.  That would be my first stop.  The last race of the day ended at about 4:30 p.m.  I showed up at Wal-Mart in Drummondville at 5:05 p.m.  The Wal-Mart manager was just locking the front doors.  This Wal-Mart closed at 5 p.m. on Sundays!  Most Wal-Marts in the U.S. are open 24/7.  Had I known I was going to have so much trouble I would have pushed the issue here.

 

Step #2.  Drummondville is a fairly large town with 3-4 interstate exits and several chain retail outlets.  My next stop took me to a Canadian Tire outlet.  This was a huge tire store with 8-10 service bays.  There were virtually no cars in the lot but I did seen one man returning a shopping cart to the front door.  I thought he might be an employee.  He wasn’t, but he did sympathize with me in pretty good English.  He recommended I go to a nearby office supplies store (similar to Staples.) 

 

Step #3.  The office supplies store had closed at 5 p.m.  It was now about 5:15 p.m.  An employee was mopping the floor near the front door.  I pounded on the door.  The employee reluctantly opened the door.  I explained the problem.  He didn’t understand English well and summoned his boss to the door.  All his boss could offer was a case cutter.  That wouldn’t work.  I thanked them for their help and moved on.

 

Step #4.  I did find that Canadian grocery stores are open later.  I stopped in an IGA Extra store.  Grocery stores in the U.S. usually have a general merchandise section with tools for sale that could pretty much handle a small engine overhaul.  Today’s store offered can openers and spatulas.  The best I would find was a pair of shears for $7.99CAN.  I bought them.  The shears cut the rubber casing of the cable but could only compress the wire cable.  I couldn’t even take my newly acquired shears home due to airport security rules for carry-on luggage.

 

Step #5.  My next stop was a Walgreen’s like, but not a Walgreen’s drug store.  Again, at Walgreen’s you could probably find tools for a lawnmower engine overhaul.  Not at this drugstore.  Again, there was a language problem with the first assistant I met.  He moved me over to the pharmacist.  I had to wait while the pharmacist very patiently explained in French the pros and cons of a prescription cough syrup to a man younger than me.  I think the pharmacist enjoyed speaking English to me.  He couldn’t help but he did give me directions to a truck stop about 10 miles down route 20.  Off I went.  By the way, you need to understand that each time I entered one of these businesses it was about a 50-yard walk from the parking lot to the store in wind chills of about 20 degrees below zero!

 

Step #6.  Truck stops in Canada are not like the truck stops in the states.  You can walk into the retail section of a truck stop in the U.S. and acquire enough tools to do a complete engine overhaul on a Boeing 707.  Today’s “truck stop” consisted of a normal gas station convenience store and a restaurant for truckers.  The young woman I spoke too directed me to the can opener aisle.  It was here that I would make my first bathroom stop.  Of course, the men’s bathroom was closed for cleaning.  That’s how my day was going.  A sign in both French and English directed men (like me) to use the women’s restroom.  Of course, I didn’t want to just walk in unannounced, so I waited.  No one came out for a very long time.  Finally a passing Canadian male read the sign on the men’s door, did an about face and walked into the women’s restroom.  I followed.  Wow!  Did you know the women have doors on their stalls!

 

Step #7.  Drummondville wasn’t working for me.  I was only an hour from Montreal.  I would go there.  They should have more choices.  I saw a huge grocery store.  I had given up on finding a key at a computer store.  Now, I was looking for the biggest #$%^&### bolt/cable/wire cutter that Canada had.

 

Out in the parking lot I saw a flat bed truck administering to a disabled automobile.  I asked the truck driver for help.  He didn’t have those kinds of tools.  He recommended I call AAA.  Wow!  That seemed like a good idea.  Why hadn’t I thought to do that? 

 

I walked into the grocery store’s outer area where there were some pay phones with reading glasses, MCI calling card and AAA card in hand.  Wouldn’t you know it?  There was a youngish homeless woman causing a racket in this area and store personnel were trying to quiet her.  This made hearing the MCI voice prompts difficult.  Once it was time to call the number I looked down on my AAA card to find the phone number had rubbed off!  Heck, I don’t know if AAA would have worked in Canada anyway.  That’s how my day was going.

 

Step #8.  I was getting desperate now.  I had been searching for more than two hours.  It was dark.  It was cold.  It was windy.  Where was Carol when I needed her to solve a problem like this?  I was going to have to make this work myself.  Just outside the grocery store was a man sitting in an idling electrical service truck.  I rapped on the window.  He lowered the window and turned off his radio.  Did he have tools?  Yes!  He had the tool I was looking for.  Hooray!

 

He dug out a large leather tool bag from the floor of the truck’s interior.  This bag was similar to the bags those guys who work on telephone poles wear.  He fished around in the bag.  He fished some more.  He uttered an expletive in French.  He got out of his truck and looked under the seat.  Finally, he came across with these words, “You know, this is my son’s truck and I don’t think I have what you need.”

 

Step #9.  Have you noticed that gas stations have replaced their automotive service bays with convenience stores?  If you haven’t, try driving around looking for a service bay.  They are just about impossible to find.  After some hard looking, I found one at a Shell station.  I figured a service station with a service bay might be able to help. 

 

I pulled in to find one man repairing a flat tire out in this cold and another younger man pumping gas.  I figured the flat tire fixer would be the manager.  He spoke English well and told me he didn’t work at the service station but acted as an interpreter for the young man pumping the gas who did work at the station.

 

They wanted to have a look at my problem.  I opened the car door and the dome light illuminated the steering wheel with the cable wrapped around and through it.  Of course, there comments were priceless.  The flat tire fixer said, “What the fxxx?”  The gas pumper said “Holy S#@t!”  These were exactly the expressions I would have expected in the states.  Alas, the gas pumper employee told me all the tools were “locked up in the service bay.”

 

Step #10.  I went back to the gentleman who was replacing his flat tire.  He had problems of his own, but it never hurts to try.  He wanted to be helpful and offered this, “A guy just left me who had a “Sawsall.”  He could have cut the cable, but he left just a minute ago.”  Thanks for trying.

 

Step #11.  It was getting late.  My options were narrowing.  Nevertheless, I am trained for circumstances exactly like this.  I never give up.  Fellow competitors, do you read this?  I never give up!

 

However, I was now lost.  I had been trying to head in the general direction of the Dorval Montreal International Airport while I have been on my search.  Somehow, I had gotten on the Champlain Bridge headed toward New York.  I pulled into a vacant and dark warehouse parking lot.  Now in addition to the cable problem, I had to find my way in one of the biggest cities of Canada.

 

It was also time for a bathroom break again.  That’s how much time had passed.  Like I said, the parking lot was vacant and it was dark.  I soon learned that when I got out of the car to “do my business” it was cold and it was windy.  People could have gotten wet 200 yards down wind.  I bring this up only because it is actually what happened.

 

For some reason, the road signs pointing toward the airport don’t say anything about the Dorval International Airport.  They only point the way to P.E. Trudeau Airport.  After some research I learned they are one and the same.  I can’t criticize them too much because my own home airport goes by three names (John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana or Orange County.)

 

Step #12.  My new plan was to take the car back to the National Rental Car location at the airport.  They should have some tools there.  When I returned to the rental car office, I encountered “Christopher.”  Recall Christopher was the guy who had told me my Friday night hotel was likely to have cockroaches.  Chris was a friendly guy and he recognized me.  I told him the Rodeway Inn did not have any bugs.  He seemed happy to hear that.

 

I told him I was going to explain a problem to him that he likely had never encountered.  He smiled and said, “Give it a try.”  I told him what had happened.  He laughed and then he laughed some more.  Then I laughed.  Once we stopped laughing, Christopher called his maintenance department.  They would have the tools we needed.  Pierre, down in maintenance answered Chris’ call.  No, the tools were locked up for the night and he didn’t have a key to get them.  If a weird sense of coincidence Pierre had a similar problem that I had.

 

Step #13.  Christopher had one more idea.  He called his buddy down at the Hertz booth.  They had a cutter.  I did my best to make a u-turn given my cable constraints to get over to Hertz.  Out came a 300-pound Frenchman with a cutter that could have easily severed my body at the waist (the widest point on my body).  He confidently told me, “Theeeeese should fix your problem.”  It took him two good whacks at the little cable but he got the job done.  Hey, I could make u-turns again!  I’ll figure out how to get the remaining portion of the lock from my laptop sometime in the future.  I was free!

 

Editor’s note:  Upon returning to San Clemente, I found a locksmith to remove what remained of my computer lock.  Price:  $25.  I have since replaced my old lock with a combination lock/cable system.  Price:  $29.

 

It had been quite an adventure.  I will say this for the Canadians.  Everyone did their very best to communicate with me in my language.  They did their best to help me with this problem in a friendly manner.  Thank you very much, Canada!!!!

 

The evening ended with me back at the Rodeway Inn just a mile from the airport.  I climbed the rickety steps with all of my bags.  What else could go wrong today?  How about my room key not working.  That was much easier to fix than the computer lock problem.  Gee, I could have stayed home and watched the Super Bowl!

 

MONDAY

Monday’s flight from Montreal to Chicago was delayed by an hour.  When we landed in Chicago, our gate was occupied and we waited in the “penalty” box for another 30 minutes.  The pilot blamed it on the Chicago baggage handlers.  He called them “poor losers” for losing the Super Bowl! 

 

My next flight to Orange County was also delayed by three hours.  When we did board we headed for the Orange County airport.  About an hour into our flight, the pilot came over the P.A. with this less than encouraging news, “We have a little engine problem.  We’re turning back to Chicago.  Bummer!

 

They ended up putting us on another plane.  We were now some five hours behind our original schedule.  One problem!  The Orange County airport has an 11 p.m. curfew.  No planes can take off or land after that time.  We couldn’t make it to Orange County by 11 p.m.  That meant our plane would take us to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  We were then bussed down to the Orange County airport, a distance of about 40 miles.

 

I ended up pulling into my San Clemente driveway at about 1:04 a.m.  That would be 4:04 a.m. on TUESDAY morning Montreal time.  Ah, how I pine for the luxurious travel schedule of the Eastern based trackchaser.

 

The People

 

As I said, the people of Canada were great in trying to help me through the logistical problems I created for myself.  I would also like to thank Rick Young for his help and support on this trip.  I hope my saying that does not get him in trouble with any Eastern based trackchasers.

 

 

 

 

 

RACE TRACK STATS:

 

STE-EULALIE ICE COURSE, STE EULALIE, QUEBEC, CANADA – TRACK #1,151

 

ST GUILLAUME STADIUM, ST GUILLAUME, QUEBEC, CANADA – TRACK #1,152

 

These two tracks were my eighth and ninth, lifetime, to see in Quebec.  I have now cracked the top 10 in this province.  Trackchaser commissioner leads the Quebec pack with a stout 42 tracks.

 

 

 

RACE TRACK NEWS:

 

STE-EULALIE ICE COURSE

 

I had been told that the track would be easy to find.  Ste-Eulalie is a small place, sort of like those really little Midwestern towns that a trackchaser often drives through.  The track was supposed to be on the main road behind a bar.  I came in from the south and by the time I hit the middle of town I had not seen the racetrack.  It was only 12:15 p.m.  The races were scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

 

I figured I would park in the middle of town and wait for a racecar rig to come by.  It didn’t take long for that to happen.  I pulled in behind the rig and soon we were at the track.  If you go to this track, you’ll take exit #210 off route 20.  The track is north of town 3-4 kilometers on the right hand side of the main road……behind a bar!

 

This is simply down home Quebec style ice racing.  I did not hear a word of English spoken during my nearly two-hour stay.  I parked on the snow-covered parking lot just 30 feet from the snow fence that kept the racecars inside the track.  Admission was a more than reasonable $5CAN. 

 

The track features a clubhouse of sorts.  Inside this building is a full bar as well as two pool tables and several tables.  It’s warm in there!  It was not warm outside.  The temperature was about 10 degrees with a strong wind.  The wind chill was estimated to be 10-15 BELOW zero and maybe worse.  It was most unusual to see an overweight guy in the bar wearing a Harley Davidson tank top only!

 

The racetrack is more like a tri-oval than anything else.  The racing surface is ice over dirt, I think although I guess it could have been a frozen lake.  Today’s racecars did not use studded tires.  I am surprised they could race at all with those tires on glare ice.  The cars and the haulers pitted inside the oval.

 

There were two classes racing.  The four-cylinder cars ran the first race at nearly 1 p.m.  This followed a brief driver’s meeting, obviously conducted in French.  The eight-cylinder cars lined up for the second event.  Each class had about 13-15 cars.  All cars raced in each of their classes races.  Since I couldn’t understand the announcer (it’s that French thing), I don’t know if they were running heat races, rained out features from the week before, or whatever.  I ended up seeing each class run two races of about eight laps each. 

 

To begin the race the starter stood on a hay bale inside the track at the first of the three turns.  Once the cars took the green, the starter ran to a hay bale stationed at turn three.  It was at this point, where he would display the checkered flag.  Given that circumstance, I guess the races were 7 2/3 laps in length.

 

I was out in the cold for most of my stay at this track.  It would have been easy to simply hang out in the bar.  They have large sliding glass doors that allow patrons to watch the races from the comfort of the bar’s enclosure.  However, I’m here for the experience.  You can’t experience ice racing sitting in a heated bar.

 

This event will be the first half of a blended double.  It’s hard to get blended doubles anymore.  There just aren’t that many tracks left to see that are that close together.  I have a strict rule regarding my blended doubles.  I must see at least one hour of racing before I can head to the second track.  Whenever I’m going to do a blended double, I try to get to the first track ahead of the scheduled start time.  This allows me to soak up the ambience.

 

Today, I arrived 45 minutes before the scheduled start.  This allowed me to take all the pictures I wanted and explore the entire track.  I saw all of the cars here today race in two races.  I have no idea how many more times they ran the same cars in the same types of races.  I left the track at 2:02 p.m. bound for the second half of my blended double. 

ST GUILLAUME STADIUM

 

I have a history with the St Guillaume Stadium.  I was here in 2001 for their ice racing.  Again, this track is like Eulalie, it is ice over a permanent dirt track.  They race on the dirt in the summer.  Back in 2001, I pulled into the track with Will White and Guy Smith only to find the ice races were cancelled.  It had rained the night before and then all of the rain froze creating a complete sheet of ice over nearly all of Quebec.  I remember the ice was so bad; it was a challenge to put one foot in front of the other when we tried to leave the car.

 

Today there was no ice and sleet, but just like 2001, it was cold.  I pulled into the track at 2:45 p.m.  I was somewhat surprised to see they were still selling tickets.  The ticket seller told me they had just begun their intermission period.  She said most folks were in the clubhouse which is a rudimentary hangout located under the track’s grandstand.  At least this space was heated. 

 

I jumped into the food line.  There must have been 50-75 people standing and sitting at tables with a cold brew and some track chow.  I did not exercise the culinary restraint of yesterday.  I went right for the Poutine (16 oz. of French fries smothered in brown gravy and topped with Mozzarella cheese.)  It was yummy as was the cheeseburger that accompanied it.

 

I found a spot down toward turn one that had just been vacated by a bright yellow car.  I watched the races from the comfort of my heated National Rental Car Racing Ford Taurus.  I know I was supposed to be outdoors experiencing the utter ambience of Quebec ice racing but the weather was brutal!

 

The temperature was now close to zero and the wind swept in from the West at ferocious speeds.  The wind blew the drifting snow over the track making it difficult to see.  I was most pleased I could see most of the action from the car.

 

Again, the cars and haulers were pitted inside the infield.  This prevented fans from seeing most of the backstretch.  There is a quaint old covered grandstand at the track but other than going into the clubhouse, I didn’t go near it.  Some fans got out of their cars to watch the races while STANDING in the grandstand.  These folks must have paid all of their premiums on their government provided health insurance.

 

The intermission was rather long.  I didn’t mind.  First, I was in my heated car.  Second, this ice racing stuff is still new to me and I didn’t want my Quebec trip to end too soon.  After about a 45-minute intermission, the feature races began at about 3:30 p.m.

 

There were three classes racing today.  The first group started more than 20 cars.  This group featured good-looking Toyota Celica type racecars.  They started three abreast and ran a rather long race, maybe 25-30 laps.  There was an occasional corner yellow but these flags did not stop the overall racing.

 

The next group out was a class of full-sized stock cars.  There were just eight of them.  It was surprising to see that these cars as well as all of the other cars I saw race today at both tracks had TWO PEOPLE in the car.  I guess each driver needed a navigator.

 

The final race featured about 20 cars of much smaller four-cylinder foreign cars, again for 25-30 laps.  It was difficult to know exactly what was going on because the P.A. did not cover where my car was parked.  It didn’t matter since all of the P.A. announcements were in French.

 

The final checkered flew at 4:30 p.m.  I had seen a full day of ice racing.  Little did I know (explained under the “Sunday” caption), my day was just beginning.

 

Nevertheless, I enjoyed my brief visit to Quebec.  I picked up three new tracks, which for the first weekend of February is fantastic for someone who has nearly 1,200 tracks.  I didn’t have to drive very far.  The weather was brutal, but at least I was dressed pretty well for it.  When my clothes could no longer protect me, I found shelter at the tracks.  Overall, a very productive trackchasing weekend.  I wouldn’t want to see this type of racing very often, but then I don’t have too.

 

 

 

 

 

WEATHER CONDITIONS

 

Brutal.  If you like extreme cold and wind, then you should be committed.  Maybe this is why Florida is half-Canadian during the winter.

 

RENTAL CAR UPDATE:

 

Even in Canada, I try to stick with my U.S. travel partners.  That means I’ll be driving the National Rental Racing Ford Taurus along the snowy back roads of Quebec.

 

Friday total driving miles – 1

 

Saturday total driving miles – 117

 

Sunday total driving miles – 184

 

Monday total driving miles – 1

 

 

The driving portion of this trip covered 303 miles.  Getting three new tracks and only driving this distance is very efficient.  I paid an average price of just $3.58 per gallon.  The Ford Taurus gave me 38.4 M.P.G. in fuel mileage at an average cost of 9.3 cents per mile.  The car cost 24.0 cents per mile to rent, all taxes included. 

 

 

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

 

These worldwide trackchasers are within 100 tracks (plus or minus) of my current trackchaser total.

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,152

 

2.  Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 1,105 (-45)***

 

3.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 1,079 (-71)*

 

4.  Rick Schneider – Bay Shore, New York - 1,066 (-84)*

 

7.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 966 (-184)**

 

 

* Warning, you are within 50 tracks of being removed from this list. 

 

** Special exemption.

 

***  This is an exciting new development.  I will go into much greater detail in a future Trackchaser Report.  Stay tuned.

 

 

 

 

Other notables

 

These worldwide trackchasers are within 10 tracks (plus or minus) of Carol’s current trackchaser total.

 

31.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California - 303

 

32.  Chris Economaki, Ridgewood, New Jersey – 302 (-1)

 

33.  Gary Jacob, Turlock, California – 301 (-2)

 

34.  Ron Rodda, Lincoln, California – 297 (-6)

 

 

 

 

 

2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California - 14

 

2.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 9

 

3.  Gordon Killian, Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania – 3

 

3.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania - 3

 

5.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 2

 

5.  Pam Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 2

 

5.  Rick Schneider, Baytown, New York - 2

 

8.  Several tied with one track

 

Tracks have been reported from 21 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

#1 Trackchaser Living West of the Mississippi

 

Remember, two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left.

 

 

 

 

CUMULATIVE TRAVEL DISTANCES:

 

AIRPLANE

 

Santa Ana, CA – Chicago, IL – 1,724 miles

 

Chicago, IL – Montreal, PQ - 746 miles

RENTAL CAR

 

Montreal Dorval International Airport – trip begins

 

Lavaltrie, Quebec – 49 miles

 

Eulalie, Quebec – 115 miles

 

St Guillaume, Quebec – 158 miles

 

Montreal Dorval International Airport – 303 miles – trip ends

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Montreal, PQ – Chicago, IL – 876 miles

 

Chicago, IL – Santa Ana, CA – 1,724 miles

 

 

 

 

Total air miles – 4,940 miles

 

 

Total auto and air miles traveled on this trip – 5,243 miles

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Grand Prix De Lanaudiere - $15CAN

 

STE Eulalie Ice Course - $5CAN

 

St Guillaume Stadium-$8CAN

 

 

Total racetrack admissions - $31CAN

 

 

 

 

 

Past trackchasing reports are available at:

www.ranlayracing.com

 

Official trackchaser standings can be viewed at:

www.trackchaser.net  

 

Some of my standings data comes from:

www.trackchaser.net

 

 

 

 

 

UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS

 

I guess I’m on a roll.  It was cold in Quebec and I suspect it will be cold where I trackchase next weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

RACETRACKS VISITED IN 2007 (** not the first time to visit this track)

 

1,139.  Meremere Dirt Track Club, Meremere, New Zealand - January 1

 

1,140.  Meeanee Speedway, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand - January 1

 

1,141.  Top of the South Speedway, Richmond, New Zealand - January 2

 

1,142.  Woodford Glen Speedway, Christchurch, New Zealand - January 3

 

1,143.  Robertson Holden International Speedway, Palmerston North, New Zealand - January 5

 

1,144.  Taupo Motorsports Park, Taupo, North, New Zealand - January 6

 

1,145.