GREETINGS FROM ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

 

 

 

SPECIAL NOTICE

Each Trackchaser Report that I post before May 5, 2007 will be a bit more concise that normal.  Why?  Our daughter Kristy is being married on Cinco de Mayo.  For you gringos that would be May 5, 2007.  I am in serious preparation for the Father of the Bride wedding speech, so all of my free time must be devoted to this celebration.

 

Of course, if Kristy gives her approval you can see the entire text to this speech following the wedding at www.ranlayracing.com. 

 

I will not be able to see any new tracks during the wedding weekend whatsoever.  Therefore, it would be appropriate if all worldwide trackchasers took this weekend off in honor of this historic event.

 

 

 

TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION

 

Yes!  See below.

IF YOU WOULD PREFER TO READ THIS TRACKCHASER REPORT DIRECTLY FROM WWW.RANLAYRACING.COM AND SEE THE PICTURES FROM THIS TRIP SIMPLY CLICK ON THIS LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IT IN YOUR BROWSER:

http://www.ranlayracing.com/april27292007.htm

I WOKE UP IN ALAMAGORDO, NEW MEXICO THIS MORNING.  THEN I WENT TO SLEEP IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

The Strategy                                                                                    

 

I nearly pulled a trackchasing strategic blunder today.  I like to arrive at the track at or before the scheduled start time.  This is an essential requirement when the weather threatens.

 

Today, my optional non-racing activities nearly cost me two new tracks.  My day started with an outstanding Trackchasing Tourist Attraction (TTA) described below.  Then, rather than eating fast food, I stopped at a local eatery to sample Mexican cuisine from New Mexico.  Their service was slower than it needed to be.  I then took a side trip to a mountain town (elevation 8,650 feet) to see if they had any snow.  Additionally, I needed to take a 12-minute power nap in order to drive safely.  Finally, I had to stop for gas, a restroom break and an ice cream sandwich.

 

In addition to this non-racing activity, I heard an alarming weather report on my rental car’s XM satellite radio.  The entire country was under a large high-pressure system “except northern New England and New Mexico.”  What?  New Mexico averages just 0.5 inches of rain in both April and May.  How could they be scheduled for the wet stuff with that history?

 

Tonight’s same location trackchasing double program was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.  When you travel in New Mexico, you can see storms approaching from a long distance.  I could see rain throughout my 200-mile drive up to Albuquerque from Alamogordo. 

 

Time was ticking away.  I was not going to arrive at the track by the 6:30 p.m. start time.  I had driven through several minor rain showers.  As I approached Albuquerque, the weather did not look good.  I finally made it to the Sandia Motorsports Park at 7:01 p.m.  I was 31 minutes late.  This was unacceptable.  I had no real excuse except my own poor planning.

 

Just west of the track, I could see that it was raining.  I hoped I would get to see racing on both of the track’s ovals before the rains came.  I did!  Then at exactly 7:40 p.m., it began to rain.  I had been at the track only 39 minutes, had seen races on both their quarter mile and half-mile tracks and now it was raining.

 

I am happy to report that the rain did not get very heavy, although it did rain again later in the evening.  The entire show wrapped up at just about 10 p.m.

 

I had nearly pulled a strategic error that very easily could have cost me two new tracks.  I am going to have to be more vigilant in the future regarding my time management.

 

The Trip

 

The trip was uneventful for the most part.  I did suffer some angst because of the potential for cancellations due to rain.  Nevertheless, I triumphed over Mother Nature on this occasion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION

 

I get to see a lot of unusual sights and attractions as I travel the country and the world with my hobby of trackchasing.  I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such a diversity of scenery in one general location as I have in New Mexico.

 

Today, within a 100-mile circle, I toured a mountain town at an elevation of more than 8,600 feet, saw lava fields to rival any I have ever seen on the big island of Hawaii and visited the White Sands National Monument.

 

Here’s how the brochure describes the White Sands attraction,

 

“At the Northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin.  Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world’s greatest natural wonders – the glistening white sands of New Mexico.  Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and have created the world’s largest gypsum dune field.  The brilliant white dunes are ever changing:  growing, cresting and then slumping, but always advancing.  Slowly but relentlessly the sand driven by strong Southwest winds, covers everything in its path.  Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive.  Only a few species of plants grow fast enough to survive burial by moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved a white coloration that camouflages them in the gypsum sand.  White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of the gypsum dune field along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly changing environment.

 

The gypsum that forms the white sands was deposited at the bottom of a shallow sea that covered this area 250 million years ago.  Eventually turned into stone, these gypsum bearing marine deposits were uplifted into a giant dome 70 million years ago when the Rocky Mountains were formed.  Beginning 10 million years ago, the center of this dome began to collapse and create the Tularosa Basin.  The remaining sides of the original dome formation now form the San Andres and Sacramento mountain chains that ring the basin.”

 

Yes, trackchasing fans that brings us up to today geologically.  The entire White Sands area has exactly the same scenery that you would see if you were on the top of a snow-covered mountain in the middle of winter except you would be seeing white sand and not snow.  I paid $3 to the National Park Service so that I could drive through the 14-mile loop that gives the tourist a close-up and feet in the sand experience at this magnificent sight.

 

I will be posting pictures of this TTA at www.ranlayracing.com.  I only hope the photos can capture the true beauty of this area.  Near the end of the drive, the paved portion of the road ends.  At this point, the white sand/gypsum is piled along the roads just as the snow is when I visit Quebec for an ice-racing trip.  If I viewed a picture of those Quebec trips and today’s white sands, I could not tell them apart.  Of course, with today’s temperature of 77 degrees, the feel would be different.

 

I was able to park, take my shoes off and stroll up and over the white sands dunes.  I saw others who had thought to bring snow discs and were sliding down the dunes.  I only wish our Pacific Golf Club could steal some of this sand for our bunkers.  If you ever get the chance to view the White Sands National Monument, I hope you do.  I give it the highest grade for a Trackchasing Tourist Attraction.

 

By the way, I visited here based upon the Sertoma Speedway promoter’s recommendation.  I had asked him what would be best to see while I was in the area.  This was his first response.  He also told me I could put my feet in the sand at the White Sands National Monument and then walk in the snow just 40 miles away.

 

To see the snow, he advised a drive up to Cloudcroft, New Mexico.  From my hotel location in Alamogordo, this was a 16-mile drive up into the mountains.  During this relatively short drive, I climbed more than 5,000 feet to an elevation of more than 8,600 feet.  The temperature dropped from 77 to 51 degrees during the drive.  I didn’t see any snow at this time of the year, but the scenery was breathtaking.  Again, you can see what I saw at www.ranlayracing.com.

 

 

 

 

The People

 

It troubles me to see people unprepared for life.  There always seems to be a good deal of these folks in the rural parts of our country.  They don’t seem to be able to get their part of the American dream.  If I had to place blame, it would be directed toward these folk’s parents.

 

 

 

 

 

RACE TRACK STATS:

 

SANDIA MOTORSPORTS PARK (INNER AND OUTER OVAL) – ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO - TRACKS #1,179 & #1,180

 

These were my 5^th and 6^th lifetime tracks to see in New Mexico.  This moves me into first place in the Land of Enchantment state.  I now lead four states in total trackchasing.  These include Arizona, Texas, Oregon and now New Mexico.

 

Today’s track supports my primary trackchasing strategy of trying to become the #1 ranked trackchaser is all 13 Western states by 2009 (except California).  At the bottom of this report, you can see where I rank in each of these states as of today.  You can also find out what the state bird of New Mexico! 

 

 

RACE TRACK NEWS:

 

SANDID MOTORSPORTS PARK – OUTER AND INNER OVALS

 

Back in February, I visited this facility to watch racing on their permanent road course.  Tonight I was here to see racing on Sandia’s ¼ and ½-mile asphalt ovals.  Actually when I arrived, I noticed several small open-wheeled racecars.  They were pitted at a track behind the main grandstand.  A quick question to a man working on one of the cars told me these were quarter-midget racers driven by kids aged 5-15.  Under current trackchasing rules, racing machines driven by people other than adults do not count.

 

The Sandia Motorsports Park is a first class facility.  It is nearly new and features a high-quality aluminum grandstand.  The track lighting and P.A. system are excellent.  The dual announcers do a nice job and the organization is very good.

 

I did not care much for their concession stand operation.  When I entered the track, I could see a long line of people waiting to be served.  That was not a good sign.  Later in the evening, I ventured over for some food and drink.  My green chili cheeseburger was small on the meat part and big on the bread part.  My Diet Coke didn’t taste right.  I felt I had been ripped off to the tune of $.6.75.

 

By arriving late, I missed the heat races for the nine racing trucks in attendance tonight.  I thought I heard the announcer say they ran three heats for this class but that doesn’t seem right with just nine competitors.

 

The remaining classes were the slug bugs (13), modifieds (12) and New Mexico mini-stocks (about 16).  The modifieds and trucks raced on the half-mile track.  The slug bugs raced on the quarter and the mini-stocks took a lap on the quarter and then a lap on the half-mile until they completed their 10-lap heat race.

 

By the way, this trackchaser rule does not allow me to count the track configuration used by the mini-stocks:

 

“Tracks run in a multiple oval configuration (one lap consists of two or more complete ovals) can not be counted in addition to the track or tracks that comprise it. Examples of these tracks include (but are not limited to) 'double O's, flagpole races, etc.”

 

Our trackchaser commissioner seems to have thought of everything!

 

I have now been to 1,180 different tracks.  In all of that time, I have never seen “slug bugs” race.  What is a slug bug?  It’s a 1970’s variety Volkswagen Beetle body style racing car.  Not only have I never seen or heard of a slug bug, I have never seen an entire division of VW bugs race on an oval track.

 

These cars were beautiful.  They had colorful paint jobs and I didn’t see a single dent on any of them.  They even had chrome front and rear bumpers.  Of course, they had an obligatory VW racer painted like “Herbie” of Disney fame with the black racing stripe over a white body numbered 53.  They even had a black Dale Earnhardt Sr. #3 paint scheme.

 

The trucks, modifieds and slug bugs all ran 25-lap features.  The slug bugs had the best racing.  There were very few yellows and not much passing.  The cars in each division were fairly even, which kept almost everyone in their place.

 

I was most pleased to get my 11^th trackchasing double of the year in just 31 days of trackchasing.  This was my second “same location” trackchasing double of the 2007 season.

 

 

 

 

WEATHER CONDITIONS

 

When I entered the track, it was 69 degrees with a stiff north wind.  It rained twice while I was at the track.  By the time I left at 10 p.m., the temperature had dropped to 62 degrees and the wind had shifted and was not blowing from the south.  I was lucky with the weather tonight.

RENTAL CAR UPDATE:

 

I’ll be going with a National Rental Car Racing Chevy Impala with California plates.  The drink holder really sucks in this car model.  The check out clerk at National did a poor job and had little interest in the quality of her work.  I don’t think this is the career she is cut out for.

 

Friday total driving miles – 206

 

Saturday total driving miles – 351

 

 

 

 

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 – 1,180

 

2.  Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 1,106 (-73)*

 

3.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 1,091 (-89)*

 

7.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 996 (-184)**

 

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

 

** Special exemption.

 

 

 

 

LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS

 

2007 (current thru 4/17/07)**

 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 6.92

2. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 7.08

3. Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 7.55

 

**Until the end of the year, NGD rankings are unofficial.  Rankings are affected not only by the leader’s activities but also by other trackchasers impact on the leader’s position in each state. 

  

 

 

Other notables

 

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

 

31.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California - 311

 

32.  Chris Economaki, Ridgewood, New Jersey – 302 (-9)

 

33.  Gary Jacob, Turlock, California – 301 (-10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California - 42

 

2.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 31

 

3.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania - 17

 

3.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 17

 

5.  Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium - 15

 

6.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 14

 

7.  Roger Ferrell, Majenica, Indiana – 9

 

8.  Rick Young, Maxville, Ontario, Canada - 8

 

9.  Gordon Killian, Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania – 7

 

9.  Bing Metz, Tatamy, Pennsylvania – 7

 

 

 

Tracks have been reported by 33 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

New Mexico’s #1 Trackchaser

That’s all the news that’s fit to print from San Clemente where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all of the children are above average.

 

 

 

 

 

CUMULATIVE TRAVEL DISTANCES:

 

AIRPLANE

 

Los Angeles, CA – Albuquerque, NM – 676 miles

 

RENTAL CAR – ALBUQUERQUE, NM

 

Albuquerque International Airport – trip begins

Tularosa, NM – 188 miles

Albuquerque, NM – 512 miles

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Sertoma Speedway – $7

 

Sandia Motorsports Park - $10

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past trackchasing reports are available at:

www.ranlayracing.com

 

 

Official trackchaser standings can be viewed at:

www.trackchaser.net

 

 

Some of the data in this report comes: www.trackchaser.net

Garmin GPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS

 

I have a choice tomorrow (Sunday).  I can drive 50 miles round-trip and see an afternoon dirt oval show in New Mexico.  The downside to that plan is there is a 40% chance of rain.

 

On the other hand, I could drive 700 miles round-trip and see a road course racing event in Colorado.  If I picked up that Colorado track, I would move into a first place tie in the Centennial state.  Regardless of the weather conditions, a road course rarely cancels their racing events.

 

Which track would you choose?

 

 

 

 

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.  Waikaraka Park International Speedway, Auckland, New Zealand - January 6

 

1,146.  Angels Stadium of Anaheim (inner oval), Anaheim, California - January 13

 

1,147.  Angels Stadium of Anaheim (outer oval), Anaheim, California - January 13

 

1,148.  West Valley Speedway, Surprise, Arizona - January 14

 

1,149. Sandia Motorsports Park (road course), Albuquerque, New Mexico - January 28

 

1,150. Grand Prix De Lanaudiere, Lavaltrie, Quebec, Canada – February 3

 

1,151. Ste-Eulalie Ice Track, Eulalie, Quebec, Canada – February 4

 

1,152. St Guillaume, St Guillaume, Quebec, Canada – February 4

 

1,153. Caldwell Rodeo Arena, Caldwell, Idaho – February 10

 

1,154. Balsam Lake Ice Track, Balsam Lake, Wisconsin – February 18

 

1,155. Northeast Pond Ice Track, Milton, New Hampshire – February 24

 

1,156. Lee Pond Ice Track, Moultonborough, New Hampshire – February 25

 

1,157. New Hendry Country Speedway, Clewiston, Florida – March 3

 

1,158. Florida Sports Park, Naples, Florida – March 4

 

1,159. Honeoye Lake Ice Track – Road Course, Honeoye, New York – March 10

 

1,160. Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, Texas – March 16

 

1,161. Houston Motorsports Park, Houston, Texas – March 16

 

1,162. Dawgwood Speedway, Chatsworth, Georgia – March 17

 

1,163. Toccoa Speedway, Toccoa, Georgia – March 17

 

1,164. Tazewell Speedway, Tazewell, Tennessee – March 18

 

1,165. Malden Speedway, Malden, Missouri, Tennessee – March 23

 

1,166. Dacosa Speedway, Byhalia, Mississippi – March 24

 

1,167. Swinging Bridge Raceway, Byram, Mississippi – March 24

 

1,168. Florence Motor Speedway, Florence, South Carolina – March 25

 

1,169. Foothills Raceway, Easley, South Carolina – March 30

 

1,170. Mileback Speedway, Gray Court, South Carolina – March 30

 

1,171. Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg, Florida – April 1

 

1,172. Vegas Grand Prix, Las Vegas, Nevada – April 8

 

1,173. Huntsville Speedway, Huntsville, Alabama – April 13

 

1,174. Low Country Kartway, Aynor, South Carolina – April 14

 

1,175. Dillon Motor Speedway, Dillon, South Carolina – April 14

 

1,176. Valley Dirt Riders, Berthoud, Colorado – April 15

 

1,177. Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, Lancaster, California – April 22

 

1,178. Sertoma Speedway, Tularosa, New Mexico – April 27

 

1,179. Sandia Motorsports Park (outer oval), Albuquerque, New Mexico – April 28

 

1,180. Sandia Motorsports Park (inner oval), Albuquerque, New Mexico – April 28

 

 

 

The state bird of New Mexico is…………….the Roadrunner

 

 

 

 

 

In the business world, the U.S. is often divided up into geographic areas that are referred to as East, Central and the “eleven Western states plus Alaska and Hawaii.”  No, I don’t know why they don’t just say the “thirteen western states.”  Those states include  Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming and, of course, Alaska and Hawaii.

 

The far west probably has the most beautiful scenery per square mile anywhere in the United States.  This got me to thinking.  Over the next 2-3 years, I’d like to put a “full-court” press on these far west states for trackchasing purposes.  I want to establish a goal of becoming the number one trackchaser in each of these states except California by the end of 2009.  Becoming #1 in California is not a realistic goal at this time. 

 

Below is a listing of these thirteen Far Western states.  The state’s name is followed by my current rank and how many tracks I need to see to gain at least a tie for 1^st place.  As an example, I’m currently in ninth place in Alaska and trail first place by three tracks.  I’m looking forward to spending more time than usual is the Far West, a great part of our country.

 

Alaska – 9^th - 3

 

Arizona – 1^st

 

California – 2^nd – 48

 

Colorado – 2nd – 1

 

Hawaii – 3^rd – 1

 

Idaho – 3^rd – 2

 

Montana – 2^nd – 1

 

Nevada – 2^nd – 2

 

New Mexico – 1st

 

Oregon – 1^st

 

Utah – 2^nd – 1

 

Washington – 2^nd – 2

 

Wyoming – 2^nd - 2

 

As you can see I don’t have far to go in most states.  However, if I have to get most of these tracks on a one track per trip basis, it could take some time.  Each time I see a Far Western U.S. track, I will keep you posted on my progress.  We’ll see how it goes.