TODAY’S HEADLINES

Plan A, B and C did not work, but plan D did…….details in “The trip.”

 

Rental car rip off!..........details in the “Rental car update.”

 

You have to buy your own trophy!.................details in the “Race Track News.” 

Special note from the Trackchaser Commissioner

 

I do not get many messages from the Trackchaser Commissioner.  It’s sort of like dealing with the school principal.  I figure no news is good news.  When I mentioned to Carol that I had received a message from Will White, her quick first response was, “We’re in trouble?”  I guess she has been to the principal’s office before as well!  This is what the commissioner wrote to me on May 20, 2007.

 

Randy,

 

I don’t know if you are aware that Rocky Mountain Raceways in Utah is not the same track as the Bonneville Raceway Park you saw in 1985.  They are on the same property but not the same location exactly.

 

According to Allan Brown, they dismantled the old facility in 1997, put in the hill with the seating on both sides and built a new track in a different location from the old one.  The way I understand it, the old track was located about where the hill is now, with the new stands where the old backstretch was.  We may never know for sure if there was absolutely no overlap in location between the two tracks, but it seemed far enough to me that it wouldn’t be worth worrying over.  As recently as last year after ….Allan…..seemed to have no doubt that these were two completely different track locations.

 

Thus, I will be adding Rocky Mountain Raceways oval to your list as another new track.  If you feel this decision has been made in error, you may submit your evidence to me for further review.

 

Will

 

 

 

A couple of things about this ruling.  First of all, Allan Brown is probably the foremost authority on issues like this.  He is the author of “The History of America’s Speedways – Past and Present.”  I am certain he has a good information source that drove him to his conclusion.

 

Secondly, I appreciate the Trackchaser Commissioner following up on this.  I guess this means that it’s not always a bad thing when the school principal summons you to his office.

 

Although I have not always agreed with Will in the past on all of his rulings, I strongly believe he does what he thinks is right for trackchasing.  We’re lucky to have someone who takes the time to think about all of the issues.  I like his mother as well.

 

Therefore, based upon this advice from the commissioner, I will be adding the Rocky Mountain Raceways – oval to my track list.  Since I saw racing on the oval before I saw racing on the figure 8 track at the Rocky Mountain Raceways, the oval will be my 1,184^th track and the figure 8 will be my 1,185^th.

GREETINGS FROM MODOC, SOUTH CAROLINA

Do not miss the “travel” section of today’s Trackchaser Report.  Ask yourself, “Have I ever traveled like this?”  Would you?  You might also like to check out the “rental car update” section.  Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes it eats you!

 

 

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/may18192007.htm

I WOKE UP IN SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA ON THURSDAY MORNING AND PLAYED A TERRIBLE ROUND OF GOLF BEFORE FLYING INTO ALBUQEURQUE, NEW MEXICO ON THURSDAY EVENING.  ON FRIDAY MORNING, I FLEW FROM ALBUQUERQUE TO ATLANTA.   THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

The Strategy                                                                                    

 

One of my primary trackchasing goals for 2007 is to see more tracks for the year than anyone else.  If I can do that, it will mark my fourth consecutive year of being in the #1 position.  No one in modern day trackchasing history has ever done that before.   “Modern day trackchasing history” could be defined as those years when the vast majority of trackchasers provided a specific date and/or year for each track they visited.

 

You might want to take a look at www.trackchaser.net.  Trackchaser commissioner, Will White, operates this site for the benefit of all worldwide trackchasers and other folks interested in the hobby.  His site shows the annual trackchasing rankings since 1999.

 

One of the questions I get most frequently is “What do you have to do to ‘prove’ you went to a track?”  The answer is simple.  We use the honor system.  To my knowledge, we have never had anyone fudge his or her track totals.  What would be the purpose in doing that anyway?

 

Trackchasers notify the commissioner in several different ways to let him know they have seen a new track.  In some cases, one trackchaser will let the commissioner know if ANOTHER trackchaser visited a track.  The commissioner then adds the recently seen track to the trackchaser’s total.  That track is added to several database/rankings on the www.trackchaser.net site.  Actually, it’s a very slick system that operates nearly on real time.

 

Most trackchasers have been chasing tracks for 20-30 years or more.  As is often the case with hobbies/sports that have evolved over the years, records from days gone by are a little sketchy.  As an example, I did not begin recording specific dates of when I visited a track until 1980.  Prior to 1980, I saw 71 tracks.  That’s about 5% of my overall trackchasing total.  Since I don’t have a specific year associated with any of those 71 tracks, I am not eligible to be listed in any trackchaser annual rankings before 1980.  That seems fair to me.  Nevertheless, I do have specific dates for more than 1,100 of my tracks.  That’s one of the better records of all of the leading trackchasers.

 

In a future report, I will discuss my 2007 battle with Ed Esser for the year’s championship.  You won’t want to miss that.   

The Trip

 

Thursday night

 

I’ve been planning this weekend’s trip for some time.  Had everything worked perfectly, I would have seen four tracks in two different states in just two days.  This weekend’s trip was planned for only 839 miles of driving.  Unfortunately, the trip needed to be modified.  I’ll tell you why.

 

I have really had to cut back on my newspaper interviews in 2007.  I can’t schedule interviews when my plans seem to change in the last days/hours of the trip.  However, this weekend’s trip was a little more firm, so I established contact with the Cortez Journal.  The Arrowhead Speedway in Cortez was to be my Friday track.

 

The day before I left, I received a phone call from the sports editor of the Cortez Journal.  He had some unsettling news.  The Arrowhead Speedway had just announced they were closing for the season.  I didn’t like this update, but I was happy to get it a day before I left on the trip rather than driving all the way to Colorado to find the place padlocked.

 

I checked the track’s website and found this information:

 

“I am disappointed to announce that the 2007 racing season has been cancelled at Arrowhead Speedway. The financial support that I was expecting from several area businesses as well as the equipment needed to put on a quality season have not met my expectations. Attempting to put on a racing season without being 100% ready and capable is not how I intend on doing things. Rather than tear up cars week in and week out do to an unready track, and not pay purses week in and week out is not how I like to do things. “

 

It was time for plan B.  There aren’t that many racetracks in the southwestern part of the United States that I have not seen.  There are even fewer that race on Friday nights.  I needed a new plan and I found it.  Rather than driving to Colorado from my starting point in Albuquerque, I would head for the High Plains Speedway in Clovis, New Mexico.  This would make the trip a total of 953 miles, an increase of 114 miles. 

 

Even though the Clovis, New Mexico’s speedway website told me they were racing Friday night, it seemed like a good idea to call.  I’m glad I did.  The track had only recently cancelled all of their May racing dates!  Why?  They were getting such small car counts, they felt if wise to wait a few more weeks while the racers completed their cars for competition.  They planned to start their season in early June.  That plan would not help me this weekend.

 

I had struck out in both Colorado and New Mexico.  I had such a good Saturday planned, I didn’t want to give up on this trip.  I broadened my Friday night geographical horizons.  By doing this, I found the Lady Luck Speedway in Lubbock, Texas!  Lady Luck would be plan C.

 

My original plan was to drive 839 miles on this trip.  The new plan with Lubbock now called for a round-trip drive for the weekend of 1,164 miles.  The track cancellations in Colorado and New Mexico would now be adding 325 miles to my driving distance.  I am only going to be in the area for 55 hours, so an additional driving time of some 5-7 hours was significant.

 

Therefore, Lubbock, Texas it would be.  Just before I left I checked the Friday night Lubbock weather.  Bad news!  They were forecasting a 60% chance of rain in Lubbock for the day.  I called the promoter and he told me they were working the track and hoping to race.  What else would you expect him to say?  I had a bad feeling about trackchasing this weekend.

 

Editor’s note:  Upon my return home, I would find out that the Lady Luck Speedway did cancel their Friday night races because of rain.

 

Friday morning

I awoke to a glorious blue-sky morning in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  However, the later in the day forecast looked dour.  I was looking at a six-hour drive over to Lubbock, Texas.  The rain forecast there was terrible for trackchasing.  Actually, the rain forecast for my Saturday tracks (purposely unidentified) looked bad as well.

 

I hate getting rained out.  I do not go out on the road to miss tracks.  I have, arguably, the very best record of avoiding rainouts of any trackchaser going.  Since the beginning of 2004, I have trackchased successfully on 356 days.  I have seen 502 new tracks on those 356 different days.  During this nearly three and one-half year period, I have only been rained out on 17 days.  That’s a rainout percentage of just 4.55% or less than one time in twenty.  Considering a five-minute shower can dispense enough water to make a dirt track untraceable, I am most pleased with this result.

 

There is no “official” definition of what it takes to make a rainout.  I believe I have the most stringent definition of what makes a trackchasing rainout of any trackchaser that I know of.

 

Let’s say I book a trip for three days of trackchasing.  If anyone of those days is rained out, and I don’t see a new track, then I’ve been rained out.  It doesn’t matter if I didn’t get within 1,000 miles of the rained out track.  If I had started a planned trackchasing trip and didn’t get a new track because of weather, then I was rained out.

 

Most of the time during the past several years, I’ve booked my trips with non-refundable airline tickets.  That meant I was going on the airplane regardless of what the weather looked like ahead.  I did not have the luxury the driving trackchaser has, of peeking out the window from home the morning of the race to check the weather.  I was betting 2-3 weeks in advance, and sometimes longer, that I would see a new track on each day of the trip.

 

As I mentioned above, this southwestern trip just didn’t feel right.  The weather is west Texas and surrounding areas was not good.  I had to find a new place to go.  I hopped on my computer.  Yes, I was glad I had opted for a Sleep Inn (with free internet) and not a Motel 6 (no internet.).  I’m made a mental note to try to upgrade my hotel accommodations in the future.  Life is just too short to not enjoy what you can afford.

 

The weather map told me the southwest, northeast and north central parts of the U.S. didn’t look good weather wise.  That didn’t leave much!  However, the southeast looked great.  What really made the southeast look great beyond the good weather was a wide-open Delta Airlines flight from Albuquerque to Atlanta. 

 

I had a new plan.  This was plan D!  Once I reached Atlanta, I could rent a car and spend Friday and Saturday in South Carolina.  I won’t be there long, less than 48 hours.  I have to be in Los Angeles for a new track opportunity with Carol by noon on Sunday.

 

Originally, I thought I would simply fly into Albuquerque, New Mexico and then spend the day in Lubbock, Texas.  I had no idea I would end up flying into Atlanta, Georgia and spend the evening in Modoc, South Carolina.  That’s what happens in trackchasing!

 

 

 

 

The People

 

The folks in South Carolina are rural, but everyone I met was friendly and helpful.

 

 

 

 

 

RACE TRACK STATS:

 

MODOC SPEEDWAY, MODOC, SOUTH CAROLINA – TRACK #1,185

 

This was my 16^th lifetime track to see in the Gamecock state.  I maintain fifth place here, which isn’t too bad for a California based trackchaser.  I am seven tracks out of fourth place, so I won’t be gaining any National Geographic Diversity points here anytime soon.  John Moore of Knoxville, Tennessee leads in South Carolina with 35 tracks.

 

 

 

RACE TRACK NEWS:

 

MODOC SPEEDWAY

 

I’ve had the Modoc Speedway on my short list of tracks to see it seems like a million times.  Friday night tracks in the south are hard to come by.  Ideally, I really didn’t want to go trackchasing in the southeast in the middle of May.  This geographical locale is better suited for times when the rest of the country is having cold, wet and generally putrid weather.  Nevertheless, I was in a pinch and the Modoc Speedway would do just fine.

 

The Modoc Speedway facility is a good one.  The 3/8 mile red clay oval is slightly banked with an ultra smooth and mostly dust-free surface.  The track has an inner oval that is used for go-karts.  The P.A. system is stout and the lights are O.K.

 

There was a very annoying aspect of tonight’s announcing that really bugged me.  The same P.A. system was used to call the racecars from the pit area to the racetrack as was used to inform and entertain the fans on the spectator side of things.

 

The announcer spent the better part of his night threatening, cajoling and begging the drivers to bring their cars to the track.  There were two pickup trucks parked in an area where the track’s management wanted them moved.  The announcer must have threatened everything from a parking violation to capital punishment if they weren’t moved ASAP.  To my knowledge, they were never moved!  Promoters, please don’t annoy your fans by focusing on stragglers in the pits.  It makes your program look unorganized.

 

I’m seeing a somewhat disturbing trend at many racetracks I’ve attended in 2007.  I’m talking about small car counts.  Most tracks are not short on the number of classes they race.  However, the most common number of cars in any class seems to be about 8-10.  That’s a good quantity for a heat race, but it doesn’t quite make it for me for BOTH a heat and a feature.

 

Tonight’s car counts looked like this, Super Stock 4s – 9, Stock V-8s – 14, Open Wheel Modifieds – 4, Super Streets – 6, Stock 4s – 6, Dwarfs – 6, Crate Late Models – 9, Extremes 4s – 2.  Those are small car counts.  All classes ran one heat except the Stock V-8s (two) and the Crate Late Models.  The crates time trialed.

 

The first race didn’t get underway until about 8:30 p.m.  They packed the track and ran hot laps until then.  Heats for all classes were finished around 9:30 p.m.  The track began time trials for the Crate late models at 9:36 p.m.

 

Don’t get me started.  Even though my blood pressure is a normally low 110/70, I’m  starting to feel it rise as I type these words.  I came from a part of the country where they don’t run time trials at nearly 10 p.m.  I live in a part of the country where they don’t run time trials at nearly 10 p.m.  Can you guess?  I don’t think anyone in their right mind should run time trials at nearly 10 p.m.  There was a redeeming feature.  They only had nine Crate late models to time trial.

 

By the way, the “Crate” late model class in relatively new.  “Crate” means the cars are using a less expensive sealed engine.  This reduces the cost for competitors.  In a perfect world, this should increase car counts.  I think most cost-saving measures are a great idea for racing.

 

The same thing goes for trackchasing.  I have long been a supporter of cost saving measures in our hobby of trackchasing.  I have been accused of being a “high dollar” trackchaser.  Nevertheless, I have frequently proposed cost-saving methods.  I often advance ideas that would limit the amount of trackchasing that could be done such as seeing only one track per day or limited, if any, trackchasing during the winter months.  So far, those ideas had met with meager support.

 

The announcer told the crowd that the concession stand was offering “good groceries.”  That’s Southern talk for telling us they offered some delicious entrees.  I passed on the boiled peanuts for possibly the first time in my trackchasing career.  I did go with the one-dollar peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I can’t recall ever seeing a PB&J sandwich on a racetrack menu, although it is offered at the Angels Stadium.  They made it fresh, just like Carol does.  I even saw the gal reaching far into the back of the peanut butter jar with a silver knife, just as you would do it at home.

 

Overall, it wasn’t a bad show tonight.  Once they got going, they kept the show moving along.  I left in the middle of the eight features.  Seeing the same cars race in both their heat race and their feature takes something away from the feature.  The Crate late models lined up in the order of their time trial speed with the fastest cars on the front.  Why in the world would they do that?  I’m not sure if the other 150-200 fans here tonight wondered about that or not.

 

I have now been to 1,186 different racetracks.  I am amazed at how I can still see or hear something for the very first time nearly each time I go to a new track.  What was new tonight?

 

The announcer came across with this comment, “Drivers, you can go down and buy your trophies tonight.  If you finished first, second or third, go down to the trophy shack.  The trophies are huge and you’ll like them a lot.”

 

Buy your trophies?  I have never heard of such a thing.  I’ve won my share of trophies.  Almost all were based upon some level of performance.  The first metal trophy I ever received was for longevity.  I received a nice basketball trophy for playing five years (grades 2-6) in the Biddy Basketball program sponsored by the Salvation Army (still my favorite charity.)  Trivia Question:  Who went with me to the Biddy Basketball banquet besides my mother when I accepted this trophy?  Answer at the bottom of this report.  If I gave you a million guesses, you would never get this one.

 

Bottom line……..I have never heard of anyone having to BUY his or her trophies.

 

 

 

WEATHER CONDITIONS

 

It was 71 degrees when I entered the track at 7:30 p.m. on a nearly all blue-sky night.  It was 62 degrees when I departed at about 10:30 p.m.  The wind picked up some and made watching the races in shorts a “chill bump” effort.  By the way, I’m talking “southern” again as “chill bump” is a southern phrase.  Back home on the block in Illinois, we called them “goose bumps.”

 

 

 

RENTAL CAR UPDATE – ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

 

When I arrived at the Albuquerque International Airport, I was surprised to see only SUVs and those low slung station-wagon looking Dodge Magnums in the Emerald Aisle Executive Selection location.  I didn’t want any of those vehicles but that’s all they had.  Therefore, I picked out a Pacific SUV.  This rental was nearly new with just 1,500 miles on it.  It had a bright and smooth leather interior.  I’m a leather interior guy.  I asked the gate agent what kind of mileage the Pacifica would give me.  “About 16-17 M.P.G.,” she told me.  Ouch!  I wasn’t looking forward to that gas bill.  Little did I know, but I wouldn’t have to worry about it.

 

When I decided to change my trackchasing plan from Texas to South Carolina that meant I would need a second rental car.  My Albuquerque rental had originally been for three days at a total price of $109.85.  When I decided to return it early, I was hit with a minimum two-day rental charge.  My less than 12-hour, 4.9 mile rental ended up costing me $82.56.  My per mile charge was $16.84!!

 

I’ve gotten some great rental car deals in the past, but this wasn’t one of them.

 

 

Thursday total driving miles – 2.4

 

Friday total driving miles – 2.5 (Albuquerque)

 

Friday total driving miles – 188 (Atlanta)

 

 

 

I drove the Albuquerque rental car just 4.9 miles.  I have never driven a rental car so short a distance.  I didn’t buy any fuel.  Had the rental agent tried to charge me for not filling the car upon its return, I probably would be in the Albuquerque city jail writing this.  Given the unusual circumstances, I don’t know what kind of fuel mileage I got.  I guess it would be infinity.  As noted, the car cost $16.84 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 – 1,186

 

2.  Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 1,106 (-80)*

 

3.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 1,091 (-95)*

 

7.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 1,005 (-181)**

 

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

 

** Special exemption.

 

 

 

 

LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS

 

2007 (current thru 5/14/07)**

 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 6.82

2. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 7.12

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 - 314

 

There are no trackchasers within 10 tracks (either above or below) of Carol’s current total. 

 

 

 

 

 

2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California - 48

 

2.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 40

 

3.  Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium - 21

 

4.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania - 17

 

4.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 17

 

6.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 14

 

7.  Roger Ferrell, Majenica, Indiana – 10

 

7.  Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 10

 

7.  Rick Young, Maxville, Ontario, Canada - 10

 

10.  Paul Weisel, Orefield, Pennsylvania – 9

 

Tracks have been reported by 34 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Utah’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

Albuquerque International Airport – 4.9 miles - trip ends

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Albuquerque, NM – Atlanta, GA – 1,269 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR – ATLANTA, GA

 

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – trip begins

Modoc, South Carolina – 158 miles

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Modoc Speedway – $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 from www.trackchaser.net

and my Garmin GPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS

 

I guess I’ll stick around South Carolina for one more day.  If all goes as planed, I will be able to add a trackchasing double tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

1,181. Hollywood Hills Speedway, San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico – April 29

 

1,182. Meridian Speedway, Meridian, Idaho – May 11

 

1,183. Diamond Mountain Speedway, Vernal, Utah, Idaho – May 12

 

*** Rocky Mountain Raceways (oval), Salt Lake City, Utah – May 12  This track was new for Carol only.

 

1,184. Rocky Mountain Raceways, Salt Lake City, Utah (oval) – May 12

 

1,185. Rocky Mountain Raceways, Salt Lake City, Utah (figure 8) – May 12

 

1,186. Modoc Speedway, Modoc, South Carolina – May 18

 

 

 

Trivia question answer:  Gary Richrath attended that banquet with me.  He was more excited to hold that trophy than I was.  Don’t recognize the name “Gary Richrath?”  Gary was the lead guitarist for REO Speedwagon from their inception through most of their existence.