DAY 7 – MONSTER MIDWEST TOUR

TODAY’S HEADLINES

Today I visited one of the best Trackchasing Tourist Attraction I will get to all year………………more in “Trackchasing Tourist Attractions”.

 

The weather played havoc in the Midwest again.  I had to make an educated guess………………..details in “The Trip”.

 

What does a hockey stick have to do with the shape of a racetrack?…………….more in “Race Review”. 

Click on this link or paste it in your browser to take you to today’s Trackchaser Report via my website at www.ranlayracing.com

 

http://www.ranlayracing.com/july13222007.htm

 

GREETINGS FROM HARTFORD, MICHIGAN.

 

 

 

 

 

TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION

 

Yes!  See below.

I WOKE UP IN MUNCIE, INDIANA THIS MORNING.  I WENT TO SLEEP IN CRAWFORDSVILLE, INDIANA.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

 

The Strategy     

 

In order to build up track totals, my three-day weekend trackchasing trip must be supplemented by a couple of longer trips each year.  That’s where the 10-day “Monster Midwest” trackchasing tour comes in.

The Trip

 

I don’t know how I am faced with so many choices in trackchasing.  As in life, it always seems like the easiest choice is rarely the best.  Today, I had three different figure 8 shows I could attend, but the weather was going to be a problem.  I had stayed overnight in Muncie, Indiana.  I would be planning around that location.

 

First choice.  My preference was to go to the county fair in Greensburg, Indiana.  Greensburg was only 40 miles away.  However, Greensburg had an 80% chance of rain predicted for race time.  I called the fair and asked whether they were a rain or shine event.  The fair director told me, “We’re not going to stand out in the rain and run this event”.  That’s all I needed to hear from this gentleman.  I would not be going to Greensburg.

 

Editor’s note:  It was hard to drive away from this event, because the weather didn’t look too bad when I left the area at 1 p.m.  I was secretly satisfied to learn this event WAS ultimately rained out.

 

Second choice.  My second choice was a figure 8 county fair program in Stronghurst, Illinois.  I called the fair director and asked what her policy with the weather was.  She told me they had received a good deal of rain already.  If they did not get any more they would race.  The forecast called for a 50% chance of rain here.  Stronghurst was 355 miles from Muncie.  That was a long way to drive into a 50% chance of rain.

 

Third choice.  My third and final choice was a county fair “off-road race” in Hartford, Michigan.  They had just a 10-20% chance of rain.  Harford was 230 miles from Muncie.  I called the promoter.  He told me “we race rain or shine….unless there’s a tornado”.  Great I was off to Michigan.  I just hoped they wouldn’t have a tornado.

 

I finished up the Monster Midwest tour with my 69^th day of trackchasing in 2007.  During this year, I have only three trackchasing rainout days.  In the United States, it takes very little to rain out a racing event.  Some promoters even cancel when the weather forecast looks bad.  In order to keep my rainout rate as low as I do, I need to have alternatives, study weather forecasts and make calls to promoters to see how strongly they feel about running the show in questionable weather conditions.  I’m 69 and 3, so I'm doing pretty well in this area.

 

 

 

 

TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION

 

INDIANA BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME (http://www.hoopshall.com/)

 

I love high school boys and girls basketball.  I have had a love for basketball since I began playing in two organized leagues in the second grade.  One of those leagues used an 8’6” high basket and the other used the regulation 10-foot basket.  I had one of each in my driveway.  I can recall several New Year’s Eves in frigid Illinois when I would ring in the New Year shooting baskets.

 

It is with this background that I visited the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in New Castle, Indiana.  This was not my first visit to this HoF.  The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is one of the best “halls” I have ever visited.  Indiana has a rich tradition with the sport of basketball, even though as a former Illinois resident, I hate to admit it.

 

There have been many star players and coaches to come from Indiana including UCLA’s beloved John Wooden, Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson.  I have my personal favorite.  That would be the “Big O” Oscar Robertson.

 

I grew up in the Peoria, Illinois area.  Peoria is home to Bradley Braves basketball.  The Braves are still members of the Missouri Valley conference.  Back when I was eleven years old, Bradley and Cincinnati were the powers of the Missouri Valley conference.  Cincinnati was always a little better and they had Oscar Robertson.

 

In some ways, the “Big O” was an early version of Michael Jordan in renown.  My grandfather would take me to one Bradley game each year at the Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse.  I always requested and was rewarded with a ticket to the Cincinnati Bearcat game.  Cincinnati had black uniforms with red and white lettering.

 

How good was the “Big O”?  Back then freshmen players were not allowed to play varsity college basketball.  In Oscar’s first game as a sophomore, he scored 56 points.  During his three years playing varsity, the Bearcats never lost a home game.  He took them to the NCAA finals in 1959 and 1960.  When he went to the NBA, he AVERAGED a triple double!!  That means over the course of an 80+ game season he averaged double figures in scoring, rebounding and assists.  That’s amazing.  By the way, Oscar Robertson was the first ever black athlete to play for the University of Cincinnati.

 

The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame has movies, interactive exhibits, jerseys, balls, old scoreboards and lots more.  They even had a complete section dedicated to the Milan high school team that was made famous in the movie, Hoosiers.  If you’re cruising along I-70 east of Indianapolis, I highly recommend a stop here.  They’re closed on Mondays.

 

 

 

 

 

The People

 

I’m seeing more and more ethnic diversity in the Midwest.  This place used to be only pasty white people.  Times they are a changing.

 

 

STATE RANKINGS

This was my 57^th track in the Wolverine state.  I trail Andy Sivi by just one track for the eighth place position here.  This is my 10^th track on the “Monster Midwest Tour” and I am yet to gain one state position or one lifetime NGD point!  Allan Brown leads Roger Ferrell 153-103 for the lead in Michigan.

RACE REVIEW – VAN BUREN COUNTY YOUTH FAIRGROUNDS (ROAD COURSE), HARTFORD, MICHIGAN

 

It was a long drive up to Michigan.  This was a decent sized county fair and the place was packed.  They were offering a big fireworks show tonight, so I’m sure this increased the crowd.  I’ve figured out why fireworks shows are so popular.  They’re free!

 

Tonight’s racing was not that great.  The program was promoted by the Unique Motorsports group.  This was one of their two “off-road derbies”.  The track was unusual.  It was shaped like a hockey stick.  The cars raced clockwise.  They started by racing down the long shaft of the hockey stick.  At the lower end of the stick (heal), they made a right hand turn and then another right hand turn at the toe of the stick.  They then made nearly a 90-degree left turn before driving up the entire length of the shaft to finish the lap.  I’m using some golf terms to describe the hockey stick.  I don’t know for sure if they are the same or not!

 

They had both four-cylinder and eight-cylinder cars racing tonight.  Most of them had seen better days.  The driver’s, when interviewed, told everyone they had only 10-12 hours of labor in the car.  That seemed a bit low to me.

 

They kept running qualifiers after qualifiers.  The final qualifier (last chance race) was a two-car race where the winner advanced to the feature.  Please!  The feature was not that great. 

 

It was breezy tonight with a temperature in the low 70s.  There was a huge grass hillside where hundreds of fans were spread out.  This hill offered a good view of the action.  Overall, I was most happy to get a race tonight considering all of the weather problems. 

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

St. Louis – Friday-Monday (10 days)

 

I picked up my main rental car (rented in St. Louis) from the long-term parking lot in Cincinnati.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

On the plains of hesitation lie the bleached bones of millions who, when within the grasp of victory sat and waited and waiting died.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Los Angeles, CA – St. Louis, MO – 1,591 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR – ST. LOUIS (1^st RENTAL CAR)

 

St. Louis International Airport – trip begins

Troy, Missouri – 71 miles

Pittsfield, Illinois – 132 miles

Newton, Iowa – 403 miles

Osage, Iowa – 583 miles

Scottsburg, Indiana – 1,289 miles

 

AIRPLANE

 

Cincinnati, OH – Grand Rapids, MI  – 268 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR – GRAND RAPIDS (2^ND RENTAL CAR OF TRIP)

 

Gerald R. Ford International Airport – trip begins

Hastings, MI – 25 miles

Gerald R. Ford International Airport – 59 miles - trip ends

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Grand Rapids, MI – Cincinnati, OH – 268 miles

Cincinnati, OH – Harrisburg, PA - 429 miles

 

RENTAL CAR – HARRISBURG, PA (3rd RENTAL CAR OF TRIP)

 

Harrisburg International Airport-Olmstead Field – trip begins

Hughesville, PA – 95 miles

Lehigh Valley International Airport – 231 miles - trip ends

 

AIRPLANE

 

Allentown, PA – Cincinnati, OH – 503 miles

 

RENTAL CAR – ST. LOUIS

 

Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky Airport – trip resumes

Muncie, Indiana – 1,511 miles

Hartford, Michigan – 1,744 miles

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Lincoln County Fairgrounds - $20

Pike County Speedway - $Free (normally $3 for fan 55 & older)

Iowa Speedway - $30

Mitchell County Fairgrounds - $15 (pit pass)

Scott County Fairgrounds - $8

Barry County Fairgrounds - $14 (Fair-$5 & Figure 8 race-$9)

Lycoming County Fairgrounds - $13 (Fair-$3 & Figure 8 race-$10) plus $2 parking

Delaware County Fairgrounds - $5

Van Buren County Youth Fairgrounds - $8 (Fair-$5 & race $3)

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

There are no trackchasers currently within 100 tracks of my lifetime total. 

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,231

 

 

 

 

Other notables

 

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

 

29.  Tom Schmeh, Knoxville, Iowa – 330

 

29.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 330

 

31.  Dwight Bucks, Topton, Pennsylvania – 325

 

 

 

 

2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California - 93

 

2.  Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium - 61

 

3.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 60

 

4.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania – 43

 

5.  Paul Weisel, Orefield, Pennsylvania – 37

 

6.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 36

 

7.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 32

 

8.  Pam Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 25

 

9.  Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 21

 

10.  Roger Ferrell, Majenica, Indiana – 20

 

Tracks have been reported by 37 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

 

LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS

 

2007 (current thru 6/29/07)**

 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 6.65

2. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 6.86

3. Allan Brown, Comstock Park, Michigan – 7.57

 

**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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

These are the dog days of July and August.  It’s best for me to just to keep my head down and keep adding tracks to my list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

1,187. Possum Kingdom Super Speedway, Belton, South Carolina – May 19

 

1,188. Laurens County Speedway, Laurens, South Carolina – May 19

 

1,189. Fairplex at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, Pomona, California – May 20

 

1,190. Lowes Motor Speedway (inner oval), Concord, North Carolina – May 24

 

1,191. Lowes Motor Speedway (road course), Concord, North Carolina – May 24

 

1,192. Madison International Speedway (inner oval), Oregon, Wisconsin – May 25

 

** Madison International Speedway (outer oval), Oregon, Wisconsin – May 25

 

1,193. Thunderbird Stadium (figure 8), Bremerton, Washington – May 26

 

1,194. Thunderbird Stadium (oval), Bremerton, Washington – May 26

 

1,195. Whispering Pines Motorsports Park, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada – May 27

 

1,196. Magic Valley Speedway, Twin Falls, Idaho – May 28

 

1,197. Owyhee Motorcycle Raceway Park, Boise, Idaho – June 1

 

1,198. Race City Motorsports Park, Calgary, Alberta, Canada – June 2

 

1,199. Edmonton International Raceway, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada – June 2

 

1,200. Castrol Raceway, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada – June 2

 

1,201. Hidden Valley Motorsports Park, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada – June 2

 

1,202. Boyd’s Speedway, Ringgold, Georgia - June 8

 

1,203. Fayette County Fairgrounds, Washington Courthouse, Ohio - June 9

 

1,204. Brush Creek Motorsports Park, Pebbles, Ohio - June 9

 

1,205. Brown County Speedway, Russellville, Ohio - June 9

 

1,206. Vinton Speedway, Vinton, Ohio - June 10

 

1,207. Hilltop Speedway, Millersburg, Ohio - June 10

 

1,208. I-70 Speedway – dirt (outer oval), Odessa, Missouri - June 13

 

1,209. L A Raceway, La Monte, Missouri - June 14

 

1,210. Valley Speedway, Grain Valley, Missouri - June 22

 

1,211. Jamaica Raceway, Jamaica, Iowa - June 23

 

1,212. Calhoun County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Rockwell City, Jamaica, Iowa - June 23

 

** Hamilton County Speedway, Webster City, Iowa – June 23 (new for Carol only)

 

** Iowa Speedway (outer oval), Newton, Iowa, Iowa – June 24 (new for Carol only)

 

1,213. Butler Motor Speedway, Butler, Missouri - June 24

 

** Peoria Speedway, Peoria, Illinois – June 25

 

1,214. Kart Kanyon Raceway, Aztec, New Mexico - June 30

 

1,215. Aztec Speedway, Aztec, New Mexico - June 30

 

1,216. Sunvalley Speedway, Vernon, British Columbia, Canada – July 1

 

1,217. Georgetown Speedway, Georgetown, Delaware – July 6

 

1,218. Delmarva Motorsports Park, Middleford, Delaware – July 6

 

1,219. Hunterstown Speedway, Hunterstown, Pennsylvania – July 7

 

1,220. Shippensburg Speedway, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania – July 7 (Randy only)

 

** Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, Maryland – July 7 (new for Carol only)

 

1,221. Blanket Hill Speedway, Whitesburg, Pennsylvania – July 8

 

1,222. Lincoln County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Troy, Missouri – July 13

 

1,223. Pike County Speedway, Pittsfield, Illinois – July 13

 

1,224. Iowa Speedway (road course), Newton, Iowa – July 14

 

1,225. Mitchell County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Osage, Iowa – July 14

 

1,226. Scott County Fairgrounds (oval), Scottsburg, Indiana – July 15

 

1,227. Barry Expo Center (figure 8), Hastings, Michigan – July 16

 

1,228. Lycoming County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Hughesville, Pennsylvania, Michigan – July 17

 

1,229. Delaware County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Muncie, Indiana – July 18

 

1,230. Delaware County Fairgrounds (oval), Muncie, Indiana – July 18

 

1,231. Van Buren County Youth Fairgrounds (road course), Hartford, Michigan – July 19