DAY 1 – WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMER TRACKCHASING TOUR

TODAY’S HEADLINES

I am constantly attempting to try new travel opportunities that provide efficiency and cost-saving...................more in “Rental Car Update”.

 

What three things happened that pushed me into the Worldwide Trackchasing forefront? …………..details in “The Objective”.

 

 

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/august3142007.htm

 

GREETINGS FROM WASHINGTON, KANSAS.

 

 

 

 

I WOKE UP IN SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA AND WENT TO BED IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

 

The Objective 

 

Prior to the 2004 trackchasing season, I was going along collecting 50-75 new tracks each season as kind of a “gentlemen trackchaser”.  I was satisfied with that.  I was moving slowly up the worldwide rankings.  Actually, when I first discovered the trackchasing group at the end of the 1999 season, I found myself in 15^th place in the worldwide standings.  The top six were so far ahead that I figured that if I kept tracking at my current pace, I might someday get as high as seventh place.  Then three things happened.

 

First, I retired on June 30, 2002.  Even though I had been retired for nearly two years, I was still only averaging 60-70 tracks in those first two years of my new non-working life.  That seemed about right.

 

Secondly, I had rotator cuff surgery a few years ago.  This knocked me off the golf course for six months.  I needed to have something to do with my time when I was no longer going to be on the golfing 2-3 days a week.

 

Finally, about this time some members of the trackchasing top six noticed I was moving up in the standings.  They didn’t like the looks of that.  Soon I was being accused of being “too rich”.  Then I was being accused of “using my corporate-learned organization skills to maximize trackchasing opportunities”.  Finally, I was being accused of “exploiting the trackchaser rules” to my advantage.

 

I tried valiantly to fight back against what I perceived as unfair criticism.  I tried to defend myself against accusations of being “too rich”.  I pointed out that Carol uses aluminum foil more than once to freeze our food.  I mentioned my lower middle class upbringing in rural central Illinois where I worked summers in the Midwest heat and humidity cutting weeds with a scythe.  Heck, I didn’t even get a new basketball until the “bulge” between the seams popped on each ball.  Today I routinely stay in Motel 6s to show that I was not born with a Hyatt silver spoon in my mouth.

 

Then I had to defend corporate America as not being some evil empire that was only in existence to keep the little guy down.  I explained that their really is no “corporation”.  A corporation is simply a legal entity.  There is no rich guy orchestrating the demise of the working man.  Corporations are owned by shareholders.  If you have a 401K at work or invest in the stock market then you are the owner of a corporation.  Corporations are in business to make a profit so their owners (you, the shareholder) can get a return on your investment.  Corporations are in business to provide employment for their employees so those employees can provide for their families.  Corporations, be they big or small are good for the people, not bad for the people.  If you think your company is exploiting you, quit and find something better.  Yes, I have used my corporate organizational skills to make my trackchasing a model of efficiency.  This is one of the many benefits I derived from working for a large corporation.

 

Finally, I have made a strong effort to understand our trackchasing rules and get every track that I can that meets those rules.  The rules were developed by the current worldwide second place trackchaser Guy Smith back in 1999 with the help and approval of the other top 10 trackchasers at that time.  I had absolutely nothing to do with those original rules.

 

I have studied the rules closely.  Whenever, I have a question about the rules, I call the trackchaser commissioner, Will White or email him for clarification.  There is a distinct possibility that my track counting is more scrutinized than any other trackchaser.  That’s O.K.  I have documented everywhere I go with a complete description and photographs via my website at www.ranlayracing.com.

 

I would be less than direct if I didn’t say these snipings by some members of the top six have provided me with the motivation to trackchase as often as I do.  I am most grateful for the motivational nudge.

 

There you have it.  If I had not worked for such a great company like Procter & Gamble, I never could have retired at age 53.  If the doctor who read my shoulder MRI had not misread it, I never would have had full rotator cuff surgery.  And finally, if a couple of trackchasers had not let their jealousy get the better of them, I never would have been motivated to show them what someone can really do in the hobby of trackchasing.

 

That’s it!  Retirement, rotator cuff surgery and a little motivation from my fellow competitors pushed me more heavily into expanding a hobby I had already enjoyed but at a lesser level.  There is no one who has more fun with the hobby of trackchasing than I do.  When I get home from a trackchasing trip, only a day or two needs to pass and I am eager to go on the next trip.

 

It’s fun seeing all the non-racing stuff in our world.  I try to convey those experiences to you so that you can visit those places yourself or live vicariously through some of my experiences. 

 

This brings me to the real objective of the World Golf Championships Summer Trackchasing Tour.  That objective is simple.  It’s to have some fun with friends and family and play a good deal of golf on some great Midwestern golf courses.  You will be able to judge how I do against that objective.

 

The Trip

 

This trip began with Carol and me backing out of the driveway at 4:50 a.m. on Friday.  Carol would not be going on this trackchasing trip.  However, she would ride with me to the airport and then take the Carol Lewis owned and Life of Virginia sponsored Lexus back to the barn.  We would avoid significant airport parking fees with this plan.

 

Carol, aka Trackchasing’s First Mother, can always be counted on for her commitment.  That’s important when selecting a spouse.  She’ll visit her parents for several days while I’m gone as she prepares for an upcoming international trackchasing trip soon. 

 

This trip was different on the airplane front as well.  I would not be flying on any of my sponsorship airlines.  Today, I would use a frequent flyer ticket.  You are probably thinking, “Randy, you lucky dog, you’re getting to fly for free”. 

 

I don’t know if you’re thinking that or not, but my thought process is 100% different.  With a frequent flyer ticket, I don’t have to fly standby.  Mind you, I am 99%+ successful flying standby.  However, my mind is at ease today because I know I have a guaranteed seat.

 

The real plus is that I can check bags.  I COULD check bags as a standby passenger, but it just isn’t worth the risk that my bag may go one-way and I would go another.  Recall, I just completed a 10-day trackchasing trip and did it with the contents of one rolling bag that I put in overhead storage on the plane.  Have you ever tried that?

 

This trip will consume 12 days.  I have golf clubs to lug and extra golf shirts, shoes, etc.  My total luggage on this trip weighs more than 100 pounds.  It’s a good feeling to be able to check luggage!

 

 

 

The People

 

I had a most interesting discussion with the woman seated next to me on the plane.  She was a teacher of sorts.  The woman was coming back to her home in Omaha after a conference in Tucson about substance abuse among young people.

 

We talked for a long time about what it takes to day to insure success for our young people.  I believe we both concluded the family unit is most responsible for young people’s success.  We also agreed that many families provide such poor or non-existent role models for their children that the children have very little chance to live the American dream.

 

I spent some time telling the woman about my trackchasing adventures.  She seemed most interested in my ticket buying experiences at the Final Four this past March in Atlanta.  She said, “I could listen to your stories for hours”.  Easy to say when you haven’t done it!

 

STATE RANKINGS

Tonight was my 19^th different track in the Jayhawk state.  This breaks my tie with Nancy Brown.  I now occupy third place in Kansas by myself.  Ed Esser leads the state with a solid 28 tracks.  There have been 43 trackchases who have visited this semi-rural state.

RACE REVIEW – WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS (OVAL) – TRACK #1,241

Tonight was a fun night of racing.  It’s always fun to get a track that is severely threatened by weather.  It began to sprinkle when I was just five miles from the track.  I wasn’t too concerned as this appeared to just be a sun shower.

 

However, I got a little more worried when the program started 18 minutes late and it began to get really dark over in the East.  After the first mini-truck heat race was in the books, I breathed a sign of relief.

 

Speaking of breathing, this will be my most memorable thought of the Washington Speedway.  You could cut the humidity with a knife.  It was 85 degrees at race time with humidity of more than 85%.  It was very muggy to say the least.

 

The track itself has been here for more than 20 years according to a local I talked too.  He also told me the area had received 2-3” of rain the day before.  He had been preparing the track and spent the entire day scraping mud off it.  Whatever he did, it worked because the track was tacky with absolutely no dust.

 

The main classes tonight were from the Jayhawk Mini-Sprint organization.  This was the first ever Jayhawk event I have seen.  They try to run four shows at five different tracks for their season.

 

The premier class tonight was the 600cc sprints.  They had about 18 of them.  There were also a few 750cc mini-sprints, some “restrictor” cars for 10-16 years olds and six mini-trucks.

 

The track is a little 1/6-mile banked dirt bullring.  The lights in the third turn were nearly non-existent.  The P.A. was excellent and the track’s two announcers were most entertaining and informative.  They had me up for an interview in the press box.

 

Boy was it hot up there.  With the heat and the humidity, the sweat was streaming down my face.  The announcers got the biggest kick out of just the thought of trackchasing.  I was interviewed during a down period when one of the mini-sprints caught on fire.  When they went back to racing, the announcer told me, “Please stay up here with us.  I have a million questions I want to ask you.  When we have our next wreck we’ll talk about this trackchasing.”  I did as instructed.

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

Omaha – Friday-Wednesday (12-day rental)

 

I almost always use www.sidestep.com to give me a ballpark price on airfare, hotels and rental cars before I begin any trackchasing trip.  This website is very quick and easy to use.  I find it gives me the best “available to the public” prices.  Once I see a Sidestep price, I then go to my individual airline, rental car and hotel providers to see if they can beat the Sidestep price.  Often they can by a small amount.

 

I needed a rental car in Omaha for this trip.  I needed it for 12 days.  Sidestep showed several rental car companies with a best price from Thrifty Rental Car of $511.  You’re probably thinking, “Randy, this trackchasing business can get expensive, can’t it?”  The short answer to your question is “Yes!”

 

The National Rental Car Company is my rental car special provider.  Because I rent from them so frequently I get several useful perks such as special low mileage cars, reservation preference and lower than normal prices.  My National price for this 12-day rental was $485.  This was a savings of $26 over the very best price Sidestep offered.  National’s direct price to me was more than $200 cheaper than the price Sidestep offered from National Rental Car.

 

I still had one more option I wanted to try.  I figured I would give www.priceline.com a try.  They are the “name your own price” website, that you may have tried at one time or another.  I have attempted to use them in the past, without a lot of success.

 

The one thing I don’t like about Priceline when it comes to renting cars is that once you make the reservation you cannot cancel it.  If you pay $300 to Priceline for a car and you have to cancel or change your trip, you do not get a refund.  I have also never been very successful in finding their prices that much lower than what I can get on the open market.

 

Nevertheless, I figured Priceline was worth a try.  I thought if I could save $100 with a few taps on my computer keyboard it would be worth the effort.  My National Rental Car reservation at $485 included about $97 worth of taxes.  My average charge per day for the 12-day rental of a full-sized car was $32.40 at National.

 

I calculated that if I bid $25 per day for my full-size rental car that would save me $100 after the taxes were added to the price.  Just as I was about to enter “25”, my mind said, “Hold on, Randy.  You might even be able to get this car cheaper.  Try $20 per day”.  I try to listen to my mind whenever I can.  I punched in the number “20” and waited while my computer screen told me Priceline was “negotiating” my car rental deal.

 

In just a few seconds, Priceline came back and told me my “name your own price” offer had been accepted!  My total price, including taxes, would be $311.  That was a saving of $174 over my National Rental Car price.  All right!  That’s what I’m talking about.

 

Granted my flexibility would be somewhat limited by the fact that I could not change my 12-days of renting or my pick-up or drop-off options.  I never like to have my options limited in anything I do.  However, in this case, a $174 savings seemed like it would be worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

I live in my own world.  People know me here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Orange County, CA – Denver, CO – 845 miles

Denver, CO – Omaha, NE - 472 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR – OMAHA

 

Eppley Field – trip begins

Washington, Kansas – 154 miles

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Washington County Fairgrounds - $7

 

 

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

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

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,241

 

 

 

 

Other notables

 

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

 

 

29.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 333

 

30.  Tom Schmeh, Knoxville, Iowa – 330

 

31.  Dwight Bucks, Topton, Pennsylvania – 325

 

 

 

 

2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California - 103

 

2.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 66

 

3.  Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium - 64

 

4.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania – 44

 

5.  Paul Weisel, Orefield, Pennsylvania – 41

 

6.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 39

 

7.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 35

 

8.  Pam Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 31

 

9.  Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 24

 

10.  Roger Ferrell, Majenica, Indiana – 23

 

Tracks have been reported by 39 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

 

 

 

LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS

 

2007 (current thru 8/3/07)**

 

 

1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 6.63

2. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 6.78

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

 

Today is Friday.  The Illinois Cup golf match with Pryce Boeye is Sunday.  Due to my busy trackchasing schedule, I have played golf only one time in the last three weeks.  I have just one day to try to resurrect a golf game before Sunday’s match.  I will search out a driving range tomorrow.  I only hope I can handle the humidity.  I have a special guest joining me on Monday night.  That should be fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

1,232. High Banks Speedway (oval), Philpot, Kentucky – July 20

 

1,233. High Banks Speedway (figure 8), Philpot, Kentucky – July 20

 

1,234. SOIL MX, Bone Gap, Illinois – July 21

 

1,235. Western Kentucky Speedway, Madisonville, Kentucky – July 21

 

** Windy Hollow Speedway (oval), Owensboro, Kentucky – July 23

 

1,236. Windy Hollow Speedway (small figure 8), Owensboro, Kentucky – July 21

 

1,237. Teton County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Jackson, Wyoming – July 26

 

1,238. Gallatin International Speedway, Belgrade, Montana – July 27

 

1,239. BMP Speedway, Billings, Montana – July 28

 

1,240. Sweetwater County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Rock Springs, Wyoming – July 31

 

1,241. Washington Speedway, Washington, Kansas – August 3