DAY 5 – WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMER TRACKCHASING TOUR

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

Read how you too can have part of your real estate closing costs paid on your next move to California...................more in “The Trip”.

 

Who is “Brother Mark” and where did he come from? …………..details in “The People”.

 

See day one golf results from the World Golf Championship Summer Trackchasing Tour...................more in “Trackchasing Tourist Attraction”.

 

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 FREMONT, MICHIGAN (FOR THE 2^ND NIGHT IN A ROW!).

 

 

 

 

WE WOKE UP IN ROMULUS, MICHIGAN AND WENT TO SLEEP IN GRAND BLANC, MICHIGAN.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

 

The Objective 

 

It’s important to have a good strategy in every thing you do in life.  If you can consistently make the right calls, you’re going to have a happy, healthy and productive lifestyle.  O.K., what does that obvious statement have to do with trackchasing?

 

I will tell you that trackchasing is one constant battle with “making the right calls”.  If a trackchaser can’t do that, he/she will pay for it later.  Today, I had two choices on where to trackchase.

 

The first choice was a road course at a location that would involve 300 miles of driving after we finished golf and before we laid our head on the pillow.  The weather was going to be O.K. here.

 

The second choice was a county fair figure 8 track where we would need to drive 215 miles after golf and before reaching the motel.  The weather was O.K. here as well.

 

I chose option #1.  I needed a road course in my battle to unseat Guy Smith as America’s #1 road course trackchaser.  This type of county fair road course is most unusual and might never again occur at the Newaygo County Fairgrounds.  I could use a figure 8 track (option #2) as well in my attempt to fend off Ed Esser, but I suspect the figure 8 track runs every year at the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds.

 

I would have to bite the bullet on the incremental 85 miles of driving late at night.  I would also have to bite the bullet that a county fair road course track, if it’s anything like the one I saw in Michigan last month might be less than entertaining.  When I gave up my racechaser license several years ago, I also turned in the keys to more entertaining racing.

The Trip

 

Brother Mark and I awoke to a driving rainstorm at our motel located just two miles from the Detroit International Airport.  Things didn’t look good for our planned round of golf and trackchasing afterwards.

 

However, the rainy weather was moving out of Michigan to the East.  The only question was whether or not it would move fast enough.  As we headed away from this morning’s hotel, Mark drove and I computed.  I consulted live weather maps via the internet and navigated with the GPS system all the while I was trying to manage four different Trackchaser Reports, all in different stages of development.

 

Mark had only one thing to say as he looked on, “I had absolutely no idea how much was involved in this trackchasing.”  This was his first day on the trip!

 

We had to cancel our morning tee time.  By the afternoon, the rain was clearing and we found an outstanding golf course in East Lansing to play.  More on that in the Trackchasing Tourist Attraction below.

 

I will say this.  The weather, meaning temperature and humidity, was ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!  It was probably worse than Sunday when Pryce Boeye and I played golf in Iowa.

 

I am a born and raised Midwesterner.  Therefore, I am not just some “California surfer dude” making snide comments about the weather here.  I am going to plead with my local Midwest readers.  Please get a local realtor, price your home right and get a U-haul trailer right now.  You can’t afford to wait.  This humidity and excess heat cannot be good for you or your loved ones.  Move to California.  I will pay a portion of your closing costs. 

 

I know you’re saying, “But Randy we have a lovely four-bedroom home that can be had for $250,000.  In California, a gang invested neighborhood with a 60-year-old home that has two bedrooms and one bath would sell for $1.2 million.  This doesn’t seem like a very good deal.”

 

Yes, California real estate is beyond expensive.  Yes, the home you might look at would be old and small.  Yes, some of your neighbors might be gang members.  Nevertheless, there would be no heat and humidity!  I rest my case.

 

 

 

 

TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION

 

TIMBER RIDGE GOLF CLUB, EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN

 

Although today is day 5 of the World Golf Championship Summer Trackchasing Tour, it is the first round of the 54-hole match play tournament I am playing with my brother Mark.

 

The Timber Ridge Golf Club carried a five-star Golf Digest rating up until last year.  Only 12 public courses in the country had this maximum rating at the time including Pebble Beach in California.  The Timber Ridge rating was dropped to 4.5 stars this year, but it is still a top notch golf course.

 

Here’s how my golf match with Mark will shape up.  This will be a three golf course, 54-hole match play event.  I will be giving Mark a one stroke per hole handicap.  We’re only playing for bragging rights, but that’s important, as anyone who has either a younger or older brother or sister knows.

 

Today we played the blue tees that measured 6,285 yards.  The course rating is 71.2 and the slope rating is 139.  Those are respectable numbers for a tree lined traditional Midwest golf course.  There are some pictures of Timber Ridge at www.ranlayracing.com linked to this track’s Trackchaser Report.  You may enjoy seeing what happened on the very first tee as well as when Mark began to destroy golf course property.

 

First, did I say it was terribly humid with a temperature of about 85 degrees?  This was Miami or New Orleans weather in the summer.  We arrived at the course some 90 minutes before our scheduled tee time.  I explained to the golf pro that we were worldwide trackchasers who needed to get going with our golf so we could head on down the road to our next new track.  Since he was in a performance-based business as well, he understood.  Soon we were being placed ahead of several golfers on the list.  We would start out on the 16^th tee, play the course’s last three holes and then come back and start on hole #1 and finish on hole #15.  This would save us about an hour.

 

On our first hole (the 16^th), Mark asked if we could hit mulligan since we had not warmed up.  For the folks who don’t golf, a “mulligan” is a do over.  If you screw up, you get to hit another shot just as if you have not hit the first shot.

 

I play “country club” golf.  At our club, we don’t hit mulligans, we don’t bump the ball and we play by the rules.  Someone once told me, “that if you don’t play by the rules, you’re not playing golf”.  I agree 100%.  I reminded Mark that we were not playing $#%^$ golf and Tiger doesn’t take a mulligan.  Mark then proceeded to knock his tee shot deep into the woods and I hit my shot into the lake!  We took our double bogies like real men.

 

Nevertheless, Mark jumped out to an early lead.  After eight holes, I was two holes down.  When I get behind, the weather feels all the worse!

 

We continued to play and the match started to take a turn.  By the time we reached the 17^th hole, I was four holes ahead.  Mark won the last hole to finish three holes down.  Our match will continue tomorrow.  There are still 36 holes to play, so it’s anybody’s golf tournament to win.

 

 

 

 

The People

 

Let me tell you about my brother Mark.  Mark is 43 years old and lives in Phoenix.  Mark is a twin to our sister Lynn.  The “twins” were kind of a second family at our house.  I’m 15 ½ years older than Mark and he is my only brother.

 

Mark is a salesman for Pepsi.  He really enjoys sports and can tell you the batting average or any other sports stat for every sporting league in North America.  He has an audio cable permanently attached to the back of his head that plays “Sports Center” 24/7. 

 

Like any little brother, he enjoys spending time with his big brother and that’s the way it should be.  He enjoys competing with me.  I feel it’s my responsibility to give him as much competition as I can.  If he can beat me, then he deserves the acclaim that will follow.  I’ll give you more about Mark and we continue over the course of his five-day visit.

 

STATE RANKINGS

Tonight’s re-visit to the Newaygo County Fairgrounds in Fremont was my 59^th lifetime track in the Wolverine state.  This moves me into sole possession of 8^th place here.  I trail Rick Schneider’s 63 tracks for seventh place.  Allan Brown leads in Michigan with 153 tracks.

RACE REVIEW – NEWAYGO COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS (ROAD COURSE) – TRACK #1,247

 

This was my second consecutive evening at this fairgrounds.  Last night I saw figure 8 racing.  Tonight the Unique Motorsports sanctioning group was running “Off-Road Demolition Derby” racing.  This was a different layout from the “road course” racing I had seen last month put on by Unique at the Van Buren County Youth Fairgrounds.  That track was the shape of a hockey stick.  Tonight’s track configuration was similar to a kidney shaped swimming pool.

 

The track was about 1/6 of a mile in length.  Fortunately, they put a good deal of water on the track and it was more muddy than anything else.  Last night, the track’s surface reminded me of a sand and gravel pit.

 

The two divisions of racers, front and rear wheel drive cars, all took the green flag from a standing start.  The cars raced down a short straight that included a small jump.  Then they turned left into an oval like turn.  Upon exiting what might be turn #2 on an oval they did a sharp left into a chicane.  They then turned right for 6-7 seconds before entering turns #5 and #6 on this dirt road course.

 

The fair had a large crowd of 600+ in the good-sized grandstands.  This is a small fair.  There isn’t much else to do, see or eat than what they provide at the racetrack. 

 

The Unique promotional staff is fond of throwing small trinkets into the crowd.  They do this after nearly every race.  The crowd goes wild for these gifts.  There’s something about FREE that motivates even the most placid fan.

MARK’S MEMORIES

 

It was tight racing, very competitive.  The racing was exciting in front of a big crowd.  It wasn’t very technical racing.  You just need to bump the guy out of the way in front of you and if your car holds up you win.

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

Omaha – Friday-Wednesday (12-day rental)

 

Mark is helping with driving the Avis Rental Car Racing Pontiac Grand Prix.  We’re using a tank of fuel per day.  My saying is simple regarding our fuel usage, “a tank a day keeps AAA away”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Maxville, Iowa – 475 miles

Coon Rapids, Iowa – 546 miles

Newton, Iowa – 817 miles

Springfield, Nebraska – 993 miles

Fremont, Michigan – 1,777 miles

Fremont, Michigan – 2,187 miles

 

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Washington County Fairgrounds - $8

Maxville Fire Department Figure 8 - $8

Carroll County Fairgrounds - $5

Iowa Speedway - $10 (pit pass)

Sarpy County Fair & Rodeo Arena - $10

Newaygo County Fairgrounds - $9

Newaygo County Fairgrounds - $9

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

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

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,247

 

 

 

 

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 - 109

 

2.  Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium - 69

 

3.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 68

 

4.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania – 53

 

5.  Pam Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 43

 

6.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 41

 

6.  Paul Weisel, Orefield, Pennsylvania – 41

 

8.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 39

 

9.  Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania – 24

 

9.  Roger Ferrell, Majenica, Indiana – 24

 

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

 

 

 

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

 

Mark and I will just bomb around Michigan for our next new track visit.  The weather is expected too improve.  It could not get any worse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 County Fairgrounds (oval), Washington, Kansas – August 3

 

1,242. Maxville Fire Department Figure 8 Course, Maxville, Iowa– August 4

 

1,243. Carroll County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Coon Rapids, Iowa– August 4

 

1,244. Iowa Speedway (temporary inner oval), Newton, Iowa– August 5

 

1,245. Sarpy County Fair & Rodeo Arena (figure 8), Springfield, Nebraska – August 5

 

1,246. Newaygo County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Fremont, Michigan – August 6

 

1,247. Newaygo County Fairgrounds (road course), Fremont, Michigan – August 7