DAY 10 – WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP SUMMER TRACKCHASING TOUR

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

What’s going to happen to my Sunday night trackchasing in the next few years?...................more in “The Objective”.

 

Is saving seven dollars worth setting a poor example for your child? …………..details in “Race Review – Double X Speedway”.

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 CALIFORNIA, MISSOURI.

 

 

 

 

I WOKE UP IN JOLIET, ILLINOIS AND WENT TO SLEEP IN COLUMBIA, MISSOURI.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

 

The Objective 

 

Track management is all important for a trackchaser like me with more than 1,200 lifetime tracks.   I don’t leave my home state of California very often unless I can string together a group of tracks.  I have about 1,160 tracks I have not seen in North America.  Only about 350 of those tracks race on a weekly basis.  The lion’s share of those tracks race on Saturday night.  Obviously, there is only one Saturday night each week unless you’re retired.  Then every night is Saturday night!

 

My most common trackchasing trip is to see races over a three-day weekend on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  July and August are popular months for mid-week racing, but most of those shows are county fair dates.

 

Tonight’s track, the Double X Speedway races every week during their season on Sunday nights.  Sunday night racing is becoming exceedingly rare.  In fact, I have only 10-15 tracks that remain to be seen that are true Sunday night tracks.

 

You might ask, “But Randy I’ve been tracking your stats in 2007.  So far, there have been 33 Sundays during the year.  You have seen a new track on 25 of those Sundays.  If you only have 10-15 Sunday night tracks remaining, you don’t even have six months of Sunday tracks remaining to be seen”.  Yes, the person who poses that question would be making an excellent point.

 

I’m not sure I have an answer to that question.  I’ve been pretty creative in the past and I will attempt to be in the future.  I have an entire research staff located on the second floor of the RANLAY Racing headquarters building trying to come up with plans to answer questions just like yours.

The Trip

 

I was only in my Motel 6 in Joliet, Illinois for six hours.  I had to be on the road by 8 a.m. on Sunday so I could get down to my motel in Columbia, Missouri by not later than 2 p.m.  My morning drive would be 375 miles. 

 

By the way, I have to give a shout out for Motel 6.  They have several upgraded properties.  The location in Joliet, Illinois is brand new.  They have wireless internet ($2.99/day) and the rooms are new, clean and bright.

 

Why did I have to be in Columbia by 2 p.m.?  That’s when Tiger Woods was teeing off in defense of his PGA golf championship.  I’m a big Tiger fan.  I root for him even harder since I had the chance to get to know his caddie, Stevie Williams, while Carol and I were trackchasing in New Zealand this past Christmas.

 

Speaking of New Zealand, I have noticed a good deal of activity on my website around my past New Zealand Trackchaser Reports.  That would seem to indicate someone might be planning a trip down under in the not too distant future. 

 

In case you’ve been living under a rock, I’m glad to report that Tiger did win his tournament.  That gives him 13 major championships as he tries to break the record of Jack Nicklaus who has eighteen.

 

I had two very unusual experiences coming to and returning from the Double X Speedway.  Each one had the potential for disaster.

 

My drive from Columbia, to California, Missouri took me along a two-lane highway directly into the setting sun.  Just as I was driving in one of the worst sunspots, the biggest plume of smoke engulfed my forward vision.  You’ve seen those NASCAR crashes where the tire smoke from the spinning and wrecking cars totally blocks the vision of the oncoming drivers.  That is what this was like.

 

Apparently, a young woman with three small children lost control of her car and slid more than 100 yards with the brakes locked.  She landed in a huge ditch.  By the time I reached her location a couple of other cars had stopped.  She was out of the car and obviously shaken but O.K.  The car looked a little worse for the wear.  I’m glad I’m not her husband when he gets the “hey honey” call. 

 

It was actually a poor day for the women drivers I encountered.  Two women in separate incidents eased over into my lane at 70 M.P.H. while talking on the cell phone.  I exchanged sign language gestures with one "young hottie" (using Mark's lingo here) driving a BMW convertible.

 

Today’s weather had been hot at more than 100 degrees.  My drive back to my Columbia-based Motel 6 was a short one.  Just as I pulled into the parking lot, the lights for the entire three story building went out.  That seemed strange.  I waited in my car for a couple of minutes to see if they were going to come back on.  They did.

 

I grabbed all of my gear and headed for the front door of the hotel.  I was shocked to find myself in just about the strongest wind I have ever encountered.  I’m not exaggerating.  I think the wind was blowing at least 50 M.P.H.  I almost didn’t make it through the front door!  There was no rain just really warm and very high wind.  It was the strangest thing.

 

 

 

The People

 

I received a nice mention from tonight’s announcer about my trackchasing.  At intermission, he came down to read off some lucky program numbers.  This is a small track and he simply looked up into the grandstands and asked me to give him a wave, which I did.

 

This prompted the two ladies sitting behind me to strike up a conversation.  They were most impressed with anyone who could live the lifestyle I do.  Of course, these were racing oriented people so I guess they could be biased. 

 

I will say this.  Probably the most frequent reaction I get from racing people beyond “how can you possibly afford this” is “gee, I wish I could do what you do”. 

 

The ladies were connected with a local factory stock driver.  He was the son of one of them and ended up finishing second in his feature event.  The woman told me the 40 year history of the track.  They reminded me that the track used to be much smaller than its current quarter mile configuration.  They also told me that before the current grandstand was put in place everyone just sat out on the hillside.  I suspect good friend, Bud Heineman has some recollections of the Double X Speedway.

 

After the final checkered flag of the night, I bid my new lady friends (not THOSE kinds of lady friends) a fond farewell.  One of the woman yelled, “I wish I was you!”  Although I get that a lot, I suspect that might be as much of a statement about her current life as it is about mine.  I also suspect she had absolutely no idea what goes into being a worldwide trackchaser.  Nevertheless, I appreciated her compliment.

 

 

STATE RANKINGS

Tonight’s track was my 36^th lifetime “Show Me” track.  I now hold down fourth place in the state just two behind Iowa’s Max Allender’s 38 Missouri tracks.  Ed Esser leads here with 52 tracks.

RACE REVIEW – DOUBLE X SPEEDWAY, CALIFORNIA, MISSOURI – TRACK #1,254

It was 96 degrees when I pulled into the Double X Speedway parking lot.  It wasn’t really muggy; it was just hot, desert hot.  As I walked in, a mother was bringing her three daughters into the track.  The track’s policy is that children who are 10 and under get in free.  This woman was asked the age of the woman’s oldest child.  Her answer was eleven.

 

Then a full scale “discussion” began.  The woman argued that she had been bringing her daughter to the races all season and she had not had to pay.  The cashier was sympathetic but said that no matter what happened in the past, she needed to be paying for her daughter.  The woman contended she did not have seven dollars.  They finally came to an agreement that she would be “allowed in tonight, but next time she would have to pay”.  I really hope the woman didn’t have the seven dollars, because if she did that would be a terrible example to provide for her daughter.

 

The little quarter-mile track was narrow.  I was surprised they could pass at all.  The lighting wasn’t very good either.  Each of the three classes had between 9-14 cars.  They ran street stocks, factory stocks (more ministocks than anything else) and winged sprint cars.  There are not that many winged sprint car weekly tracks running, especially in a market like this and on a track this small.

 

This was a simple program.  Just two heats and a feature for each class.  I was happy to see a quickly run affair as the heat was stifling and rental car miles had been piling up.

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

Omaha – Friday-Wednesday (12-day rental)

 

Not much new to report with the Avis Rental Car Racing Pontiac Grand Prix.  It holds all my stuff and seems to get good mileage.

 

 

 

 

 

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

Corunna, Michigan – 2,435 miles

Wellsboro, Pennsylvania – 2,980 miles

Coopersville, Michigan – 3,609 miles

Rothbury, Michigan – 3,645 miles

Jackson, Michigan – 3,948 miles

Springport, Michigan – 3,976 miles

California, Missouri – 4,632 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

Shiawassee County Fairgrounds - $13 ($3 fair & $10 figure 8)

Tioga County Fairgrounds - $10 ($3 fair & $7 figure 8)

Coopersville Festival Grounds - $10

Winston Motor Speedway – Free

Jackson Speedway - $5

Springport Motor Speedway – Free

Double X Speedway - $10

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

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

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,254

 

 

 

 

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 - 116

 

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

 

Just two more tracks out in Kansas and I’ll put a ribbon on this trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

1,248. Shiawassee County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Corunna, Michigan – August 8

 

1,249. Tioga County Fairgrounds (figure 8), Wellsboro, Pennsylvania – August 9

 

1,250. Coopersville Festival Grounds (road course), Coopersville, Michigan – August 10

 

1,251. Winston Motor Speedway, Rothbury, , Michigan – August 10

 

1,252. Jackson Speedway (dirt oval), Jackson, Michigan – August 11

 

1,253. Springport Motor Speedway, Springport, Michigan – August 11

 

1,254. Double X Speedway, California, Michigan – August 12