Randy Lewis
World's #1 Ranked Trackchaser
CHECKERED FLAG SPEEDWAY, HOHENWALD, TENNESSEE
DAY 2 – JUST A FEW MORE BEFORE
The evolution of the trackchaser report (excerpt from www.ranlayracing.com).
The Trackchaser Report has evolved from my sales management days. As a salesman (later changed to the more politically correct term of salesperson), my manager would work with me about one day per month. After the manager's visit, I would receive a "work with" letter, which later became known as a "trip report". The manager would review our day together while noting the good things that happened and the items I needed to work on. Most managers employed the "sandwich" technique. Just like two pieces of bread with the meat in the middle, the report would first focus on the good things I had done. In the middle of the letter, an improvement opportunity or two was included. The manager then finished on a positive note. Later when I became sales manager, I would use the same principles to recognize the good work of my salespeople and encourage them to push for improvement.
Therefore, the Trackchaser Report evolves from the "work with" report. The TR is meant to both entertain and inform. When I go trackchasing, I see races. However, when I go trackchasing I also see people. I have found that people are more interesting to watch than the races. I don't limit my people watching to just my time at the races. I get a chance to watch people at the airport, in restaurants and in all different parts of the
My TR will try to entertain you and at times will be somewhat controversial. If you weren't entertained and/or intrigued by a controversial point or two, then why would you read the danged thing? Sometimes the TR gets a bit lengthy. That can be a good thing. Why? Because sometimes it takes time to give you the background details that make the story complete. I know some folks who only read the people section. Others only read the racing section. There are still others who only look for the occasional mistake. Some read every word. Therefore, the TR will have headings directing you to the section you might find interesting.
The very best part of the TR for me is the feedback I get from readers. There are more than 1,000 people on my email distribution list of the TR. As the recipient list has grown, the amount of feedback I receive has also increased. If you agree with something in the TR report, let me know. If you don't agree with something in the TR, also let me know. If you see the TR on this website and want to be added to the email distribution list (you'll get it faster that way), then email me at ranlay@yahoo.com.
Welcome to the Ranlay Racing website and thanks for reading!
TODAY’S HEADLINES
How much education do you need? Is it worthwhile to always be pushing for that extra advantage?...................more in “Rental Car Update”.
Would you pay a minimum of $55 for a motel if you were only going to be there for four and one-half hours?.....…………..details in “The Trip”.
It’s not often that a woman can make my day and I can make hers. …………..details in “The People”.
Today I visited a very special place that I had been looking forward to seeing for a long time….…………..details 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
http://www.ranlayracing.com/nov16182007.htm
GREETINGS FROM
I WOKE UP IN A SUPER 8 MOTEL PARKING LOT IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS THIS MORNING AND WENT TO SLEEP IN NASHVILLE, TENNESSE. THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.
PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS
The Objective
The overriding objective with my trackchasing is to see as many tracks as I can while meeting and exceeding all trackchaser rules. I accomplished that today with a late November day/night trackchasing double.
The Trip
Last night’s final feature event of the night finished up at 10:30 p.m. Most of the time I do not find it necessary to stay for the very last race. After I have been at the track for a few hours, the incremental entertainment value received by staying for the last race(s) usually isn’t there.
However, last night the
I had a 150-mile drive north to
Now, let’s do the math. The race ended at 10:30 p.m. I had to drive 150 miles. I had to be at the airport by 6 a.m. the next morning. My figuring told me that the best I could do would be getting 4.5 hours of sleep in my motel. To me, it didn’t make much sense to get a motel for less than five hours, especially when Motel 6 was charging $55 a night.
My alternative was to sleep in my rental car. Frankly, that wasn’t a good choice either. During my drive up to
I would be sleeping in the car. I think this was my third night of 2007, where I did not use a motel/hotel. One of those nights was along a
I must tell you that several trackchasers almost always sleep in their cars in order to keep travel expenses down. I recognize their dedication. However, I would not be able to trackchase if that were a requirement for me. I can do it, once or twice a year, but I don’t like too.
I had hoped to find an interstate rest area somewhat near
I ended up finding a quite secluded spot in the parking lot of a Super 8 Motel. I figured I had stayed with Super 8 enough that they “owed me”. With temps at about 60 degrees, that part of the stay wasn’t bad. However, a
Sleeping in the car was my best choice. I could have declined the opportunity to trackchase in
The People
I had a most interesting “people” encounter today. I often visit the Waffle House when I come to the Southeast. The WH is one of my favorite places for a “breakfast anytime” meal.
Today, I stopped at a
I wasn’t greeted or served immediately. That is somewhat strange for a visit to the WH. However, a woman who was washing dishes saw that I was waiting. She came up and said, “I’m sorry the girl who’s working your spot hasn’t served you. I’ll take your order”. With that, she immediately grabbed a cherry Diet Coke for me and took my order of a lite waffle (new at the Waffle House) and a bacon, cheese and egg sandwich. This is my regular Waffle House selection.
I had asked for my drink in a “to go” cup. I had that Coke in about 10 seconds. My server then examined my silverware. She determined my fork was not clean and replaced it. She even said, “The cook’s a little behind”. With that, she grabbed the bacon from the refrigerator and plopped it on the waiting stove. I was quickly served the balance of my meal. Sensing I was trying to cut back with my “lite” waffle, my alert server asked if I wanted “sugar-free” syrup. No, I wasn’t cutting back that much! My server came back two more times to see if I needed anything. Without my asking, she brought a backup Diet Coke and explained that I could pour the second one into the first glass to take with me. All the while, she was answering questions from other servers as well as serving several other tables in the restaurant.
I can be quick to criticize those in her position who don’t do a good job and don’t care if they do. This woman was not very attractive and looked as if she had fallen behind with her dental care. As I munched on my waffle, I wondered what had led her to her current stage in life that had her working at the Waffle House. Were there people in her life that had let her down? She was so cheerful and hard working.
When I was paying my $8.50 bill with my credit card, I asked the cashier if the servers got to keep their tips or if they had to share them with the other servers. The cashier told me that each server got to keep his/her tips. “They work hard for them and deserve them”. Of course, the cashier was correct.
I signed my credit card slip. Then, I reached into my pocket and folded a bill over four times. I sought out my server, gave her the bill, and thanked her for her service. Then, I left the restaurant. From my position in the parking lot, I could see my server’s reaction to the tip. I was surprised to see her hugging her counterparts and was even more surprised to see her wiping a tear from her eye. I suspect she might be making 5-6 bucks an hour. Maybe some of her customers don’t even leave a tip.
I wished a woman that worked this hard and was this effective could reap more of life’s rewards. I suspect from a material point of view, that she’s not getting her share. She’s probably doing much better on a personal basis, since she was so pleasant and caring. It made my day to see her reaction. My tip for an $8.50 check? Twenty bucks. Truth be known, I would have given her more if I had a larger bill in my money clip.
TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION
Jack Daniel’s Factory Tour – Lynchburg, Tennessee
I was looking forward to today’s tour at Jack Daniel’s. You see, Jack Daniel’s whiskey is my favorite spirit. However, I would not be able to buy any “Jack” at Jack Daniel’s because they are located in
If you want to know more about Jack Daniels the company and the brand, check them out at www.jackdaniels.com. Please be aware that you will have to tell them your birth date before you can enter the website.
The Jack Daniel’s slogan is “Every day we make it, we make it the best we can”. When I entered the property, I found the
Our tour guide was as “
The business was initially started out by a preacher. However, his wife soon told him (as most wives would likely do) that he had to choose between being a preacher and making whiskey. We all know how that discussion would go. The preacher gave the business to a fellow by the name of Jack Daniel, and “Jack Daniel’s” was born. Jack was a bachelor and didn’t have anyone bugging him about making whiskey.
Jack registered the company back in 1866. Jack Daniel’s is the oldest registered distillery in the
I was impressed by how small and seemingly, “backwoodish” the entire operation was. We were able to see most aspects of the production process. The liquid whiskey is sifted through 10 feet of charcoal to purify it. After fermentation, it is placed in oak barrels for four years or more. While in the barrels, it gets its flavor from the oak.
I was surprised to learn that you can buy your own barrel of Jack Daniel’s. There are 240 bottles to a barrel. A complete pallet is sent to you with the whiskey already bottled and the oak barrel inscribed with your name. Cost runs from $8,000-$10,000. There is a wall of plagues that show all the individuals and companies that have ordered their own barrel. The
The entire operation was fun to visit. I highly recommend this tour. I will look forward to the day when I can bring Carol along for this visit. In the meantime, I think I’ll just have a shot (or two) of Jack with her and call it a night!
STATE RANKINGS
Today’s
I’ve seen five
Therefore, it is unlikely I will set foot in
RACE REVIEW
It was a quick 30-minute drive or so from
I paid my $10 admission fee directly from the car. Hot laps had been scheduled for 1 p.m. I arrived at 2:15 p.m. I’ve been arriving so early for my last several tracks, I figured I would have some leeway arriving when I did. This prognostication proved correct. The first heat of the day was sitting on the track, while the national anthem played as I arrived. Perfect timing!
The
The grandstand was a smallish, steeply banked 10-row wooden affair. A crowd of only about 100-150 people was on hand, despite this being a beautiful fall day with temps in the low 60s. I watched the heat races from the grandstands. Car counts were small with 7-11 cars in each of the divisions that included Outlaw Ponies, Modified Streets, Late Models, Mini-Stocks and Pure Stocks.
The P.A. system was stout. The announcer was informative and gave me a strong trackchaser mention during a yellow flag period. My cheeseburger ($3.00) was good from the concession stand and included fresh fixins’.
I noticed that several fans were watching the races from the comfort of their vehicles surrounding turn one. With the sun beginning to go down, that looked like the best place to watch the feature events of the day portion of my 22nd day/night trackchasing double of the 2007 season. It was still light out at 4:27 p.m. when the late model feature checkered. With just one more feature event remaining, it was time to head on down the road. I had 122 miles to cover over some mountainous territory before I reached the last half of this day/night double.
CHECKERED FLAG
The starting time for tonight’s race was a bit vague on the website of the Checkered Flag
This was good news. I figured I could get there by 7 p.m. or so. Now, I didn’t need to be in such a big rush. I took a 15-minute power nap after getting very little sleep the past two nights. I stopped at Wendy’s for my normal ration of chili.
My GPS unit expertly directed me to the track. It was dark when I pulled in at 7:10 p.m. I gathered all of my equipment, which included my race scanner, noise-canceling headset, video camera, dirt goggles and digital still camera. As I approached the ticket booth, I could hear the announcer telling the crowd which drivers were entered in what turned out to be the late model feature. It was now 7:10 p.m. This was the race I was told would start after 9 p.m. No, you cannot set your watch by the clock of
The late models brought only eleven cars. There were about 150 people in the stands. Either the promoter cut the purse or he lost his shirt, probably both. By the way, when I arrived the ticket booth was already closed. This saved me $15. I took this as good Waffle House karma.
I don’t know what type of racing went on before I arrived. The announcer said very little. There was much more conversation going on the track’s radio channel. They spent a good deal of time laughing about a driver who was refusing his racing paycheck because he felt the track had allowed another competitor to run over him. The track management didn’t seem very concerned. They laughed and said, “We’ll take his contribution. It will help us pay some of our losses tonight”. I don’t know why the announcer didn’t say more. There were certainly a large number of delays in what I was about to watch.
The Checkered Flag
Car counts were small tonight. The late models had 11 and the modifieds about ten. Four other classes had from 4-6 cars in each class. These included some lower level stock cars and the last class of the night, the hummers. No, not THAT kind of Hummer. These were little four-cylinder racecars that just hummed along. It was only about 9 p.m. when the last feature of the night received the black and white flag.
I am surprised at the small crowds the tracks that I visited this weekend were getting. Although it is late in the season, the weather was excellent. Car counts were also down, even though in several cases the purses were high. I can only guess that both spectators and competitors have had a long racing season and may be running short on funds.
RENTAL CAR UPDATE
I find it very interesting to observe the way people view and manage money. You may find it just as interesting on how I view and manage money. I don’t want to spend money wildly. Some may view the money I spend on trackchasing as “spending money wildly”. I don’t want to go without. Some may even think I “go without” as they observe some of my money management techniques. I guess it just depends on where you’re coming from.
I like to spend money on things that make life more convenient. One of those “things” that is turning out to be a great value is my “anywhere anytime” internet capability. Yes, there is an expense for this luxury that has now become a necessity. However, I strongly believe that you need to “spend money to make money”. Here is how that worked this morning.
I had landed into the
Normally, I will use www.sidestep.com as a baseline for rental car pricing. I go on that site to see what cars are renting for in the market I will be visiting. Then I call National Rental Car and can usually beat the prices I see on Sidestep with my P&G corporate (retiree) discount or AAA. In addition to getting a price advantage with National, I also get their very best cars, usually with satellite radio and preferred pickup service. These preferences are very valuable to my rental car enjoyment.
However, a progressive trackchaser cannot sit still. If you aren’t improving, you’re probably going backwards. For some reason, I have always wanted to educate myself whenever I felt that more education was practical and carried a worthwhile reward.
When I began my sales career in
I mention the above to reinforce the point that you can never educate yourself enough. It doesn’t always have to be “school” education, although if you’re trying to impress someone else (as in getting a better job), then “school” education may be your best bet.
Now let’s get back to this morning in the
I am now using Priceline.com when I know that I will not have to change my hotel or rental car plans. As most of you know, once you book with Priceline, you cannot change your plans. In the past, I have avoided Priceline because of these policies. With standby air travel, Priceline made even less sense (also cents) to me.
This morning I was planning to fly from
I already had a National Rental Car reservation. The price for my full-size car was $36 per day. Taxes brought my total to exactly $90. That seemed a little high, but from time to time weekend rental car prices can be this much or more.
At least I knew I was going to
Normally, when your bid price is rejected, you must change something with your next offer. You can’t just say, “O.K., you didn’t like $15/day, how about $20/day?” You must either change the length of your rental, the car size you are requesting or the location or any combination of these factors.
Yesterday, when I bid for my car in
Today when I bid $15 and it was rejected, Priceline came back and told me that if I raised my bid to $17, I could have the full-sized car I was wanting. I did that. In less than a minute, and with my “B group” Southwest fellow passengers boarding the plane, Priceline came back and congratulated me on my purchase. With taxes I now had my car for $47.12. With just the click of a few key strokes, I had saved more than forty-two dollars.
So……what have we learned from this? First, it pays to shop around. Secondly, in order to shop around more places at a rapid rate, you need on the ground technology that is ready to work in the field. Finally, you need to have educated yourself to get what the system (in this case, Priceline) has to offer.
Yes, I saved forty-two dollars and would get the very same product, this time from Hertz. I didn’t have to spend too much time for this amount of savings. Your time is money. However, when I’m sitting at an airplane gate, I’m not making much so just about any effort I expend would be worthwhile financially.
My work in the
If you have a moment, let’s think about this. The Springhill Suites hotel was charging about $120 per night this weekend. This is a very nice place. My room has two double beds, each with four pillows. I have a “sitting room” and two TVs in the room. There is also a refrigerator and microwave (I still haven’t convinced Carol to make me meals in the room on a trackchaser trip yet). There was also a large bathroom, high-speed internet and a most complete continental breakfast.
Even though this hotel was very nice, it might not be worth it to pay $120 each night when a Motel 6 could be had for $45. However, when I could buy the Springhill Suites for $60 and a Motel 6 cost $45, the Springhill Suites was a no-brainer.
Now, I am kicking myself for not being more financially progressive in this area of trackchasing a long time ago. I guess the “anywhere anytime” internet feature opened up this possibility only recently. I can tell you this. I’m going to be staying in much better places in the future than I ever have.
I can also say this. I’ve been trying to gain an advantage (while always being honest and morally upright) all my life. Whether it was in sports (practice), financial planning (education and discipline) or trackchasing (whatever it takes), I have found that the sum of small advantages adds up in a short time to big advantages.
Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,
Randy Lewis
Quitting while you’re ahead is not the same thing as quitting.
TRAVEL DETAILS
AIRPLANE
Los Angeles, CA – San Antonio, TX – 1,112 miles
RENTAL CAR – SAN ANTONIO
AIRPLANE
San Antonio, TX – Nashville, TN - 820 miles
RENTAL CAR –
TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:
South Texas
Checkered Flag
RANKINGS
LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:
There are no trackchasers currently within 100 tracks of my lifetime total.
1. Randy Lewis,
Other notables
These worldwide trackchasers are within 10 tracks (plus or minus) of Carol’s current trackchaser total.
27. Ken Schrader,
28. Carol Lewis,
28. Max Allender,
2007 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS
1. Randy Lewis,
2. Ed Esser,
3. Roland Vanden Eynde,
4. Mike Knappenberger,
5. Paul Weisel,
6. Carol Lewis,
6. Pam Smith, Effort,
8. Guy Smith, Effort,
9. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs,
10. Roger Ferrell,
Tracks have been reported by 40 different worldwide trackchasers this season.
LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS
Results current thru 11/11/07**
1. Randy Lewis,
2. Gordon Killian, Sinking Springs,
3. Allan Brown,
** Results are unofficial.
Past trackchasing reports are available at:
Official trackchaser standings can be viewed at:
Some of the data in this report comes from www.trackchaser.net
and my Garmin GPS
UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS
Just one more track to see before it’s turkey time on the Queen Mary.
RACETRACKS VISITED IN 2007 (** not the first time to visit this track)
1,139. Meremere Dirt Track Club,
1,140. Meeanee Speedway,
1,141. Top of the South Speedway,
1,142. Woodford Glen Speedway,
1,143. Robertson Holden International
1,144.
1,145.
1,146. Angels Stadium of
1,147. Angels Stadium of
1,148.
1,149.
1,150. Grand Prix De Lanaudiere,
1,151. Ste-Eulalie Ice Track,
1,152. St Guillaume, St
1,153.
1,154.
1,155. Northeast Pond Ice Track,
1,156. Lee Pond Ice Track,
1,157. New Hendry Country
1,158.
1,159. Honeoye Lake Ice Track – Road Course,
1,160.
1,161.
1,162. Dawgwood Speedway,
1,163. Toccoa Speedway,
1,164. Tazewell Speedway,
1,165.
1,166. Dacosa Speedway,
1,167. Swinging Bridge Raceway,
1,168.
1,169. Foothills Raceway,
1,170. Mileback Speedway,
1,171. Grand Prix of
1,172. Vegas Grand Prix,
1,173.
1,174. Low Country Kartway,
1,175. Dillon Motor
1,176. Valley Dirt Riders,
1,177.
1,178. Sertoma Speedway,
1,179.
1,180.
1,181. Hollywood Hills
1,182. Meridian
1,183.
1,184. Rocky Mountain Raceways (oval),
1,185. Rocky Mountain Raceways (figure 8),
1,186. Modoc
1,187.
1,188.
1,189. Fairplex at the
1,190. Lowes Motor
1,191. Lowes Motor
1,192.
**
1,193. Thunderbird Stadium (figure 8),
1,194. Thunderbird Stadium (oval),
1,195. Whispering
1,196.
1,197.
1,198.
1,199.
1,200. Castrol Raceway,
1,201. Hidden
1,202. Boyd’s
1,203. Fayette County Fairgrounds,
1,204.
1,205.
1,206. Vinton Speedway,
1,207. Hilltop
1,208. I-70
1,209. L A Raceway, La Monte,
1,210. Valley
1,211.
1,212.
**
** Iowa
1,213.
**
1,214. Kart Kanyon Raceway, Aztec,
1,215. Aztec
1,216. Sunvalley Speedway,