DAY 1 – CAROL’S FIRST EVER ICE TRACK TRACKCHASING TOUR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cameron Lake Ice Track was special for Carol.  It marked her 350^th lifetime track.  Below is a listing of Carol’s other milestone tracks.

 

SUMMARY OF “MILESTONE” TRACKCHASING ACHIEVEMENTS

 

# 1 – Davenport Speedway (1/4M) – Davenport, Iowa – circa 1970

 

# 50 – North Wilkesboro Speedway, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina (Neil Bonnett – winner) – April 21, 1985 

 

# 100 – Barford Raceway, Barford, England – August 6, 2000

 

# 150 – Southern Speedway, Hattiesburg, Mississippi – May 28, 2004

 

# 200 – Bay County Fair Derby Arena, Bay City, Michigan – August 10, 2005

 

#250 – Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada – June 3, 2006

 

#300 – Taupo Motorsports Park, Taupo, New Zealand – January 6, 2007

 

#350 – Cameron Lake Ice Track, Erskine, Minnesota – January 26, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND THE READERS RESPOND

 

 

From time to time interested readers write me about one thing or another.  Many times, I feel that my other readers would be interested, informed and/or amused by the comments I get. 

 

 

From Georgia:

 

“Used Priceline to get a 4 star room at Baltimore Airport Hilton for $40.  Thanks for the tip.” 

 

 

From Florida:

 

“Your photos (British Columbia) were magnificent.  I cannot imagine how exciting your ride along was.  All the best in the coming year.”

 

 

From British Columbia:

 

“Great report Randy, thank you so much for your kind words.  It is fantastic scenery isn’t it; the provincial slogan is appropriately ‘Super Natural British Columbia’.  We’re off to the lake again this weekend;  it’s very time consuming having all this fun, almost as much as track chasing!!

 

P.S.  Wonderful photo of the mountain goat, it’s unusual to see only one;  it’s normally a flock/heard blocking the road!”

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

Never before in my entire trackchasing career did the racers race without one essential piece of equipment.  What was it?...................more in “Race Review”.

 

We met interesting people as we always do on a trackchasing trip.  Each of today’s folks had a unique message that’s worth reapplying. …………..details in “The People”.

 

Carol had never ridden in an ice race event before.  Today she started in sixth position of the big car “B” main! …………..details 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/jan26272008.htm

 

 

 

 

GREETINGS FROM ERSKINE, MINNESOTA.

 

 

 

WE WOKE UP IN SAN CLEMETE, CALIFORNIA.  WE WENT TO SLEEP IN DETROIT LAKES, MINNESOTA.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

 

 

 

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

The Objective 

 

Carol is back on the trackchasing trail after taking off over the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year’s holidays.  One of her life’s goals (possibly better said, ‘one of my life’s goals for her) was to go trackchasing at an ice racing track.  She met that goal today.

 

The objective for the weekend was quite simple.  We would fly to Minneapolis on Friday, see ice-racing events on Saturday and Sunday and then fly home on Monday.  Of course, this was not our original plan.  We had planned to see an indoor event in California and then an international event near Mexico City.  Both of those tracks ended up canceling at the last minute.  That sent us searching for our warm weather clothes and a trip to gopher land.

 

I will say this.  The RANLAY Racing Research Department is going to be stretched thin if I have to  be the one to find new ice racing tracks in the Midwest.  You would think those guys would find them for themselves!  A fella who lives in sunny Southern Cal should not be doing Minnesota ice track research.

 

Today’s track, the Cameron Lake Ice Track in Erskine, Minnesota was not part of our original plan.  Only a day before we left on the trip a fellow by the name of “Josh Johnson” signed the guestbook at my website (www.ranlayracing.com).  He mentioned that he had seen me at several Minnesota tracks in the past.  Josh passed along the heads up that there was ice racing up in Erskine, Minnesota.  Trackchaser.net did not mention the Cameron Lake location.  If a track is not noted at Trackchaser.net, then no one has ever trackchased there, it is no longer an active track and/or no one has ever heard of the place.  Of course, some trackchasers may have known about this location, but were holding the info close to the vest until they visited the track themselves.  Nevertheless, a big THANK YOU to Josh Johnson for the new track location.

 

I will say this from a trackchasing strategic point of view.  Trackchasers are discovering new tracks right and left.  Very few of these new discoveries are “traditional” oval and road course tracks.  Many are ice tracks at lakes never known to race on before.  Others are county fair figure 8 once a year dates.

 

This is somewhat concerning too me.  First, I am concerned from a budgeting point of view.  True, I have several sponsorships, but what about my fellow competitors?  They are still working for a living.  They have loved ones who depend on them for bread and milk.  If we have too many tracks to see, they may spend the bread and milk money on too much trackchasing.  In order to rein in things, I propose that trackchasers can only go trackchasing at one location per day and that no countable tracks can be added from Thanksgiving until Valentine’s Day.

 

Having too many tracks available concerns me on another front as well.  I remember talking with top 10 trackchaser Andy Sivi about the idea of adding all go-kart tracks to the list of countable trackchasing venues.  Currently, go-kart tracks where only flat karts race are not countable in the hobby of trackchasing.  There are hundreds of these kinds of tracks.

 

At the time, Andy told me he didn’t support adding flat kart type tracks because it would make trackchasing “too easy”.  I didn’t fully appreciate Andy’s point at the time, but now I do.  If we have “too many” trackchasing opportunities, then anybody can do this.

 

I believe the proliferation of so many “lame” countable tracks has taken us away from seeing traditional racing.  These kinds of “lamers” don’t provide much true racing entertainment.  Alas, this is unlikely to change, so in order to remain competitive I will continue to see every countable track that I can.

 

 

     

The Trip

 

I have sometimes been painted as the trackchaser who was born “with a golden spoon in my mouth”.  Of course, long-time readers know that I grew up poor in central Illinois.  The house that I lived in from birth to age 15 would likely sell for less than $50,000 today.  You can view that house at 411 Doering Avenue, East Peoria, Illinois.  It’s the yellow one.  It’s been yellow since I was born in 1949.  When we weren’t eating bologna sandwiches we, were eating mayonnaise sandwiches (Yep! That’s just bread and mayonnaise).

 

Long-time readers also now (as the reader above who benefited from my tips about Priceline.com) that I like to get a bargain.  I don’t want to buy “cheap things cheap”.  I would to buy “good things cheap”.  I will share just four actions that saved hundreds of dollars on this trip alone.

 

We decided to take connecting flights on this trip, stopping in Denver, rather than flying non-stop from California to Minneapolis.  This delayed our arrivals both coming and going by about three hours, but saved us $360.

 

I booked my rental car with National for about $100.  On the night before the trip, I booked the same full-sized car with Alamo for $70 for our three-day rental.  Savings = $30.

 

I searched the internet for a place to stay up near the ice tracks for Friday and Saturday night.  I came across the upscale “Lodge at Lake Detroit Spa”.  Their website offered a $50 spa certificate with the reservation.  When I called the hotel to book the room, the reservationist quoted the same room rate as the internet but without the spa savings.  A quick reminder added the $50 spa advantage.  Savings = $50.

 

Finally, we needed a hotel near the Minneapolis airport for Sunday night.  Via Priceline.com, I was able to buy the Crown Plaza Hotel for just $63 including all taxes.  The room was selling for $214 on the Crown Plaza website as well as at the front desk when we checked in.  Savings = $151.

 

It’s fun to travel.  However, travel can be expensive.  Travel does not have to be expensive if you do your homework.  I hope that some of these tips from the RANLAY Racing Research Department will save you a few extra dollars on your next trip.  Maybe you will save so much that you can afford to buy “good things cheap”.  If that happens and I find out about it, I will feel very good.

 

 

 

The People

 

The people I meet are probably the best and most memorable aspect of trackchasing.  On the way out to Minnesota, Carol and I sat next to a young airline pilot who was deadheading back home.  He had just completed his very first trip.  This young gentleman was from Minot, North Dakota.  He was interested to learn about our trackchasing hobby.  He really perked up when we told him we were going ice racing.  He had his own experiences with cars on ice.  Both his father and uncle had had their cars fall through the ice accidentally.  It seems his uncle’s car only submerged itself about halfway with the front end pointing down (ala the Titanic).  At this point, the car remained frozen for several days until blow torches were used to melt the ice enough to remove the car!!

 

On Friday night, Carol and I dined at Culvers.  Culvers is a chain of restaurants, similar in some ways to Steak n’ Shake.  They are located all over the upper Midwest.  I love Culvers.  They have good food and good service.

 

While I was in the men’s room, I was standing next to an older man who was using an oxygen tank.  “Do you smoke?” he asked.  “No”, I told him.  I have never taken a single puff of anything in my entire life.  “I wish I hadn’t smoked.  Now I have to carry this thing (oxygen tank) around with me for the rest of my life.” He said.  He told me he had smoked 2-3 packs a day since he was 16 and quit at age 80.  At 87, he’s now been using the oxygen tank for seven years.  Although he wishes he was better off, I suspect that he’s way ahead of the game compared to most folks with his smoking history.

 

You know that I’m always telling you that the nicest folks that I meet live in Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota.  That might really bug you if you don’t live in one of those states!  This does not mean that I don’t meet nice people everywhere I travel.  I do.  It simply means that I meet more nice people in IA/NE/MN per capita than the statistics might predict.  Of course, there are a few places where I meet considerably fewer nice people that those very same statistics would forecast.

 

Today I met a fellow by the name of Ron Olafson.  Ron runs Checkered Flag Towing up in Erskine, Minnesota.  After Josh Johnson had given me the headsups up about ice racing in upper Minnesota, I did a little research on my own and came up with Ron Olafson’s name.  A day before the trip was to begin I rang up Mr. Olafson.

 

Ron was an affable fellow.  I told him I was planning to go to the ice races in Garrison, Minnesota.  “You better come up and watch us race in Erskine” Ron’s big Scandinavian voice bellowed over the phone.  “We have more cars and put on the best racing”.  As our conversation continued, Ron convinced me that coming to Erskine was a very good idea.  When you read my NEXT Trackchaser Report, you will fully understand what a great idea this really was.

 

Ron also promised me that he would get a ride for me at the ice races if I made an appearance.  That sounded like fun.  I had done that in British Columbia just two weeks ago.  However, I didn’t need an ice track racing ride as much as Trackchasing’s First Mother did.  I glanced over at Carol who was busily preparing something in the kitchen.  I would tell her a little bit later about Mr. Olafson’s offer.  In less than 48 hours, she would find herself racing in the “B” feature at the Cameron Lake Ice Track in Erskine, Minnesota!

 

 

 

TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION

 

When I travel with Carol on these trips, I get to go first class.  Yep.  She takes me along!  We were going to be staying in rural north central Minnesota for two nights on this trip.  I feared there wouldn’t be much in the way of accommodations.  I was wrong, very wrong.

 

First, there are several Las Vegas style casino/hotels up in this part of the country.  Like most places, local Indian tribes own these casinos.  We tried to get into the Shooting Star Casino/Hotel that was recommended by Ron Olafson, but the place was full.

 

A little internet research turned up the The Lodge on Lake Detroit (http://www.thelodgeonlakedetroit.com/) in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.  This is a nearly new property opening in May, 2006.  The hotel overlooks Lake Detroit (frozen and snowy for our visit).  The rooms are large, there’s free internet, fridge, etc.  Overall, it’s a very nice place.

 

What really attracted me to the Lodge at Lake Detroit were the “spa” services they offered.  I wanted to pamper Trackchasing’s First Mother since she was about to experience her first ice racing adventure.

 

Following our races at Cameron Lake, we drove back to our hotel for our “spa appointment”.  Carol would be having a 60-minute facial while I went for the 60-minute deep tissue massage.  Both of our treatments were preceded by a “steam shower”.  That was refreshing!

 

I had cleared it with the hotel that my masseuse would be a female.  No offense to anyone but that’s just how I like it.  My masseuse was a young woman from Minnesota who grew up on a dairy farm.  Did you know that a typical dairy cow will give 100 pounds of milk per day?  Neither did I!

 

Following our spa treatments, we enjoyed a glass of wine in our spa robes while we listened to soothing music.  Yes, this ice race trackchasing can be tough…..but it doesn’t have to be.  We dined at a sports bar, Zorbaz, in Detroit Lakes.  It was packed with families and singles enjoying a night on the town in rural Minnesota on a Saturday night.

 

 

 

STATE RANKINGS

Minnesota

This was my 38^th lifetime track in the gopher state and Carol’s 5^th.  This gives me my first NGD lifetime point gain in 2008 as I move into a tie with for fourth place in the state.  Carol in now tied with Steve Kinser and Kenny Schrader among others for 18^th place here.

 

This was also my 10^th lifetime ice racing track.  I have now moved into ice racing’s worldwide top 10 and a tie with Pam Smith.  This was Carol’s first ever ice track.  She joins just three other women from the listed trackchaser’s group to ever record an ice racing adventure.  Only about one-third of our list trackchasers i.e.,. those trackchasers with more than 200 tracks* have ever seen racing on ice. 

 

 

 

 

RACE REVIEW

 

CAMERON LAKE ICE TRACK, ERSKINE, MINNESOTA

 

I have now been to 1,301 different racetracks.  I am surprised at how often I see something I have never seen before despite having seen all of these tracks.  Today, I was SHOCKED by what I saw.  I never could have predicted it.

 

I will say that the guys and gals who race on the Cameron Lake Ice Track in Erskine, Minnesota are absolutely nuts.  They’re great people but they’re nuts!!  For the first time in my long and storied trackchasing career, I watched people race without helmets.  Not only do they race without protective head gear, they race without a roll cage.  To top it all off, they have passengers riding with each race driver.  Most cars were big American sedans (think Caddie Sedan de Villes) or station wagons.  The average race car on the track had four passengers (usually BIG guys) including the driver.

 

In these driver’s defense, they have various forms of iron surrounding all four sides of the car that would make any U.K. banger car more than proud.  There was also a good turnout of cars.  I suspect they had more than 30 cars racing in big car and front wheel drive classes.

 

It was 12 degrees at the ice races today.  When I noticed the Checkered Flag Towing wrecker, I suspected I would soon be meeting Ron Olafson.  I waved and he rolled down the window.  I identified myself as “that guy from California”.  “Get in the truck” Ron said to Carol and me.

 

We did as directed.  Ron pulled the tow truck up to a spot where we could see the heat racing.  He told us that the club had raced in other places but had been racing on Cameron Lake for three years.  Racers pay a $20 entry fee and race for prize money and trophies.  Last year’s champion in the big car class even earned $800-900 in point fun money.

 

Ron told us the ice was three feet thick or more.  Twelve degrees is not warm for ice racing and it certainly is not as cold as it can be.  One driver told me they canceled a few years ago when the temperature was -25 degrees with a very strong wind.  I don’t blame them.

 

Today’s track was a 3/8 mile oval on the inside.  They also had an inner oval but only the ATV class (not trackchaser countable) ran on it.  Obviously, (I hope to most) the track was flat.  Hint:  it has something to do with water seeking its own level.  In ice racing, competitors and spectators both drive their cars out onto a frozen lake.  After a while, it doesn’t seem like you’re on the ice, but just some kind of snow-covered parking lot.  Spectators could park their cars all around the track’s oval for a great view of the racing action.

 

Recall from above, that Ron Olafson had offered me a “ride along” in one of today’s races.  I’ve done that a couple of times, but Carol never had, at least on ice anyway.  I pursued the idea with Ron that Carol take my spot.  He thought that was a great idea.  Carol was a little less certain about the idea’s validity, but she’s a good sport and went along for the ride so to speak.

 

We had to find Carol a car where she could be added to the passenger list.  We couldn’t have her ride in just any car.  She needed a top notch ride.  We glanced over our one page free program that had been given to us when we paid our five dollar admission.  We found just the right driver and car.

 

Dan Morberg, driver of the Lucken Motorsports Special Mercury Marquis #39 welcomed Carol aboard.  Dan ranked fourth in the big car points out of more than 20 drivers.  In Dan’s heat race, he had broken part of his Mercury’s rear end and didn’t finish in a transfer spot to the “A” main.  He did do well enough to escape the “C” main and would be starting in 6^th spot of the 12-car “B” main.

 

I was a bit leery in sending Carol out in a 12-car stock car race without a helmet.  I will say this, Carol has been known to be a little hard headed.  I figured she could take care of herself. 

 

The local sheriff attended with his radar gun.  The cars were maxing out at about 60 M.P.H. on the oval’s straights.  There had been very little beating and banging and when the cars did touch, they just slid around on the ice.  Since this was Carol’s first ever ice race, I figured she needed to get her feet wet!

 

Most of these Minnesota guys reminded me of the offensive lineman from the Minnesota Vikings.  Each car went out with four of these guys, so we’re talking about 1,000 pounds, give or take, of ballast.  Expert racing fans know that it’s a good idea to get as much weight on the right rear tire of these rear wheel driver Detroit iron cars as possible.  That’s why I was most surprised when Carol was chosen to ride in the ride rear passenger’s seat.  If any of Carol’s lady friends had been looking on, I don’t think they would have seen that as a compliment to Trackchasing’s First Mother.

 

With Carol strapped into the big Mercury, she and her newfound companions pulled onto the starting grid.  All the while, I was out in 12-degree weather with a wind chill below zero snapping pictures of her adventure.  You really need to go to www.ranlayracing.com to check out pictures of her ride.  We had to wait for two “C” features to race before Carol’s group would get going.  I was starting to freeze to death and it began to dawn on me that once again Carol had outsmarted me.  She was sitting in the relative warmth of a luxurious Mercury Marquis.

 

Soon the “B” main cars took to the track.  Dan Morberg’s Mercury was starting sixth in the 12-car field.  He needed to finish in the top 2 in order to transfer to the “A” main.  Therefore, there was no time to dawdle.  Off they went for a race of about 10 laps.  I was holding my video camera in one frozen non-gloved hand and my digital still camera in my other frozen non-gloved hand and my all-weather brand new gloves in my other hand.  I wanted to record this event in every way possible.

 

With 12 cars on the track, the ice spray was heavy.  After the first lap, I didn’t see car #39 anymore.  I looked for a couple of laps and couldn’t find the big Merc.  I didn’t see any cars stalled on the course and I had not seen anybody pull off the track.  Finally, about mid-race I found car #39 again.  They were in third place.  The car seemed to be getting a really good bite on the right rear corner!

 

Carol told me the interior noise and vibration of the car was unbelievable.  The left side backseat rider acted as a “spotter”.  He would tell Dan “inside” or “outside” to signify where other racecars were.  Remember they were racing side by side, sometimes three abreast and sliding down the front straight at 60 M.P.H. without racing helmets or any roll cages whatsoever.  Carol told me the fellow sitting in the back seat didn’t even wear his seat belt!

 

Ron Olafson had assured me that the racing was safe.  He told me, “We banned beer in the car a couple of years ago…..nothing more than a 12-pack (rim shot)!”  I didn’t know if he was kidding or not.  Yep, these Minnesota boys have a good sense of humor.

 

Soon, the “B” main was in the books.  Dan Morberg had finished in second place and would earn a transfer spot to the “A” main.  When Carol got out of the car, you couldn’t have wiped the grin off her face no matter how hard you tried.  Dan was happy with his new rider’s performance as well.

 

Let me digress for a moment.  Many of you reading this have a spouse, a significant other, a good friend or a person you have ogled at the grocery store.  Do any of you have such a person in your life that would be willing to hop in a stock car for a 10-lap ride around a 3/8 mile oval ice track?  If you do, then you are as lucky as I am.

 

We wrapped up the day by driving our Alamo Rental Car racing Dodge Charger out by turns three and four.  It was here that we watched the “A” features and took more photos.   We had a wonderful day of ice racing. 

 

We have Ron Olafson and Dan Morberg to thank.  We also ran into several other folks who spent time telling us about their wintertime hobby.  I handed out several of my trackchasing business cards so I hope those folks can go onto www.ranlayracing.com and enjoy photos of the people in their racing club.  Carol and I send out a big THANK YOU to everyone we met.

 

 

 

 

CAROL’S COMMENTS

 

“Yikes!  Frozen tundra!  I don’t know how these people can live in this climate.  It’s so dry” was Carol’s first comment after arriving at the Lodge on Detroit Lake Spa in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.

 

Once we got to the track on Saturday morning, she told me, “These guys are so well organized.  How did they line up so fast?  All the people were really nice.  My driver, Dan Morberg, was great.  He went from 6^th place to second.  I didn’t die from the racecar’s vibrations or fumes.  My toe and hand warmers worked great.  This is a hearty breed of people.  I can’t believe how cheerful they are.

 

My spa treatment (facial) was special.  Zorbaz was packed and a good place for a little pizza and beer.”

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

Minneapolis – Friday/Monday

 

I’ll be going with the Alamo Rental Car Racing Dodge Charger on this trip.  I am surprised at how much legroom there is.  On the other hand, the remote automatic door lock key sucks.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

It’s only a gambling problem, if you’re losing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL DETAILS

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Orange County, CA – Denver, CO – 845 miles

Denver, CO – Minneapolis, MN - 679 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR – MINNEAPOLIS

 

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport – trip begins

Cameron Lake Ice Track – 315 miles

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Cameron Lake Ice Track – $5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

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

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,301

 

 

 

 

Other notables

 

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

 

27.  Ken Schrader, Concord, North Carolina – 352

 

28.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 350

 

28.  Max Allender, Des Moines, Iowa – 349

 

 

 

 

 

2008 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania – 4

 

2.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 3

 

3.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 2

 

3.  Bruce Eckel, Easton, Pennsylvania - 2

 

3.  Pat Eckel, Easton, Pennsylvania - 2

 

3.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 2

 

3.  Paul Weisel, Orefield, Pennsylvania – 2

 

Several trackchasers with one track.

 

Tracks have been reported by 15 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

 

 

 

LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS

 

Final results to be announced soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

This is ice-racing season.  I have to get to them before they start melting!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RACETRACKS VISITED IN 2008 (** not the first time to visit this track)

 

 

1,299. Barnes Lake Ice Track, Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada - January 13

 

1,300. Bira Circuit, Pattaya, Thailand - January 19

 

1,301. Cameron Lake Ice Track, Erskine, Minnesota - January 26