Randy Lewis
World's #1 Ranked Trackchaser
LAKE COUNTRY SPEEDWAY, ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA
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RANLAY Racing Trackchaser Report
DAY 7 – WANTI WANTI CAN’T GET IT, GETTI GETTI NO WANT IT TRACKCHASING TOUR
TODAY’S HEADLINES
I encountered my first rainout in 2008. It really shouldn’t have been but it was. Hear what a guest writer to the Trackchaser Report has to say about the situation....................more in “Race Review”.
See what a motivated and resourceful trackchaser can do when time is of the essence …………..details in “The Trip”.
Are the folks at the Lake Country Speedway rocket scientists or did they just stay in a Holiday Inn Select last night?. …………..details in “Race Review”.
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. Here’s what a Missouri reader had to say about the stages of life and my personal safety while trackchasing.
Hi, Randy,
You mentioned a second stage of life i.e. walking on the beach. Well, I guess I'm in the third stage i.e. looking at the beach! I do my traveling through your track chasing adventures and really enjoy them. I am concerned about your safety. Sometimes we may take risks that haven't been a problem in the past. So be careful!
I told Florene that I would bet that you are in San Antonio this weekend with your "need ticket" signs.
Click on this link or paste it in your browser to take you to today’s Trackchaser Report via my website at
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GREETINGS FROM ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA.
I WOKE UP IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA THIS MORNING. I WENT TO SLEEP IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.
PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS
The Objective
In some ways (many?), this trackchasing trip did not meet my objectives. Fortunately, the main reason for the trip, to see a new track in Jamaica, was accomplished.
However, nothing much else went right on the entire adventure. First, I could not start the trip on Good Friday because the flights were too full. Next, I pressed the wrong button and made my computer non-operational for nearly the entire trip. Then Air Jamaica went on a one-day strike canceling my trip from Montego Bay to Los Angeles.
With that cancellation, it no longer made sense to return to L.A. only to turn around two days later to fly back across the country to Atlanta. It was easier to stay in the Southeast because Carol was gone for a week visiting her parents in New Mexico.
This made my original plan for a four-day trip first turn into a three-day trip before it turned into an eight-day trip! You gotta be flexible when you have my travel schedule.
The trip continued to go sour when I was rained out at the North Georgia Speedway on Friday night, March 28. It wasn’t so much a rainout as it was just poor short track promotion (don’t miss the guest commentator who will tell you all about the North Georgia Speedway promotion in the “Race Review” section). Rain continued to be in the Atlanta area for my planned new track visit on Saturday night. It was time to take matters into my own hands. I had to find somewhere in the United States that 1) had good weather, 2) had a track I had not seen before, 3) had flight availability to the area and 4) had flight availability to get me back to Los Angeles. This was a large number of criteria to meet!
This is when the trip took a dramatic turn for the better. I decided to grab a quick flight to Oklahoma City. I was lucky enough to get a first class seat on just about zero lead-time. I was going to Oak City because the weather forecast looked good. As it turned out, I nearly got rained out in Oklahoma City. Trackchasing in the spring is the most challenging time of the year, weather-wise.
The trip ended on a high note at the Lake Country Speedway in Ardmore, Oklahoma. These guys did nearly everything right. Racetrack promotion is really not that difficult. If every track in America followed the lead of the Lake Country Speedway, the entire short track racing industry would be better off by 1,000%. I will tell you more about why that would be true in the “Race review” section.
The Trip
Somehow, I ended up renting five different cars during this eight-day trip. I was gone overnight for eight nights and stayed in seven different hotels. I shudder to mention this but I actually had to do my own laundry when the trip changed to eight days from four days. I must say it came out smelling rather nice. In a show of unusual restraint, I even went an entire 24-hour period without drinking a Diet Coke.
I used Priceline.com for each of my hotel stays in the U.S. While I was in Atlanta, I paid just $55 per night for three different hotels that were charging their regular customers $169-$189 per night. I know that you, the loyal Trackchaser Report reader, are becoming a sharper and sharper buyer of travel every time you read the Trackchaser Report.
As you know when you book on Priceline.com, there are no refunds. It is with this in mind that I normally only make a booking when I am 100% certain I will be staying in the area. This is one of the reasons I stayed in seven hotels during my eight-night trip. Each day I really wasn’t sure if I would be staying in the area for a second night.
Finally, on the last two days of the trip, I convinced myself to book a room for two consecutive nights and rent a car for two straight days. Of course, the moment I did that my plans changed!
With the weather closing in on Atlanta, I could stay and get rained out in my prepaid hotel. Alternatively, I could try to find somewhere else to trackchase. If I went with this second choice, I would end up buying two hotels (in two different states) for the final night of my trip.
However, the incremental expense of a second hotel and a second rental car was actually cost effective. Those two items cost me about $75. It would cost a lot more than that to get me back to Oklahoma City for a day on some future trip. I might as well bite the bullet now (for the $75) so I wouldn’t have to pay more later on. This is what I’m talking about when I refer to “sunk costs” and having to “spend money to save money”.
When it’s time to get creative, it has to be done quickly at times!
I was sleeping late on Saturday morning. I was in Atlanta and the weather looked bad for the day. I hadn’t even gotten out of bed and it was 10 a.m. I was enjoying the luxury of my concierge level Marriott hotel room with a 12 noon checkout. I don’t get to sleep in very often.
In the hobby of trackchasing, I don’t get rained out very often. I certainly did not want to get rained out two days in a row after last night’s rip off at the North Georgia Speedway. I had to take matters into my own hands. What I am about to tell you could only be done by one trackchaser in the entire hobby. I don’t have to tell you which one.
10:02 a.m. The TV’s Weather Channel told me that it was relatively dry in the Texas/Oklahoma area. This might be a good place to travel as I would be that much closer to California following any new track I might visit.
I also considered running down to Miami for their Saturday night IRL race. The weather was good and the flights were open. However, with spring break coming to an end, flights FROM Florida looked terrible. I’ll try the Homestead-Miami Speedway another time.
10:07 a.m. I checked my flight guide and then with my airline partners. There was a good deal of open seats into both Texas and Oklahoma.
10:11 a.m. By this time in the trip, I could boot up my computer manually (with disks mailed from J.J.) and access the hotel internet for the economical sum of $12.99 per day! I checked www.trackchaser.net to see what tracks were located in TX/OK. I still could not use my Excel spreadsheets on my computer so I couldn’t see the list of tracks I had already been too. Since I’ve been to more than 1,300 career tracks it is getting more difficult to confirm with 100% accuracy, which tracks, I have been too and which ones I have not.
10:13 a.m. I talked with a promoter in north Texas. He told me he was concerned about the weather. His track was located just 50 miles to the south of where I eventually ended up. The Texas track would end up raining out for the evening.
10:15 a.m. I found a track in Ardmore, Oklahoma that was racing tonight. From the trackchaser.net web link, I called the Lake Country Speedway to confirm they were racing. They were….and I was going there.
10:16 a.m. A minor degree of panic set in. I was lying in bed wearing what I always wear when I go to sleep. The “too much information” act prevents me from going into further detail. My flight guide told me the only flight that would get me to the track on time left at 11:50 a.m. I had 94 minutes to get a lot of things done.
10:17 a.m. I threw all of my worldly stuff into a bag. I threw on a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and slipped into my ever-present deck shoes.
10:19 a.m. I left the room.
10:20 a.m. I was checking out of my room a day early. I would get no refund. Before leaving the hotel property, I made a stop at the front desk to leave our NGA rain checks in an envelope for Dale Terry. He might return for their makeup show.
10:23 a.m. I stopped to fill up the gas tank of my rental car. Had I known I was going to be leaving on “crash and burn” timing, I would have filled up last night.
10:28 a.m. Since the hotel and gas station were only a mile from the airport, it didn’t take long to get back to the rental car return location.
10:31 a.m. With 79 minutes before my flight, I boarded the rental car bus for the ride back to the terminal.
10:33 a.m. I hastily operated the self-serve airline kiosk to get my “seat boarding request” card. This is similar to a boarding pass. This piece of paper will get me through airport security, but it does not guarantee me a seat.
10:37 a.m. Atlanta airport security lines are some of the longest in the business. They weren’t too bad today. Saturday is normally the lightest load day of the week.
10:48 a.m. I was now on the airport’s inter-terminal train bound for the “D” terminal. Somehow, in just 46 minutes I had gone from lying in my hotel room’s bed to this position. I recommend this only for people perfectly comfortable with “multi-tasking”.
10:57 a.m. I arrive at my airline gate with 53 minutes to spare!
11:07 a.m. I even had time to buy a salad to eat on the plane.
11:26 a.m. I calmly board the plane as if I had purchased my tickets and planned my trip months ago.
I mentioned that no other trackchaser could pull off this feat. Is this a motivation or a resource issue? You, the loyal Trackchaser Report reader can answer that question for yourself.
Oklahoma City
Once I landed in OKC, I spent two hours in the airport using their Wi-Fi system. My computer can get internet service from an outside source but not on its own. I still cannot use Excel or Word which is why this report is coming to you so late.
I quickly “Pricelined” a La Quinta hotel for just $33 (check-in rate = $99) and a Budget rental car for $14.95 plus tax for the day. I had to get the car via www.hotwire.com because in most cases, you can’t reserve a car via Priceline.com on the same day you plan to rent it.
The People
I went trackchasing with friend Dale Terry on our visit to the North Georgia Speedway. We arrived at the track before 6 p.m. They ended up cancelling the race at nearly 10 p.m. and it didn’t rain a drop while we were there!
I met a number of nice people and bench raced with them all night. I even met one guy who as we talked said, “Wait! You’re the guy I saw on the website, right”? I recognized you. You’re the trackchaser.” It wasn’t quite as good as him saying “Hey, I saw you on TV” but it was close.
Many short track fans are not big fans of NASCAR. I think, in some cases, it might have something to do with the “big guy” vs. the “little guy” mentality. I see that line of thinking where one group of people just can’t put their arms around the fact that somebody has more than they do or can do more than they can or whatever. The bashing that Wal-Mart gets comes to mind. When I first started calling on Wal-Mart in Bentonville, Arkansas back in the early 80s, they were the “little guy”. Everybody loved them and you never saw anything negatively written about them. I feel sorry for the folks who can only complain about how the “big guy” the “rich guy” the “lucky guy” has it so good and they don’t. I say get off the couch and go get what you don’t have. Then you can sit back and listen to the “other” people complain about what you have!
Anyway,………I had a good number of friendly debates with the local Georgia race fans. Some don’t like the fact that NASCAR guarantees the top 35 drivers a spot in the race regardless of whether they are one of the fastest 43 drivers (that’s how many cars start in each NASCAR race) or not. I actually like that rule. I don’t want to buy my ticket to a major NASCAR race months in advance hoping I will see Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and then find out they are not racing. The New York Yankees don’t have to play their farm club each week in order to qualify to play in Yankee Stadium each Saturday.
One fellow even complained about NASCAR starting the races an hour or two later to “accommodate California”. Talk about East coast bias!
We did talk some about the local racing. I told them I hated seeing time trials run at 10 p.m. at night. They agreed but only shrugged their shoulders as if nothing could be done about it.
As we continued to talk, the North Georgia Speedway did almost nothing in an attempt to dry their track. As the time went on, I asked my friends if they might cancel the event. They wouldn’t hear of such a thing. No, they will not cancel, they told me. I wondered about that until the announcer informed us at nearly 10 p.m. that there would be no racing tonight. More on that in the North Georgia Speedway race review.
TRACKCHASING TOURIST ATTRACTION
I very much enjoy the racing when I go on trackchasing trips. However, I am not the type of person who would feel the trip was complete if I simply left home, went to the race and came back home.
I do a good deal of traveling. I want to do my best to see the local area when I come for a visit. There are almost always unusual attractions that one area is noted for more than any other locale. I want to see those places. I want to touch them and feel them. When I leave an area, I want to have memories of these special places that I call Trackchasing Tourist Attractions. I will remember those experiences long after the checkered flag has fallen on whatever race I have seen that day.
World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, Georgia
I had an extra non-trackchasing day to spend in Atlanta so it was a perfect time to visit the “World of Coca-Cola”. Carol and I had visited the original Coke museum a few years ago. It was at that time that we learned that the south could have some very frigid temperatures. On that trip, we had to wait in line outside for an hour in 10-degree weather. It was one of the coldest times in my memory.
Downtown Atlanta has a number of outstanding tourist attractions located downtown. Just about this time last year I was here for the NCAA men’s basketball final four played at the Georgia Dome. The Dome is a block or two from the World of Coca-Cola. The world’s largest aquarium (still unseen by me), the Georgia Aquarium is within sight of today’s TTA.
It is not inexpensive to visit the WOCC. The nearby parking garage charges $10 to park. My senior discount saved me a couple of bucks, but I still paid $13 to enter. However, long after I have forgotten the cost of my travels, the memories linger for a lifetime. That’s what makes travel so much fun.
I learned a lot of interesting information about Coca-Cola today. Since I consume their products on an almost daily basis, I was certainly a loyal consumer. Did you know that from 1886 until 1956 the price of a Coke remained the same…..at 5 cents per serving. Coca-Cola is the #1 seller of fruit juice in the world. The company’s very first sports sponsorship supported a bicycle race across the United States.
The new museum is modern and spacious. There are two very entertaining video presentations. The first is a 3-D movie that shows a fantasy view of what happens to your coins when you drop them in a Coca-Cola vending machine. The second film shows commercials from all over the world including their most famous one, the “Joe Greene” spot that brought a tear to me eye.
There are all kinds of displays that explain the Coca-Cola history. Near the end of the tour, everyone is invited to sample coke products sold all over the world. I tried to get back my admission fee from these self-serve drink dispensers! Every customer is given a complimentary glass bottle of Coke to take with them. With only carry-on baggage that would not be a benefit to me do to airport security regulations. There is also a great gift shop at the end of the tour for those who must take something home to help them remember their tour.
This was a fun Trackchasing Tourist Attraction. I highly recommend it. If you have the time try to tie in the Georgia Aquarium into your visit to the World of Coca-Cola. They can both easily be done in less than one day.
STATE RANKINGS
Oklahoma
Tonight I saw my 16th lifetime track in the Sooner state. This moves me into a tie with Jack Erdmann for second place in Oklahoma. This change also gives me one more state position point in the lifetime NGD contest. Ed Esser has a comfortable lead here with 27 tracks.
Now you can see the entire up to date trackchaser rankings for Oklahoma. With so few entries, it won’t take you much time to scan the list. Just click on this link or paste it in your browser:
http://trackchaser.net/statregion.asp?country=USA®ion=OK
COMPLETE TRACK TYPE CATEGORY RANKINGS OF NOTE:
Dirt Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statsurface.asp?surface=Dirt
Paved Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statsurface.asp?surface=Paved
Ice Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statsurface.asp?surface=Ice
Mixed Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statsurface.asp?surface=Mixed
Oval Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statoval.asp
Circuit (road course) Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statcircuit.asp
Figure 8 Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statf8.asp
Indoor Track Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statindoor.asp
RACE REVIEW
NORTH GEORGIA SPEEDWAY, CHATSWORTH, GEORGIA (FRIDAY)
Dale Terry and I pulled into the North Georgia Speedway at 5:45 p.m. They had just had a rain shower. We were told by other fans that it had rain lightly, but steadily for 15 minutes just before we got there.
We bought our tickets and went into the track area. It was a warmish and comfortable night. The announcer told us there would be no more rain this evening. He turned out to be right on that account.
We were surprised to see that the track was doing very little to “iron out” the track. They had two junk cars with wide tires that continued to lap the track. However, it would take forever for just two cars to get the track in shape. After a while, they brought out 6-8 ATVs to run on the track. These machines were far too small to make much of a difference.
The announcer came over the P.A. at about 8 p.m. and urged the fans to call their friends. “We’re racing tonight. Your friends can still make the race. Give them a call and tell them to come on out”. There was still virtually no activity on the track, even though the pit area housed some 50+ stock cars. Finally, at about 9 p.m. they put 6-7 stocks cars on the track.
We had been at the track for more than three hours. It had not rained a drop since we had been there. Finally, the announcer came back on the P.A. system and said, “I have good news for you. You’re not going to have to sit out here any longer. We’re not going to race tonight. We are re-scheduling for Sunday night (in two days). There will be no refunds for the tickets you purchased tonight. Your ticket stubs will get you into Sunday night’s show.”
I thought about his words. Where was the good news? I didn’t hear any good news at all. The fans were getting screwed. The drivers were not fairing very well either. I had absolutely no idea why they did not try to dry the track. They certainly had the racing equipment to get the job done. They had enough time as they don’t have a curfew at the track. They even had the weather cooperate when it stopped raining more than four hours before they cancelled. Short track promoters like this guy deserve the lack of fan support they are currently getting at many tracks.
I met a young woman by the name of Stephanie Messer at the track tonight. She was a friendly sort who had traveled with her husband all over the south going to major dirt oval races. Stephanie also writes race reviews. She wrote one about her experience tonight at the North Georgia Speedway. I thought you would enjoy reading her point of view.
I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF MONTY MORROW AS A GOOD TRACK PROMOTER; HOWEVER, AFTER TODAY, MARCH 28, 2008, I HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION. I JUST SAT AT NORTH GEORGIA FOR OVER FOUR AND HALF HOURS. I SAT DURING THE FEW SHOWERS THAT FELL ON THE TRACK. HOWEVER, THERE WAS MANY HOURS TO PREPARE THE TRACK. THE ANNOUNCER KEPT SAYING, “THE RADAR IS CLEAR, WE ARE GOING TO GET THIS RACE IN, COME VISIT THE CONCESSION STAND." I WATCHED WHILE ONE SOMETIMES TWO CARS TRIED TO PACK THE TRACK; THEN, EIGHT ATVS; NEXT AND FINALLY, SEVEN RACE CARS TRIED TO PACK THE TRACK. I HAVE BEEN TO MANY, MANY RACES INCLUDING THE ONE AT CLEVELAND LAST YEAR, WERE THERE WAS MORE WATER ON THE TRACK AND THE RACE WAS STILL RAN. WHAT I WITNESS TONIGHT WAS A JOKE. THE RACE COULD HAVE BEEN RAN, IF A REAL EFFORT HAD BEEN PUT FORTH TO GET THE TRACK IN ORDER. I FEEL THAT MY FAMILY ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE, INCLUDING DRIVERS WAS ROBBED BY NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT. THE LEAST THE TRACK COULD HAVE DONE WAS ISSUE REFUNDS. I AND OTHER PEOPLE ATTEND CHURCH ON SUNDAY NIGHTS AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE RACE. THEREFORE, MY FAMILY LOST $51.00 PLUS THE COST OF CONCESSIONS. NOT TO MENTION, THE FUEL AT $3.25 PER GALLON. I UNDERSTAND VARIOUS TRACK POLICIES INCLUDING RAIN OUTS, BUT GOD HELD THE RAIN OFF. THIS RACE WAS NOT RAINED OUT. IF I AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO WAS STILL THERE HAD NOT WANTED TO WATCH THE RACE TONIGHT, WE WOULD HAVE LEFT LIKE A FEW OTHERS DID INCLUDING DRIVERS. HOWEVER, I AM SURE THEY WANTED TO WATCH THE RACE TONIGHT OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SHOWED UP TONIGHT AND PAID MONEY. HOWEVER, SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO WORK ON SATURDAY MORNINGS. I SPOKE TO A FAMILY OF THREE, WHO SAID,"THAT THEY HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE BUT HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE AT 10:00 NO RACING HAD TAKEN PLACE." ONCE AGAIN THEY LEFT TONIGHT, BEFORE THE RACE WAS RESCHEDULED. I HAVE BEEN TO RACES ALL OVER, AND BEFORE MONTY BECAME PROMOTER, ALL THE FANS TALKED ABOUT HOW BAD NORTH GEORGIA WAS FOR DRAGGING IT OUT ALL NIGHT LONG, AND HOW THEY HAVE TO LEAVE BEFORE THEY EVER WATCH A RACE. ALMOST EVERYONE I ASKED IF THEY WOULD BE AT NORTH GEORGIA REPLIED NO, BECAUSE IT TOOK UNTIL FOUR OR FIVE IN THE MORNING TO WATCH THE FEATURE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, I BROUGHT A FAMILY MEMBER TO SEE HER FIRST RACE, AND WHEN THE TRACK WAS RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE I CALLED FRIENDS, AND I TOLD THEM TO COME ON THAT THE RACE HAD NOT BEGUN AND THEY HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO MAKE IT. THE ANNOUNCER SAID,"CALL YOUR FRIENDS, AND TELL THEM TO COME SUNDAY." WELL, I CALLED MY FRIENDS, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT I TOLD THEM. I AM THINKING THAT THIS IS MY LAST RACE AT NORTH GEORGIA, UNTIL IT GETS A NEW PROMOTER, AND I AM CONSIDERING NOT GOING TO CLEVELAND ANYMORE SINCE IT HAS THE SAME PROMOTER. WHAT IS TO SAY THAT THIS SAME INCIDENT WILL NOT HAPPEN AT CLEVELAND? RACE TRACKS CAN NOT KEEP TREATING THE FANS AND DRIVERS IN THIS MANNER. LAST YEAR, SIMILAR THINGS HAPPENED AT ANOTHER TRACK IN BLUE RIDGE, GEORGIA. YOU CAN BET MONEY, I DID NOT GO BACK, AND I KNOW A LOT OF OTHER FANS WHO DID NOT GO BACK. I AM SURE YOU KNOW THAT THEY DID NOT EVEN FINISH THEIR SEASON AS PLANNED BECAUSE OF LACK OF ATTENDENCE. ONE FINAL POINT, BEFORE THE ANNOUNCER SAID, “THE RACE HAD BEEN RESCHEDULED"; I RECIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A CAR OWNER WHO SAID," THEY WILL NOT LET US PUT OUR CAR ON THE TRACK, THEY TOLD US TO LOAD IT."
SINCERELY,
STEPHANIE MESSER
LAKE COUNTRY SPEEDWAY, ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA
Even though this trip has been more than challenging in both racing and non-racing ways, I am happy to report that my visit to the Lake Country Speedway was the best dirt oval track experience I have had in a very long time. These guys ran a great racing program that was geared toward the spectator’s enjoyment.
What they did right was not rocket science. They just know how to run their business. They understand that in order to get someone to come out and watch their races, they have to match what other entertainment venues have to offer. Let me tell you about all of things these guys did right.
Maybe I was just euphoric about seeing any new track tonight, but then maybe that was because the Lake Country Speedway knew how to operate their track for the maximum enjoyment of their fans. Any track could do what they do, but less than 5% actually do.
So what did they do that was so great? Let me “splain it” to you.
Admission – Regular grandstand admission was $10. However for us “old fogeys” the senior rate was just five dollars.
Pre-race – The track piped the audio feed from the pit area driver’s meeting into the grandstand area. This allowed the spectators to get a little bit of “background” information. It’s always more fun to get the inside scoop on how the program is going to be run.
Start time – These guys started 13 minutes BEFORE their scheduled racing time of 8 p.m.
Program – They drew for starting positions and didn’t have time trials.
Racing – The Lake Country Speedway has a rule that I think every short track in America should have. They have a “one-caution flag and you’re out” rule for heat races and a “two-caution flag and you’re out” rule in the feature events. This means that if a driver spins out and does not get going again before a yellow caution flag is displayed he is out of the race. One of the worst things about short track racing, other than late starts, are the incessant delays caused by caution flags. It is not unusual for the time spent under the yellow flag to be greater than the time spent racing under the green flag. It’s amazing how many spins there were where the flagman held off on throwing the caution flag and the driver got going again. During the night there were 15-20 spins. The drivers almost always were able to get their cars moving and back into the race without causing a yellow flag delay.
The real racing – Before the cars left the track from a race just completed, the next race’s cars were driving onto the track. The track was dust free (easier to have on a damp, misty night) and smooth.
The actual racing – The car counts for the 5-6 divisions ranged from 12-18. This is just about perfect. This allows for two heat races per division and just the right amount of cars for a good feature event on a 3/8 mile dirt oval.
During the first 30 minutes, they finished five heat races. Considering they started 13 minutes early, they did this in just 17 minutes! It took them one hour and 21 minutes to complete 12 heat races. The first feature took to the track at 9:34 p.m. That’s only about six minutes per race. Some tracks can’t even get the first lap of a heat race completed in six minutes!
To top off all of the above, the racing was side by side all night. During one feature the hobby stocks actually had four cars racing side by side all the way down the backstretch.
Lake Country Speedway, you done well. I have absolutely NO IDEA why nearly every other track in America can’t do what you did tonight. This was not rocket science. It was simply outstanding planning and execution.
RENTAL CAR UPDATE
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Saturday/Sunday
I’ve got a deep maroon red Budget Rental Car Racing Chevy Impala. If I were interested in a domestic car, I would certainly consider this model. On a cold weekend like this, the heated seats are great.
I drove the Budget Rental Car Racing Chevy Prix 223 miles in the day that I had it. I paid an average price of $3.30 per gallon. The
Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,
Randy Lewis
Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser
They don’t boo the losers, they only boo the winner.
TRAVEL DETAILS
AIRPLANE
Los Angeles, CA – Atlanta, GA – 2,113 miles
RENTAL CAR
Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport – trip begins
Hartwell, Georgia – 145 miles
Lavonia, Georgia – 161 miles
Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport – 278 miles
AIRPLANE
Atlanta, GA – Montego Bay, Jamaica – 1,118 miles
RENTAL CAR
Sangster International Airport – trip begins
Brown’s Town, St. Ann, Jamaica – 46 miles
Sangster International Airport – 114 miles
AIRPLANE
Montego Bay, Jamaica – Atlanta, GA – 1,118 miles
AIRPLANE
Atlanta, GA - Oklahoma City, OK – 758 miles
RENTAL CAR
Will Rogers International Airport – trip begins
Ardmore, Oklahoma – 111 miles
Will Roger International Airport – 223 miles
AIRPLANE
Oklahoma City, OK – Los Angeles, CA – 1,187 miles
Total Air miles – 6,294 miles (5 flights)
Total auto and air miles traveled on this trip – 6,909 miles
TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:
Hartwell Motor Speedway – Free
Lavonia Motor Speedway - Free
Dover Raceway – About $25
Lake Country Speedway - $5
Total racetrack admissions for the trip – $30
RANKINGS
LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:
There are no trackchasers currently within 100 tracks of my lifetime total. It’s not my fault!
1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,323
Full Lifetime World Rankings
http://trackchaser.net/trackchasers.asp
Other notables
These worldwide trackchasers are within 10 tracks (plus or minus or more) of Carol’s current trackchaser total.
26. Kevin Eckert, Indianapolis, Indiana – 450
27. Carol Lewis,
28. Ken Schrader, Concord, North Carolina – 354
29. Max Allender,
2008 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS
1. Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 25
2. Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania – 16
3. Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 12
4. Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 9
4. Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 9
Tracks have been reported by 24 different worldwide trackchasers this season.
Complete 2008 Trackchasing Standings
http://trackchaser.net/statyear.asp?year=2008
LIFETIME COUPLES TRACKCHASING STANDINGS
1. Randy & Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,681
2. Allan & Nancy Brown,
3. Guy & Pam Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania – 1,666
LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS
2007 NGD results are posted at www.ranlayracing.com
Official Trackchaser Rules
http://trackchaser.net/rules.asp
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 aka “Dusty”
UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS
Somehow this trip changed from being out for three days to being away for eight days. I didn’t expect that. You wouldn’t think I would back on the road anytime soon, would you?
RACETRACKS VISITED IN 2008 (** not the first time to visit this track)
1,299.
1,300. Bira Circuit, Pattaya (road course),
1,301.
1,302.
1,303.
1,304.
1,305. Ozark Empire Fairgrounds (oval),
1,306.
1,307. Brainerd International Raceway Ice Track (road course),
1,308.
1,309.
1,310. Shawano Lake Ice Track –
1,311.
1,312. Mototown USA (oval) –
1,313. Moosehead Lake Ice Track (oval) –
1,314.
1,315.
1,316.
1,317.
1,318.
1,319. Autodromo Hermanos Rodriquez (road course), Mexico City, Mexico – March 16
1,320. Hartwell Motor Speedway (oval), Hartwell, Georgia – March 22
1,321. Lavonia Speedway, Lavonia (oval), Georgia – March 22
1,322. Dover Raceway (road course), Brown’s Town, St. Ann, Jamaica – March 24
1,323. Lake Country Speedway (oval), Ardmore, Oklahoma – March 29
