To play the slide show above:

1) Click on the triangle, the slide show will begin.

2) If you want to view one picture at a time, place your cursor over the picture and click the pause button. When ready to advance to the next picture, hover and click the next arrow.

To begin the thumbnail slide show:

 1) Click on the picture above.

2) Then click on upper left photo of the thumbnail pictures.

3) Advance photos one at a time. 

 

 

DAY 3 – JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE FAR WEST TRACKCHASING TOUR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

What’s an opportunity cost?  Why is it important?...................more in “The Objective”.

 

It’s always fun to hook up with friends who live near the tracks I visit. …………..details in “The People”.

 

Where is the “Loneliest Road in America?”…………..details in “The Trip”.

 

 

 

 

 

JUST COMMENTS

 

I’ve been playing a lot of golf over the past couple of weeks.  Nevertheless, it’s been some 43 years since my last hole in one!

 

 

We’ve been spending time with our new grandchildren.  That’s fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click on or paste this link in your browser to see the photos from this trip.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ranlay8/080713LovelockSpeedway

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREETINGS FROM ELY, NEVADA.

 

 

 

 

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING IN EUREKA, NEVADA.  I WENT TO SLEEP IN RENO, NEVADA BEFORE RETURNING TO SAN CLEMENTE ON MONDAY MORNING.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

 

 

 

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

 

The Objective 

 

I have always loved trackchasing for the personal challenge of it.  I’ve put a lot of time and effort into “smoothing” out the strategic and logistical obstacles that the art of traveling all over the country on a moment’s notice can create.

 

Now trackchasing is easy for me.  I can go wherever and whenever I want.  Cost is no consideration with regard to where or when I go whatsoever.  Some might say, “Gee, if I could go anywhere I wanted, anytime I wanted and didn’t have to worry about the cost that would be great”.  It IS great and it HAS BEEN great.  However, with trackchasing, or any other activity, there is an “opportunity” cost.

 

So, Randy what do you mean by an opportunity cost?  This is a simple concept that I first became aware with my financial planning interests.  In the world of money, an opportunity cost might go like this.  Let’s say you keep all of your money under the mattress.  However, if you put it in the bank, you might be able to earn a guaranteed rate of interest.  Let’s say that interest rate was 5% (I know in today’s world, it’s much less but work with me here). 

 

You want to keep you money under the mattress because it provides some support for your aching back.  With the price of gas, you don’t have to drive very far to make a withdrawal.  However, you won’t earn any interest by sleeping on your money.  You are missing the “opportunity” to earn 5% interest at the bank.  So, your “opportunity cost” is 5% per annum.

 

Even after this analysis and understanding of opportunity costs, you might still decide to keep your money under your mattress.  At least, at this point, you would understand the concept of “missed opportunities”.  You would have consciously made the decision to pass up other opportunities for the one you preferred…..keeping your money under the mattress.

 

In trackchasing, one of the “opportunity costs” for me is not being able to do certain things while I’m away trackchasing.  I’ve always understood this trade-off, but chose to go trackchasing on the frequency I’ve enjoyed over the past several years.

 

I’ve seen several trackchasers either drop out or cut back on the hobby for a variety of reasons.   For some the financial cost is too high.  For others, it seems like the “entertainment ratio” no longer made sense for them.  They may have felt the time and effort wasn’t worth the reward on the other end.

 

The interesting thing to consider with all of this if that each person is on his/her own personal continuum.  Some people who are just coming into the hobby see things differently than folks who have been in the hobby for some time.  You might have had a similar experience at work.  The younger less experienced workers might have a widely different view of things that the long-tenured older employee.

 

I’ve decided I want to spend a little more time with the family, playing golf and trying new things I’ve never tried before.  I’m not retiring from trackchasing.  I’m just cutting back.  I’m not sure how much of a change it will be.  I do expect to see considerably fewer new tracks.  I’ll continue to trackchase like I always have, whenever and wherever I want.  That plan has always worked out well. 

The Trip

 

I woke up in the relatively upscale Best Western Eureka Inn in the town of the same name (no, NOT Best Western, Nevada!).  From there it was a 250-mile drive across the Nevada desert and mountain ranges.  Route 50, dubbed the “Loneliest Road in America” was my companion.

 

 

After the race, it was 100 miles back to downtown Reno.  Once there I stayed in the Atlantis Casino Resort hotel until I could fly home on Monday morning.  Reno can be very cold in the wintertime.  However, they have dessert heat (100 degree plus) in the summer.  Neither one of those choices sounds very good to me.

 

 

 

The People

 

This has been a rather long weekend, travel-wise, without much entertaining racing.  However, that’s what I’ve come to expect from a good deal of Far West racing.  I used to discuss this phenomenon with the late Gary Jacob.  Gary went racing three days a week, 52 weeks a year all over the Far West, but mainly in California.

 

 

I could never understand why he could travel so many miles (stuff is far apart in the Far West) for racing with such small cars counts at less than quality facilities.  He could never understand why I would travel all over the country, and now the world, too often see racing that wasn’t any better than what he was seeing.  We left it at that.

 

 

I did wrap up the weekend on a high note, people-wise.  I spent the night in Reno, “the biggest little city in the world” at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa.  This is one of those glitzy high-rise “Vegas” hotels, but in Reno!  I really don’t care for places like this.  They are much too crowded for my taste.  Some may say the economy is down now.  You wouldn’t know it, from the crowds in these casinos.

 

 

It was fun to have our friends, the Moodys drive down from their summer home overlooking Lake Tahoe, to join me for dinner.  A special treat was having Jill’s dad, Jerry join us.  We had a casual dinner and fun conversation.  It’s always fun to see good friends when I’m out on the trackchasing trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RACE REVIEW

LOVELOCK SPEEDWAY, LOVELOCK, NEVADA

 

Lovelock, Nevada is out in the boonies, about 100 miles east of Reno.  The Lovelock Speedway is out in the boonies compared to Lovelock’s location.  Actually, the track is out in the dessert.  There are no lights at this new track, so they must race during the day.

 

Let’s think about this.  The Nevada dessert during the daytime in the middle of July.  Yes, this would be the polar opposite of this past winter’s ice racing adventures.  The temperature at noon was already 93 degrees.  The wind was blowing strongly.  The dessert sand, in the heat and wind, made for a very uncomfortable afternoon of racing.

 

The Lovelock Speedway opened just a few months ago.  The car counts were small.  There were 12 modifieds, 4 legends/dwarfs and 4 mini-stocks.  After nearly every race, the water truck was needed.

 

The facility is off to a nice start.  This is a 3/8-mile high-banked dirt oval.  On a hot day like today, the surface seemed much too sandy.  However, if they raced under the lights in more temperate conditions, maybe the track’s surface would seal up better.

 

They have a series of small wooden 5-row bleacher seating areas.  They have a good concession building and a beer tent selling brews for just three bucks.  They do have a P.A. system but the lady announcer had little, if anything to say, after asking the crowd to stand for the national anthem.  For the life of me, I can’t understand how a spectator (not competitor) based racetrack can operate without an informative and entertaining announcer.  In point of fact, they can’t.

 

This track begins their Saturday “night” races at 4 p.m.  On Sundays, they begin at 1 p.m.  Despite the less than comfortable afternoon temperatures today, I was happy to be able to see a Far West track on a Sunday.  It’s unlikely that I will ever be back.  Nevertheless, I wish these folks the best of luck in their new racing endeavor.

 

 

 

 

 

STATE RANKINGS

 

Nevada

 

This afternoon I saw my 22nd lifetime track in Nevada.  The late Gary Jacob stands in second place with 20 tracks out here.  A fairly robust 39 worldwide trackchasers have come to this state to support their trackchasing hobby.  Trackchasing’s First Mother ranks third here with eleven tracks.  No other trackchaser has more than six tracks in the Silver state.

 

 

Now you can see the entire up to date trackchaser rankings for the state.  Just click on this link or paste it in your browser:

 

http://trackchaser.net/statregion.asp?country=USA&region=NV

 

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

Salt Lake City, UT – Saturday/Monday

I will be driving the National Rental Car Racing Chevy Impala.  This was a one-way rental.  I picked the car up in Salt Lake City and would drop it off in Reno.  Normally, they don’t rent their best cars for trips like this.  However, my Impala had just 5,000 miles on it, a comfortable leather interior and XM satellite radio.  I could not have asked for more.  The Impala was a very comfortable car to drive.  If I were in the market for a car in this price range, this would be a good choice.

 

 

I drove the National Rental Car Racing Chevy Impala 730 miles after picking it in Salt Lake and then dropping it in Reno.  I paid an average price of $4.32 per gallon.  The Chevy gave me a comfortable 26.4 miles per gallon (mainly driven at 75-80 M.P.H.) in fuel mileage at a cost of 16.4 cents (U.S.) per mile.  The car cost a miserly 2.1 cents per mile to rent, all taxes included.  This was aided by the use of two “free day” coupons from my trackchasing associate sponsor, National Rental Car.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

Be kinder than necessary this day;

for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL DETAILS

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Orange County, – San Francisco, CA – 372 miles

San Francisco, CA - Medford, OR – 329 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR

 

Rogue Valley International Airport – trip begins

White City, OR – 31 miles

Rogue Valley International Airport – 44 miles

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Medford, OR – Salt Lake City, UT – 575 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR

 

Salt Lake City International Airport – trip begins

Ely, NV – 292 miles

Lovelock, NV – 621 miles

Reno-Tahoe International Airport – 730 miles

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Reno, NV – Los Angeles, CA – 390 miles

 

 

Total Air miles – 1,666 miles (4 flights)

 

 

Total auto and air miles traveled on this trip – 2,396 miles

 

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Southern Oregon Speedway - $5

Great Basin Raceway – $10 (senior rate)

Lovelock Speedway - $5 (senior rate)

 

Total racetrack admissions for the trip – $20

 

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

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

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,364

 

 

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.  Ken Schrader, Concord, North Carolina – 368

 

28.  Carol Lewis, San Clemente, California – 366

 

 

 

 

 

 

2008 TRACKCHASER STANDINGS

 

1.  Mike Knappenberger, Reading, Pennsylvania – 80

 

2.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 66

 

3.  Ed Esser, Madison, Wisconsin – 39

 

4.  Roland Vanden Eynde, Vilvoorde, Belgium - 29

 

5.  Guy Smith, Effort, Pennsylvania - 26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracks have been reported by 35 different worldwide trackchasers this season.

 

Complete 2008 Trackchasing Standings

http://trackchaser.net/statyear.asp?year=2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIFETIME NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY STANDINGS

 

After the most recent updates (July 1, 2008), I have a comfortable 19 state position lead.  As long as I can keep a 10 state position lead, things will be under control.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Official Trackchaser Rules

http://trackchaser.net/rules.asp

 

 

 

 

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 aka “Tonto”

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPCOMING TRACKCHASING PLANS

 

I don’t have any real idea where I will be trackchasing next.  Maybe, I’ll leave the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

1,299. Barnes Lake Ice Track, Ashcroft (road course), British Columbia, Canada - January 13

 

1,300. Bira Circuit, Pattaya (road course), Thailand - January 19

 

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

 

1,302. Birch Lake Ice Track (oval), Hackensack, Minnesota - January 27

 

1,303. Mille Lacs Lake Ice Track (road course), Garrison, Minnesota - January 27

 

1,304. Mille Lacs Lake Ice Track (oval), Garrison, Minnesota - January 27

 

1,305. Ozark Empire Fairgrounds (oval), Springfield, Missouri – February 1

 

1,306. Atlanta Motor Speedway (road course), Hampton, Georgia – February 2

 

1,307. Brainerd International Raceway Ice Track (road course), Brainerd, Minnesota – February 3

 

1,308. Bay of Green Bay Ice Track (road course), Marinette, Wisconsin – February 9

 

1,309. Lake Speed Ice Track (oval), Tilleda, Wisconsin – February 9

 

1,310. Shawano Lake Ice Track – North Shore (oval), Shawano, Wisconsin – February 10

 

1,311. Cecil Bay Iceway (oval) – Cecil, Wisconsin – February 10

 

1,312. Mototown USA (oval) – Windsor, Connecticut – February 15

 

1,313. Moosehead Lake Ice Track (oval) – Greenville Junction, Maine – February 16

 

1,314. Clarence Creek Ice Track (oval) – Clarence Creek, Ontario, Canada – February 17

 

1,315. Durban Grand Prix (road course), KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa – February 24

 

1,316. Lake La Biche Ice Track (road course), Lake La Biche, Alberta, Canada – March 1

 

1,317. Rice Lake Ice Track (oval), Rice Lake, Wisconsin – March 8

 

1,318. Ashland Ice Track (oval), Ashland, Wisconsin – March 9

 

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

 

1,324. Swainsboro Raceway (oval), Swainsboro, Georgia – April 3

 

1,325. Screven Motor (oval), Sylvania, Georgia – April 4

 

1,326. Centerville Super Speedway (oval), Centerville, Arkansas – April 5

 

1,327. Central Arkansas Speedway (oval), Plumerville, Arkansas – April 5

 

1,328. Clinton Country Speedway (oval), Alpha, Kentucky – April 6

 

1,329. Pleasant Valley Raceway (oval), Boise, Idaho – April 20

 

1,330. Bremerton Raceway (road course), Bremerton, Washington – April 26

 

1,331. Port Angeles Speedway (oval), Port Angeles, Washington – April 26

 

1,332. Evergreen Speedway (1/5-mile oval), Monroe, Washington – April 27

 

1,333. Virginia Motor Speedway (oval), Jamaica, Virginia – May 1

 

1,334. Natural Bridge Speedway (oval), Natural Bridge, Virginia – May 2

 

1,335. Sturup Raceway, Malmo (road course), Sweden – May 10

 

1,336. Ring Djursland, Tirstrup (road course), Denmark – May 11

 

1,337. Nisseringen, Naestved (road course), Denmark – May 12

 

1,338. Valentine Speedway (oval), Glenrock, Wyoming – May 17

 

1,339. Gillette Thunder Speedway (oval), Gillette, Wyoming – May 17

 

1,340. Phillips County Speedway (oval), Holyoke, Colorado – May 18

 

1,341. North Pole Speedway (oval), North Pole, Alaska, – May 22

 

1,342. Tanacross Airport (road course), Tok, Alaska, – May 24

 

1,343. Mitchell Raceway (oval), Fairbanks, Alaska, – May 24

 

1,344. North Star Speedway (oval), Wasilla, Alaska, – May 25

 

1,345. Capitol Speedway (oval), Willow, Alaska, – May 25

 

1,346. Elk City Speedway (inner oval), Elk City, Oklahoma, – May 30

 

1,347. Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex (oval), Sweet Springs, Missouri – May 31

 

1,348. Central Missouri Speedway (oval), Warrensburg, Missouri – May 31

 

1,349. Lucas Oil Speedway (road course), Wheatland, Missouri – June 1

 

1,350. Ark-La-Tex Speedway (oval), Vivian, Louisiana – June 5

 

1,351. Monticello Speedway (oval), Monticello, Arkansas – June 6

 

1,352. Paris Motor Speedway (oval), Paris, Texas – June 7

 

1,353. Grayson County Speedway (oval), Bells, Texas – June 7

 

1,354. Prowers County Motorsports Park (oval), Lamar, Colorado – June 13

 

1,355. Moler Raceway Park (oval), Williamsburg, Ohio – June 20

 

1,356. La Junta Raceway (road course), La Junta, Colorado – June 21

 

1,357. El Paso County Speedway (oval), Calhan, Colorado – June 21

 

1,358. York County Fairgrounds (figure 8), York, Nebraska – June 22

 

1,359. Black Hills Speedway (oval), Rapid City, South Dakota – June 27

 

1,360. Heartland Speedway (oval), Rapid City, South Dakota – June 27

 

1,361. Newcastle Speedway (oval), Newcastle, Wyoming – June 28

 

1,362. Jackson County Sports Park (oval), White City, Oregon – July 11

 

1,363. Great Basin Raceway (oval), Ely, Nevada – July 12

 

1,364. Lovelock Speedway (oval), Lovelock, Nevada – July 13

 

 

 

 

 

Far West “Chase to be #1”

 

In the business world, the U.S. is often divided up into geographic areas that are referred to as East, Central and the “eleven Western states plus Alaska and Hawaii.”  No, I don’t know why they don’t just say the “thirteen western states.”  Those states include  Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming and, of course, Alaska and Hawaii.

 

The far west probably has the most beautiful scenery per square mile anywhere in the United States.  This got me to thinking.  Over the next 1-2 years, I’d like to put a “full-court” press on these far west states for trackchasing purposes.  I want to establish a goal of becoming the number one trackchaser in each of these states except California by the end of 2009.  Becoming #1 in California is not a realistic goal at this time. 

 

Below is a listing of these thirteen Far Western states.  The state’s name is followed by my current rank and how many tracks I need to see to gain at least a tie for 1^st place.  As an example, I’m currently in third place in Hawaii and trail first place by one track.  I’m looking forward to spending more time than usual in the Far West, a great part of our country.

 

Alaska – 1^st by 2

 

Arizona – 1^st by 8

 

California – 2^nd - trail by 46

 

Colorado – 1^st by 3

 

Hawaii – 3^rd – trail by 1

 

Idaho – 1^st by 3

 

Montana – 1^st by 1

 

Nevada – 1^st by 2

 

New Mexico – 1^st by 4

 

Oregon – 1^st by 1

 

Utah – 1^st by 2

 

Washington – 1^st by 3

 

Wyoming – 1^st by 3