08-07-19 Saratoga Speedway

 

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DAY 1 – BRITISH COLUMBIA SUMMER TRACKCHASING TOUR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

Babies, golf and trackchasing, it’s hard to do them all...................more in “The Objective”.

 

My trips can be as much of a mental challenge as a physical one …………..details in “The Trip”.

 

The people I meet can make the trip…………..details in “The People”.

 

 

 

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

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ranlay8/080719SaratogaSpeedway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREETINGS FROM PORT ALBERNI, BRITISH COLUMBIA (ALMOST) AND THEN COURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA.

 

 

 

 

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING IN SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA.  I WENT TO SLEEP IN ALBERNI, BRITISH COLUMBIA (FRIDAY).  AFTER THE SARATOGA RACES, I STAYED OVERNIGHT IN COURTENAY, BC.    THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

 

 

 

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

 

The Objective 

 

One of my overall objectives in life is simply to have fun in a safe and productive manner while listening too and supporting my friends and family.  An outcome of that objective had me signed up to play golf this weekend rather than going trackchasing.

 

However, when Carol volunteered to help with “baby duty” for a few days, I figured this might be a good time to go out on the road.  Mind you, I’ve already spent time this week bottle feeding and burping our twin grandchildren.  I’m surprised at how small and fragile they are, although they are both above six pounds as this is written.

The Trip

 

Flying standby with my airline partners in the summertime is more of a mental challenge than a physical one.  Carol and I have now flown some 272 individual segments during our nearly two-year airline sponsorship.  During this time, I have missed getting to my destination on time just twice.

 

 

This gives us a 99.3% success rate.  I never would have imagined it would be this easy.  However, I would estimate that some 50-75% of the time, it seems like we WON’T get to our destination due to a full flight.  I guess the system needs that “burr in the saddle” or everyone connected with the airline business would be trying to do what I do.  Despite today’s flights (on a Friday afternoon) being very tight I was able to fly in first class from Denver to Vancouver.

 

 

Getting to the track……

 

 

You might think that getting to a new racetrack in my own time zone would be easier than just about anywhere I travel in North America.  That was not the case today.  Here is what happened.

 

3:23 a.m. - Wakeup call in San Clemente

 

 

3:38 a.m. – Out the door for the one hour drive to LAX

 

 

4:42 a.m. – Arrive at the Parking Spot, my #1 choice for long-term parking at LAX.

 

 

5:17 a.m. – Clear airport security for this morning’s flight(s) with a final destination of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

 

 

5:30 a.m. – Make a decision.  I can depart LAX at 6 a.m., connect in Denver and then fly onto Vancouver (YVR) or I can wait until 8:30 a.m. and try to fly non-stop from LAX to Vancouver.  The flights through Denver look good, although taking connecting flights brings potential problems into play such as delays and availability.  However, my non-stop option looks tight on availability.  If I pass on the early morning Denver option and then don’t make the non-stop, I’m backing myself into the Friday afternoon airport rush.  I decide to fly at 6 a.m. and connect through Denver.

 

 

6:00 a.m. – We’re out of LAX and onto Denver.

 

 

9:10 a.m. – I lose an hour flying into Denver and the Mountain time zone.  When I arrive I see my flight to Vancouver is delayed an hour.  Delays like this are bad for me.  If my connecting plane left on time, OTHER people might miss the connection to Vancouver because THEIR flight was delayed.  When others miss their connections that opens up a seat for me.

 

 

1:03 p.m.  We leave Denver bound for Vancouver.  Just before flight time, the system told me there were three first class seats open and two in coach with just two standbys on my flight.  That’s not bad, but it’s still tight.  I ended up with one of those first class seats!

 

 

2:52 p.m. – We land in Vancouver.  Of all the places I’ve traveled too in Canada, the Vancouver airport always has the longest “border check” lines.  However, today, the wait was only about five minutes.  I was onto the rental car pickup area in record time.

 

 

3:07 p.m. – I had a nice choice of cars from the National Rental Car Company to choose from.  It came down to a bright red fastback Mustang or four-door Buick Lacrosse with leather interior and XM satellite radio.  I chose the Buick.  Yes, I am 59 years old.

 

 

4:03 p.m. – My GPS unit took me through heavy urban traffic on a late Friday afternoon looking for the BC Ferries “Horseshoe Bay” departure area.  When I arrived, I paid my FIFTY-SIX DOLLAR crossing fee and pulled into the back of line #4.  I wanted to get on the 5:20 p.m. departure, but they told me that was unlikely since I didn’t have an advance reservation.  By the way, making an advance reservation on the BC Ferry system costs an ADDITIONAL seventeen dollars!

 

 

5:20 p.m.  The boat leaves without me.  I wait with others for the 6:55 p.m. departure.

 

 

6:55 p.m.  I had nearly three hours to wait in the BC Ferries departure line.  Luckily, I brought a couple of good books to read.  Waiters, like me, also have the opportunity to walk into the small seaside down of Horseshoe Bay for food and comfort without losing their spot in line.  I walked into town to get something to eat.  My foot long Subway meal cost $13.  Canada is expensive!  When I return to my car the couple next to me are outside their car chatting.  For the next hour and a half I have to listen to “adult mating” talk from a couple who seem to be dating and going away for the weekend for the first time ever.  I did pick up some good lines!

 

 

Finally, I drove my car onto the ferry.  We will travel a distance of 36 miles.  The sailing time is one hour and forty minutes.  Folks who did not eat in Horseshoe Bay, line up onboard at the ship’s Café.  Others stroll outside to get the beautiful views of a vanishing Vancouver skyline and the upcoming Vancouver Island arrival.  The ship is large and comfortable.  However, it did seem like it took forever to get to our destination point.

 

 

8:40 p.m. – We arrive at Vancouver Island.  Getting off the boat with the car is easy.  I have a 60-mile drive up to Port Alberni in vanishing daylight.

 

 

10:07 p.m. – After just two tries, I locate a hotel.  I’ll be staying at the Greenport Hotel ($102/night with tax) in Port Alberni, BC.  The place isn’t the most upscale, but it will do.

 

Summary……

 

I started traveling nearly 19 hours ago.  It normally only takes me 12 hours or so to get to most East coast tracks from San Clemente.  Now that I’m here, I’ll see my first new track tomorrow at 1 p.m. on Saturday.  That afternoon show will be followed by some Saturday night racing action.

 

Then…..I don’t have much choice but to sleep in my car while I wait in line for the 6:20 a.m. Sunday morning ferryboat back to Vancouver.  At that point, I will fight with summertime vacation travelers and folks returning from their weekend trips for an arrival back into Los Angeles sometime on Sunday.  The most wide-open Sunday flights are in the morning.  However, I’m stuck on an island until the ferry gets me to Vancouver at about 9 a.m. on Sunday and will have fewer good airplane choices then.

 

 

The People

 

I’ve always enjoyed meeting the Canadian people.  I rarely hear other trackchasers talk about the people they meet on their trips.  I hope they are meeting interesting folks.  That’s one of the best parts about trackchasing.

 

 

I spent a good deal of time talking with the desk clerk at tonight’s hotel.  He was disabled from the waist down and had to use twin steel crutches.  For some odd reason the phone at the hotel was about 10 feet from where he stood at the front desk.  Every time the phone rang, he had to grab his crutches and hobble over to the phone from his position at the front desk.  He never once gave any indication this was a convenience.  As we talked, he marveled at my hobby of trackchasing.  The next time my foot hurts I will try to remember this young man with such a positive attitude even though life has dealt him a bad hand with regard to his disability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RACE REVIEW

ALBERNI MOTORSPORTS PARK, PORT ALBERNI, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

 

Wow!  What an up and down day!!  I had stayed overnight in Port Alberni on Friday night so I would be close to the Saturday afternoon track in town.  I showed up nearly an hour early for the 1 p.m. dirt road course race event.  I had already purchased my pit pass when my idle conversation with the two women working the pit shack discovered a significant problem.  There was not going to be any wheel-to-wheel racing today!  The website told everyone they would have wheel-to-wheel racing on BOTH Saturday and Sunday.  This was a major bummer.  I would have to decide if I would stay over for Sunday’s race when they WOULD have countable racing.

 

It was now nearly 1 p.m.  My evening track (Saratoga Speedway) would not begin their program until 7 p.m.  I was only an hour from the track so there was no rush to get there.  That being the case, when “Tonto” my faithful GPS unit recommended a non-paved road I went along for the ride.

 

Little did I know how long I would be on these unpaved, large rock, uneven mountain roads.  I could only travel about 20 M.P.H. for fear of compounding my problems with a flat tire while I was truly out in the middle of nowhere.

 

To make a long drive sound like it was shorter than it was I ended up driving 44 miles on these unpaved roads.  I did get some spectacular photos of mountains and lakes.  They were unbelievably beautiful.  However, when I was in the midst of my 44-mile drive from hell, I had no idea how much longer it was going to continue.  That’s a bad feeling.  As soon as I reached a paved road, I changed the settings on “Tonto” to avoid unpaved roads in the future!

 

 

SARATOGA SPEEDWAY (FIGURE 8 AND 3/8-MILE OVAL), COURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

 

The Saratoga Speedway was my “signature” track for British Columbia.  Now that I’ve seen it, the P.G.A.R.A. Speedway in Prince George is my new BC signature track.

 

Today could have very easily been a four-track day.  I never would have expected to miss this afternoon’s show at Port Alberni.  That would have been one.

 

I came to British Columbia expecting to get two new tracks at the Saratoga Speedway.  These would be the full-sized oval and the figure 8 track.  However, as I began to talk to people about tonight’s event I learned the “mini-oval” class would be racing.  It doesn’t take a genius to guess that these cars might not race on the regular oval.

 

I had come to the Saratoga Speedway at 4 p.m.  They rent the track in the afternoons for go-kart racing.  It was here that I met “Brian” who runs the infield on race days at Saratoga.  Yes, Brian told me the “mini-oval” class was on the card for tonight.

 

When I returned to the speedway for their 7 p.m. start, I worried that the “mini-oval” class might be limited to drivers under the age of 18 and therefore non-countable by trackchasing rules.  That concern was alleviated when the announcer told everyone the “mini-oval” class was for novice drivers but there was no age limit.

 

That was good news.  However, his next statement was bad news.  Only one “mini-oval” car had shown up.  That meant there would be no racing on the mini-oval track tonight.  My possible four-track combo had now turned into just two tracks.  Bummer!  Nevertheless, I’ve definitely won more of these battles than I’ve ever lost so I can’t be too unhappy.

 

The main track at Saratoga is a 3/8-mile asphalt oval.  It’s semi-banked with only a retaining wall next to the front stretch grandstand.  The figure 8 track is a bit hokey.  They simply place two large tractor tires on the big oval’s front stretch and race a figure 8 around the tires.  This is also how they do it at the Western Speedway in Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.

 

In addition to seven small 4-cylinder figure 8 cars, there were four other divisions.  These included the hornets (15), bombers (10), roadrunners (10) and crash to pass cars (12).  I have estimated the car counts.

 

The crash to pass cars were the best.  These are high-powered V-8 cars that must make contact, as in crash or spin, with the car ahead in order to make a legal pass.  All of the cars racing tonight were low budget.  The racing was nothing out of the ordinary.

 

The highlight of the entire night was “The Flying Canuck”.  I was able to get some great photos of this novelty event that took place at intermission.  “The Flying Canuck” was driving a large Ford Galaxy station wagon.  His mission was to approach a ramp at high speeds, fly over a school bus and land into a line of junk cars.

 

He almost made it but one of the two ramps slipped when he drove over it at take off.  This moved his car over to the right causing it to still clear the school bus, but barely hit the parked junk cars.  The angle of attack sent the “Flying Canuck” into a series of side over side flips much to the crowd’s delight.

 

Yes, this was a highlight to a semi-screwed up day.  I could have had four new tracks, even when my plan for the trip was to get only three.  I should still end up with three by staying over tomorrow, Sunday.  This would cause me to stay overnight in Canada for an extra night, my third.  I didn’t want to do that but I don’t know when I’ll get up in these parts again.  I also have to contend with the BC Ferryboat schedules as well as flight availabilities.

 

 

PROVINCE RANKINGS

British Columbia

Today I saw my 8^th and 9th lifetime tracks in British Columbia.  That keeps me in the trackchasing lead up north here in British Columbia, Canada.  Carol is right behind with three BC tracks.  This gives her the runner-up spot in this province. 

 

 

Surprisingly, only 13 trackchasers have ever made it up here.  Only 13 official new track visits have been recorded in British Columbia by trackchasers not named Lewis.  That seems like a very low number.

 

 

I had not been to British Columbia since my very first new track visit of 2008 back in mid-January.  BC had some beautiful country and seeing it in full bloom in the summer is one of the best times to visit.

 

 

 

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=BC

 

 

 

RENTAL CAR UPDATE

 

Vancouver, BC – Friday/Sunday

I will be driving the National Rental Car Racing Buick Lacrosse.  This was a shiny black Buick with leather interior and XM satellite radio.  The car had just 5,000 miles on its odometer.  However, where I ended up taking it, I probably wore it out ten times more than the drivers who had it before me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL DETAILS

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Los Angeles, CA – Denver, CO – 861 miles

Denver, CO – Vancouver, BC – 1,112 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR

 

Vancouver International Airport – trip begins

Courtenay, BC – 204 miles

 

 

FERRY BOAT

 

Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay Ferry – 36 miles

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Saratoga Speedway – $20 Canadian

 

 

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

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

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,366

 

 

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 – 68

 

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 hope to tie my next trackchasing trip into a vacation with Trackchasing’s First Mother.  This will be her first trackchasing trip since just before the twins were born.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

1,365. Saratoga Speedway (figure 8), Courtenay, British Columbia – July 19

 

1,366. Saratoga Speedway (oval), Courtenay, British Columbia – July 19