08-07-20 Alberni Motorsports Park

 

 

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DAY 2 – BRITISH COLUMBIA SUMMER TRACKCHASING TOUR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY’S HEADLINES

 

Sometimes the time, money and effort to trackchase does not provide a good value...................more in “The Objective”.

 

I’m working hard on my golf game and will take the next weekend off from trackchasing.  I’ve only had three full weeks out of 30 in 2008 where I did not trackchase…………..details in “Just Comments”.

 

My ferryboat riding was fun this weekend, but they were difficult to get on.…………..details in “The Trip”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUST COMMENTS

 

I’ve been working hard on my golf game.  I reduced my golf index to 7.4, which gives me a golf handicap of nine.  This is significant, since the maximum score I can take with this handicap is double bogey.  If none of this makes any sense to you don’t worry about it.

 

 

About six months ago, I had the opportunity to buy tickets to several events of the 2008 Beijing, China Summer Olympics.  I ended up getting two tickets to 13 different events.  My total cost for the tickets was a reasonable $402.

 

 

We weren’t sure we would go, but it was nice to know we had tickets if we did decide to go.  A few months ago, we had the opportunity to buy round-trip airfare to China for just $1,000 a piece.  That didn’t seem too bad considering the magnitude of the event.  However, run of the mill hotels were going for $400 per night, which seemed steep.  Finally, after much consideration we decided not to go.  That probably wasn’t a good decision since you only go round once in life.

 

 

Now, I had 26 tickets to the Olympics and we weren’t going.  Just a few days ago, I decided to put them up for auction on EBay.  As this is written, there is one day remaining in the auction.  The total amount of the bids I have received so far is $887.  Remember, my cost was $402.  The auction action during the last day, and especially the last hour, is always  hot and heavy.  My revenue should easily go over $1,000.  I’ll try to keep you posted in my next Trackchaser Report with the final totals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEE THE PHOTOS; ENJOY THE PHOTOS

 

 

 

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

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/Ranlay8/080720AlberniMotorsportsPark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREETINGS FROM PORT ALBERNI, BRITISH COLUMBIA

 

 

 

 

I WOKE UP THIS MORNING IN COURTENAY, BRITISH COLUMBIA IN CANADA.  I WENT TO SLEEP IN VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA ON SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE RETURNING TO SAN CLEMENTE ON MONDAY.  THIS IS WHAT TRANSPIRED TODAY.

 

 

 

 

PEOPLE/STRATEGY/TRAVEL NEWS

 

 

 

 

The Objective 

 

There are times in trackchasing where the time, effort and money expended are way too much for the reward exacted.  Some would say that is always the case in trackchasing.  I won’t go that far, but I will say that attending today’s track was NOT a good value for the time, effort and money that was required to pull this off.

The Trip

 

Recall I showed up at this track yesterday only to find out that the only countable wheel-to-wheel racing was today, Sunday.  Going to this track yesterday also hooked me into a 44-mile drive over unpaved, boulder-filled mountain roads.  That was a real treat.

 

 

Today’s program was set to begin at 12 noon.  Like a good Boy Scout, I showed up on time.  It was 80 degrees with nary a cloud in the sky.  My plan was to watch the racing for just one hour.  I would love to have stayed longer but I had to catch a BC Ferry after the race.  It was a one and a half hour drive from the racetrack to Departure Bay where my boat would depart.

 

 

I was also dealing with Sunday night ferry traffic.  I had waited in line for three hours on Friday night as Vancouverites vacated the city for a weekend retreat over to Vancouver Island.  I could just imagine how crowded it might be on Sunday night when all of those folks who still work were trying to get back to their cubicles on Monday morning.  In hindsight, I guess I underestimated to number of worker bees headed back to the hive.

 

 

I also underestimated the interest at the Alberni Motorsports Park in running a countable race early in the program.  This is certainly not AMP’s fault.  How could they know what was countable in trackchasing and what was not?  Maybe I should blame it on trackchasing’s founding fathers for placing so many limits on the hobby.

 

 

Nevertheless, I did arrive at 12 noon.  I hung around in the hot sun and dust until exactly 3:05 p.m. before seeing a wheel-to-wheel trackchasing countable race.  How many other trackchasers would have been so honest and forthright to have stayed that long and not “fudged” the race?  All of them I hope!

 

 

My more than late departure made me miss both the 3:10 p.m. and 4:40 p.m. ferries.  I arrived at the terminal at a little past 4:30 p.m.  I did not have a reservation.  This put me at the back of a very long line of cars.  The folks without reservations were lined up on the street in two lanes for nearly a mile.  I drove to the back of the line and waited.  I had hoped to stop for fuel on my way to the boat.  However, there wasn’t time.  Just as I pulled into the back of the one-mile line, my low fuel light went on!!!

 

 

If it weren’t for bad planning, I would have no planning at all.  My ferry ticket ($56.15 Canadian) shows I bought it at 5:21 p.m.  That would also indicated I missed the 5:20 p.m. shuttle.  The boat holds 300 cars.  I would estimate there are twice that many cars sitting in a huge parking lot with me who do not have reservations.  We can only board the boat after those folks, WHO THOUGHT TO PLAN AHEAD, have driven their cars on the ferry.

 

 

The BC Ferry facility is not unprepared for the waits their customers must endure.  They have a new and beautiful shopping/eating area for people stuck in line like me.  They have a Starbucks as well as gourmet pizza and BBQ.  This is definitely, a nice touch on their part.

 

 

The loudspeaker system told us to return to our cars for the 7:30 p.m. departure.  I did as told.  Unfortunately, I’m in line 18.  After cars with reservations boarded, only lines 10-13 made this departure. 

 

 

The next sailing is at 9:05 p.m. and it’s delayed 30 minutes because of “traffic”.  We have been told that everyone will make this boat.  The ride itself is one hour and 40 minutes long.  From there it will be about an hour to my hotel near the Vancouver Airport.  I figure I will check in at about midnight.  I have to be out of the hotel by 5 a.m. to begin to negotiate the process of returning the rental car, clearing U.S. Customs and then airport security.

 

 

My original plan was to see the Alberni track on Saturday afternoon and return from Vancouver to home on early Sunday morning.  However, I made the executive decision to stay for Sunday’s event at Alberni.  Given its remote location, I figured I might never get back here.  That decision was expensive.  It ended up adding two nights hotel expense (my original plan called for sleeping in the car at the ferry terminal on Saturday night).  Now I would be paying for hotels on both Saturday and Sunday night.  I would also have the expense of one more night of car rental and one more day of airport parking.  I’ll let you guess what all of the incremental expense turned out to be.

 

 

The People

 

I met a lovely woman from England in the BC Ferry store.  While we waited to get some BBQ, we had a nice conversation.  Her husband is in the U.K. military but stationed on a training assignment near Calgary.  It was interesting to get her take on the political situation in both the U.S. and the U.K.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RACE REVIEW

ALBERNI MOTORSPORTS PARK, PORT ALBERNI, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

 

No other trackchaser has ever visited the Alberni Motorsports Park.  With the ferryboat situation, I can understand why.  The track does not even appear on www.trackchaser.net.  That’s an indication, it’s remote even though they’ve been running countable racing for years.

 

I almost visited here last year.  I participated in the track’s email forum and received some very nice feedback from members of the club.  Some even visited my website and signed my guestbook.  Good for them.

 

I didn’t have time to alert them to my visit this time.  I’ll send them a message once this report makes the worldwide web.  There was a nice crowd on hand to watch the racing today.  There is no formal spectator seating.  People either bring their own lawn chairs or sit on huge horizontal tree logs that are easily two feet in diameter.

 

The countable portion of the dirt road course has several changes in elevation.  I’m going to guess the track’s distance is about ¾ of a mile.  However, the Alberni group is not primarily about wheel-to-wheel racing.  They spent the better part of the day running two-vehicle, two-quad, two-motorcycle sand drags.  I’m not much of a drag racing fan.  I’m less of one as I write this today!

 

I must have watched 100 or more drag races.  The track has a P.A. system and decent announcer, but the speakers are located a good distance from where the crowd sits.  I tried hard to hear what the announcer was saying about the competitors and the program, but I didn’t get much from it.

 

While the drags were going on the road course was continually being watered by an old water truck and by hand with a huge fire hose.  There was a small concession area and a single porta-potti that I saw.  I will say standing out in the hot sun for more than three hours definitely tried my patience.  However, I had come this far and there was no turning back despite the cost.

 

Finally, four off-road pickup trucks came out onto the track for a qualifying race.  They lined up in two rows of two.  One of the competitors dropped out with a flat tire are only a lap or two.  The remaining three continued on but were separated by a good deal of ground.

 

I would like to have stayed for more than just one race.  However, after being at the track yesterday and then today for three plus hours, it didn’t make sense.  As it was, I waited at the ferry terminal for FIVE hours following the race.  Staying as long as I did allowed me to be in my hotel for only five hours.  I thought my sacrifice was both exemplary and beyond the call of duty.

 

I wish the Alberni Motorsports Park well in their endeavors.  I thank them for running some trackchaser countable racing.  I have only one more Vancouver Island track (Port Hardy) remaining to be seen, so I may never get back to this part of British Columbia.

 

 

 

 

PROVINCE RANKINGS

British Columbia

Today I saw my 10th lifetime track 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.  No true trackchaser other than a Californian has ever seen more than one lifetime track in British Columbia.

 

 

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.  It’s similar to the Chevy Impala but minorly more upscale.  It has a leather interior and XM satellite radio.  That’s all I can ask for.  When I picked it up it had a shiny black exterior.  After yesterday’s unpaved mountain driving it looks like it’s just completed the Baja 500.

 

 

I drove the National Rental Car Racing Buick Lacrosse just 373 miles in the three days I had it.  I paid an average price of $5.25 per gallon.  The nicely appointed Buick gave me only 21.2 miles per gallon in fuel mileage at a robust cost of 24.7 cents (U.S.) per mile.  The car cost 50.4 cents per mile to rent, all taxes included.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading about my trackchasing,

 

Randy Lewis

Alberta’s #1 Trackchaser

Quitting while you’re ahead is not the same thing as quitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRAVEL DETAILS

 

 

AIRPLANE

 

Los Angeles, CA – Denver, CO – 861 miles

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

 

 

RENTAL CAR

 

Vancouver International Airport – trip begins

 

 

FERRY BOAT

 

Horseshoe Bay – Departure Bay – 36 miles

 

 

RENTAL CAR

 

Courtenay, BC – 204 miles

Port Alberni, BC – 287 miles

FERRY BOAT

 

Departure Bay – Horseshoe Bay – 36 miles

RENTAL CAR

Vancouver International Airport – 373 miles

AIRPLANE

 

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

Denver, CO – Los Angeles, CA – 861 miles

 

 

 

 

Total Air miles – 3,946 miles (4 flights)

 

 

Total auto and air miles traveled on this trip – 4,319 miles

 

 

 

 

 

TRACK ADMSSION PRICES:

 

Saratoga Speedway – $20 Canadian

Alberni Motorsports Park - $5 Canadian

 

Total racetrack admissions for the trip – $25 Canadian

 

 

 

 

 

RANKINGS

 

 

LIFETIME TRACKCHASER STANDINGS UPDATE:

 

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

 

1.  Randy Lewis, San Clemente, California – 1,367

 

 

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 – 69

 

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 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 (oval), Courtenay, British Columbia – July 19

 

1,366. Saratoga Speedway (figure 8), Courtenay, British Columbia – July 19

 

1,367. Alberni Motorsports Park (road course), Port Alberni, British Columbia – July 20