Racing fan has visited 1,056 tracks

ROB RISTESUND
rristesu@argusleader.com
June 14, 2006

Many racing fans enjoy visiting tracks located outside their local area for a variety of reasons.

Taking in a major racing event, such as a NASCAR or special short track race, are primary causes for fans to visit a track that may require an overnight stay. Others may take to the road just to check out what other racing venues have to offer as far as classes of cars, formats and facilities.

Randy Lewis has taken the hobby of visiting different racetracks to the extreme. He is the No. 1 documented "track chaser" in the world.

Track chasers are those who seriously strive to attend races at as many tracks as possible. They have a commissioner who records each "chaser's" numbers on a web site - TrackChasers.com.

On a visit to the Midwest last week, Lewis added nine more tracks to bump his chase-leading total to 1,056 tracks. Plans to add Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa, on Friday to his list fell through due to an unfavorable weather forecast. Lewis is the only person to have watched racing in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and has also attended races in seven foreign countries.

"Chasing racetracks allows me to do a combination of several things I enjoy doing at the same time," said the Illinois native now living in San Clemente, Calif. "I enjoy racing, traveling and the challenge of putting my racing trips together."

Lewis's latest racing venture was typical of many in the past.

He flew to Minneapolis on Tuesday and then drove his rental car to Hibbing, Minn., for a race that evening. Last Wednesday night's race in Alta, Iowa, was followed by the decision to scrap plans for more racing in Iowa due to unsettled weather.

Lewis then pointed his car southward to catch a race in southwest Missouri on Thursday night. After that it was off to Ohio for afternoon and evening races on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, followed by the long trek back to Minneapolis

Six days, 3,200 miles on the road, two plane trips and nine more tracks.

Two essentials are obviously required for the schedule Lewis maintains - time and financial resources.

The 57-year-old former sales manager for Procter and Gamble retired about six years ago, leaving him free to pursue his dream. Another pastime also enabled him to chase tracks without severe financial restrictions.

"Another of my hobbies is financial planning," he said. "That enabled me to retire when I did and to have the resources to do this.” 

Living on the west coast can be a liability to a track chaser, since most of the country’s racetracks are located near and east of the Mississippi River.  Lewis overcomes that handicap by usually flying to a part of the country before continuing by car.

He utilizes the latest technology to aid him in avoiding the dreaded rain-out.  The criteria for an official visit to a track requires the chaser to witness at least one lap of competitive racing.  A weather scanner, satellite radio, GPS device and laptop accompany him while on the road.

After visiting more than 1,000 tracks, it’s easy to understand that Lewis’s recollections of visits to tracks in the Sioux Falls area – including Huset’s and I-90 about 600 tracks ago – is somewhat vague.  But there are a couple of things that standout in his memory.

“The dirt in that area is black, which is unique to that part of the country.  In the south it’s red and most other places it’s brown.  Also, the people in that area are generally the nicest of wherever I’ve traveled.”

Lewis hopes to return to South Dakota later this year to allow his wife, Carol, a chance to add another state to her current list of about 40 where she’s attended races.

Last year’s personal record of 182 new tracks visited would seem to leave little time for Lewis to enjoy any other pastimes.

However, the single-digit handicap golfer managed to squeeze in about 100 rounds of golf.  And along with his wife, they attended nearly all the home games of their favorite college basketball team, the UCLA Bruins.

Updated information on Lewis’s racing travels can be found on his web site, ranlayracing.com.