Randy Lewis

Randy loves life in the fast lanes

 

By Colin Smith                    

 

THERE’S a joke that a hard core race fan believes the last four words of the national anthem are “gentlemen start your engines.”

 

But hard core race fan barely begins to describe Randy Lewis.

 

Lewis and his wife Carol from San Clemente, California are “track chasers” making a 12-day, 12-track visit to New Zealand.

 

Randy Lewis, 57, is one of six people in the world to have attended more than 1000 race tracks.  The New Zealand trip will consolidate his status as the world number one in the competitive hobby of track chasing with a lead of about 60 tracks over his nearest rival.

 

Baypark Speedway on December 28 was the 1135^th different race track Lewis had attended and his 144^th last year alone.  For Carol Lewis the Baypark meet was her 60^th different race track for 2006 and she’s approaching 300 different tracks.

 

“I think my best achievement is I’ve seen more tracks while I’ve been married than anyone else.”

 

“I saw my first race when I was five but I didn’t see my next one till I was 14.  Since I retired four years ago I’ve been to 500 different tracks.”

 

“In 2005 I saw racing on 121 days at 182 different tracks.  In 2006 it’ll be 148 tracks in 115 days in 37 states, Canada, England and New Zealand.”

 

And he’s not about to run out of destinations.

 

“There’s still about 1250 tracks in North American I haven’t seen.”

 

“Some of them are little figure-eight tracks that only run once a year at county fairs.  They’re not advertised very well so you hear about some of them through other track chasers.”

 

Lewis says track chasing is similar to a serious collecting hobby.  It’s a competitive pastime with rules – practice days, drag strips and motorcycle events don’t count –and world rankings are kept on www.trackchaser.com (effective 1/1/07 it's www.trackchaser.net).

 

Research is vital.

 

“There are about 1300 websites I monitor as well as discussion forums.  I’m always looking for the unusual midweek races.”

 

Living in southern California is a geographic disadvantage to Lewis who must fly to keep the track tally ticking upward.

 

Having already attended every regularly scheduled track within 1000km of his home, track chasing now sees him flying east or to Canada, the United Kingdom and for the first time New Zealand.

 

“I’ve flown over six million miles with American Airlines,” says Lewis.

 

“This is my 37^th racing trip this year.  I’ve seen racing on 48 out of 52 weekends.”

 

“My disadvantage is I live in California and most of the trackchasers are based in the Midwest and Eastern states where they can drive to a lot of tracks.”

 

So how did Baypark rate?

 

“It’s a great facility.  There aren’t five dirt tracks in the US where you can seat 15,000 people like this one.”

 

“The cars are immaculately prepared and it’s nice to be able to go into the pits to look around because you can’t do that in the US.”

 

Lewis gets to see some below par racing as well.

 

“If it’s a good race then I’m glad I made the trip.  If it isn’t then the beauty of track chasing is you don’t have to go back again.”

 

The obvious question is how does Lewis support his expensive habit?

 

“I saved my money,” he says.

 

“I worked for Procter & Gamble until I retired four years ago at 53.  My other hobby is financial planning and I’m able to afford to do this.”