Randy Lewis

COLUMBUS TELEGRAM

Columbus, Nebraska

July 9, 2004

 

'Trackchasers' travels bring him to U.S. 30

 

By DON STRECKER/Telegram Sports Editor

 

COLUMBUS - For auto racing fans, going to a new racetrack can be an exciting experience.

Randy Lewis has experienced that excitement a few times.

Some 726 times, to be exact.

Lewis, from San Clemente, Calif., is what is known as a race "trackchaser." He travels throughout the United States and to foreign countries, watching auto racing at as many different tracks as possible.

On Thursday, Lewis was at U.S. 30 Speedway, attending auto races at the 726th track of his life.

"I just like to travel," Lewis said during races on Thursday at U.S. 30. "I try to go to as many tracks as I can."

Lewis is actually one of many trackchasers throughout the world. They even have their own web site - www.trackchaser.com - and they keep trackchaser standings.

Lewis' 726 tracks rank him ninth in the world all-time and first among trackchasers west of the Mississippi.

The leader, Rick Schneider of Bay Shore, N.Y., has been to more than 1,000 tracks.

Now retired, Lewis said he began his trek when he was working in sales for Proctor and Gamble. He usually flies to the general area, then rents a car to get to the track.

Lewis had hoped to add U.S. 30 Speedway to his list two weeks ago, but the races were rained out.

"When we go to a track, we have to see racing (for it to count in the total)," Lewis said.

The trip was not a total wash for Lewis, however. In addition to seeing racing at other local tracks during that week, he was able to get in a round of golf at Quail Run Golf Course and attended a College World Series game in Omaha.

"That was fun," Lewis said of the CWS game. "The neat thing is I get to travel all over the country, and I try to stop to see the local attractions."

Lewis hasn't limited his journeys to the United State, however. He has seen auto racing at tracks in five foreign countries, including Canada, England, Scotland and Australia.

He said the racing in England is interesting - and not for the faint of heart.

"No. 1, it's full contact (racing), so it's OK to bump people out of the way," said Lewis, who has been to 26 tracks in England, the most of any foreign country.

"No. 2, they race rain or shine, so ... you knew they would never get rained out. And No. 3, there was no charge to get into the pits. You could just walk right in."

When Lewis returns to San Clemente, he will email the trackchaser commissioner about his visit to U.S. 30, his 43rd track this year, and the commissioner will add the track to his total.

Some tracks can count for more than one. If a track has an inner track that it conducts races on, that can be included as a separate track.

At U.S. 30, an inner track is used for the four-cylinder Four Fun races. But Thursday's races were cancelled because the inner track was too muddy, so Lewis wasn't certain if he would be allowed to use it as a second track.

U.S. 30 is the 11th track in Nebraska at which Lewis has watched racing. He was at Butler County Speedway in Rising City and the Hamilton County Fairgrounds in Aurora on June 25, The Speed Bowl in Red Cloud on June 23 and Junction City Speedway in McCool Junction on June 22.

He plans to be at the Thayer County Speedway in Deshler on July 18.

His impression of U.S. 30?

"It's unusual in that the races are on Thursday nights," Lewis said. "It's one of only about 10 tracks in the United States that race on Thursdays on a regular basis. ... It's a typical track."

Lewis made his comments while the IMCA Modifieds were conducting their A feature. He said the Modifieds were comparable with others he's seen around the country.

"The Modifieds are the most popular right now," he said. "The Modifieds are as good here as they are at other tracks."

Lewis' goal is be reach 1,000 tracks, and "I expect to finish that by 2008," he said.