Randy Lewis

HAWKE'S BAY

     TODAY

SPEEDWAY:  The World's No. 1 ranked 'trackchaser visits Meeanee write SHANE HURNDELL

Lewis is well on track

 

03.01.2007

 

It’s almost another one of those American sports stories which are becoming far too

common. 

You know the ones.  An American is the best at something and they claim

he/she is the world champion regardless of what is happening in the sport in another part

of the world. 

Californian Randy Lewis, who was among the spectators at ZM Meeanee Speedway

on Monday night, is the world champion at trackchasing.  Trackchasing?

 

“It’s going all over the world trying to see as many different automobile racing tracks as I

can,” he said.

 

There are more than 50 people in the world who have visited more than 200 tracks.

There are six trackchasers in the world who have visited more than 1000 tracks,

including NASCAR’s Ken Schrader and sprintcar stars Steve Kinser and Sammy Swindell.

 

Lewis had 1133 tracks before starting his 12-track New Zealand visit last week.  In addition to

United States and New Zealand tracks Lewis, who is retired, has visited tracks in Australia,

Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

 

“Trackchasers count racing on ovals, figure 8 tracks and road courses.  Drags, demo derbies and

motorcycles don’t count,” he said.

 

Before visiting Meeanee on Monday night Lewis took in a Meremere Dirt Track Club meeting and

yesterday traveled to a Nelson Speedway meeting.

 

To date only one of his meetings on his New Zealand schedule have been rained out.

 

“If there’s an aspect of the New Zealand speedway scene I want to see improved it’s the

rain-outs.  New Zealand should be like the United Kingdom and race rain or shine,” Lewis said.

 

“But overall you have great racing over here.  Most of the classes are as good as we have in the

States, and some are better,” he said.

 

Lewis was particularly impressed with the Midget racing at Auckland’s Western Springs

and the Saloon and Super Saloon racing, which Steve Williams, the caddie for the world’s

#1 golfer Tiger Woods, was involved in.

 

“I like the fact that over here the racing starts on time and is usually over by 10pm.  Back home it

can drag on a bit sometimes til midnight or 2am,” Lewis said.

 

With most of his New Zealand track visits taking place in the evenings Lewis and his wife Carol,

who is the world’s #1 female trackchaser, have had no time to sample some of New Zealand’s best

restaurants he has heard so much about.

 

“I’ve got to be honest……we’re getting sick of hot dogs and chips, which is all you seem to get at

tracks over here,” he said.

 

And do he and his wife get sick of trackchasing?

 

“No way, but we do need a break occasionally….that’s why we’re going to Tahiti

when we leave New Zealand on January 7.  There are no tracks there so we can take some

time out to plan our next visits.

 

“I want to stay No. 1,” he added.