Randy Lewis

Monday, January 3, 2005

133^rd year

Serving Warnambool and the southwest daily

 

                    Randy's living the dream....

      Trackchasers Randy and Carol Lewis add
                Premier Speedway to their list.

 

By Greg Best

 

CALIFORNIAN Randy Lewis is living every speedway fan’s dream, traveling the world watching racing.

 

It is no holiday for the 53-year-old who sees speedway spectating as a competition.

 

He is one of about 1000 Americans known as trackchasers.

 

They travel the length and breadth of the earth in search of another venue to add to their record.

 

Allansford’s Premier Speedway became Mr. Lewis’ 810^th circuit he had seen and while you might stutter with disbelief, he is by no means the most prolific.

 

According to trackchaser.com, which records their deeds, Mr. Lewis is seventh in the world standings, behind New York’s Rick Schneider, who has been to 1033 racetracks.

 

Mr. Lewis and his wife, Carol, have made a quick swing through southern Australia in the past week, visiting tracks at Adelaide, Mildura, Mount Gambler, Avalon and Hamilton.

 

“In 2004 I set a new record.  I went to 127 tracks in one year.  The old record was 114,” he said on the hill at Premier Speedway on Saturday night.

 

Based in San Clemente, California, Mr. Lewis said he was at a disadvantage in the trackchasing stakes because he had to fly to most U.S. tracks.

 

His competitors who lived in states such as Pennsylvania where there are between 60 and 80 tracks, were able to drive.

 

“I have clocked up six million miles on American Airlines,” he said.

 

He started chasing tracks when he was 25 and after retiring from his position as a salesman with a global firm, has stepped up his quest to watch racing at more tracks, financing his trips out of his savings.

 

He is one of only six people to have seen races in all 50 American states and the District of Columbia.

 

Outside the U.S., he has been to speedway meetings in Britain and Canada.

 

Mr. Lewis said he was impressed with Premier Speedway but admitted experiencing a culture shock at his first few Australian tracks.

 

“One thing that is a bit unusual is the lack of grandstand seating.  Here most tracks you sit on the grass.  Ninety-eight per cent of seating in America is bleachers so we went to Kmart and bought a couple of chairs.”

 

After arriving in Australia for the Boxing Derby round of World Series Sprint cars in Adelaide, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis will jet out on Thursday in search of more tracks in the U.S.

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