Young or old, rookies or veterans, there is something special about racing on Evergreen Speedway’s “big track.” Twenty-nine years ago, famed NASCAR racer David Pearson called the Monroe, Wash., track “the Super Speedway of the West” after taking some laps on its five-eighths mile oval.
With the American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour set to begin its 2009 racing season at Evergreen Speedway on Saturday, anticipation is building among the 30 drivers scheduled to compete.
“I’m really excited about racing on the five-eighths,” said Jason Fraser of Snohomish, Wash., “I’m excited to get back in the car and run some laps. I love that place.”
Fraser won the speedway’s late-model division Midseason Championship race on the big track last year, and finished runner-up to Gary Lewis during the tour’s portion of the annual Washington 500.
“I love racing at my home track and on the five-eighths mile,” Lewis, also from Snohomish, said in a press release. “It would mean everything to have another great run like we did last time at the speedway (during the Washington 500). The car is currently set-up for the high-speed tracks so it’s nice to start the year out at Evergreen.”
The opening event of the Tour’s 11-race schedule is slated to go 125 laps. Joining the Tour will be the Northwest Legends, racing 40 laps on the three-eighths mile oval. Front gates open at 4 p.m., the same time as qualifying is set to begin, with racing starting at 7 p.m.
The Northwest Late Model Tour announced Wednesday that 30 drivers had pre-registered for Saturday’s race.
Among the many familiar names will be Snohomish’s Tom Moriarity, an eight-time champion at the speedway. With three Mini-Stock (1992, ‘93, ‘94) and five late-model (1996, ‘99, ‘01, ‘02, ‘03) division titles, Moriarity knows his way around the track.
At least he hopes he still does.
“We’re going to try and see how we do,” said Moriarity. “It’s been since 2004 that I’ve been on the five-eighths; I’m looking forward to it, but don’t know … I’ve heard the bumps are a little higher and the ruts a little deeper.”
Moriarity raced at South Sound Speedway last season, winning seven straight races and the late-model championship. One of those South Sound wins came at the expense of Lewis, who had his own six-race win streak snapped by Moriarity.
“Gary’s very knowledgeable; he’s good wherever he goes,” Moriarity said. “He’s smarter about what the car needs. I’m still old school, if the car is good I don’t want to change it.”
Also slated to race are former touring series champions Pete Harding, Wes Rhodes and Brad Stanwood, as well Harold Raczynski, Jay Sauls, Darrell Midgley, Brent Harris, Kelly Mann and 2008 Yakima Speedway champion Mike Longton.
Among the first-timers taking the track on Saturday will be series rookie of the year candidates Joey Tanner, Allen Cress and Amanda MacDonald.
MacDonald, a Central Washington University student who turned 22 on Tuesday, began racing hornets at her hometown Ephrata (Wash.) Speedway six years ago.
Her father, Dennis MacDonald, had raced some when she was younger and she called him a “hometown hero” at Ephrata Raceway Park.
“Ephrata closed for awhile, but it reopened when I was 16,” said Amanda MacDonald, who is majoring in education at Central. “I was talking to my dad and thought it would be fun to race … I started in hornets, moved into hobby stocks, then street stocks.”
She also spent some time racing with the Northwest outlaw street stocks and the I-Car series at Spokane, as well as spot starts with the winged sprint cars of the Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association.
But Evergreen Speedway’s five-eighths mile oval will be the longest, and fastest, track she’s ever raced on.
“My dad and I were talking the other night, and our biggest goal is to finish the race on the lead lap,” MacDonald said. “Realistically, I know I’ll be running with talented, experienced, drivers. I hope to learn a lot so when we return in July, I’ll have the experience on the track that I’ll need.”
The Northwest Late Model Tour is scheduled to return to Evergreen Speedway July 25 to take part in the Washington 500.
With her father as car owner, MacDonald has gotten sponsor support from the Ephrata businesses of crewmember Melvin Youngers (Youngers Welding) and grandmother Kathy LeCocq (United Country Real Estate). Even that may not be enough support for her to make the entire 11-race schedule.
“It’s been incredibly tough with the economy,” MacDonald said. “Nobody can afford to give money up, so we’ve been struggling. … I’d like to do the whole season, but it’ll depend on financing.”
Money and sponsorship are familiar issues for Moriarity as well, although the veteran said he was fortunate to drive for car owner Mike Barrett, who will also be fielding cars for father-and-son racers Rod Schultz Sr. and Jr.
“He gives me everything I need to do what I need to do with the car and the parts,” Moriarity said of Barrett. “I’m also fortunate to have Brock Rentals as a sponsor; without them believing in me I wouldn’t be racing.”
Fraser said family and business concerns off the track, not sponsorship money, will be the primary issues determining how much he races this year.
For both Moriarity and Fraser, beginning the season at Evergreen Speedway’s big track will be a test of patience for all drivers, regardless of how many races they’ve driven on it.
“From my aspect of being an Evergreen regular for 18 years, the five-eighths is an animal,” Moriarity said. “It took me three seasons to get comfortable. You have to creep up on it, or it’ll creep up on you and before you know it you’re in the fence.”
For the rookies, Fraser said “it’s almost the best thing for them; it forces them to be intimidated and to get that respect — respect for the track, respect for the other racers.”
After the opener, the tour will race at two shorter tracks in May, the Wenatchee (Wash.) Valley Super Oval and Mission Valley Speedway in Ronan, Mont. Lewis, a three-time late-model champion, said that will mean adjusting his Sign Factory USA/Nutter Racing Engines sponsored car.
For a team that won races in three states and more than $40,000 in prize money last season, the goal is to continuing competing at such a high level.
“The biggest challenge will be to just keep doing what we’ve been doing the last few years.” Lewis said. “We have been very fortunate to get the wins we’ve earned and with that it has set the bar very high for us to try and match or beat our recent success.”
For more information on the ASA Northwest Late Model Tour, visit www.asanorthwesttour.com For more information on Evergreen Speedway, visit www.evergreenspeedway.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
