Evergreen Speedway Super Speedway of the West! – Northwest's Destination for Motorsports!
Evergreen Speedway hosted Mayors and City Council Members on Chamber of Commerce Night Presented by Foster Press last Saturday. Donna Foster welcomed the dignitaries who attended in pre-race ceremonies, along with Traci Hobbs from High Road Promotions. The Mayor of Monroe, Geoffrey Thomas, along with Marysville Council member Jeff Seibert, Stanwood Mayor Lynard Kelly, Edmonds Council member Phil Butler, Kirkland Council member Shelley Kloba, Snohomish Council member Michael Rohrscheib, Goldbar Mayor Linda Loen and Arlington Council member Jesica Stickles all participated in the 2 5-lap races in Stinger 8 cars. The races were started by Grand Marshal Nicola Smith, the Mayor of Lynnwood.
Jeff Seibert from Marysville won the first race with Snohomish Council member Michael Rorscheib taking the checkered flag in the second race. Congratulations to those two, and to all who came out to the track.
There was plenty of power on display at the Super Speedway of the West, but none quite as impressive as the power displayed by the K-9 unit from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office as they wowed the crowd in a simulated chase during intermission. The Evergeen Speedway Pace Car played the part of the bad guy, and 3 Sheriff K-9 vehicles chased the yellow Camaro all over the track until the “perp” stopped the pace car and the K-9 division went to work. It was amazing to witness the intensity of the German Shepard taking the driver to the ground, and proving to those in attendance that those animals mean business! Thanks to Deputy Wallin and his dog Ronin for not only what they displayed at the track, but what they along with the entire Snohomish County Sheriff’s K-9 unit does to protect us. Check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SnoCoSheriffK9 for more information and videos from Evergreen Speedway.
There was racing Saturday night! 5 Classes took to the 3/8’s oval and Figure 8 track. As hard as it is to believe, the season in on its back half, and it has been fun to watch how important qualifying and heat races are becoming. Toby Jenkins set fast time in the Buzz Inn Steakhouse Figure 8’s, Nick Gunderson topped the field in the Outlaw Figure 8’s, Scott Burby was quickest in the Foster Press Mini Stocks, Aaron Greene spun a lap of 19.592 for the NW Pro 4 Trucks and season points leader Mike Holden qualified first of the 14 cars that timed in for the Speedway Chevrolet Super Late Models with his lap time of 16.611. All competitors battled extreme high track temperatures during qualifying and heat races as well.
The Northwest Pro 4 Trucks were the first main event of the evening. 25 laps on the hot and slick 3/8’s oval. Rick Shaver started the race on the pole and led the first lap of the race until coming off turn 4, his truck shut itself off and Rick had to pull into the infield. Jessica Wilkenson also retired with only one lap completed. Doug Wilkenson and Matt Greene battled hard for the lead during most of the race, with Greene maintain the slim lead over the 27 truck of Wilkenson. Rod Helmuth, like he has done so many times before in his long racing career, methodically worked his way to the front, eventually taking the lead and the checkered flag. Wilkenson finished 2nd, with 3rd place going to Matt Greene, who also won the heat race earlier in the day.
The Outlaw Figure 8’s were up next. As mentioned above, Nick Gunderson set fast time earlier, but it was the #40 car of Seth Funden that had a night that he has been waiting for all season long. Seth debuted a new car at the beginning of the season that is not only incredible to look at, but is also the only fuel-injected Outlaw Figure 8 car that runs at Evergreen. Seth has been improving week by week and with both his heat race victory and 25 lap main event win this past Saturday night, it was good to see the hard work that Seth and his team have put into their car have some success. Seth did the wire-to-wire job on the field, with Nick Gunderson finishing 2nd and Chris Curtis taking 3rd. Curtis and John Carlson were tied coming into the night for the season championship. Carlson finished 4th in the main, and finished ahead of Curtis in the heat race, so check out the points standings on http://organisation.mylaps.com/championship/view.jsp?id=42580#_ga=1.209619477.600432678.1377546109 to keep track of what should be an exciting point’s battle.
The Buzz Inn Steakhouse Stinger 8’s also had a wire-to-wire main event winner in Jessica Gray. She also took the first spot in the heat race. In what is shaping up to be an exciting points race as the season winds down, Matt Somerville came into the day leading Lance Ograin by a slim 3 point margin with Brandon Lindberg in 3rd only 7 points out of the lead. But it all girl power in the main, as Jessica picked up her 2nd main event win of 2015. Brandon Lindberg helped out his season championship cause with his 2nd place finish with Toby Jenkins finishing 3rd.
Trenton Moriarty continued his flat out domination in the Foster Press Mini Stock with yet another main event win keeping the streak alive. Starting 5th on the field, Moriarty as is the norm, worked his way efficiently through the field, taking the lead on lap 4 and never looked back, surviving a late race caution and restart with Scott Burby lined up next to the 24 of Moriarty. As he’s done all season long, Trenton nail the restart and off to the checkered flag he went. Burby finished 2nd with Travis Blackwood getting his first podium finish by hanging on for 3rd. On his Angel of the Winds Victory Circle interview, Trenton announced that he will be behind the wheel of a Speedway Chevrolet Super Late Model as part of the field August 1st on day one of the King of the Wing Weekend.
Rounding out the night was the 75 lap main event for the Speedway Chevrolet Super Late Models. 14 cars started the race, with Doni Wanat on the pole due to the 6 car invert pulled by fast qualifier Mike Holden. Doni came into the night 2nd in season championship points, and let the early portion of the race. Luke Selliken took over the lead a third of the way into the event and cruised to his second victory of 2015. Luke was fresh off an impressive showing in the Central Welding Supply 125 the previous weekend, leading a ton of laps in that event, and seems to be a lock for the Rookie of the Year and possibly a top five in the season point’s race. Last season’s champion Mike Holden still leads in points for this season, with Wanat close enough behind to make for an interesting scenario as the season winds down. The teams have this weekend off, but return for a packed weekend on August 1stand 2nd as the division runs both days. The race on the 1st puts them on the 3/8’s and then they switch it up and attack the 5/8’s on Sunday the 2nd as part of the King of the Wind weekend.
Up this weekend is Formula Drift presented by GoPro. The huge 3 day event runs from Thursday through Saturday. Check out all the info on http://www.formulad.com/schedule/monroe . Advanced tickets are available at www.evergreenspeedway.com. This is one of the most highly anticipated and well attended shows of the year, so get your tickets now!
August will be a huge month at Evergreen Speedway, with the Rory Price Memorial as part of the King of the Wing Weekend on the 1st and 2nd. The Figure 8 Nationals are on August 8th, then the following weekend will be the return of the K&N Pro Series West to Evergreen Speedway. The Budweiser Fan Fest takes place on Friday the 14th, then on Saturday it will be the NAPA Auto Parts NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 150 and the Michaels Toyota Super Late Model 150, both events on the big 5/8’s oval.
Frontier Family Night happens on August 22nd and features the Street Stock Nationals, and then the Evergreen State Fair starts on August 27th with the Rairdon Dodge Northwest Truck Pulls.
Check out www.evergreenspeedway.com for all the information you need on upcoming events. Don’t forget to bring you radio to the race track and tune in 101.9 FM to hear all the action. Also, check out our Facebook page for up to date happenings at the Super Speedway of the West.