MONROE — What do racers do when they’re not racing?
After taking a break over the Memorial Day weekend for the annual visit of the Monster Trucks, racing resumed Saturday at Evergreen Speedway.
Drivers from all divisions spent the off-time in different ways, including:
— Super stock division driver Mike Holden headed to Eastern Washington for some boating and relaxation. Asked if he spent any time thinking about racing, Holden smiled and shook his head.
“I like the time off,” Holden said. “I love (racing), but it’s not relaxing.”
— John Carlson, defending super figure eight division champion, relaxed, worked — “real work,” he said, not work on the car — and started framing a new house.
Carson also said he saw the new “Indiana Jones” movie.
His review?
“It was real good, a lot of fun,” Carlson said. “Just like the other three.”
— Defending mini-stock division champion Chuck Richard rode his quad, went four-wheeling and caught the Cruzin’ on Colby car parade and show last weekend.
—Mark Weedin, the 2006 mini-stock champ, said he went jet-skiing. Asked if he worked on his racecar, Weedin also said no.
“I put the car in the garage and stayed away until last Wednesday,” Weedin said.
— Super stock driver Tom Hughs said he worked at his regular job on the 767 line at Boeing last Saturday and Sunday, then took care of some honey-do items — “waxing my wife’s car and doing some yard work,” he said — on Monday.
Harding returns: Two-time super stock champion Shane Harding returned to Evergreen Speedway on Saturday.
Harding, who is racing a limited schedule at a variety of tracks this season, and wife Shae Harding recently welcomed their first child, daughter Cadence.
Harding previously raced in the season-opener on April 12, finishing a disappointing 18th.
Saturday was the first of many visits Cadence Harding will make to victory lane, as father Shane Harding won the super stock feature main. It wasn’t, however, Cadence Harding’s first race. That happened last weekend at a track near the family’s home in Canada.
How did she like it?
“She did well,” Shane Harding reported. “As long as the cars were running she went right to sleep.”
Rain or shine, broke or not: Bomber division driver Travis Blackwood won the A main on May 17, said during Saturday’s autograph session that his car needed a new front end.
Blackwood had an accident during qualifying earlier this season, and is waiting for an off-week to make complete repairs.
Still, that didn’t stop him from winning his heat race on Saturday.
“You’ve got to drive through it,” Blackwood said. “I know I’ve got a fast car.”
A few raindrops fell during the autograph session, and Blackwood was asked how he liked racing in the rain.
“If you would’ve asked me five years ago I would have said I loved it,” Blackwood said. “Back then my car was heavier. … You’ve got to keep going (in the rain), keep driving it, not just plug along.”
NASCAR idol: Although it’s used to start most American sporting events, “The Star Spangled Banner” is widely acclaimed as being one of the hardest songs to do justice to.
Many a YouTube video exists of great and not-so-great singers trying, and too often failing, to hit the right notes and — sadly — remember all the words.
Saturday’s performance at Evergreen Speedway by Tasha Ehoff of Snohomish could serve as a example for any singer of how to sing the national anthem.
The rendition by Ehoff, who has performed the anthem at Evergreen many times, was delivered with energy, precision and style.
The way it should be sung, in other words.
Drifting on by: A demonstration of drifting was put on between Saturday.
Originating in Japan, drifting is one of the most popular forms of auto racing in the world and is rapidly gaining a following in America.
Evergreen Speedway’s drifting program is overseen by assistant announcer Kelly Hale. The next drifting competition will be June 6. For more information, contact Hale at Kelly@evergreenspeedway.com.
Helping hands: Mini stock racers have a reputation for helping each other out off the track.
On Saturday, Kim Lang passed a big thank you to fellow mini stock racers Jeff and Lisa Miller for loaning her a car.
Lang’s mini stock was totaled earlier in the week when another driver was practicing by racing with the Western Washington Racing Association at Evergreen Speedway.
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