The American Speed Association Northwest Late Model Tour is ready to get the 2009 season underway on Saturday, March 28, with 30 teams registered to go 125 laps at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash.
The ASA NWLMT was formed when former Late Model Challenge Series director Jerry Losch and Northwest Tour director Scott Ellsworth made the decision to merge and form the only premier traveling series in the Northwest.
The combined series is affording many different types of cars to be equally competitive. The old tour, spec headed compression and crate motors will be racing together on Saturday night.
“We feel we have come up with a rules package that is equitable for everyone,” said Losch, who is the NWLMT director of competition. “(Tour director) Scott (Ellsworth) and I envisioned a traveling series that would let almost any type of super late model stock car to be a part of the biggest touring series in the region. Our goal is to have our regular core of drivers be joined by teams from the different areas the series visits during the season.”
Among the 30 teams registered are former champions, veterans and rookies from each series. Names that have been a fixture of northwest touring division racing have readied their skills to not only challenge five-eighths mile oval of Evergreen Speedway but also be the first champion of the new Tour.
Former touring series champions Gary Lewis, Pete Harding, Wes Rhodes and Brad Stanwood will be in top form to get the eleven race series started. Veterans with strong credentials are set to go such as: Harold Raczynski, Jason Fraser, Jay Sauls, Darrell Midgley, Brent Harris and Kelly Mann.
Also slated to run are 2008 Yakima Speedway late model champion Mike Longton and two drivers with a combined seven Evergreen Speedway late-model division championships: Tom Moriarity (5) and Shane Harding (2).
A talented group of rookies will be led by Joey Tanner, Amanda MacDonald and Allen Cress.
There another first for either of the series. There will be three fathers competing against their sons, Rod Schultz Sr and Jr, Pete and Shane Harding and Wes and Dan Rhodes.
The popular Northwest Legends traveling series will have its season-opening race on Saturday, going 40 laps on the smaller three-eighths mile oval.
ASA registration begins at 9:30 a.m., the back gate opens at 11 a.m. and practice starts at 1 p.m. Front gates open at 4 p.m., the same time as qualifying, and racing begins at 7 p.m.
Drivers registered as of March 25
Jared Vorse – Olympia, Wash.
Gary Lewis – Snohomish, Wash.
Tom Moriarity – Rochester, Wash.
Mike Kenyon – North Bend, Wash.
Kelly Mann – Monroe, Wash.
Grant Brown – Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
Rod Schultz Sr – Woodland, Wash.
Rod Schultz Jr – Kalama, Wash.
Brent Harris – E. Wenatchee, Wash.
Joey Tanner – Portland, Ore.
Dan Rhodes – Rainier, Wash.
Wes Rhodes – Yelm, Wash.
Don Vickery –
Mike Holden – Bothell, Wash.
Allen Cress – Albany, Ore.
Darrell Midgley – Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Pete Harding – Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Amanda MacDonald – Ephrata, Wash.
Jay Sauls – Puyallup, Wash.
Brad Stanwood – Portland, Ore.
Shane Harding – Langley, British Columbia, Canada
Jason Fraser – Snohomish, Wash.
Mike Longton – Moxee, Wash.
Shane Sawin – Snohomish, Wash.
Mark Sundberg – Seattle, Wash.
Rick Hager – MountLake Terrace, Wash.
Korbin Thomas – Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Mitch Franklin – Puyallup, Wash.
Harold Raczynski – Duvall, Wash.
Darin Stordahl – Marysville, Wash.
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