The racing season at Evergreen Speeway in Monroe begins this Saturday. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

The racing season at Evergreen Speeway in Monroe begins this Saturday. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Evergreen Speedway ‘going big’ for 2023 racing season

Some larger vehicles and a grander Summer Showdown are some of the changes coming to the racetrack, which opens its season Saturday.

MONROE — Everything is just a little bit bigger in Evergreen Speedway’s upcoming 2023 season. Some of the vehicles that will race at the racetrack this season are larger, Summer Showdown’s premier night is grander, and the season is just a touch longer.

Evergreen drops the green flag on 2023 on Saturday — weather permitting — and the theme of this year’s season is: going big.

“We’re excited, it’s going to be a fun year,” track president Doug Hobbs said. “We’ve got some new racing, and I think we’ll have good car counts across the board in our 10 home track classes, so those are really good things.”

The season kicks off Saturday with five classes racing, including the track’s premier weekly class: Pro Late Models. It’s the first of 37 scheduled race dates between now and the season finale on Oct. 7.

As for this season’s new racing, that’s where the larger vehicles come in. For what’s believed to be the first time ever, the North American Big Rig Racing tour comes to Evergreen on May 27-28. The tour, which is based in Canada and travels to tracks throughout Canada and the western United States, features the likes of Mack, Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks, which will race on Evergreen’s 3/8-mile track.

“I’m not sure if they’ve ever been here before, but it’s the first time since (Hobbs became track president in 2010),” Hobbs said. “It’s going to be a two-day show on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, and it’s one of the bigger things that’s brand new this season.”

Summer Showdown, Evergreen’s premier event which takes place July 20-22, is also getting an expansion, at least on its final day. Last year Summer Showdown featured main events for both Super Late Models and Pro Late Models for the first time, with a $40,000 bonus payout if a driver won both. Last year the Pro Late Model main took place on Friday and the Super Late Model main ran on Saturday. This year both main events run on Saturday, making for an even more exciting day of racing — and a long day in the seat for the top drivers.

“We just thought that if we adjust the schedule and have those two features in the same night, plus a Legends feature and a Pro 4 Trucks feature, it will be a killer night of racing,” Hobbs said. “If someone is only able to make it out one night, we want to make sure they see a big feature on that Saturday night.

“We’ve cut 50 laps off the Super Late Models main, moving it from 200 to 150, and we allotted time between the Pro Lates and the Super Lates so that the drivers should be able to get a little rest for the changeover,” Hobbs a31ed. “So hopefully they’ll be able to do double duty.”

Finally, the season has been expanded slightly into October. Hobbs said the combination of better weather in October, along with the desire to limit local weekly shows to five classes to tighten up the Saturday night racing schedule, prompted the decision to run a week longer.

In Evergreen’s top weekly class, Pro Late Models, Naima Lang is seeking his third straight points championship and eighth overall in the track’s premier class. His top challengers are expected to be Daniel Moore, Chad Fitzpatrick and Dawson Cox.

For those who are unable to make it out to the racetrack, the television option is back. For the past three years Evergreen’s weekly races were televised a week later on CW11. The original deal was for three years, but the coverage drew good enough ratings that CBS, which owns CW11, decided to re-up for three more years.

Other big races at the track this season include the Mark Galloway Shootout for Super Late Models and Pro Late Models on June 24, the Central Welding SuB3ly 125 for Pro Late Models on July 8, the War of the Wings sprint car race on Aug. 5, the NAPA Auto Parts ARCA 150 featuring the touring ARCA Menards Series West on Aug. 19, and the track’s two championship nights on Sept. 9 and 16.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Sports

Storm three games over .500 near the halfway point

Star forward Nneka Ogwumike was voted an All-Star starter Monday.

Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Abraham Lucas fist bumps a camper at the third annual League Advantage Youth Football Camp at Lucas' alma mater, Archbishop Murphy High School, on Saturday, June 28, 2025. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Seahawks’ Abraham Lucas hosts football camp at alma mater

The Archbishop Murphy alum hosts around 125 local kids for a free day of football activities.

Top recruit Kaleo Anderson commits to Virginia Tech WBB

The King’s guard was The Herald’s 2025 Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

NBA free agency 2025: Analysis from Day 1

Day 1 of free agency is in the books, and we don’t… Continue reading

Texas State to join the Pac-12, allowing it to qualify as FBS conference

The Pac-12 officially has its eighth football-playing member. The conference announced on… Continue reading

Everett AquaSox pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje throw against the Tri-City Dust Devils at Funko Field on May 10, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Shari Sommerfeld / Everett AquaSox)
Jurrangelo Cijntje, Lazaro Montes named to Futures Game

One current Everett AquaSox player and two former ones have… Continue reading

Everett AquaSox infielder Colt Emerson gets a high-five from teammate Lazaro Montes after scoring during the game against the Tri-City Dust Devils on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Vote for the Frog of the Week

Who is the Frog of the Week? Vote for the Everett AquaSox… Continue reading

AquaSox pitcher Evan Truitt throws a pitch during Everett's 19-8 loss to the Eugene Emeralds at Funko Field on Sunday. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed a grand slam in the fourth inning, the third one given up by the AquaSox this week. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
Up Hit’s Creek: AquaSox blown out by Eugene in homestand finale

Two position players combine to pitch final 4 innings due to gassed bullpen in 19-8 loss.

AquaSox pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje delivers a pitch during Everett's 9-3 loss to the Eugene Emeralds at Funko Field on Saturday. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
AquaSox scoring woes continue in loss to Eugene

Trouble plating runners and a fourth-inning blow-up on the mound doom Everett in 9-3 loss.

Kevin Harvick (right) speaks at the Mark Galloway 150 Shootout media lunch alongside his son, Keelan, at Evergreen Speedway on Friday. (Joe Pohoryles / The Herald)
NASCAR legend set to return to Evergreen Speedway

Kevin Harvick and his son, Keelan, will face off in the Mark Galloway 150 Shootout on Saturday.

Everett Silvertips’ Carter Bear on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Carter Bear becomes Silvertips’ first NHL first-round pick in 10 years

The Detroit Red Wings select the forward 13th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft on Friday.

Everett AquaSox pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje throws against the Spokane Indians at Funko Field on May 31, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Evan Morud / Everett AquaSox)
AquaSox switch-pitcher’s long path leads to Everett

High-A baseball represents just another step in Jurrangelo Cijntje’s journey.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.