MONROE — Car count in the Super Late Model division at Evergreen Speedway took two steps forward, and one step back on Saturday.
Michael Prudnick made a return to the top tier of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, and Chad Bennett made the first of hopefully many visits, but opening-weekend winner Chris Preston didn’t make the show.
There were 10 late-models in all, but just nine started the feature as Prudnick’s night was finished after a wreck in the heat race. The less expensive Stinger 8s once again had the largest car count at 20, with 16 Street Stocks and 13 Mini-Stocks also on hand.
Bennett, from Ellensburg, Wash., hasn’t raced anywhere for a couple years, but Saturday was a return to a track that he’s raced at many times previously, but never before on the three-eighths mile oval.
“It’s a cool place with great character,” said Bennett, who raced at Evergreen Speedway in the mid-1990s as part of the Northwest Elite Division touring series. “We always ran on the five-eighths, and pitted on the three-eighths … all those times dumping oil (in the pits) have come back to haunt me.”
Bennett has been serving as crew chief for younger brother Travis Bennett’s entry in the NASCAR Camping World Series West this season. Travis Bennett and the West series had the weekend off, so the younger brother repaid the favor by serving as Chad Bennett’s crew chief and spotter at Evergreen Speedway.
Chad Bennett was caught up in the same accident that took Prudnick out — a late thrown caution flag that bunched the field on the front stretch. Despite a hard hit on one of the infield tractor tire barriers, various late-model teams pitched in to help the Bennetts make repairs in time to make the feature.
Bad luck followed him to the feature, however, as he was again caught in an officiating mistake. When Wade Gaughran spun in front of the field in turn 1, Chad Bennett, Jeff Knight and Steve Ptacek took evasive action by moving onto the five-eighths mile oval. No yellow flag was thrown, and all three went two laps down while making their way around the big track and through the pits.
Before Saturday’s races, Chad Bennett said he was at the speedway to get track time before next weekend’s first race on the “big track,” the five-eighths mile oval. Unfortunately, that probably won’t happen now, but Bennett said he would return to race at Evergreen Speedway again this season.
Correction:In my April 26 story on Evergreen Speedway, I did not properly identify Street Stock driver Tim Widener as the third-place finisher in the feature race. My apologies to Widener and his sponsors.
A fine mess: Two fines were announced at the pre-race drivers meeting on Saturday. Chris Preston of the Super Late Model division was fined for “actions detrimental to racing” on April 26 and Stinger 8 driver Sean Peters was fined for ignoring a black flag on May 2.
High-ho, high-ho: Track announcer Kelly Hale announced there would be two volunteer clean-up days at Evergreen Speedway, with racers and their families pitching in to do some clean-up and maintenance.
On Tuesday, May 12 and Wednesday, May 13 from 10 a.m. until dark, volunteers will help with some painting, yard work and other tasks.
Jessica Simpson not included: When I was a kid (Ed: have you ever known a story to end well that started that way?) I loved the Steve McQueen movie “Bullitt,” especially the exciting chase scene involving a Ford Mustang and a Dodge Charger.
Therefore, I had a serious pang of nostalgia on Saturday at Evergreen Speedway when John McGeehan of Snohomish rolled his 1970 Dodge Charger into the infield. McGeehan said he’s owned the car since 1995, buying it from someone who had it stored in a barn.
The car has a blown 440 engine, auto reverse manual valve body, and is painted 1999 Mustang red. The pit access road at Evergreen Speedway is gravel, so I asked him what he thought about driving the car in that way.
“I felt like I was on the ‘Dukes of Hazzard,’” McGeehan said with a smile.
Monkey located, safe at home: Prior to May 2, Street Stock driver Darrel Lutovsky had been carrying a stuffed monkey in the rear window of his car, symbolic of his frustration at not winning.
Lutovsky was victorious in the rain on May 2 and again this past Saturday, but in his second career win he was riding solo. Where was the monkey?
Lutovsky reported the monkey was safe at home next to his well-deserved trophy. Although the veteran racer had threatened to do burn-outs on the stuff simian after he won, instead the little fella was tossed around a bit — including taking a dip in a mud puddle — before being put in a place of honor with the winner’s hardware.
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