Before I get to what happened Saturday night at Evergreen Speedway, let me say that my usual post-race package has been posted, including:
Evergreen Speedway results (CLICK HERE)
Evergreen Speedway notes (CLICK HERE)
Skagit Speedway results (CLICK HERE)
Interesting night at the track.
Ever have one of those days? When things just seem to be … off?
I didn’t see a full moon or anything like that, but at least through the super stock main, a caution-filled 40-laps that seemed like it took forever, things just didn’t seem to be flowing as smoothly as I’d come to expect.
Maybe I’ve gotten spoiled. Maybe the off-week threw everyone out of rhythm.
Tempers flared, there was yelling and cursing, cars were wrecked, sheet metal was optional for a couple of cars, and there were multiple yellow flags with a red flag for good measure.
Normally I would’ve said that all makes a great night of racing, but for whatever reason on Saturday it just added up to an off night.
Two-time champion Shane Harding won the feature main on his second visit of the season to Evergreen.
Harding got past Mike Holden in turn 3 of the white-flag lap to take the checkered. Tom Hughs was third, Jeff Knight finished fourth and Steve Ptacek rounded out the top five.
The race was slowed by numerous cautions and one red-flag period, and Harding was critical of things after getting his trophy.
“That was an ugly race,” Harding said. “If Evergreen doesn’t get their act together with running the show a bit better we’re not going to have any fans. No one wants to watch 50 percent of a race under yellow.”
“Bad idea running double-file restarts,” he continued. “We got no real racing in, only five-lap runs. No one wants to see that show. I was lucky enough to get a last-lap pass in there.”
Late in the race, Darren Hall was leading by several car lengths but a caution on lap 34 bunched the field. After the restart, Hall was fighting for the lead coming out of turn 4 but he got loose and spun out, collecting Jeff Holden and John Zaretzke.
All three cars were done for the night, with Zaretzke heading to the pits under his power and the cars of Hall and Holden leaving on the hook.
Points leader Naima Lang’s car was badly damaged early in the race — Lang had to make a pit stop under yellow to have hanging sheet metal taken off his car — but was still running at the end of the 40 laps. He finished 10th.
Heat race wins went to Lang and Zaretzke.
Harding, who is running a limited schedule at various tracks this season, finished 18th in the season-opener on April 12.
Nick Gunderson took over the points lead from John Carlson with his first victory of the season in the super figure eight feature main.
Gunderson, who finished second at the 60 Minutes of FEAR on May 17, charged forward from the rear of the pack to take the checkered.
“Everything went the way it was supposed to,” Gunderson said, before passing thanks to his crew, Jason Renfro and Justin Dexter, and father Brian Gunderson.
Carlson finished second, Rickey Deitz was third, Doug Delfel was fourth and Troy Seminar rounded out the top five.
Seems like a week can’t go by without a Lang accepting a trophy on victory stage.
Saturday night it was Jill Lang, who had the car to beat in the bomber division A main.
Lang took the lead on lap 6 then ran away from the field until a caution on lap 16. After an aborted restart, the race resumed on lap 18 with Lang again leading the way.
Lane Sundholm caught up to Lang toward the end but he didn’t have time to mount a serious threat.
Scott Mann was third, Russ Hales fourth and Jim Foti rounded out the top five. A.J. Baxter won the bombers B main.
Saturday was Lang’s second bomber main victory of the season, with the first coming on May 3, the same night husband Naima Lang won his second super stock main of the season.
It was the first time in anyone’s memory that a husband and wife had won main events on the same night at Evergreen.
Naima Lang has since won twice more, but Jill Lang said she’s not done.
“He’s got four, and I’ve got two,” Jill Lang said with a smile that said so far.
Brent Rohrer took the lead early in the A main and held off a late charge by former champion Mark Weedin to take the checkered.
Defending champion Chuck Richard was third, Bob Edwards finished fourth and Rod Helmuth rounded out the top five.
Eric Angeledes won the mini stock B main.
Sean Peters fought his way through traffic and a lively intersection to take the checkered flag.
Peters dedicated his victory to his father, Steve Peters, who was not at the track.
Ben Chandler finished second, Michael Durbin was third, Josh Young was fourth and Jocelyn Lafleur rounded out the top five.
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