Northwest Tour returns to Evergreen Speedway

This time for sure.

The last time the late-model stock cars of the American Speed Association Aero

Exhaust Northwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment visited Evergreen Speedway, they didn’t get to go racing.

Instead, some late March rain — that later turned to snow — caused the cancellation of the Tour’s season-opening race at the Monroe, Wash., speedway.

This Saturday the ASA Northwest Tour returns to Evergreen Speedway to take part in the Washington 500, a series of four races totally 500 laps. More than 20 drivers are expected to take part in the Northwest Tour’s part of the program, the Evergreen State Fair 150, on the speedway’s five-eighths mile oval.

The forecast?

Partly cloud with a high of 71, and a 20 percent chance of rain.

Along with the Northwest Tour, the NASCAR Camping World Series West and Evergreen Speedway’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Stocks and Bombers are scheduled to race. The Camping World West and Super Stock races are scheduled to go 150 laps, and the Bombers’ 50-lap event will complete the 500-lap racing program.

Front gates open at 1:30 p.m., with qualifying from 2:30-4:45 p.m. The racing program — tentatively scheduled to have the Bombers leading off, followed by the Northwest Tour, Super Stocks and finishing with the Camping World West — begins at 5 p.m.

Tickets are available at ww.evergreenspeedway.com or by calling 360-805-6100.

The Northwest Tour’s Evergreen State Fair 150 will have a competition yellow for fuel only at lap 100, commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the race’s sponsor.

Making a happy return to his home track will be Gary Lewis of Snohomish, arguably the hottest driver in the Northwest over the past year and a half. Lewis, the defending champion of the ARCA West Late Model Challenge Series, has won all four races he has competed in this year, including successfully defending last year’s Montana 200 victory this past weekend.

Although he has not raced at Evergreen in more than two years, Lewis wasn’t concerned.

“We probably have a small disadvantage at Evergreen compared to a couple of teams but overall with all the different tracks we race at our team should be able to adapt pretty quickly,” Lewis said in a press release. “Plus, I have logged a lot of laps on the five-eighths, so we should be just fine.”

Former winners at the Monroe speedway expected to take part in the Northwest Tour race are Ron Eaton, Pete Harding, Gary Lewis, Lex Johnson, Kelly Mann, Kelly Tanner, Jason Fraser, John Zaretzke and Shane Harding.

Former winners on Evergreen’s super track expected to race are Ron Eaton, Pete Harding, Gary Lewis, Lex Johnson, Kelly Mann, Kelly Tanner, Jason Fraser, John Zaretzke and Shane Harding.

Pete Harding, Eaton, Lewis and Tanner have previously won Northwest Tour championships, while Shane Harding and Zaretzke have been the class of the competition in Evergreen’s Super Stock division over the past five years.

Jason Fraser, another local favorite expected to race, is a Tour veteran who has already seen action on Evergreen’s five-eighths mile oval this season. Fraser won the speedway’s Super Stock division Midseason Championship race at the end of June.

Defending Northwest Tour champion BJ Tidrick will return to action Saturday after a short break and current points leader Brad Stanwood will be making his second appearance in Monroe.

Other Tour regulars expected will be Rick Suran, Ken Sleveland, Allan Jewett, Rick Hager, Doug Davidson, Darin Stordahl and Harold Racynski.

Sixteen-year-old Travis Milburn of Eagle, Idaho, will make his first start at the Monroe speedway. Milburn finished fourth in his Northwest Tour debut, on July 5 at Meridian Speedway.

With just three more races scheduled after Saturday, the chase for the 2008 Northwest Tour championship has entered the final stretch with just 64 points separating the top four drivers.

Stanwood leads No. 2 Travis Bennett by 49 points, with Pete Harding sitting in the No. 3 spot another 10 points back. No. 4 Jewett is 64 points behind the leader.

As always this season, the Tour’s fast qualifier will win the Cutting through the Competition award, receiving a new ECHO chainsaw and kit from Oregon Saw.

American Speed Association Aero Exhaust Northwest Tour presented by ECHO Outdoor Power Equipment

Saturday, July 26 at Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash.

Expected driver list:

Ron Eaton (Lakewood, Wash.)

Kelly Tanner (Auburn, Wash.)

Pete Harding (Surrey, B.C. )

Gary Lewis (Snohomih, Wash.)

BJ Tidrick (Yakima, Wash.)

Eric Richardson (Bakersfield, Calif.)

Shane Harding (Langley, B.C.)

Kelly Mann (Monroe, Wash.)

Jason Fraser (Snohomish, Wash.)