Summer Showdown features strong field of drivers

MONROE — A year ago Preston Peltier earned redemption.

Now he seeks consolidation.

This weekend the Colorado driver is looking to make it back-to-back victories at Summer Showdown, the premier Super Late Models race at Evergreen Speedway.

The seventh annual Summer Showdown, which is the third of six races in the Bud Crown Series and is raced on Evergreen’s 5/8-mile track, commences Friday with qualifying. The 200-lap main event starts at 7 p.m. Saturday night, with the winner pocketing $25,000.

Two years ago Peltier, who resides in Brighton, Colorado, was leading the race when he suffered a battery failure with just six laps remaining and ended up having to settle for ninth. He returned last year and exorcised those demons, winning the race going away.

Now Peltier is trying to become the first driver ever to win Summer Showdown more than once, and given how well he ran the previous two years, he knows he has a target on his back.

“I always feel like I have a target on my back,” Peltier said during Thursday’s media luncheon at the track. “It’s not just here, it’s everywhere. Most of the time it’s the pressure you put on yourself. When you’re not successful you put pressure on yourself because you’re not being successful, and when you are successful you’re putting pressure on yourself because you want to stay there. It’s pretty difficult.

“A part that costs three cents can break and cost you a race,” Peltier added. “So many things have to come together to be successful, not just here but everywhere in racing. So I think a key is hard work in the shop and a little bit of luck on your side.”

There will be no shortage of competitors looking to knock Peltier off the top spot of the podium. This year’s race features a strong group that includes 42 entrants from nine different states and Canadian provinces, with drivers coming from as far as Texas and Tennessee. Four of the previous six winners — Peltier, Pete Harding from Surrey, B.C. (2012), Jay Sauls from Puyallup (2013) and Tayler Riddle from Naches (2016) — are in the field. So are the top four finishers from last year’s Summer Showdown — Peltier, Lex Johnson from Monroe, Chris Davidson from Pearland, Texas, and Tyler Tanner from Auburn — as well as the winners of this year’s previous two Bud Crown Series races — Jeremy Doss from Upperlake, California (Season Opener), and Robb Touchette from Lake Stevens (Galloway 150).

An intriguing addition to this year’s field is hotshot youngster Buddy Shepherd. The teenager from Bakersfield, California, is considered one of the better up-and-coming drivers in the country. He took second at Winter Showdown, Summer Showdown’s sister race at Kern County Raceway in Bakersfield in February, only finishing behind NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch.

“This weekend is going to be tough,” Riddle said about the strength of the field. “I think it’s probably one of the toughest fields that’s been here yet at the Summer Showdown. There’s a lot of good guys, a lot of cars that could win this. It’s a long race and you have to get to the end, and if you get to the end hopefully you have a shot to win it.”

Evergreen is still waiting for one of the local regular racers at the track to make the breakthrough and win Summer Showdown. Johnson, who briefly took the lead away from Peltier towards the end of last year’s race, is one of the leading candidates to end the drought, as are the likes of Tanner, Touchette and current track Super Late Models points leader Garret Archer of Maple Valley.

“I’d like to hope so,” Tanner replied when asked if this is the year a local makes the breakthrough. “There’s probably 10 or 15 cars that realistically could win this race. It’s just going to come down to who it all falls into place for. I’d love for it to be me.”