WASHINGTON 500 COMMEMORATES 50TH VISIT TO MONROE TRACK

The annual Washington 500 at Evergreen Speedway is a major motorsports event, but this year’s competition holds special significance as it marks the 50th visit by the NASCAR Camping World Series West to the historic Evergreen State Fairgrounds track in Monroe, Wash.

The first of those visits was on April 19, 1964, a race that was won by Dick Bown. Since then, 29 different drivers have etched their name in series history with a win at Evergreen Speedway.

Annual NASCAR Camping World Series West races at Monroe between 1985 and 1993 were 500-lap events and attracted some of NASCAR’s biggest stars. They included Bill Elliott, Geoffrey Bodine, Sterling Marlin, Harry Gant, Ken Schrader and the late Davey Allison. Two top West Coast talents, Derrike Cope and Chad Little, won that event.

The track also gained notoriety, meanwhile, from another of NASCAR’s biggest names as David Pearson dubbed the track as “The Superspeedway of the West.”

A full program of competition is on the agenda for this year’s Washington 500. In addition to the 150-lap NASCAR Camping World Series West race, the event will feature a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Speedway Chevrolet Super Stock race, a Les Schwab Tires Bombers race and a late model touring race.

Evergreen Speedway, which has been part of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series for more than two decades, features a wide variety of competition in its weekly events, as well.

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