DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (revised) -- NASCAR racing returns to Evergreen Speedway's .375 mile medium banked oval for the first time since 1990 with the running of the NUPRECON 125 presented by NAPA, May 10th at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. Many NASCAR Elite Division, Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series drivers will enter new territory and compete for over $40,000 in posted awards.
Last time the NW Series raced Evergreen's .375 mile track was July 14, 1990, when John Dillon led the last two laps of the race beating Dirk Stephens, and Ken McMahon.
Harding, of Surrey B.C. drives the L & P Body Shop / Harding Forklift, Chevrolet Monte Carlo and currently sits fourth in the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series championship point race. A competitor in the 1989, Harding set Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series track record on Evergreen's .375 mile track with a fast time of 16.879 seconds. That record still stands today.
The NUPRECON 125 presented by NAPA is the third of fourteen races on the NASCAR Elite Division, Raybestos Brake Northwest Series Schedule. This event will present new challenges for each team racing the series.
2002 series champion Kevin Hamlin, of Snohomish, Wash., driver of the D.T.G. Chevrolet Monte Carlo, comes to Evergreen's medium banked speed plant 11th in series points after taking a mechanical DNF at Tri-City Raceway April 26. Hamlin began his late model career at Evergreen Speedway, but finds no great advantage with his background on this track.
"It's been too long since I've been on that track. The track is so different, the tires are so different, and I drive so differently now. It's just like going to any new place. I mean I've had some laps there, but it's been a while. We're just going to have to start from scratch like everyone else," said Hamlin.
He continues, "We're going to test there on Thursday I think, and see how it runs. It will be fun to go back to the old school place where I got my late model roots. Always love going to Monroe, it's close to home, it's a fun track, the fans are great."
Thirteen years has passed since the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series has raced Evergreen's .375 mile track. Teams have lined up for track time; many will race the Evergreen Superstock event May 3rd for additional seat time.
Jason Jefferson, of Yakima, Wash., took his second career Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series win at Tri-City Raceway on April 26th. With this historic win, racing the 2003 Dodge Intrepid, Jason Jefferson became the first driver in NASCAR Elite Division history to win for the Dodge nameplate.
He arrives at Evergreen the series point leader, and first in the Victory Circle Chassis rookie-of-the-year point standings.
Winner of the 2002 Goodyear Cup Challenge, on Evergreen's .646-mile track, Jefferson has never raced on Evergreen's .375-mile oval.
"We're going to head over next weekend for a late model race. We're going to try and get familiar, see if we can figure it out a little bit. It'll be interesting; I don't think we've (NW Series) raced over there for 10 or 15 years. It'll be something new for all of us," said Jefferson.
With two races in the books Joe Benedetti, of Auburn, Wash., driver of the #2 RaceCals Pontiac Grand Prix, has one top five and one top ten finish and sits respectively in the No. 2 position in the series championship point race. Benedetti likes a seasoned race track while holding local racers in high regard.
"I've been looking for a worn out ole' race track ever since they paved South Sound Speedway. That was my bread and butter down there. I haven't been back there (Evergreen Speedway); that's probably the most unique race track we'll go to. Getting into turn one is almost off camber, then it ramps up a little bit, but it's so worn out. I think it's kind of wide open to what grove you want to take. It's more than a one or two grove race track. There's going to be some guy's like Robb Touchette, he's going to be bad fast there. The guys that run the local show know the track. It takes such a weird set up to be fast there. I'm looking forward to it on one hand, but not looking forward to having a local guy like Tom Moriarity hand it to me," said Benedetti.
- Jason Jefferson, Yakima, Wash. - Jefferson winning the last series race at Tri-City Raceway is now permanently etched in the NASCAR Elite Division record book taking the first manufacturers NASCAR Elite Division win for the Dodge nameplate. With ten career Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series starts, Jefferson has logged two wins, four top-5, and five top-10 finishes. Jefferson is the current series championship point leader, and has taken Victory Circle Chassis rookie-of-the race honors in both races of the 2003 season. With twenty points he leads the rookie race by four points over Brian Saling.
- Joe Benedetti, Auburn, Wash. - With one top-5 and one top-10 finish this season Benedetti sits second in the championship point race thirty-five back of Jefferson. Benedetti has sixty-eight career starts, two wins, twenty-two top-5 and thirty-eight top-10 finishes. His last Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series win was May 22, 1999 at South Sound Speedway.
- John Bender, Monroe, Wash. - The 2001 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series rookie-of-the-year Bender has one top-5 and one top-10 finish this season. Bender won the POWERade "Power Move of the Race" award in the first race of the season at Evergreen Speedway when he started eighteenth and finished fifth. The 2000 late model champion at Evergreen Speedway Bender has vast seat time on Evergreen's .375-mile track, and is hunting for his first series win.
- Pete Harding, Surrey, B.C. - Harding the 1999 Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series Champion won the first race of the 2003 season taking his sixteenth career NW Series win on Evergreen's .625 mile track. With sixty-seven top-5 and ninety-four top-10 finishes in the books Harding finished thirteenth at Tri-City Raceway and lands fourth in the championship point race forty-one points back. Harding holds the Evergreen Speedway .375-mile track record set in 1989 at 16.897 seconds.
- Jeff Jefferson, Naches, Wash. - With nine career Bud Pole awards Jefferson, the two-time Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series Bud Pole Champion has taken fast time in both races of the 2003 season. Finishing thirteenth in the first race of the season at Evergreen Speedway Jefferson made up ground at Tri-City Raceway with a second place finish. He sits fifth in the championship point race fifty-one points back of younger brother Jason.
- Brian Saling, of Spokane, Wash., Driver of the #23 Pantrol/Parts Plus, Ford Taurus scored his first NASCAR Elite Division, Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series top-10 finish at Tri-City Raceway. He sits second in the Victory Circle Chassis Rookie-of-the-Year point race, four points back of Jason Jefferson.
- Victory Circle, a chassis design and fabrication company located in Bakersfield, Calif., sponsors the 2003 rookie-of-the-year award for the NASCAR Elite Division. With this new sponsorship, first-year drivers in the four NASCAR Elite Divisions are now eligible for $20,000 in post-season awards.
- Fox Sports Net will record then televise the Evergreen Speedway Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series event. The race will be televised in a one-hour highlight format. Scheduled air times are May 19 - 25. Fans are encouraged to check their local Fox Sports Net listings for specific dates and times.
- Evergreen Speedway boasts the largest NASCAR sanctioned racing facility in the northwest region with covered seating for 8,300 fans, and a total seating capacity of 15,000 racing fans. Evergreen Speedway is known as "The Superspeedway of the Northwest."
- What:
- NUPRECON 125 presented by NAPA (Race 3 of 14 in the Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series).
- Where:
- Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash.
- When:
- 8:30 p.m. (PT), Saturday, May 10, 2003
- Track layout:
- .375-mile Medium Banked Paved Oval
- Race length:
- 125 laps, 46.88 miles
- Posted awards:
- $42,392
- 1990 winner:
- John Dillon
- 1990 polesitter:
- Garrett Evans
- Pre-race schedule (all times local):
- Saturday - Practice, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Qualifying 5:00 p.m.; 15-lap qualifying race 7:00 p.m.
