Evergreen Speedway
Encyclopedia
Evergreen Speedway is an automobile racetrack located within the confines of the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington. The stadium can accommodate up to 7500 spectators in the covered grandstand and an additional 7500 in the uncovered modular grandstands. The layout of the track is unique in that it incorporates a 5/8-mile paved outer oval, a 3/8-mile paved inner oval, a 1/5-mile paved inner oval, a 1/8-mile dragstrip, and a figure-eight track located roughly within the 1/5-mile oval.
roadster. The track was paved in the early 1960s and in 1967 the original bleachers were demolished and the current grandstands built.
Through the years the track played host to a wide variety of racing events including Sprint Cars, Roadsters, Midgets, Figure Eights, Foreign Stock, Modified, Hobby Stocks, Jalopies, Limited Sportsmen, Demolition, Grand National, Winston West, NASCAR Northwest Tour, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Stinger-8, Hornets and Bombers. Evergreen Speedway also hosted the "500," the richest and most prestigious race in the west.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
ran an event at Evergreen Speedway once per year from 1995 to 2000.
High Road Promotions,(Douglas Hobbs, and Steve Beitler) won the Snohomish County bid to operate Evergreen Speedway until 2036. The 25 year contract, beginning January 2011, ensures NASCAR will remain in the state of Washington. As the only NASCAR track in Washington state, Evergreen Speedway was the first West Coast facility to feature a 500 lap NASCAR event. Managing Partner Douglas Hobbs has extensive automobile, world stage events management, such as four Olympic Games and regional and NASCAR experience, having a hand with assisting Evergreen Speedway landing the Craftsman Truck Series to Evergreen Speedway. Steve Beitler is a world renowned Sprint Car Driver, touring with the WORLD OF OUTLAWS, Team USA, and world wide events. A successful owner of Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington, Mr. Beitler and Mr. Hobbs have teamed up to operate two of the finest racing facilities in the North West.
Street Stocks (Bombers), Monroe Mini Stocks, Pawn XChange Super Figure-Eight, Stinger-8s, Northwest Legends, Hornets, Jr. Hornets (14-15 year olds), School Bus Races, Crash Cars, Demolition Derbies, Drifting
, Autocross
, and drag racing
.
History
Originally an unpaved horse track, in 1954 Jimmie Collier convinced Snohomish County officials to allow him to convert the track for use in racing his Ford Model TFord Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company from September 1908 to May 1927...
roadster. The track was paved in the early 1960s and in 1967 the original bleachers were demolished and the current grandstands built.
Through the years the track played host to a wide variety of racing events including Sprint Cars, Roadsters, Midgets, Figure Eights, Foreign Stock, Modified, Hobby Stocks, Jalopies, Limited Sportsmen, Demolition, Grand National, Winston West, NASCAR Northwest Tour, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Stinger-8, Hornets and Bombers. Evergreen Speedway also hosted the "500," the richest and most prestigious race in the west.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
ran an event at Evergreen Speedway once per year from 1995 to 2000.
High Road Promotions,(Douglas Hobbs, and Steve Beitler) won the Snohomish County bid to operate Evergreen Speedway until 2036. The 25 year contract, beginning January 2011, ensures NASCAR will remain in the state of Washington. As the only NASCAR track in Washington state, Evergreen Speedway was the first West Coast facility to feature a 500 lap NASCAR event. Managing Partner Douglas Hobbs has extensive automobile, world stage events management, such as four Olympic Games and regional and NASCAR experience, having a hand with assisting Evergreen Speedway landing the Craftsman Truck Series to Evergreen Speedway. Steve Beitler is a world renowned Sprint Car Driver, touring with the WORLD OF OUTLAWS, Team USA, and world wide events. A successful owner of Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington, Mr. Beitler and Mr. Hobbs have teamed up to operate two of the finest racing facilities in the North West.
Evergreen Speedway Today
Today Evergreen Speedway hosts a number of events for local as well as regional racing series'. Some of the classes that can currently be seen are Speedway Chevrolet Super Late Models (Super Stocks), Les SchwabLes Schwab
Leslie Bishop "Les" Schwab was an American businessman from Oregon. He was the founder of Les Schwab Tire Centers, a company which Modern Tire Dealer called "arguably the most respected independent tire store chain in the United States." A native of Oregon, he served in the U.S...
Street Stocks (Bombers), Monroe Mini Stocks, Pawn XChange Super Figure-Eight, Stinger-8s, Northwest Legends, Hornets, Jr. Hornets (14-15 year olds), School Bus Races, Crash Cars, Demolition Derbies, Drifting
Drifting (motorsport)
Drifting refers to a driving technique and to a motorsport where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining vehicle control and a high exit speed...
, Autocross
Autocross
Autocross is a form of motorsports that emphasizes safe competition and active participation. An autocross is a timed competition where drivers navigate one at a time through a defined course on either sealed or unsealed surfaces...
, and drag racing
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
.
Trivia
- Evergreen Speedway was featured as one of the playable tracks in 1999's "NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Racing"Craftsman Truck SeriesThe NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
video game for the PC. - Was nicknamed "The Superspeedway of the West" by NASCAR racing legend David Pearson.
- Some of the more notable drivers to have raced at Evergreen include: Bill ElliottBill ElliottWilliam Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
, Geoff BodineGeoff BodineGeoffrey Eli Bodine is an American motorsport driver and bobsled builder. He is the oldest of the three Bodine brothers . Bodine currently lives in Cornelius, North Carolina....
, Sterling MarlinSterling MarlinSterling Marlin is a retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He is the son of late NASCAR driver Coo Coo Marlin. He is married to Paula and has a daughter, Sutherlin, and a son, Steadman, who sometimes races in the Nationwide Series....
, Harry GantHarry GantHarry Phil Gant is a retired American racecar driver best known for driving the #33 Skoal Bandit car on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit during the 1980s and 1990s.-Nicknames:...
, Ken SchraderKen SchraderKenneth Schrader is a second-generation race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series for his own Ken Schrader Racing. He also runs part time in the NASCAR Camping...
, Derrike CopeDerrike CopeDerrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
, Davey AllisonDavey AllisonDavid Carl "Davey" Allison was a NASCAR driver. He was best known for driving the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford for Robert Yates Racing in the Winston Cup Series. Born in Hollywood, Florida, he was the eldest of four children born to Bobby Allison and wife Judy...
, Greg BiffleGreg BiffleGregory Jack "Greg" Biffle is a NASCAR driver who drives the #16 3M Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. After racing in the NASCAR Winter Heat Series in the mid-90s, he was recommended to Jack Roush by former announcer Benny Parsons...
, Ron Hornaday Jr., Kevin HarvickKevin HarvickKevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
, Michael WaltripMichael WaltripMichael Curtis Waltrip is a semi-former professional race car driver, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, and a published author. He is the younger brother of three-time NASCAR champion and racing commentator Darrell Waltrip. Waltrip is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500; having won the race in...
, Mike Skinner, Tobey ButlerTobey ButlerTobey Butler is a former NASCAR driver. He finished in the top-10 in points in the inaugural year of the Craftsman Truck Series and then did a limited schedule....
, Hershel McGriffHershel McGriffHershel McGriff won four races during his brief career in the NASCAR Grand National series, and later in the NASCAR Winston West Series.-Racing career:...
, Art PollardArt PollardArt Pollard , was an American racecar driver.Born in Dragon, Utah, Pollard died in Indianapolis, Indiana as a result of injuries sustained in practice for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. The car clipped the wall coming out of turn one and did a half-spin as it headed to the grass on the inside of the...
, Harry JeffersonHarry JeffersonHarry Jefferson is a retired NASCAR Winston Cup Series whose career spanned from 1973 to 1977.In addition to his Cup Series career, he also raced in the Winston West Series in a 1973 Mercury Cougar vehicle. That vehicle would eventually be refurbished into a 1979 Ford Granada and driven by NASCAR...
, Jack JefferyJack JefferyJack Charles Jeffery is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Chatham Town in the Isthmian League Division One North.-Career:Jeffery joined West Ham United in 2004, where he was known as "JJ" by his team mates...
, and Don Dowdy.