Evans Family Finally Breaks Through WVSO Win

East Wenatchee, Wash. — When it came to the “Leonard Evans Memorial” race at the Wenatchee Valley Super Oval, the Evans family was a combined zero for thirteen between Garrett, Jan and Stephanie.

On April 27 it all came together with a good car, a good driver, and a pinch of luck.

Jan Evans (center) is surrounded by family and friends following his victory April 27 at the Wenatchee Super Oval. NWSLM photo

Jan Evans, the son of four-time Northwest Super Late Model Series champion Garrett Evans finally got it done for the patriarch of the Evans family, his grandfather Leonard.

The win makes the Evans family 2-for-2 so far in NWSLM racing in 2024 following Garrett’s win in the season-opening Apple Cup at Tri City Raceway.

Jan grabbed the lead from Kasey Kleyn, after a lap 124 restart, to lead the final twenty-six laps and grab his first career Northwest Super Late Model Series win and was followed across the finish line by Kasey Kleyn from Quincy, Spokane’s Dave Garber, Jason Jefferson out of Naches and Olympia’s Bob Presley.

The victory was in honor of Jan’s grandfather who was a huge supporter of WVSO and his son, grandson, and granddaughter’s racing programs. Jan himself had made four previous attempts but could only muster a best finish of fourth.

“It’s an honor for my family” Evans said. “We wanted to get this win for a long time.”

The strategy for success was a no-brainer.

“During the race I felt like I needed to save my tires and stay out of the wrecks,” Jan Evans said. In late model racing, sometimes you have bad luck and luckily, we had good luck this time.”

Earlier in the day, Evans set the AFCO Racing / Longacre Racing Products Fast Time with a lap of 12.792 seconds over the 15-car field. Spokane’s Haeden Plybon would grab the pole position however, as the top eight redrew for position.

In the reshuffling of the starters, Evans began the race fifth and was second by the time for first caution flag flew on lap 40. Evans would take over the lead on the restart with Kleyn right behind.

Following a caution the lap 84 restart saw Evans and Kleyn maintain their battle until lap 118 when Kleyn took the top spot on an inside move.

It wasn’t long before Evans got his break on lap-124 when the yellow flew and on the restart Kleyn and Plybon made contact. Evans took advantage of the mishap, grabbing the lead as Plybon retired to the pits and Kleyn restarted at the tail of the lead lap cars.

Evans recalled the crucial moment.

“I was hanging on the outside, and luckily, I was able to keep up with the No. 1 car relative to his right rear. The 55-car was on his bumper and wasn’t being patient, and he kinda’ wrecked him,” Evans said.

Evans took the restart leading Garber, Jefferson, Terry Halverson and Presley. Garber challenged for several laps before Evans pulled away.

Meanwhile, Kleyn was on the move getting back to fourth on lap 131 from seventh. He moved by Jefferson several laps later, and he took the runner-up position from Garber on lap 143. But time ran out for Kleyn.

As excited as Evans was in Victory Lane, Kleyn was equally disappointed in what could have been.

“I think I had the winning car, I feel like I had the race won,” Kleyn said. “Then I’m not sure what really happened, but we ended up turned around and put behind all the lapped cars.

Still with 25 laps to go Kleyn had hopes of making up lost ground.

“We still had twenty-five laps to go, and we were able to get up to second. If we would have had a caution and got to start in front of the lapped cars, I think we could still have won it.”

The next event for the Northwest Super Late Model Series will be the Stateline Speedway 150 on May 18.

Northport 'Grader Guy' Corey Bell Keeps Track Race Ready

NORTHPORT, Wash. — There’s always work that goes on behind-the-scenes that is never seen, be it for work or play.

And when racers show up to have fun at Northport International Raceway on the next race day, May 4, few may know what went into making their track race worthy.

Cory Bell is maybe best known as the person who leads efforts at the track as promoter of the decades-old racing fixture in northern Stevens County. But he’s also the person who spends hours and hours in the cab of a road grader doing track prep.

Cory Bell seen with the twin road graders that help keep the Northport International Raceway track surface race ready. Northport photo

When Bell is not working part-time for the town of Northport or as a mechanic, he’s probably at the track making sure the surface is race ready.

“I grade after every race then pack,” Bell wrote in a Facebook Message. “It is a loose track takes a lot of packing.”

Bell first puts water on the track and then has to wait for the right texture before packing. If not done the right way it comes apart, he said.

“I pack the track going opposite direction as drivers,” Bell explained.

With the help of volunteers Bell can now utilize both of the graders located onsite at the facility located on property owned by the City of Northport.

“I graded Monday (April 22) after races and then graded it back up to top and back down,” Bell said. “Took me all day yesterday,” he added.

Find out about Northport racing on Facebook.

Atomic Cup Opens Milestone RC Unlimited Hydro Season

FINLEY, Wash. — A field of 62 boats in four different classes gathered April 14 in Finley, Wash. at 2-Rivers Park for the 2024 Atomic Cup to open the 50th season of the RC Unlimited’s radio-controlled hydroplanes.

The top-2 finishers in each class are listed below:

1/10th Scale Electric Juniors Final
1st: 1983 American Speedy Printing, Lexy Brandt
2nd: 1983 Miss Houston, Alex Barisic

1/10th Scale Electric Veterans Final
1st: 1961 Supertest, Brad Lewis
2nd: 2007 Oh Boy! Oberto, Mike Dunn

Gas 1/6 Scale Final
1st: 1983 KISW Miss Rock, Dave Brandt
2nd: 1983 American Speedy Printing (Red), Mike Malloy

1/8th Scale Electric (FE) Final
1st: 1984 Atlas Van Lines, David Newton
2nd: 1983 Miss Houston, Henry Oord

1/8th Scale Nitro Final
1st: 1982 Oh Boy! Oberto, Jim Brittain
2nd: 1978 Squire Shop (U-64), Aidyn Brandt

The club raced in Ellensburg April 27-28 at the Bill Muncey Memorial and next gather May 18-19 for the Champion Spark Plug Regatta back at Finley.

Racing action from the 2024 Atomic Cup for radio controlled unlimited hydroplanes. RC Unlimited photo by Chris Denslow