THE FALL CLASSIC RIDES ONCE AGAIN AT TRI CITY RACEWAY

Six racing classes, 125 cars to run in 2024 finale

West Richland, Wash. — That the 37th annual Fall Classic even reached this stage of life is remarkable in itself, once one considers recent history.

It has survived the closure of the original home at Yakima Speedway and had 33 editions at the historic track. Yakima Speedway was sold and demolished in 2021 to become an industrial site along Interstate-82 in the city.

The final Fall Classic held at Yakima in 2020 came in the throes of COVID-19. The race was brazenly presented by promoter Doug Beterall — with grandstands full of fans — in the face of legal action from the state of Washington.

And when possibly all was uncertain for the race’s future, out of decades of dust arose Tri City Raceway in 2021 and the safety net dropped at just the right time.

Closed since 2004, a group led by Greg Walden worked out a deal with the city of West Richland to reopen the track. Walden operates Hermiston Raceway in Oregon and it was Walden’s dad, Wayne who operated TCR from the early 1980s for several decades.

The Tri City Raceway track is part of what is known as the Red Mountain Event Center which is envisioned to be a multi-faceted tourism engine for the city — and the Tri City area as a whole.

Now the fourth rendition of the race held on the Tri City half-mile tri-oval some 125 cars in six classes will chase titles at this historic season-ending event for Pacific Northwest racing.

Racing will take place Oct. 4-6 with most eyes on the Northwest Super Late Model Series finale where a 2024 champion will be crowned and the winner earning $10,000 after 200 laps. Past purses for all classes have surpassed $100,000 and the event has sold out each year it has been run since the move.

Besides the NWSLM Super Lates, the race classes include Pro Late Models, Hobby Stocks, Vintage Modifieds, Modifieds and Mini-Stocks.

While not fully certain, Kasey Kleyn from Quincy, Wash. is the odds-on favorite to hang onto the lead he’s amassed over a season in which Kleyn has won four series feature races.

Series officials suggest that based on the field size and how Kleyn runs that he essentially has to just start the race.

The 2024 field of super late models includes four former Fall Classic champions, Evan Goetz (2023), Jason Jefferson (2016), BJ Tidrick (2006) and Naima Lang (2011, 2012, 2020). Lang and Cameron Haley (2013, 2014) were the last to successfully defend a Fall Classic championship.

The Fall Classic has a winner’s list comprised of the who’s who of the region’s best late model drivers with Coquitlam, British Columbia’s Pete Harding (4), Wenatchee’s Garrett Evans (3), Tacoma’s Ron Eaton (3) and Lang from Snohomish (3) being notable multi-time winners.

Further information on the 2024 Fall classic can be found by visiting redmountaineventcenter.com.

An aerial view of Tri City Raceway during the 2022 Fall Classic, highlighting the excitement and scale of the event.

NWSLMS FALL CLASSIC 2024 PRELIMINARY DRIVER’S LIST

00 Naima Lang Lynnwood, WA*
1K Kasey Kleyn Racing Quincy, WA
01 Mike Burkhardt Sandy, OR
2 Terry Halverson Wenatchee, WA
3B Andy Beaman Selah, WA
3G Wyatt Gardner Lake Stevens WA
3K Ken Bonney Hermiston, OR
5H Jess Havens Spokane, WA
5P Ryan Phipps Burley, ID
7d Dawson Cox Arlington, WA
7h Dillon Huffines Selah, WA
7R Zach Riehl Racing Corbett, OR
K9 Kaden Holm Monroe, WA
11D Danica Dart Ephrata, WA
11JoD Johvan Dillon Meridian, ID
11JD John Dillon Meridian, ID
15 Jim Frankliin Kennewick, WA
17s Max Schroeder Tacoma, WA
17ST Steve Thompson W Richland, WA
21N Dan Nelson Finley, WA
27 BJ Tidrick Kennewick WA*
29 Jason O’Neil Spokane, WA
33 Christopher Kalsch Hillsboro, OR
34 Scott Walker West Richland, WA
36 Jeff Hillock Cedar Hills, UT
42 Evan Goetz Okanogan, WA*
51 Michael Knutson Quincy, WA
54T Trace Thompson Kennewick, WA
69P Zandar Peters Eatonville, WA
69R Andrew Riehl Corbett, OR
77M Scott Murphy Spokane, WA
77 JJ Mullins Naches, WA
81 Ray Clever Boise, ID
89 Doni Wanat Woodinville, WA
93 Dave Garber Spokane, WA
97 Jason Jefferson Naches, WA *
* Previous winner