Between the smell of burning rubber and the heart-pumping sound of squealing tires, just about everyone loves the excitement of the racetrack. And this year, Evergreen Speedway in Monroe is gearing up for what it hope will be its biggest season yet.
Currently, speedway operators Doug and Traci Hobbs are preparing for the NASCAR season opener, which will take place on Saturday, April 4. The event is being presented by the Snohomish County SeaHawkers, who have teamed up with the speedway to provide a day of racing, fireworks, stunts by Mike "Mr. DizzyGÇ¥ Buse and numerous Seahawks-related surprises, including appearances by a few of the Sea Gals and a visit from Blitz.
Doors will open at noon, and, at 6 p.m., the racing will begin.
"It's going to be basically a tribute to the 12th man,GÇ¥ Doug said. "It'll be a fun kick off for our season.GÇ¥
The family-friendly event will feature a Seahawks-themed car show, Easter egg hunt, pony rides and Seahawks-related vendors. Admission on opening night is $20.
A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the South Snohomish County Toys for Tots, a United States Marine Corps Reserve program that provides toys to families in need.
New owners, new changes
So far, 2015 has gotten off to a great start for Doug and Traci. They were recently recognized by their peers as Racing Promotion Monthly's Regional Auto Racing Promoters of the Year for Region 6, and for the third year in a row, Evergreen Speedway was recognized as a top 10 NASCAR home track.
Doug and Traci operate the speedway through their company, High Road Productions, via a public-private partnership with Snohomish County. Since taking over speedway operations in 2011, the couple has worked to facilitate year-round activities at the speedway, including festivals, concerts, banquets, reunions, Latino festivals, rodeos and, of course, a plethora of racing.
They spent months negotiating with Snohomish County and ironing out the details of their 25-year agreement.
"We sat down for seven months, working with county officials and fairgrounds staff to really construct the perfect public-private partnership. So it's a 44-page agreement, and it covers pretty much everything,GÇ¥ Traci said. "In all respects, it's been a home run.GÇ¥
One-of-a-kind track
One of the key aspects of operating the racetrack has been finding ways to maintain, improve and even expand the 71-acre facility. Since taking over operations, Doug has performed subterranean improvements to improve drainage, repaired the track where it had been damaged by occasional standing water and built a brand new motocross track. He also constructed a brand new 1,100-foot community sponsor midway on the north side of the grandstands, which has been heavily used during large scale events like NASCAR and Formula Drift.
Doug and Traci have also been looking for ways to facilitate energy savings and improve energy efficiency at the track. To help with this, they've identified a series of projects that they will work toward implementing, including the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting. They also will continue to expand their environmentally-friendly practices, like recycling. Traci shared that last year, they recycled over 113 tons of recyclable materials during their events.
As avid racing enthusiasts, Doug and Traci love to visit racetracks all across the country. And what they've learned is that Evergreen Speedway is actually pretty special.
"If we go to a city, the first thing we do is go, "Let's go find the nearest race track and check it out,'GÇ¥ Traci said. "To have this kind of configuration, which is basically five tracks within one, is pretty unique.GÇ¥
"It's the largest short track west of the Mississippi,GÇ¥ Doug added.
Doug explained that the track at Evergreen Speedway is large, at five-eighths of a mile, compared to most tracks around the United States, which range from the occasional one-half-mile track to the more common three-eighths of a mile track. The track configuration at the speedway allows Doug and Traci a lot of flexibility; they've got a one-fifth-mile paved inner oval, a figure-eight, a one-eighth-mile drag strip, a three-eighths-mile paved inner oval and a five-eighths-mile paved outer oval GÇô all in one.
Community events
This year, the speedway is looking forward to a packed schedule of NASCAR, Formula Drift, Evergreen Drift, demolition derby, Evergreen Drags and more. Plans are already in store for the Summer Showdown event in June, which will include stunts by local stuntman Mike "Mr. DizzyGÇ¥ Buse, who currently serves as the president of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
As Snohomish residents, Doug and Traci enjoy being a part of the Monroe community, and place a strong emphasis on giving back through charitable contributions and events. Traci serves as the secretary for the Monroe Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and together, they work closely with Snohomish County Parks and Snohomish County Tourism.
For more information, visit www.evergreenspeedway.com or www.facebook.com/evergreenspeedway.-á
To purchase tickets to the season opener on April 4, visit http://ow.ly/K57R7.-á
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