Summer Showdown revving up at Evergreen Speedway

The annual Evergreen Speedway Summer Showdown will be a fun-filled series of races June 23-25, during what Monroe Mayor Geoffrey Thomas has proclaimed Speed Week.

Now in its fifth year, the showdown grew out of the idea of having the largest NASCAR short track race on the West Coast.

According to Speedway Illustrated, Evergreen's summer showdown is on the top five of bucket list races to go to in the country.

"We are a destination for racecar fans that will come from all over to our fair city,GÇ¥ said Speedway marketing director Traci Hobbs said.

Hotels and camping lots are filling up in anticipation for the showdown.

Evergreen Speedway is the largest NASCAR short track west of the Mississippi River, and includes five different tracks making it a very versatile facility, Hobbs said.

There are now several tracks in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana that have emulated what Evergreen Speedway has done. President Doug Hobbs calls the track a "recipe for success.GÇ¥

Hobbs said the highlight of the showdown is the Super Late model class, which features the fastest cars, much like those seen on NASCAR TV. The showdown has become so popular that drivers come from across the country, anywhere from the Midwest to several provinces of Canada, the East Coast and all over the West Coast.

The festivities begin with a free-admission night practice for the Super Late models on Thursday, June 23. Friday night will be the qualifying heats, determining spots in the final showdown. Classes include the NASCAR street stocks, NASCAR mini stocks and Northwest outlaw mini stocks. The Les Schwab last chance qualifier will be first race at 4 p.m. Saturday, with final later that night.

There are currently 44 drivers registered for the showdown, which kicks off around 7:15 p.m. Saturday. In the past there have been up to 60 drivers, and more are expected to register this last week leading up to the event. Several of Monroe's own will be a part of the showdown, including Trenton Moriarity and Jeff Knight.

Moriarity is a Monroe High School graduate and son of Tom Moriarity, a longtime racer and nine-time champion. New to the late model class, Moriarity has been doing well, ranking second in points against racers who have been racing for 20 to 30 years. Moriarity will be driving No. 12.

Knight, pastor for The Rock Church, is also having a great season and will be driving the No. 70 car.

Excitement is building momentum in Monroe, as spectators prepare to watch their favorite racers flying around the track at speeds up to 140 mph.

The grand marshal of the showdown will be special guest, Josh Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie and star on the "Deadliest Catch,GÇ¥ is the showdown grand marshal, and the National Anthem will be performed by Glenn Bui of Steppenwolf Revisited.

The main sponsors for the event are Les Schwab and Budweiser.