APRIL SUN BRINGS MAY FUN!
By Ben Chandler and Louise Coleman
April 28 and May 5, 2012 Race Recap

The weather was again perfect as the Super-8 division had their 2nd race of the year last week. Part of a monster 22-car double-header Super Late Model night, with NASCAR Street Stocks, Mini Stocks and a handful of Legends filling out the card, 12 Super-8 cars took the green flag for another 50-lapper. The front row was stocked with former Stinger Champs, Mike Middleton and Seth Funden, who was debuting his brand new #40 car. Middleton jumped to the lead at the green in his #75, and (this time) stayed there for the ENTIRE race! Funden’s night went the other direction, with his car finally stalling out in the North corner, around lap 14. Opening night race winner Steve Peters battled the #49 of “Slick” Don Eslick for 2nd the entire first half of the race, but fell back to the very fast heat race winner, #76 Ricky Dietz, quickly followed by former Super-8 champ Jake Repin in his #45, and with fast time, the new #21 driven by Quinton “the one-armed bandit” Boreson. A big tangle at lap 42, going into the North corner, involving Repin, Eslick and Boreson brought out the 3rd of four caution flags. Quinton and “Slick” were both knocked out, and Middleton had Repin and Dietz duking it out for 2nd place until the final caution, this time to get Nick Dunham’s #18 off the back wall. With time ticking by and another SLM 50-lapper to go, the guys faced a rare green, white & checkered flag end, cutting the race by three laps. Congrats to Mike Middleton for his Bob Uecker-style win, and to Ricky “the Kid” Dietz, current point leader Jake Repin, “the Great” Greg Scott, and Steve “Battlewagon” Peters, for their respective top 5 finishes in week two. B

The Cinco de Mayo weather wasn’t quite as warm as some of the past four weekends had been, but it was a record setting fifth dry weekend to start the season for the track…and a “super-moon night too!” The Stingers finally got back to the track for just the second time in 2012, and the Super-8 cars returned for their third round - this time as the “featured” event! Well advertised as an “Extreme Night of Racing”, the crowd count was strangely, um, average. The Stinger bumper/brake-lite rule confusion seems settled. Since my last story, Conley and I have written E-mails back and forth, and finally chatted at the track. Not sure how a couple of Hornet rules slipped into the Stinger deal, but was pleased to see no one went to any big expense with changes, or worse, chopped up their cars!

BOTH PETERS TAKE SEASON OPENERS!
By Ben Chandler and Louise Coleman
April 7 & 14, 2012 Recap

Beautiful weather, a good car count and good-sized crowds made for two fine season opening nights for the Stinger and Super-8 divisions. “Mr. Dizzy” Mike Buse and “the Crusher” Josh Beckel got the season and first night underway with a surprise double-crossing jump into some hapless old SUV’s and sedans, creating quite a stir as the explosive sound effects surprised everyone, including I’m sure, the always-unsuspecting neighbors to the North! Sean Peters brought back his little black #8 Honda Civic, and was fast, “right off the truck”! Sean was the last Stinger to show up and time in, with no practice, grabbing “fast time” – thus starting near the back of the big 16-car, 30 lap A main, with just a couple of rookies behind him. Fast heat race winner and former (2-time) Stinger Champ Mike Middleton, with second-fast time and racing his former #75 Ford Focus, was in hot pursuit of “little” Peters, who was flying through the field! Slow heat race winner Kevin Hornbeck took the early lead from the second row driving last year’s Championship winning #76 Celica, but Peters made it to 2nd by lap 3. Sean then took the lead from Hornbeck around lap 5, lost it back to him about lap 12, then took it again for good at the 25-lap mark. Former Stinger Champ Cody Koroshes was back in fine form and holding his #5 Civic in 3rd for the first half of the 30-lapper, until fuel problems (I think he said) slowed him up. Middleton made it to 2nd place, also around the 25-lap mark, getting by Hornbeck who finished 3rd, followed by “yours truly” in the ol’ #99, and Josh Young in his new (and already banged up) #22 Toyota MR-2.

A week later, the Super-8 division started their season, along with most of the other NASCAR divisions that race here each weekend. New cars and some new drivers joined the older cars and several familiar older faces in the pits. 13 cars took the green flag of the 50-lap Main Event, but a couple dropped out with mechanical problems almost immediately. Mike Middleton started up front in his #75 Supercar and led the first 35 laps, missing everyone who spun out on the slippery track, until it got him, too, at the start/finish line. Seven-time figure-8 Champ Steve Peters then inherited the lead in his new car, after starting in the middle of the pack, and held off Seth Funden and defending Champ Brian Gunderson to take the win! 4th went to former Champ Jake Repin, with Middleton recovering to take 5th. The heat races were won by the two former Stinger Champs, Seth Funden and Mike Middleton. Earlier in the evening, FEAR member Josh Young did a great job racing his old #22 Toyota MR-2 with the Hornets for 30 laps, and took that win!

Speaking of Josh, the front bumper construction controversy which surrounded the Stinger and – to a lesser extent – the Hornet pit areas, was brought to light last week by Mr. Young. Josh asked new Evergreen Chief Steward, Conley Graber for a rule clarification regarding the spec bumper “kickers” and down-bars which we need – and voted in over four years ago. Conley’s reply to Josh made mention of how “we have always had a rule” against extra bumper support which “they chose not to tech,” which unfortunately was simply not true. He also wrote that he was going to ask all the Stingers to “cut them out” before the next event. After consulting our FEAR rule books for the past five years, I responded to Josh and cc’ed both Doug and Conley, explaining the fact that, according to our rule books, our bumpers were, in fact, always “legal.” Anyone racing Stingers when Johnny Z first introduced what he called a “spec bumper,” is painfully aware of the problems we initially had with them – and I had the very first one! The ends stuck out and cut tires or valve stems, tore into and “hooked” fenders and quarter panels, or just bent back, cutting into your own front tires. Adding the end support and back straps helped stop most of that. Many of the guys also attached “down” bars to the top of the “hoop” thing, because every time you touched someone from behind, the top would bend back, tearing at the already flimsy tin frame horn and smacking into your radiator. We DID have a “no frame reinforcement” rule every year that seemed never to be scrutinized; I figured that is what Conley was referring to in mentioning stuff “not getting teched.” We as a group have, since 1965, always had input regarding our construction rules. In fact, I wrote the Stinger rules some 10 years ago, based on Mickey Beadle’s popular new Hornet class, adapting and adding as needed to accommodate the figure-8 racing. And yes, we were all painted yellow in the beginning! After FEAR took over the Stinger class, replacing the Xtreme Contact-8 class, we dropped the silly brake lights, horns and “working” radio requirements. We all beefed up our bumpers, so that the little cars would last more just a few weeks, and we started painting them like real racecars too!

I’m not sure why this bumper proposal didn’t come up earlier in the year, before some of our guys actually built new cars. It wasn’t discussed or voted on at our “rules meeting,” and no one asked me about it until Josh did just last week. I didn’t really notice the change when the updated rules came out this year; I was mainly concerned with the silly “full-face” helmet rule, which I took personally (and whined to Doug about!) The fact is, when I finally read the bumper change rule, I assumed like most of you that it, AND the silly brake light rule next to it, were intended for “Stingers that also wanted to race with Hornets.” That last line was obviously missing, but makes sense, because the Hornet rule about the new (for them) spec bumpers and brake lights reads exactly the same. What strangely was left out was the reference to NOT reinforcing the frame, and anything to do with the rear bumper! So eight of the top ten finishers in our opener had bumpers that were legal last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that! You know – the bumpers that we, the drivers, had voted for. Fortunately, after I explained to him the problems with the spec bumper design in a “contact division” like ours, Conley promised to look into this confusing situation, discuss it with Doug, and get back to me. We will see, and stay tuned here for any additional “bumpergate” news!

That said, all the Stingers are invited to race at the Puyallup Spring Fair SLAMFEST next weekend. Hopefully it won’t turn into the Stinger smashfest we had last year! Get your entry info on the Evergreen website. Also on EvergreenSpeedway.com, you should check out the new “info” section. All of the Season Champs, “big race” winners and Hall of Fame members are now online, under “INFO” – thanks Alan!

On a more serious note, it was sad to hear about the passing of the first Evergreen Speedway announcer I ever got to know, Mr. Tom Cook. Tom was a great guy and “the voice” of the track back in the 70’s when I was a young rookie dude. He ran a cool race gear embroidery shop in Woodinville later in the 80’s and 90’s before finally retiring. And we also lost Evergreen’s first female figure-8 racer this past winter, Cheryl Scott (no relation to Greg). Cheryl and hubby Steve were FEAR members and racers for many years. Stay tuned for a memorial lap to be scheduled soon in her honor.

And finally, 2012 FEAR memberships are available in the pits or by mail. Jut $10 to support the club, or $25 if you desire a webpage of your own on our site. We have cool new FEAR stickers for 2012, thanks to Tracy DeYoung. For info, you can email me at BenChandler99@gmail.com. See you at SLAMFEST!  -BC

THE NEW SEASON (AND SLAMFEST) IS COMING!
By Ben Chandler and Louise Coleman
February 2012

Monday evening Feb. 13th, at the Jim Green Performance Center in Monroe, all Figure-8 drivers, Super AND Stingers, plus Hornets and V-8’s are invited for the 2012 NASCAR/ Evergreen Speedway Membership meeting that should start at 6:30. Lots of great freebies come with getting your 2012 NASCAR membership early… then stick around for the informative marketing meeting at 8pm that might help get you more sponsors too! Check the ES website for the Jim Green address and phone number. 

Speaking of membership info, the FEAR membership cost will be reduced to just $10 for 2012 – for fans, pit crew and family members who choose to help us keep the Club alive! Current members with existing profile pages will ALSO pay just $10! New drivers who want to create a page on this website, which can help with sponsor-getting or to share with friends around the world, will still pay a first year (only) $25, to cover the page set-up costs. As in the past, ALL monies collected will help cover the cost of this website plus the printing of your official updated 2012 FEAR rule & history book, FEAR stickers and membership cards. Sign up or renew your FEAR memberships with me in the pits, at the track in April, or by E-mail - benchandler99@gmail.com - and Thank You for your support! 

300 lap SNOWBALL, SWAPMEET & AWARDS BANQUET COMING!
January 7th 14th  and 21st
By Ben Chandler

The annual “Snowball 300” is back, after a year off. Originally created for the new Hornet, and later the Stinger divisions, back when they were closer to identical, it also brought many others who only enjoyed the longer Enduro - type format. The earlier events had car counts often nearing 100, half of which seemed gone by the end of the first hour! The course, and lap count has changed several times over the years. The track stuck “uke” tires all over the backstretch one time, and a couple of years ago we had different divisions race 500 laps on 3 totally different tracks! The neat thing about THAT Enduro race was the Stingers were allowed to race with the Hornets - without cutting up their bumpers, thanks to Falk Development “sponsorship”!

 Bumpers still seem to be the main thing keeping the two groups from cross-racing these days. It certainly was discussed by many at the Stinger/Hornet rules meeting that Doug held earlier in December. Our rule (ideas) meeting with the Hornets was very cordial, the Super-8’s meeting the night before, I understand, was not so much! 

The $100 Enduro entry fee has been cut in half, if you sign up BEFORE the end of the year. 3 big hours of fun for just $50 bucks, I will definitely see you there! And speaking of the Super-8 division, it was announced earlier in December that THEY would be the “feature division” in 2012, as we celebrate 47 years of F-8 racing at Evergreen. That is a HUGE honor for our big-car drivers, and all fans of the 8 track should rejoice!

 Coming up the following Saturday, the 14th, from 9 to 3 pm, is a giant racers SWAP MEET, to be held UNDER the grandstands! Check the ES website for booth reservation info.

And a week later, Jan.21st, we celebrate our latest Figure-8 and NASCAR Champions at the 2011 Awards banquet. The brand new fairgrounds Exhibition Hall will be the site, partially built by Stinger Champ Lance Ograin last year, the big new building should provide PLENTY of room for him, and all of the other drivers, fans, friends and family to celebrate! 

Tickets are just $40 each; you can also reserve a table of 10 for $400, or a table of 12 for $480.  RSVP to banquet@evergreenspeedway.com.  You can purchase your tickets on www.evergreenspeedway.com.  Just click on the tickets tab!

Cocktail hour starts around 6, with Dinner and Awards from 7 to 10:30. 

The Menu is:  

Herb Roast Pork Tenderloin with Marsala Sauce, Hunter's Chicken (Chicken in a white wine cream sauce with fresh mushrooms)

Potatoes Au Gratin, Warm Dinner Rolls, Tossed Green Salad

Fresh Vegetable Medley, and for desert, Cheesecake with Berry Sauce!

DJ Gary Mason will provide entertainment, so make your reservations TODAY!

Have a great Holiday, and a safe New Years everybody, and I will see you in January!  BC