Story By: DINO OBERTO / EVERGREEN RACEWAY – BUTLER TOWNSHIP, PA – It will be race car rides and racing action come Saturday, August 31, at Evergreen Raceway. The 1/3-mile paved oval will begin the day with the popular Evergreen Raceway 2-Seater Ride-along during the afternoon hours of noon to 3:00 pm.
That same evening beginning at 6:00 pm it will be racing under the lights with full slate of stock car action which will be headlined by the DW Machine & Fabricating Late Models along with the Harry’s U-Pull-It Street Stocks, Himmer Graphics Four Cylinders, Rotten-and-Forgotten and the McNulty Funeral Home Novices.
It’s also Fan Appreciation Night with a special $8 grandstand general admission ticket price and hotdogs will be just $1.
Since being officially launched earlier this year, the Evergreen Raceway 2-Seater Ride-along has been starting to become a very popular attraction throughout the area. More and more fans are starting to get in on the excitement of strapping into an authentic Late Model stock car and then be driven by a professional drivers around the track in a mock race with other cars.
Thus far everyone who has done the program comes away beaming from the all-out thrill they just experienced. And the very reasonably priced cost of just $50 makes it affordable as well.
Each car is equipped with full safety gear and will be driven by experienced race drivers who are regulars at the track. Four cars at a time will go out head to head for a 12 lap race. Handicap accessible cars are also available.
Please call 570-956-6347 or email Evergreenraceway@gmail.com for open appointment times.
Stock cars will hit the track that night to close out the month of August will all full fender divisions running. There are some very close point battles in place among all of those classes too.
One point is all that separates Mike Sweeney and Brian Sones in the Late Models. Sweeney is closing in on 80 overall career wins and not to mention the chance to collect an unprecedented fifth title at Evergreen.
Likewise Mike Pollack is hoping he too can capitalize on his string of good fortunes and garner a third straight Street Stock crown. Pollack has won a record five features in a row but with a whole month and a half of racing to go he needs to stay sharp as the always potent No. 55B of Gordie Buchman continues to stay in tune with him as well as top runners Tommy Flanagan and Amber Knecht and Bob Hunsicker Jr.
BJ Wambold heads into next Saturday fresh off his second win of the season but with a minimal point edge over his daughter, Maggie Wambold. Of course there’s also the other usual suspects who have all been very quick such as Johnny Bennett, Robert McNulty and Jared Frye as they who all seem to have the knack of racing to the front when it counts most and you can also add Joe Barbush III, Jimmy Ayre and TJ Kapish to the list and for that matter any one of a host of drivers in the class.
The Rotten-and-Forgotten shows Noah “Chub” Jensen as the point leader but make no mistake this division is so closely paired that on any giving race day it is anyone’s guess as to who will pick up the checkers.
This year’s class of Novice drivers are made up of an amazing group of talents that all race each other closely and in the process have made the chase for the championship very exciting as well. Conner Shotwell is the only repeat winner yet his standings lead remains slim as Caitlyn Makarewicz, Sarabeth Mesko, Savannah Romig, Abby McNulty and Lexi Kutz are keeping things within reach of each other.
All of the great racing is being presented as part of Fan Appreciation Night and at just $8 grandstand admission.
Pit gates will open at 3:30 am. Pit admission is $40 per person. Warm-ups will begin at 4:30 pm with heats starting at 6:00 pm. The main grandstands open at 4:00. Kids 12 and under are free.