Evergreen Speedway is an automobile racetrack located within the confines of the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington. The stadium can accommodate up to 7500 spectators in the covered grandstand and an additional 7500 in the uncovered modular grandstands. The layout of the track is unique in that it incorporates a 5/8-mile paved outer oval, a 3/8-mile paved inner oval, a 1/5-mile paved inner oval, a 1/8-mile dragstrip, and a figure-eight track located roughly within the 1/5-mile oval.
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Originally an unpaved horse track, in 1954 Jimmie Collier convinced Snohomish County officials to allow him to convert the track for use in racing his Ford Model T roadster. The track was paved in the early 1960s and in 1967 the original bleachers were demolished and the current grandstands built.[1]
Through the years the track played host to a wide variety of racing events including Sprint Cars, Roadsters, Midgets, Figure Eights, Foreign Stock, Modified, Hobby Stocks, Jalopies, Limited Sportsmen, Demolition, Grand National, Winston West, NASCAR Northwest Tour, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Stinger-8, Hornets and Bombers. Evergreen Speedway also hosted the "500," the richest and most prestigious race in the west.[2]
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ran an event at Evergreen Speedway once per year from 1995 to 2000.[3]
High Road Promotions,(Douglas Hobbs, and Steve Beitler) won the Snohomish County bid to operate Evergreen Speedway until 2036. The 25 year contract, beginning January 2011, ensures NASCAR will remain in the state of Washington. As the only NASCAR track in Washington state, Evergreen Speedway was the first West Coast facility to feature a 500 lap NASCAR event. Managing Partner Douglas Hobbs has extensive automobile, world stage events management, such as four Olympic Games and regional and NASCAR experience, having a hand with assisting Evergreen Speedway landing the Craftsman Truck Series to Evergreen Speedway. Steve Beitler is a world renowned Sprint Car Driver, touring with the WORLD OF OUTLAWS, Team USA, and world wide events. A successful owner of Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington, Mr. Beitler and Mr. Hobbs have teamed up to operate two of the finest racing facilities in the North West.
Today Evergreen Speedway hosts a number of events for local as well as regional racing series'. Some of the classes that can currently be seen are Speedway Chevrolet Super Late Models (Super Stocks), Les Schwab Street Stocks (Bombers)[4], Foster Press Mini Stocks], Super Figure-Eights, Stinger-8s, Northwest Legends, Hornets, Jr. Hornets (14-15 year olds), School Bus Races, Crash Cars, Demolition Derbies, Drifting, Autocross, and drag racing.