Northwest Super Late Model Series Headed to Wenatchee Valley for Neal Newberry 125

Event: The “Neal Newberry 125” will take place on September 14 at the Wenatchee Valley Super-Oval (WA). It will be Round #9 of the Northwest Super Late Model Series presented by RaceCals season, and it will take place on Saturday, September 14th. $5,000 will go to the winner of the eleventh annual event. The NWSLMS will be on Day #2 of a big weekend of racing that will also feature the Pro Late Models (Friday), INEX Legends (both days), Bandoleros (both days) and Thunder Cars (Saturday).

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NWSLMS Tradition: With the 11th anniversary of this event, it is the longest running event in Northwest Super Late Model Series history, having survived the Covid-19 shutdowns. Shelby Thompson was the winner of that first event in 2014. Owen Riddle, Doni Wanat, Brittney Zamora (2), Garrett Evans (2), Gracin Raz (2), and Evan Goetz are also former winners.

Entries: 18 Super Late Models are currently entered for this weekend’s “Neal Newberry Memorial 125” representing three states; Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. The series is averaging 20.8 Super Late Models per event in 2024 with a high of 32 at the “Apple Cup 125” at Tri-City Raceway RMEC (WA) and a low of 14 at Hermiston Raceway (OR) in the “IBEW 112” and the “Western Mountain Inc. 150” at the Motorplex at the Mill (ID). Four of the entries are former NWSLMS winners at WVSO; Kasey Kleyn, Jan Evans, Evan Goetz, and Owen Riddle.

Neal Newberry: This weekend’s event honors Neal Newberry from Cle Elum, WA. Newberry was elected to the WVSO Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2013, he passed away after a short illness. He was one of the best racers in the Northwest in his day, scoring hundreds of wins and multiple championships at tracks such as Wenatchee, Evergreen, Yakima, Ephrata, and many more. He scored a touring series championship in the NASCAR Winston West Northwest Racing Series (precursor to the NASCAR Northwest Tour) in 1974. He was a champion in the Olympia Challenge Series and the Northwest Super Stock Association. He also scored wins in the now ARCA Menards Pro Series West. It is the 11th season the series and the track have honored the Northwest legend.

Championship Standings: Kasey Kleyn leads the championship standings heading into the “Neal Newberry 125”. Kleyn has 352 points, leading Ken Bonney (316), Christopher Kalsch (304), Andy Beaman (271), and Dave Garber (265). Rookie-of-the-Year leader Eric Rhead (230) leads the second five with Jason Jefferson (174), Zach Riehl (167), Andrew Riehl (163), and Wyatt King (149) rounding out the top 10.

WVSO Round #2: The NWSLMS will return to WVSO for the second time in 2024. Jan Evans led a 15-car field to the checkered flag in April, earning his first series victory. It was a very popular win for the driver honoring his grandfather in the “Leonard Evans Memorial 150”. Evans beat Kasey Kleyn, Dave Garber, Jason Jefferson, and Bob Presley. WVSO will host the series for the 23rd time, the most of any track the series has visited. Gracin Raz lead all drivers with three victories at WVSO. Shane Mitchell, Shelby Thompson, Tayler Riddle, Garrett Evans, Haeden Plybon, Evan Goetz, and Brittney Zamora have two wins apiece. Brent Harris, Jeff Jefferson, Owen Riddle, Doni Wanat, and Jan Evans have one each.

Season Debut: Owen Riddle, Michael Knutson, and Josh Roberts will make their first starts of the NWSLMS season. Riddle is a three-time winner in the series while Knutson will make only his second series start. Josh Roberts will make his first start since 2018 and has five top five results in 12 total starts. 79 different drivers have scored championship points in 2024, through eight events.

Double Duty: Seven drivers are scheduled to perform double duty this weekend in both the “Jerry Berschauer 125” for the Pro Late Models on Friday and the “Neal Newberry 125” on Saturday. Those drivers include Terry Halverson, Ken Bonney, Jan Evans, Evan Goetz, John Newhouse, Michael Knutson, and Ray Clever.

Double Up: Jan Evans scored his first NWSLMS win earlier this season in the “Leonard Evans Memorial 150” at WVSO. Evans did not have the fastest car that weekend, but he played his cards right, earning the most memorable victory in his career. The “Leonard Evans Memorial” was special for paying tribute to his grandfather, but a win this weekend would pay homage to another influential man in his life and racing career, Neal Newberry.

"Winning the "Newberry Memorial" would mean a lot to me, not just as a driver, but because of the connection my family has with Neal Newberry", Evans stated. "Neal was sponsored by my grandpa, Leonard, when he raced a Plymouth, as my grandpa was a Plymouth dealer at the time. Beyond that, he was a good friend to my dad and supported him in his racing career whenever he could. I’ve heard many great stories from my dad about what an outstanding person Neal was, and to win this race would be a special way to honor that legacy and the relationship between our families."

Saturday Schedule: Fan Gates open at WVSO at 4:30pm on Saturday, September 14th. Single Car Qualifying for the Thunder Cars will begin at 4:45 PM followed by Group Qualifying for the Bandoleros and Single car qualifying for the Legends. Single Car Qualifying for the NWSLMS rounds out the sessions. Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 5:45pm with Trophy Heats for the Thunders Cars and Bandoleros following. Happy Minutes for the NWSLMS are up next. Main Events are then scheduled for the Thunder Cars, Bandoleros, NW Legend Nationals, and the NWSLMS “Neal Newberry 125”.

Broadcast: For those unable to attend Saturday’s event, the “Neal Newberry 125” will be shown LIVE on RacingAmerica.TV.

Pre-Entry: (9/11/2023)

1K Kasey Kleyn Quincy, WA
2 Terry Halverson Wenatchee, WA
3B Andy Beaman Selah, WA
3K Ken Bonney Hermiston, OR
5P Ryan Phipps Burley, ID
10 Owen Riddle Naches WA
17P Robert Presley Olympia, WA
26 John Newhouse Twin Falls, ID
29 Jason O'Neil Spokane, WA
33K Christopher Kalsch Hillsboro, OR
42 Evan Goetz Okanogan, WA
51 Michael Knutson Quincy, WA
64 Jan Evans E Wenatchee, WA
77 Scott Murphy Spokane, WA
77JJ Jordan Mullins Naches, WA
81 Ray Clever Boise, ID
91 Josh Roberts Ephrata, WA
93 Dave Garber Spokane, WA

ABOUT THE NORTHWEST SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES

The Northwest Super Late Model Series is the premier regional touring Super Late Model series in the Northwest. The series has many valued partners including RaceCals, Hoosier Racing Tire, McGunegill Engine Performance, Gibson Diesel Performance, AR Bodies, Joes Racing Products, Penske Racing Shocks, Five Star Bodies, AFCO/Longacre Racing Products, Atomic Screen Printing and Embroidery, Franks Racing Radio, BLP, Jefferson Racing, Impel Motorsports, and The Ti Company. For more information on the series visit www.nwslms.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

-Story and Photo Credit: Kevin Peters, Northwest Super Late Model Series