MONROE, Wash. — There was a thrilling finish to the Speedway Chevrolet Pro Late Model feature during night one of the Summer Showdown Friday night at Evergreen Speedway.
Last-lap fireworks and heartbreak led to the No. 48 car of Preston Peltier to win the race in his quest for the $80,000 bonus chase for winning both the pro late model feature and Saturday’s super late model main event..
A last-corner battle with contact prevented the leader of the most laps and dominant contender Derek Thorn a spot on the podium. Peltier took the victory home clear of Doni Wanat with Garrett Evans in third spot and championship leader Naima Lang fourth.
With 14 laps to go in the main event, a yellow flag meant a tense wait for leader and No. 43 driver Derek Thorn who was quickest in qualifying. He led Preston Peltier by less than a second, but on the restart, Peltier grabbed the lead with Thorn on side of him as the two battled for supremacy over the closing laps.
With nine laps to go, the gap was 0.316 seconds with a further 2.5 seconds back to No. 89 Doni Wanat in third spot. Thorn closed the gap again on lap 120 but couldn’t quite get past the determined Peltier who made the track as narrow as he could.
“That was a heck of a show,” Peltier said. “Anyone who could have been here tonight and see that, wow, a heck of a show.”
It was a very hard end to the race for the popular Californian Derek Thorn who had made the trip up from Bakersfield for the weekend and has been looking to rebound his past misfortunes at Evergreen Speedway.
“We were getting to Peltier but he was doing everything he had to do to hold me off,” he said to our pit reporter, before adding, “It just got to the point where on the last corner of the last lap, I got into three real good and got up to his left rear tire. My right front hit his left rear and got him sideways and shot me down the track. When he went to gather it up his left rear hit my right front again and that time it really spun me out.”
Third place Garrett Evans was pleased with his pace in the No. 64 car and claimed his podium spot after the final lap drama.
“We got a run there for about 20 laps where we were actually faster than the leaders,” Evans said. “We’ve got a really good car and were fortunate to be there at the end. Once we got around Dawson, we were able to pull away a little bit. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Peltier, Wanat and Evans will have the choice to start at the rear of Saturday’s Summer Showdown 200 for the bonus money payout. If Peltier can win the race from the rear of the field he will receive a $40,000 bonus on top of the winner’s $25,000 and his $15,000 win on Friday night to claim the full $80,000.
If any three of the drivers starts at the rear and finishes on the podium, they will receive an additional $10,000.
Lane Sundholm won the mini stock feature and Billy Weber topped the Legend car main event.