The 37th Annual “Fall Classic 200” presented by Desert Food Mart will conclude the 2024 season for the Northwest Super Late Model Series presented by RaceCals this Sunday at Tri-City Raceway RMEC (WA). The biggest race of the season will pay $10,000 to the winner, and currently sports an entry list of 36 Super Late Models. It will be day number four at the triangular ½-mile facility with an optional Thursday practice followed by practice for all divisions, scheduled on Friday. The Pro Late Models, Northwest Vintage Modifieds and B-Mods/Freedom Mods highlight Saturday’s action. The NWSLMS “Fall Classic 200” concludes Sunday’s schedule with the TSCS Hobby Stocks and Desert Mini Stocks also in action.
Kasey Kleyn (397 points) leads the championship standings heading into the final round of the season. The Quincy, WA racer needs only to start the feature, to clinch his first championship in the series. He leads Ken Bonney (351), Christpher Kalsch (337), Andy Beaman (308), and Dave Garber (304). Eric Rhead (230), Jason Jefferson (174), Zach Riehl (167), Andrew Riehl (163), and Evan Goetz (151) round out the top 10, with Rhead leading the Jefferson Racing Rookie-of-the-Year standings.
With Kleyn knowing a start in Sunday’s big race will clinch the championship, it frees up his ability to concentrate on winning in both Saturday and Sunday’s big events.
“Yeah, pretty much only needing to start the race to win the championship is a huge relief”, Kleyn admitted about his approach to the “Fall Classic”. “It gives us a chance to focus on the win only, as well as letting us focus on the Pro Late race as well. I think even if we were in a tight points race, we come with the mindset that we want to win, especially with the change from 125 laps to 200. It's definitely going to mean more to win this race, being that it will take more talent from a driver standpoint, to make your tires last for both 100 lap segments.”
In 2024, the “Fall Classic” will expand from a 125-lap race, back to the more traditional 200 lap event, which was the standard when the race’s original host Yakima Speedway (WA) was the destination. The 200-lap event will be a six-tire race. Yakima Speedway hosted the event from 1988 until 2020, when the track closed. TCR began hosting the event in 2021 and will see its fourth rendition this weekend. The NWSLMS began sanctioning the event in 2022 and have averaged 35.5 Super Late Models per event. 25 Super Late Models were present in 2021.
There have been six multi-time winners of the “Fall Classic” which includes Pete Harding (4 wins), Ron Eaton (2), Garrett Evans (3), Naima Lang (3), Cameron Hayley (2), and Jason Frasier (2). Lang is the only multi-time winner entered, but four other drivers have a chance to join that list. Previous winners BJ Tidrick, Jason Jefferson, Doni Wanat, and 2023 winner Evan Goetz are all entered for this weekend’s action.
Currently there are five previous NWSLMS winners entered this weekend. Those include Doni Wanat (3 wins), Max Schroeder (1), Kasey Kleyn (5), Evan Goetz (3), and Jason Jefferson (3). Additionally, former travelling Super Late Model Series winners include Naima Lang, Andy Beaman, John Dillon, BJ Tidrick, Jason O’Neil, Jeff Hillock, and Dave Garber. Four states are represented on the entry list including Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah.
The 2022 race champion Doni Wanat is one driver looking to grab a second “Fall Classic” victory. Wanat is making a rare 2024 start in the Northwest. The former NASCAR Washington State champion is known as a patient racer, and with the addition of 75 laps to the feature event, it will not make a difference to the team’s race strategy.
“No new strategy for me”, Wanat declared regarding his “Fall Classic” approach. “I am usually a pretty patient racer. You will have to be easy on the tires for sure. I didn't know when they were considering the number of laps to do, that we were only getting six tires, but I guess we will see. Hopefully we will make it to the end with the lefts and no blow outs.”
Max Schroeder has the distinction of winning the very first NWSLMS event he entered, grabbing the victory at South Sound Speedway (WA) in 2020. He was the series Rookie-of-the-Year runner-up in 2021 and the overall championship runner-up in 2023. But he is still looking for series win number two, after coming off a win just over a week ago at his home track, South Sound Speedway. Schroeder will make his first NWSLMS start of the season on Sunday, in an event he has watched since his youth.
“Well, it's THE “Fall Classic”, Schroeder declared about his return to the biggest racing event in the Northwest. “I was fortunate enough to watch this race when it was at Yakima Speedway a couple times, and race in the last ‘Fall Classic” at Yakima Speedway. It's one of the races that I grew up watching and am excited for, as the last race of the Pacific Northwest season. Since then, the Walden's (track promotors) have taken such great care of the event, and they have really leveled up the event, with the revival of Tri-City Raceway. I'll always give my best effort to make the “Fall Classic” and support all they're doing for Northwest Racing.”
14 drivers are currently planning to participate in both Saturday’s Pro Late Model “Fall Classic 80” and Sunday’s NWSLMS “Fall Classic 200”. Those drivers include Mike Burkhardt, Kasey Kleyn, Ken Bonney, Wyatt Gardner, Ryan Phipps, Zach Riehl, Johvan Dillon, Naima Lang, Dan Nelson, Evan Goetz, BJ Tidrick, Trace Thompson,
Andrew Riehl, and Ray Clever. One of those drivers is Wyatt Gardner.
Gardner had a breakout season in his Pro Late Model at Evergreen Speedway (WA) in 2024. He won the Pro Late Model track championship and brought home six wins in 10 feature events. But the Lake Stevens, WA driver is looking for his first big Super Late Model win, after coming home fifth in the “Summer Showdown 200” in July.
“I'm definitely looking forward to it”, Gardner said, stating his outlook for this year’s edition of the “Fall Classic”. “We picked up a few Pro Late Model Crown Jewels this year but the one thing missing from this season is a Super Late Model win. We had an outside chance at winning the “Showdown” but still managed to drive from dead last to fifth in a crate car.”
Gardner and his crew will now have to decide what car and package they will want to run in the “Fall Classic 200”, after competing in Saturday night’s “Fall Classic 80” for Pro Late Models.
“This is definitely the question of the hour at our shop”, Gardner admitted. “Crate motor, big motor? It is hard to tell what the right answer is. But either way we will be there, ready to take on the best in the Northwest.”
The schedule will find Admission Gates opening at 3:00 PM on Saturday and 10:00 AM on Sunday. Saturday will see practice begin for the Pro Late Models, Vintage Modifieds, and Modifieds at 2:00 PM. Qualifying will roll off at 3:30 PM. Opening Ceremonies are scheduled for 4:45 PM. The Last Chance Race for the Pro Late Models will lead off the racing action at 5:00 PM, scheduled for 30 laps. The Northwest Vintage Modifieds will run a 35-lap Feature Event. A 50-lap Feature for the Modifieds will follow. The day will round out with an 80-lap affair for the Tri-State Challenge Pro Late Models, paying $5,000 to win.
Sunday will see practice for the NWSLMS, TSCS Hobby Stocks, and Mini Stocks begin at 9:35 AM. Qualifying for the Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, and NWSLMS is scheduled to kick off at 11:15 AM. The Last Chance Qualifying Race for the NWSLMS is next at 12:30 PM, with Opening Ceremonies set for 12:45 PM. The Desert Food Mini Stock 30 lap feature is scheduled for 1:00 PM. The TSCS Hobby Stocks will race for 50 laps at 1:50 PM. The Super Late Model will roll out at 2:30 PM with drivers in the stands, driver’s intros, and top eight redraw following. The 37th Annual “Fall Classic 200” presented by Desert Food Mart is scheduled to take the green at 3:05 PM. $10,000 will go to the winner.
Expected Entries (as of 10/02/2024)
00 Naima Lang Lynnwood, WA
1K Kasey Kleyn Quincy, WA
01 Mike Burkhart Sandy, OR
2 Terry Halverson Wenatchee, WA
3B Andy Beaman Selah, WA
3G Wyatt Gardner Lake Stevens WA
3K Ken Bonney Hermiston, OR
5H Jess Havens Spokane, WA
5P Ryan Phipps Burley, ID
7C Dawson Cox, Arlington, WA
7H Dillon Huffines Selah, WA
7R Zach Riehl Corbett, OR
K9 Kaden Holm Monroe, WA
11D Danica Dart Ephrata, WA
11JoD Johvan Dillon Meridian, ID
11JD John Dillon Meridian, ID
15 Jim Franklin Kennewick, WA
17S Max Schroeder Tacoma, WA
17ST Steve Thompson W Richland, WA
21N Dan Nelson Finley, WA
27 BJ Tidrick Kennewick WA
29 Jason O'Neil Spokane, WA
33 Christopher Kalsch Hillsboro, OR
34 Scott Walker West Richland, WA
36 Jeff Hillock Cedar Hills, UT
42 Evan Goetz Okanogan, WA
51 Michael Knutson Quincy, WA
54T Trace Thompson Kennewick, WA
69P Zandar Peters Eatonville, WA
69R Andrew Riehl Corbett, OR
77M Scott Murphy Spokane, WA
77JJ JJ Mullins Naches, WA
81 Ray Clever Boise, ID
89 Doni Wanat Woodinville, WA
93 Dave Garber Spokane, WA
97 Jason Jefferson Naches, 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, Penske Racing Shocks, Five Star Bodies, AFCO Racing / Longacre Racing Products, Franks Radio Service, Jefferson Racing, Impel Motorsports, The Fan’s Connection LLC, Northwest Road and Drive, 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, NWSLMS Media
