Johvan Dillon Scores Surprising Win in Chaotic Leonard Evans 150 Finish

Johvan Dillon didn't even know he had won the Leonard Evans 150 at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval when the race ended.

Dillon was the second car across the line in the Northwest Super Late Model Series presented by Knottical Marine event, following Jan Evans. However, Evans was penalized for contact with Trayten Tarr on the final lap of the race in turns one and two, giving the win to Dillon - who was as surprised as anyone.

"I have no idea," said Dillon in victory lane. "I think I have a flat right-front tire again. It wouldn't turn and I was everywhere. I didn't even know I won. I pulled my radio out on the last lap because I got so free. I have no idea what to think."

Dillon's confusion is understandable. The physical battle for the lead over the final four laps between Evans and Tarr, which saw the two competitors trade contact multiple times before Tarr's last-lap spin, was just part of a chaotic final restart.

On the first attempt at a restart on lap 147, several front runners, including second-place Haeden Plybon, third-place Alan Cress and fourht-place Bob Presley, were all collected in a multi-car incident in turn two, ending their race.

That brought new contenders to the front of the field, including Tarr, who had been running in the fifth position. Tarr took the lead on the restart before battling with Evans in the closing laps.

Meanwhile, several others slipped, slid, and wrestled for control and track position in the closing laps, shaking up the running order. Between the chaos, possibly a tire losing air, and a machine that had already been handling poorly after early-race contact, Dillon had a hard time believing he was even in contention for the win.

"We struggled a little bit," said Dillon. "I got into it a little bit and I think I pushed the toe in and it got a little tight. We definitely had a good car before that. We just kind of tried to stay in one piece."

Johvan Dillon is continuing a Northwest racing tradition as the son of 1990 NASCAR Winston Northwest Tour champion John Dillon. Now, he has added his name to the list of winners in the Leonard Evans 150, paying homage to another Northwest legend from a strong racing family.

Dillon joked that chasing his father's records can be a challenge, but he unquestionably made his dad proud on Saturday.

"I'm always trying to chase his records, which is kind of a pain in the butt. It is what it is. I lucked my way into one, but we'll take it."

After 146 laps, Ken Bonney was running 12th. When the dust settled on the manic final four laps, he was in second position.

"It was crazy the last 10 laps, really," said Bonney. "We were taking our time, saving our tires and trying to move through and not hit anybody. It was tight quarters everywhere. I'm very proud of this team. They've really come together and made it a top-two car."

Jason O'Neil rounded out the podium, also trying to decipher what happened in the closing laps after running 11th entering the final stanza.

"They all wrecked each other," said O'Neil. "I don't know. It was complete mayhem. I think there was stuff on the track those last four laps, right when we went green. It was all chaos from there. I don't know, I guess those guys had some issues, I guess. We're happy we got third place. We'll take it."

Unofficially, Zach Riehl finished fourth, with Ryan Phipps rounding out the top five.

Before the late-race calamity, Evans led the first 146 laps of the race named after his grandfather. Jan Evans won last year's Leonard Evans 150 and was seeking a second-straight victory in the event.

-Photo credit: Northwest Super Late Model Series