NASCAR AUTOZONE ELITE DIVISION, NORTHWEST SERIES OPENS 2004 SEASON

MARCH 27 AT EVERGREEN SPEEDWAY

Northwest Series opens 20th season under all-new title sponsorship from AutoZone

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2004) – Marking the start of the 20th season for NASCAR’s Northwest Series, the area’s top Late Model race teams begin their chase for the championship March 27 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. With the new year comes a big change for this series – it is the inaugural season under a new title sponsorship from AutoZone, the nation’s leading auto parts retailer. The newly re-named NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series opens a 12-race campaign at Evergreen, the largest track on the circuit, with a 125-lap event.

Gary Lewis, the 1998 Northwest Series champion, will tackle the 2004 schedule in search of his second series title.

"This schedule is full of good tracks, where we’ve won before," said Lewis. "We’re just going to have to have a little but of luck. I think we have a good team and good consistency. We’re heading into this season with two cars, a couple of motors, a good team and we’re going to try and put for our strongest effort, ever.

Following the season-opener at Evergreen, Northwest Series teams travel to West Richland, Wash., for a 125-lap race at Tri-City Raceway April 24. A return to Evergreen – this time on the facility’s smaller, 3/8-mile infield oval track – on May 8 is followed by a 125-lap race at Yakima (Wash.) Speedway May 29.

In June, the Northwest Series heads to Idaho’s Magic Valley Speedway for a 125-lap event. On Independence Day weekend, the series travels to Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval in East Wenatchee, Wash., with a 125-lap event scheduled for July 3. The series closes out the month of July with return trips to Evergreen and Yakima.

Founded in 1985, the Northwest Series is the oldest of the four series which comprise the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division and could be considered the foundation of the division, which also includes the Southwest Series, Midwest Series and Southeast Series.

"This is a history-making year for the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, and what better way to celebrate 20 years of racing on the Northwest Series than by welcoming our new partners at AutoZone," said Chris Boals, NASCAR’s director of regional touring. "Twenty years ago, the Northwest Series was the beginning of what is today’s NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division and as we kick off this new sponsorship, we can also look back with pride at two decades of incredible racing history and excitement."

In 1985, Garrett Evans won the inaugural Northwest Series championship. Evans went on to become the series’ most prolific driver, with over 40 victories and three more titles to his credit between 1989-2000. Another notable driver from the series’ first season was Derrike Cope, who finished fifth in the standings that year, but went on to win the 1990 Daytona 500. Current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series star Greg Biffle also made a name for himself on the Northwest Series, finishing sixth in the standings while Kelly Tanner won his second consecutive series championship in 1997. In recent years, a youth movement has taken hold, with Kevin Hamlin’s back-to-back championships in 2001-2002 and 27-year-old rookie Jason Jefferson challenging his older brother for the championship in 2003.

The 2004 Northwest Series schedule concludes Sept. 25 at Wenatchee, but for some series drivers, the season does not end there. The top 10 drivers in the final point standings will receive an invitation to compete in the prestigious NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, a special post-season showcase event. Last year’s inaugural event included nearly $500,000 in prize money and two days of national television coverage on SPEED Channel.

Lewis, who finished 22nd in last year’s Showdown, says the quest to qualify for this sensational event provides another thrilling storyline for the 2004 season.

"The showdown is an awesome deal, I can’t wait to do it again. I didn’t run that well in the race but I had a blast doing it," said Lewis. "[The Showdown] is definitely is something that everybody wants to do, so it puts more emphasis on the points."

Note: The 2004 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series schedule is listed below

Date Track/Location Laps Track Size

Sat., March 27 Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash. 125 .646 Mile

Defending Champion: Pete Harding

Sat., April 24 Tri-City Raceway, West Richland, Wash. 125 1/2 Mile

Defending Champion: Jason Jefferson

Sat., May 8 Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash. 125 3/8 Mile

Defending Champion: John Bender

Sat., May 29 Yakima Speedway, Yakima, Wash. 125 1/2 Mile

Defending Champion: John Bender

Sat., June 12 Magic Valley Speedway, Twin Falls, Idaho 125 1/3 Mile

Defending Champion: Gary Lewis

Sat., July 3 Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval, East Wenatchee, Wash. 125 1/4 Mile

Defending Champion: Chris Hart

Sat., July 17 Evergreen Speedway, Monroe, Wash. 125 .646 Mile

Defending Champion: Chris Hart

Sat., July 24 Yakima Speedway, Yakima, Wash. 125 1/2 Mile

Defending Champion: Chris Hart

Sat., Aug. 7 Raceway Park, Kalispell, Mont. 125 1/4 Mile

Defending Champion: Wes Rhodes

Sat., Aug. 14 Yakima Speedway, Yakima, Wash. 125 1/2 Mile

Defending Champion: Race Not Held in 2003

Sun., Sept. 5 Tri-City Raceway, West Richland, Wash. 125 1/2 Mile

Defending Champion: Jeff Jefferson

Sat., Sept. 25 Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval, East Wenatchee, Wash. 150 1/4 Mile

Defending Champion: Gary Lewis

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