Drivers Gearing Up Yakima Speedway’s 48th Annual Apple Cup

YAKIMA, Wash. (April 7, 2014)-The name may be tied to a more famous football game between in-state rivals but race fans know Apple Cup means the start to another season of action at Yakima Speedway.
Set for April 11-13, the 48th Annual Apple Cup event features the Columbia River Legends Series, the track’s Super Stock division along with the West Coast Street Stock Series. Highlighting the weekend will be the prestigious super late model teams of the Northwest with their 125-lap main event set for Sunday afternoon.

Known as the Northwest’s oldest late model race, the Apple Cup champions list features some of the region's top names in short track racing including Don Dowdy (seven Apple Cups in an eight-year span), Gordy Haines (inaugural winner), Derrike Cope (three-time winner and 1990 Daytona 500 champion) and Jeff and Jason Jefferson who are the only brother combination to win the race (in 2002 and '03 respectively).

Owen Riddle, the two-time and defending champion of the Apple Cup, will be back in 2014 to add to his chances for trophy number three in as many seasons. Last year Riddle became the first driver since Travis Bennett (2006-07) to win the race in two consecutive seasons.

Of note, Bennett returns to the driver’s seat this weekend for the first time in many seasons. The Ellensburg native will be driving for car owner Rick Suran who is based in Estacada, Ore.

Others to watch for during Apple Cup weekend include past Apple Cup champions Mike Longton, Pete Harding, Garrett Evans, and Shane Mitchell along with young guns Tayler Riddle, Braeden Havens, Nicole Behar and Blake Williams.

Also expected to compete will be 2013 Yakima Speedway Fall Classic champion and current NASCAR K&N Pro Series driver, Cameron Hayley. He will be joined by another rising star as California’s Austin Reed will be making his first career start at the famed Yakima half-mile Both drivers will be racing out of the Jefferson Racing stables led by Jeff and Jason Jefferson.

Morgan Morrison, the reigning Super Stock track champion, will be out to claim his first-ever Apple Cup main event victory in the division when racing gets underway this weekend. Morrison was consistent en route to the championship and will need that same approach if he is to best the likes of Trevor Flora, Don Klang and Brian Pepper.

Leading the charge for the West Coast Street Stock Series will be the likes of two-time champion Andy Stibal, Kim Wennerberg, Dave Lund and Bryon Getz. A local favorite will be out to etch his name on the division’s Apple Cup trophy as 2013 West Coast Street Stock Series Rookie of the Year, Buck Noel Jr., will be pulling double-duty between the division and his Super Stock entry. Noel has yet to break through for that elusive first victory on the Street Stock Series, but, has many wins in the Super Stock portion of the Apple Cup.

The Columbia River Legends Series will feature a wide-open battle of veterans and rising stars looking to claim a piece of Apple Cup weekend.

Nic Carey is the defending Apple Cup champion, but a strong field including local driver Jake Woods will challenge this weekend. Woods is a Terrace Heights native who came on strong during the latter stages of the series 2013 season including a strong run in Wenatchee for the season-finale prior to being collected in an early race incident.

Others to watch for in the Legends event include Randy Schaff, Chance Overholt and Duane Swanson.
Racing gets underway Saturday at 1 p.m. with time trials followed by trophy dashes and heat races. Also taking place during the afternoon will be qualifying heat races for the late model teams.
Sunday main events get started just after 1 p.m. The Super Stocks will be the first main event of 2014 followed by the Columbia River Legends Series, a 60-lap main event for the West Coast Street Stock Series and wrapping up with the 48th Annual Apple Cup scheduled for 125 laps of excitement.

The Apple Cup will be the inaugural race for the newly formed Tri-Track Late Model Series, which travels between Yakima Speedway, Hermiston’s Super Oval and Wenatchee Valley’s Super Oval.
For ticket and other information log onto yakimaspeedway