SHANE IN THE NEWS

Heading into the final superstock race of the season, Rob Touchette, of Lake Stevens, leads defending champion Shane Harding, of Langley, B.C., by six points.

Harding, who has eight wins in the series' 13 races so far this season, will need to beat Touchette by three places to create a tie — or by four to successfully defend his championship.

Touchette, who has two wins this year, leads by virtue of garnering points in every race this season. Harding missed the June 17 race, when he competed in Yakima instead.

The 75-lap finale on Evergreen's big track is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., after a 40-lap PRO-4 truck race.

Carrying the title of track champion makes it easier for a driver to find sponsors for next season and qualifies the driver for a NASCAR bonus pool that could result in thousands of dollars.

Harding used his title to get a sponsorship from Ed's Transmission, but he said the money and sponsorships are secondary.

"It's just fun to be part of a championship team," Harding said. "It does play a part in finding sponsors — I never had one until I started winning — but the whole idea is to win races."

In several other NASCAR series, bonus points are awarded to race winners, but that's not the case for the superstocks in Monroe, where the difference between first place and second is only two points.

In prize money, however, there's a bigger difference, with the winner getting $1,000 and the runner-up pocketing $400.

Touchette likes to win, too, and won't ignore his chance at the title.

"We all know Shane would be leading if he hadn't missed that race," Touchette said. "Winning the championship would be a great tool to find more sponsors. I'm lucky I have a great sponsor in Oso Lumber. I always race to win. The points championship won't even cross my mind until there are about 10 laps to go."

Harding, who has won his eight races with a motor that is a collection of spare parts, isn't about to complain about how the points are tallied.

"We all know how the points work," Harding said. "It rewards consistency, and I chose to miss a race. All I can do is go out and win and see what happens."

This will be the last race for the superstock division as it is currently known. Next season, each car must utilize a Chevrolet crate motor, a change designed to lower the cost of racing and create bigger fields.

Notes

• Gary Lewis, of Bothell, will take a 153-point lead into the final race of the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series, on Saturday at East Wenatchee.

Lewis has collected 1,487 points in a dominating performance to put a lock on the championship. All he'll need to do is show up and take the green flag to guarantee his second tour championship.

• The Late Model Challenge Series will conclude its season in Monroe on Saturday with a 75-lap finale. Troy Conrad, of Tacoma, leads the points race over Spokane's Shelby Thompson and Spanaway's Jason Hedrick.

Jim Riley

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