Pro All Stars Series
PASS at Oxford Plains Postponed to September 7 Due to Inclement Weather
Jul 20, 2025
The 13th annual “Summer Showdown 200” for the Northwest Super Late Model Series presented by Knottical Marine will go down as one of the more memorable races in the history of the rich event. For the third consecutive year, the driver who took the checkered flag first did not end up with the winner’s check. This year, Kole Raz crossed the stripe first, but it was Jace Hansen that ended up with the $30,000 payday after 200 competitive laps, high speed thrills and spills, 12 caution flags, two reds, and post-race drama.
For Hansen, the payday was his largest career tally, after multiple SRL victories, double digit Colorado National Speedway (CO) wins, and a recent victory in the “Chilly Willy 150” at Tucson Speedway (AZ). He did it with a small crew that consisted of the team owner, three friends, and advice from Preston Peltier.
“That is the biggest check I have gotten” Hansen explained about his large haul. “$15,000 was the biggest I had previously won, which I had gotten earlier this year at the “Chilly Willy”. I am just super thankful for the group of guys I’ve got here. There were not very many of us here this weekend. Jim Egli owns all this stuff and pays for all of it. There are nights where he works harder than anybody on the crew. Without him, we wouldn’t be able to do this cool stuff. It is super awesome to win this deal, I just wish we could have won it the right way. But when it is $30 grand, we will take it however we can get it.”
Official action started with Qualifying and Qualifying Heats on Friday for the 28 Super Late Model competitors on hand. Spire Motorsports sensation Tristan McKee set the quickest lap of the day in his brand new P1 Chassis from Preston Peltier Racing. His 21.682 second lap, on the 0.646-mile oval, just missed the Track Record set by Peltier himself. McKee would go on to win the “Odd” Heat Race over Hansen, Kasey Kleyn, Raz, and Michael Atwell. Buddy Shepherd would win the “Even” Heat Race over Owen Riddle, Haeden Plybon, Ethan Ebert, and Jan Evans.
The top four from each Heat Race would draw for position at the front of the field, so when Hayden Plybon withdrew from the event, and Raz required the change of a blistered tire, Atwell and Evans joined the eight-car redraw. Atwell took advantage and grabbed the #1 pill with Kleyn, Shepherd, Riddle, Evans, McKee, Hansen, and Ebert, the remainder of the top eight positions.
Kasey Kleyn grabbed the lead at the opening green flag and led to the scheduled Competition Caution on lap 20. By that time, Raz had advanced to eighth from 20th starting position. On the restart, Shepherd, who had advanced to second, grabbed the lead in the bottom lane, after Kleyn chose an outside restart. But two laps later, Kleyn was back in front before Greg Bennett lost a motor, gathering up Christopher Kalsch, Dave Garber, and Nick Beecher.
The restart found Kleyn back in front, as Raz continued his charge, taking fourth from Atwell on lap 25 and third from McKee two laps later. Another caution flew on lap 35, as Kleyn and Shepherd ran side-by-side after the restart. Kleyn would eventually secure the spot, as Raz wrestled second from Shepherd on lap 37. A lap later, Raz found himself in the lead when Kleyn retired with a broken axle.
The field would jockey back and forth until another Competition Caution flew on lap 66. McKee was able to take advantage of the restart and take the top spot from Raz, but the Lake Oswego, OR driver battled back with an outside move on lap 70. A lap 83 yellow set up another restart, as McKee grabbed the lead back, with Hansen now fourth behind Ebert. As the field closed on the lap 100 halfway break, Ebert ran out of fuel on lap 99, but he remained on the lead lap. At the break McKee led Raz, Hansen, Riddle, and a charging Johvan Dillon, who started 22nd, just ahead of Buddy Shepherd, and Jan Evans.
The second 100 started off with Raz taking back the top spot, with Johvan Dillon on the march. He took fourth from Riddle on lap 107, third from Hansen one lap later and second from McKee. On lap 115, Dillon shot around Raz for the lead on the outside. The Competition Caution flew on lap 120 with Dillon leading Raz, McKee, Riddle and Hansen. When the field restarted, Raz took back the top spot and the field knocked off 30 green flag laps to the three-quarter mark and another Competition Caution. Raz now led Dillon, Riddle, Ebert, McKee, and Hansen, as some teams were in tire conservation mode.
With time running short, cautions began to count, as the field went back to green on lap 159. With a new sense of urgency, the racing intensity picked up. On lap 160, Jan Evans and Max Schroder went for a wild ride, with Evans flipping over the inside Turn 3 wall and catching fire, landing upside down in the lower pits. Evans was taken to the local hospital and treated for his injuries. The good news was that he was released on Sunday.
Restarting again, Raz was back in the lead, as Riddle grabbed third from Ebert. Hansen followed on lap 169, bringing McKee with him. Dillon’s fine second-place run came to an end on lap 171, as his motor went up in flames. Raz now led Riddle, Hansen, McKee, and Ebert, with Shepherd sixth.
The lap 185 restart changed the complexion of the event again, as Riddle spun coming off Turn 2, as the leaders banged together, also with contact from the rear. Riddle was out and the caution laps stopped at lap 190 per rule. The restart found Raz squeezing out in front of Hansen, as teammate McKee challenged Hansen for second. Hansen was able to hold off McKee, but Raz slowly pulled away. At the finish, Raz headed Hansen, McKee, Shepherd, Ebert, Wyatt Gardner, Garret Archer, Ryan Phipps, Dawson Cox, and Doni Wanat.
But after the post-race inspection, the #27 of Raz was found to be out of compliance with the series rule book for excessive tape on the front nose grill and was disqualified. Hansen was moved up to the winner’s position, grabbing the rich $30,000 win, while failing to lead a lap. After Friday night’s Qualifying Heats, Hansen knew he would have to be extra careful with tire wear, as he recalled his race strategy.
“We definitely tried to save our stuff”, Hansen began. “In the first 100 we were a little too tight and used the right front up a little too much, so we freed it up pretty good at the break and it was actually stable, but maybe a little on the free side. We tried to save our stuff a little in that deal until about lap 165 or so. We tried to turn the wick up and had a couple of restarts that fell our way. Unfortunately, Owen Riddle got caught up in some stuff, but that gave us an advantage.”
Hansen had a good handling car, but he knew he didn’t have anything to compete with Raz at the end. He needed help.
“We battled hard, and we really didn’t have anything for Kole”, Hansen admitted. “He could get into the corner and through the middle so much better than us. Then he was also pretty much equal with us off, so he could get us about a car length every corner. He was really good in (turns) three and four. We ended up P2, unfortunately. The aftermath of tech gave us the win, which I hate winning them that way, because I know what he got DQ’ed for wasn’t the reason he was better than us. Unfortunately, rules are rules, so I can’t thank this series, the Northwest Super Late Model Series, for honoring the rules. That is really a tough position as a tech official. But they did what I think is right, as it is a black and white rule. Unfortunately, those guys missed that. Fortunately, it ended up in our lap.”
Hansen has had multiple strong efforts as of late, and he leads the CARS Tour West Super Late Model standings. He feels fortunate enough to be working with Preston Peltier Racing and a team that is full of talented individuals.
“We are really trying this year (to try to add to my racing resume). Preston built this P1 chassis, and it is a really good car”, Hansen admitted. “It just has a really good platform, and it is a good group of guys that are running his stuff. And we all get to run together. It is really a team effort. It shows in the race that we were all around each other through the whole time, and we were all really close. Just a little bit of luck fell our way for once.”
The Northwest Super Late Model Series will now visit Magic Valley Speedway (ID) for the first time since 2021, on August 16th. Eddie McKean was the winner that day in the series only visit to the 1/3-mile. It will be Round #5 of the seven-race schedule.
Results:
1. Jace Hansen, 2. Tristan McKee, 3. Buddy Shepherd, 4. Ethan Ebert, 5. Wyatt Gardner*, 6. Garret Archer, 7. Ryan Phipps*, 8. Dawson Cox, 9. Doni Wanat, 10. Ken Bonney, 11. Owen Riddle, 12. Johvan Dillon*, 13. Randy Marshall Jr., 14. Max Schroeder, 15. Jan Evans, 16. Logan Cole, 17. Naima Lang, 18. Terry Halverson*, 19. Kasey Kleyn, 20. Brandon Brock, 21. Michael Atwell, 22. Dave Garber, 23. Greg Bennett, 24. Nick Beecher, 25. Christopher Kalsch, DQ. Kole Raz, DNS. Zandar Peters, DNS. Haeden Plybon
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 Knottical Marine, RaceCals, Hoosier Racing Tire, McGunegill Engine Performance, AR Bodies, Penske Racing Shocks, Five Star Bodies, AFCO Racing / Longacre Racing Products, Franks Radio Service, Jefferson Racing, Champion Auto Group, Atomic Screen Printing, Zero Handicap, The Lester Brothers, Joes Racing Products, and The Ti Company. For more information on the series visit www.nwslms.com or on Facebook and Twitter.
-Story, Photo Credit: Kevin Peters, NWSLMS Media
