Cress Wins Dogfight at Wenatchee, Takes Home Treetop 150: Leonard Evans Memorial

The first ever visit for the SPEARS Cars Tour Northwest Pro Late Model Series saw a familiar face in Shockwave Victory Lane, as Stayton, Oregon's Alan Cress emerged from a wild 150 lap main event to become just the second winner in series history, and first to win a series race at the high-banked ¼ mile in Wenatchee Valley.

(The sunset during the TreeTop 150, Photo by David Nelson)

Cress, driving a brand new Joes Racing Chassis for Mike Barrett, had all the momentum entering the prestigious event, having won the most recent Late Model event at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval, that being last seasons running of the Neal Newberry 125, another staple event on WVSO’s calendar, that one being with the Northwest Super Late Model Series.

This one did not come easy though, as a plethora of cautions and red flags turned the TreeTop 150: Leonard Evans Memorial into a true race of attrition. An early duel between rising star Keelan Harvick and Zach Riehl, fresh off a breakout 2025 campaign that saw him net 2 victories, lasted 18 laps before a the first of 2 long red flags for fluid on the track set the tone for the night. Riehl and Harvick would trade the lead early before Kasey Kleyn entered the chat. Kleyn and Harvick would run 1-2 while Riehl settled into 3rd . Meanwhile, both Cress and Ethan Ebert began working their way through the field, seemingly every time you glanced up, they both were up another spot, before long entering the top 5.

After a caution on lap 90 for fuel, the complexion of the race changed entirely. After a penalty for a restart violation saw Kleyn fall outside the top 5, and contact between Harvick and Ebert see the 13 year old have to work through the field, before another incident ended his night, it was Cress out front trying to pull away from Riehl. A left front tire issued caused Riehl to drop to 5th , allowing Vito Cancilla and Kasey Kleyn

to emerge to battle for 2nd and 3rd , while Ebert was closely behind in 4th . Cress cruised to the win, his 1st with the series, while Cancilla and Kleyn drag-raced to the line for 2 nd , advantage Cancilla, his best finish to date in the Northwest. Ebert and Riehl rounded out the top 5.

(Photo of Alan Cress's #91 Pro late model, Photo by David Nelson)

The SPEARS Cars Tour Northwest Pro Late Models enters a rest period now, with a month and a half off before the next race, that being June 13 th at Mode Stadium Stateline Speedway. That race will see the CTNW Debut of NASCAR Cup Champion and future Hall of Famer Kevin Harvick, who intends to compete several times in the Northwest. For Wenatchee, the action picks up again this weekend with the Apple

Blossom Rubber Down, featuring Pro Am Drifting, along with 4 classes of local action, including the Rockstar Energy B-Mods, Zero Handicap Mini Bombers, Apple Valley Pumping Crown Vics, and the Northwest Vintage Modifieds.