Phil Evans Gets First Career Street Stock Win At Waterford Speedbowl

WATERFORD – It was a familiar face to fans in victory lane at the Waterford Speedbowl, though an unfamiliar site for a post race following a Street Stock race at the track.

Phil Evans celebrates his first Street Stock division feature victory Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl (Photo: Mark Caise/Waterford Speedbowl)

Phil Evans is the fourth winningest driver all-time in the Waterford Speedbowl Mini Stock division, but Saturday night he was a Street Stock victory lane rookie.

Evans, of Uncasville, held off Al Stone III to win the 25-lap Street Stock feature Saturday at Waterford.

It was the first career Street Stock victory for Evans, who had 25 career Mini Stock wins from 2001-2011.

Stone, of Durham, held on for second and Monte Gibbs of Killingworth was third.

Evans made the jump from the Mini Stocks to the Street Stocks for the start of the 2012 season.

“I just wanted a different challenge,” Evans said. “I ran the Mini [Stock] for 12 or 13 years. I was about due to move up to a new challenge.

The competition is so tough in this division. I finally found a setup that I like, got the motor going good and I’m happy. I really didn’t know what to expect coming in here. I figured I’d be somewhat competitive, but I didn’t figure it would take [almost] two years to get a win.”

The win was made even sweeter for Evans in holding off Stone, the division’s all-time winningest driver.

“I did rough him up a little bit, and Al always runs me clean,” Evans said. “I was just hungry for that first win.”

Said Stone: “It was just good hard racing. That was a lot of fun. Congrats to Phil and his whole team for the first. They must be proud. He was better than us tonight, no doubt about it.”