Monroe, WASHINGTON – May 25, 2021 – Success is often built on compatible partnerships and this is true in sports perhaps more than any other arena. One such relationship is the budding liaison between John Carswell and Chad Fitzpatrick and the single car Pro Late Model team, Fitzpatrick Racing which they have developed together.
John runs Northland Contractors, a construction company based in downtown Snohomish, WA., and is the car owner and sponsor for Fitzpatrick, with Chad driving the No. 12 Hamke Chevrolet SS Pro Late Model. John picks up the story of how he got involved in the team, “20 years ago my construction company built a NASCAR shop for Dave Edgar. I didn’t see him for 15 years but when he came into my restaurant and we caught up, he told me about Chad and the Fitzpatrick Racing team. At that time they were running Street Stocks.”
“When I told Dave that I wouldn’t mind kicking some support into the program, he suggested that I run! He reminds me of that whenever things aren’t going stellar, but I think he knew it would be an enjoyable process for all of us. I sponsored Chad that season and he won the Championship that year. When we got talking, Chad said he wanted to go to the next level, to the Late Models so we bought a car. He got Rookie of the Year that season. We had a good season together the first year, then two really rough seasons and then last year it started to come together. The guys are able to give Chad something he can drive. Chad is a natural, a phenomenal driver – but he’s got to have something he can drive. This is a year where we’re still at a growing spot, but every week we can see the team is tightening up and Chad is just getting better and better as a driver so we’re very excited about the future.”
A Lake Stevens native, Chad has been driving competitively since he was just seven years old when he won Rookie of the Year in Quarter Midgets and the following year he notched two wins in main events. The team that bears the family name was started by his illustrious father, Shawn Fitzpatrick. Shawn was a hugely popular driver at Evergreen Speedway in the 1980s and 90s and was known for helping other drivers.
Fitzpatrick Racing started in 1987 when Shawn was racing NASCAR Mini Stocks. He went on to win the 1988 Mini Stock Championship title. In 1991 Shawn purchased a NASCAR Super Stock and in 1992 won several main events including the first Saturday Night Super Stock main event ever! He finished 2nd in the points that season. Shawn went on to win many main events from 1992 to 1996. In 1996 he retired from racing Super Stocks. Shawn took a break from racing for a few years until he bought his son Chad a Quarter Midget at the end of the 2003 racing season.
After graduating to Hornets in 2010, Chad became the youngest Champion in the history of Evergreen Speedway when scoring three main event wins, 12 Top 5s, 13 Top 10s and nine race heat wins en route to the Hornet Championship. Moving up to Street Stocks the following year he scored four top 5 placings, beating that in 2013 with two main event wins and seven top 5s. His progression continued through the following years with multiple wins and high place finishes before being crowned Street Stock Champion in 2016. With John’s support, Chad switched to the Super Late models in 2016 and Pro Late Models in 2020 where he scored two wins and three top 5 finishes for 5th place in the overall points classification.
John Carswell is a highly talented entrepreneur and also shared, “I’ve been in construction my whole life. I’ve had Northland Contractors for 19 years. Northlands is a commercial construction company and we do tenant improvements.”
“I’ve branched out a little in recent years to do things that interest me a little more and do things I love as well as know.” Hence John has recently opened a gallery, the Rosella Art Gallery in downtown Snohomish and a Mixed Martial Arts Gym, WildStyle Gym – also in Snohomish.
John added a personal note, and an appreciation of the unique experience of involvement in racing when he concluded, “Obviously in racing there’s that competitive side of things. People like to win and hate to lose. The Fitzpatrick team really has embraced what family in racing is. We really have become that. We’ve had some rough years and that’s what’s strengthened us as a group. When you’re not winning you have to really dig deep and rely on each other and stay focused on the goal. When you’re winning, you’re always thinking about the next race. The win doesn’t stay with you as long as the loss does! The whole entire crew are just great to work with. I can see myself doing this for twenty years. For as long as this group wants to stay together, I’m in!”
Of his protege Chad Fitzpatrick, John was fulsome in his praise, “Chad is an amazing young man and a fantastic driver. He’s a pleasure to work with and watching him mature in a race car has been really exciting. I’ve seen him do incredible things in a race car. He’s such an astute driver. He studies his races and learns from everything he does. He’s somebody as astute off the track as he is on it.
To prove John’s point, Chad has made a terrific start to the 2021 season in the No. 12 Northland Contractors Fitzpatrick Racing Chevrolet, his 227 points overall total securing him P4 in the Pro Late Models Driver Classification, just 6 points behind Greg Bennett in third place. On three separate occasions this season Chad has scored the most points on the day, his win on May 1 just two weeks ago notched him 50 points. The Championship is very much in Chad’s sights this year.
The Advance Auto Parts NASCAR Weekly Series Late Model race cars Fitzpatrick Racing are competing in is the highest class of local stock car racing vehicles at many race tracks in the United States and Canada. These purpose-built racecars weigh around 3,100 pounds and utilize both factory-designed crate and custom-built racing engines. The power plants produce over 400 horsepower underneath a fiberglass body built to withstand the rigors of short track racing without the weight of stock body panels. The series at Evergreen Speedway is one of the most enduringly popular formats at the track, with regular NASCAR racing all year. Next up is the High School NASCAR Grad night on Saturday, June 12.
Chad and his team were quick to thank the many sponsors and supporters of his racing program when he added, “We also could not do this without the help of Trademark RCS, Mazda of Everett, Powder Coating Inc., Bardahl, Deyoung Inc., Snohomish Co-Op, Avalon Aqactics, Tri Star Power Systems, Stilly Select Beef, Central Welding Supply, Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center, Sue and Bob Fiala and EMRD Racing Designs.”
About Northland Contractors
Northland works with many Vendors and Sub- Contractors to provide you with the best value and Costs for the many aspects of your Tenant Improvement project. More information on Northland please, click here.
Learn more about the WildStyle MMA Gym, click here.
Fitzpatrick Racing, click here for more information on the team’s website.
About Evergreen Speedway: Established in 1954, Evergreen Speedway has a rich history in racing. For 60+ years, amateurs, aspiring professionals and seasoned veterans alike have raced at Evergreen, including 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Kevin Harvick, David Pearson, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Derrike Cope and Hershel McGriff. Today, Evergreen is recognized as the marquee racing facility in the Northwest region and a noted training ground for tomorrow’s racing stars. The facility hosts over 130 events annually and attracts over 270,000 fans each year. Evergreen Speedway is home to experiences from motorsports to concerts to rodeos to festivals with covered grandstand seating for up to 7,500 fans rain-or-shine, with additional uncovered seating for 5,000. Proudly the only NASCAR track in the Pacific Northwest, Evergreen Speedway is a gem to the region and deep roots with local communities.
For more information about Evergreen Speedway and to get tickets for upcoming events please visit: https://evergreenspeedway.com/
