The motto — Never Give Up — plastered on the lower back end of Garrett Evans’ No. 64 super late model Chevrolet is what keeps him going.

That ‘hang in there’ attitude can also lead to something special from time to time ... like Saturday night.

The 58-year-old driver from East Wenatchee, Wash., who says he’s had his more than his share of “bad luck” experiences at Montana Raceway Park, finally came through with a breakthrough performance by winning the 24th annual Montana 200.

Evans, who started in the 18th position, held the lead for the final 94 laps to claim the winner’s trophy and a check for $15,000.

He failed to qualify for the 200-lap Main Event last year, but placed fourth the year before that.

“At my age, I’m not getting any younger so I’ll take it,” he said in Victory Lane.

“Seventy or 80 laps into the first half (of the race), I felt we had a good car capable of winning.”

Then with “20 laps to go,” he said he was starting to feel pretty confident that this would finally be his year.

But taking the checkered flag wasn’t easy.

He was one of the last eight to qualify for the Main Event by winning the 40-lap Last Chance Qualifier earlier in the evening. He missed out advancing during Friday’s first qualifying, when he posted the 29th time. The top 14 moved on.

But it all worked out in the end.

“I’ve won over 350 races, won the Northwest Tour championship four times, but this is the first race I’ve won this year,” he said.

Evans was sitting in the third-place position after the first 100 laps. He went down low to pass BJ Tidrick of Yakima, Wash., six-laps later and was the front runner for the remainder of the race.

Tidrick, the 2005 winner, settled for second with Kalispell’s Bodie Morton third.

Rounding out the top five were 2012 and 2006 champion Jeff Jefferson of Naches, Wash., in fourth and Braeden Havens of Spokane, Wash., fifth.

Twenty-six cars started the finale, but just eight managed to make the distance.

Seven cars were knocked out early with a sparks-filled, train-wreck-like pileup on the back straightaway heading into Turn 3.

And that was just 10 laps into the race following a restart.

“(Car) 05 (Eric Schmidt) turned right into me,” Shelby Thompson, in car 20, said.

“It shoved me into the wall. He nosed his car into the wall. Everyone on the back stretch was at full speed. It was accordion action ... everyone just plowed into each other. 05 just crowded me into the wall.”

Both cars were towed from the track along with the bright lime green and yellow Sun Drop No. 33 car driven by 16-year old Nicole Behar of Otis Orchards, Wash.

Behar injured her left wrist in the wreck.

“Someone was pushing me from behind,” she said of the mishap.

“I was pushing the brakes.”

Defending champion Jonathon Gomez of Twin Falls, Idaho, in car 22, was also knocked out of the race.

“05 and 20 were in front of me,” Gomez said.

“05 shoved 20 into the wall and both went sideways. I hit 20, 33 ran into me and 18 (Jim Pettit II) ran into her.”

His car was towed off the track.

“She’s done (for the night),” Gomez said of his Chevrolet.

“Very frustrating. We’ll be back next year.

“Driving too hard, or something,” he said of what triggered the multi-car wreck.

“One bad decision took out a lot of good cars early.”

And Thompson agreed.

“That’s the really bad part about it. It took out some good cars ... fast cars.”

Thompson and Gomez suffered no injuries.

Pole sitter Owen Riddle of Naches, Wash., finished 17th, completing just 100 laps.

Gracin Raz of Lake Oswego, Ore., finished 19th with 80 laps. He started the race in the No. 2 spot.

There were only two restarts during the first 100 laps and one in the final half. The last one came with four laps remaining. Giles Thornton of Whitefish, last year’s pole sitter, lost a rear tire along the straightaway in front of the grandstands. He finished 13th, completing 189 laps.

The showing by Morton was his best in this race. He’s finished fifth twice, including last year, eighth once and 10th twice.

He just missed a chance to qualify on Friday by placing 15th in the time trials. He eventually punched his ticket to the big show by placing sixth in the Last Chance Qualifier.

Last year he won the Last Chance Qualifier to make the 200-lap finale.

“That was our goal,” Morton said of a top three finish this time.

With 20 laps left, he said he was hoping at that point to just hold on to the third position for the remainder of the race.

“I didn’t have anything for the leaders,” he said of challenging.

“My car was too tight, not turning like it was in the first half.”

At the break — 100 laps — he was sitting fifth after starting the race near the back.

“Anything can happen,” he said.

“Like that wreck took out five really fast cars. It’s such a long race.”

To avoid that crash, “I went down to the bottom,” he said.

“The car has stayed up front all year,” he said.

“It’s been real consistent. I’m really happy with the car.”

NOTE: Veteran super late model driver Cory Wolfe of Ronan was involved in a serious wreck late Friday night during qualifying for the Montana 200. His car hit the wall in Turn 3 during the B Main. Wolfe is currently hospitalized at Kalispell Regional Medical Center. More than $2,500 in donations were raised at the track Friday and Saturday night to help with his medical expenses.

24th annual Montana 200

Montana Raceway Park

200-lap Main Event

1. Garrett Evans (200); 2. BJ Tidrick (200); 3. Bodie Morton (200); 4. Jeff Jefferson (200); 5. Braeden Havens (200); 6. Shane Mitchell (200); 7. Jeremy Doss (200); 8. Trevor Emond (200); 9. Jamie McClennon (199); 10. Austin Reed (199).

11. Kelly Admiral (198); 12. Dave Garber (198); 13. Giles Thornton (189); 14. Andy Brown (172); 15. Mike Longton (121); 16. Alex Lessor (100); 17. Owen Riddle (100); 18. Ryan Wells (99); 19. Gracin Raz (80); 20. Eric Schmidt (10).

21. Shelby Thompson (10); 22. Jonathon Gomez (10); 23. Joey Bird (10); 24. Nicole Behar (10); 25. Jim Pettit II (10); 26. Taylor Riddle (10).

Last Chance Qualifier

40 Laps

Top Eight Advanced to Main Event

1. Garrett Evans; 2. Braeden Havens; 3. Ryan Wells; 4. Austin Reed; 5. Dave Garber; 6. Bodie Morton; 7. Giles Thornton; 8. Andy Brown; 9. Clint Habart; 10. Tim Elliott.

11. Scott Lee; 12. Roy Wigley; 13. John Newhouse; 14. Tyler Corpron.