Brothers test the waters together

They don't see each other as often as they would like, but when the Evans brothers get together — as they will this weekend for the Seafair hydro races — there is an unspoken communication between them.

They've been through it all together — the joy and accomplishment, the anger and anguish as well as the tragedy and heartbreak of their father's murder.

"It's pretty deep," said Mark Evans, 46, of his relationship with his brother Mitch, 43. "We look in each other's eyes, and each of us knows what the other is thinking. We don't talk a lot, but we enjoy being around each other."

Mitch added, "We both lived some of the most interesting lives anybody could live."

It all stems from their father, Norm Evans, a boat racer who raised his family near the shores of Lake Chelan. He was a colorful, fearless man, who once water-skied behind an airplane. He got into unlimiteds in the 1950s and raced until the late 1970s. For a time, he was the driver for the legendary Miss Bardahl, winning the Apple Cup race on Lake Chelan in 1958.

He twice was suspended one year for reckless racing. Driving the Miss Lapeer in 1966, he was suspended the following season for cutting off another driver during the Gold Cup on Lake Washington. As soon as he returned, the so-called "Bad Boy" of the sport was suspended again for reckless driving in a race on the Detroit River.

But his sons loved the guy. Even after a divorce when the boys were young, he made sure he was involved with their lives — perhaps too involved. When they were in first grade, he had them behind the cash register at Evans Marina. When the boys were 10, he had them operating heavy equipment on his construction jobs.

He also got them involved in virtually every form of racing, from go-karts to snowmobiles, and from outboard boats to the unlimiteds. His legacy is two sons who are at the top of the sport. Mark, driving Llumar Window Film, won the Tri-Cities race Sunday and Mitch, in a revolutionary piston-powered boat, won the season-opening Evansville race. It's the first time brothers have each won an unlimited hydro race in the same season.

"From Day 1, I had no doubt I'd be racing," said Mark Evans, who now lives in Redmond. "Both of us were like Evel Knievel types, building ramps out of apple boxes to jump over, snowmobiling, sledding down hills that were three miles long.

"He introduced us to machines at a young age, so we had a respect for them. I was just over a year old and he built a go-kart for me. There are some great stories I can tell and some I can't, but we'd operate dump trucks and backhoes at his construction sites. We were helping dad make money."

They grew up fast, with a father who drew no limits on their experiences or exposures.

"It was sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll from an early age," Mark said. "People ask me why I didn't go down the wrong road, because we were exposed to stuff at a young age that would scare the hell out of most people. But we were educated in the world and learned to deal with things."

Both have fond memories of their dad. They remember his racing glory, his struggles, and his mechanical genius. They also remember exactly where they were when told of his murder.

"I was delivering a washer and dryer," Mark said.

About 9:30 a.m. on April 11, 1981, two strangers were reported seen near Evans' Lake Chelan home. Norm was searching his property when he was gunned down by three blasts from a 12-gauge shotgun, two in the chest and one in the head.

"It was a tough time," Mitch said. "Fortunately, we had a lot of people around us. They kept us focused and busy in our lives."

His killer turned out to be the nephew of his second wife, Helen, whom Norm had married just six months earlier. Colton "Red" Copeland was arrested in December that year and found guilty of first-degree murder four months later.

Both Mark and Mitch drifted through the 1980s. Mark divorced and remarried while remaining on a constant search for an unlimited ride and a sponsor. Mitch also divorced, but a girlfriend for the past nine years has stabilized his life. He lives in Chelan, runs Evans Marina and has advocated the piston engine for 16 years.

In the late 1980s, Mitch was contacted by Ed Cooper and his son to help develop a piston boat to race on the turbine-dominated unlimited circuit. After a couple of years of development, he won a 1989 race in a piston. That would be the last piston victory until June 29 this year, when Mitch won again in a next-generation piston boat.

"I think it's the turning point of the sport," Mitch said. "The crowd loves the noise, and we're racing head to head with Budweiser."

Mark added, "Mitch and the Coopers are the poster children for persistence. They never gave up. They kept trying."

In the meantime, Mark went from ride to ride, then quit the sport after the 2000 season because of neck and back pain from the jarring boat rides. He was doing racing commentary when he had the urge to ride again.

"Doing ESPN just about drove me crazy. I still had this burning desire in my stomach," Mark said. "We have almost a duty to race. Dad left that legacy and showed us the sport we both love."

Note

• The U-19, which ran last week in the Tri-Cities as the Miss Royal Hotel, will run at Seafair as the Graham Trucking after securing sponsorship this week.

The boat had been docked since 1999 before running in the Tri-Cities last week, though it didn't score any points. Jerry Hale will drive.

The boat was a regular on the circuit in the late 1990s, but was out of action the last three years. The estate of owner Bob Fendler, who died last August, sold the boat to Speed Sport of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Seattle Times staff reporter Bob Condotta contributed to this report. Bob Sherwin: 206-464-8286 or bsherwin@seattletimes.com