River City Speedway started its 23rd year of motorsports with the May 16 season opener and area drivers Jeremy Martin, Linda Holland and Adam Beehler captured main event wins.

Martin, of St. Helens, won the main modified main with his Reser's Fine Foods/Alliance Automotive sponsored open-wheel style racer. Holland, of Deer Island, led all the way in winning the women's division race. Beehler, from St. Helens, took the checkered flag in the mini stock main.

Gresham's John Nusom won the street stock main, Vancouver's Chris West won the sportsman main and Corey Esteban of Gaston, won the Pacific Hardtop Racing Association main event.

Beehler started sixth in the 14-car field and he quickly maneuvered up front while driving his Triple X Archery/Dan Garrison CPA Honda Civic. Beehler's nephew Joel Beehler, led the first six circuits of the quarter-mile clay oval track in his Dodge Neon.

Adam zoomed past Joel in the outside lane on lap seven to take the lead and he stayed there for the duration of the 40-lap race. Since there was no yellow flags to delay the race, Beehler gained a large advantage and won by a half of lap over his nephew, who took second. "Hollywood" Gary Meyer of Vernonia, took third in his Meyer's Auto Body Neon. Justin McMullen was third in his Skinny's Texaco 1985 Ford Mustang. Joel Beehler and Jenelle Harrison won six lap heat races and Adam Beehler won the trophy dash. Meyer was the fastest qualifier at 16.38 seconds.

"There's lots of fast cars in this division, so it's exciting to start the season with a win," said Beehler, who was the runnerup a year ago to the 19-year-old McMullen of St. Helens, the defending champion. "I was expecting to see Meyer challenge for the lead and I was surprised he didn't, because he has a fast car."

Holland led from start-to-finish with her Recovery Racing 1978 Buick Regal to notch the fourth win of her four-year stock car racing career. Vancouver's Stacey Fordyce took second, followed by Susan Nelson of Portland.

Holland and Fordyce are co-drivers who will alternate their position in the driver's seat each week. Fordyce won the women's title in 2006 and she'll have a good chance to win her second Columbia County Racing Association championship this year.

Holland's fiance, Jereld Strawn, drove the Buick in the sportsman division main and he was runnerup to West. Nusom, a leading contending driver in both street stock and sportsman classes, led throughout most of the 30-lap race with his Bud's Auto Wrecking Chevrolet Camaro. On the final lap Nusom, who was leading, collided with Longview's Clyde White on the back straightaway.

West overtook both frontrunners to get the win with his Baxter Auto Parts/Tom's Auto & Performance 1980 Malibu. Vancouver's John Fordyce took third, followed by Milwuakie's Eric Lindquist and Portland's Rick Graham rounded out the top-five.

"It was getting pretty hot in the car because of all the yellow flags," said West, 33, who recorded his first ever CCRA main event win. "I got lucky, because I think Clyde should've won. He deserved to win, but that's what happens sometimes."

Ryan McVae of Scappoose, led the first nine laps of the PHRA main with his Competition Motorsports 1934 Ford sedan two-third scale replica dwarf car. Esteban moved past McVae on the 10th lap and led the next 30 circuits of the 40-lap race with his C & E Excavating 1934 Ford Vicky dwarf car. McVae finished 13th out of the 16-car field. Esteban, 38, won 11-of-14 races last season on his way to winning his second PHRA title and he's won three races this year.

The opening event of the 13-race series was actually set May 2, but was canceled because of rain. The next race is June 6 and the NOMA Midgets and USCA Sprints will be featured along with the regular race program.