by Mike Weber
A quartet of Alliance Automotive/STC
Racing Parts drivers - Dan Smith, Kerry Smith, Tim
Williams and Jeremy Martin, all had outstanding performance's
in the Columbia County Racing Association's second
race Saturday at River City Speedway. Smith, of Scappoose,
led the modified main from start-to-finish and Martin,
of St. Helens, took second. Dan's wife, Kerry - the
defending division champion, was runnerup to women's
main event winner Lisa Faulkner. Williams, of Scappoose,
notched a second consecutive sportsman A main event
fourth place finish in his Chevrolet Camaro.
Smith, 35, led the first seven circuits
of the women's race in her Camaro. Driving the McFly
Racing/Rich Bailey Construction sponsored Monte Carlo,
Faulkner moved alongside Smith on lap eight. The two
frontrunners raced side-by-side for three laps until
Faulkner zoomed in front to stay on lap 12. Faulkner,
22, dominated the remainder of the 30-lap race and
won by half a lap over Smith, who just edged ahead
of Vancouver's Stacey Fordyce in third.
In the modified A main, the eight
fastest qualifiers were positioned in reverse order
at the front of the 16-car field. Dan Smith, who was
seventh in time trials on the quarter-mile clay oval
track at 14.83 seconds, started on the front row. Smith
led throughout the caution-filled event, which was
shortened to 20 laps because of numerous mishaps. Marty
Holmason of St. Helens, was third, followed by Rainier's
Greg Greer and Clint Petty of St. Helens. Smith, Martin
and Stephen Kaptur of Deer Island, each drive identical
open-wheel style Reser's Fine Foods sponsored racers
owned Sam Jeffers of Scappoose. Todd Hardesty of St.
Helens, won the modified B main.
"I sure was glad to see my teammate
behind me, because that made me feel more comfortable
during the race," said Smith, 35, who recorded
his second career A main win in the series. "Sam
has provided us with the best cars, so you can't really
ask for anything more than that. Because of the inverted
start, I was lucky to start in front. I'm hoping to
improve upon my fifth place division finish of last
year and hopefully, I'll have a good chance to win
the championship."
Rainier's Corey Cook passed Kirk Brissett
of Scappoose on lap five and led the remaining 35 circuits
with his Greer Excavating Lumina to take the checkered
flag in the sportsman main. Cook won by a straightaway
length over Sandy's Randy Allen, in a Monte Carlo.
Rainier's Mike Hagen was third in a Ford Taurus and
Williams was fourth in his Camaro.
"Everything's going pretty well,
the car is running just fabulous, it's my best year
ever and I'm just hoping that my good luck will continue
throughout the season and maybe I'll finish in the
top five of the standings," said Wiiliams, 45,
who won the sportsman Most Improved Driver award last
year. I'm having a tremendous amount of fun and I enjoy
competing with all the nice, friendly people here.
There's always somebody willing to help whenever you
need to repair the car in the pits and the good comradery
among everyone sure makes it a great atmosphere."
"Hollywood" Gary Meyer of
Vernonia, led all the way to win the street stock main
with his Meyer's Auto Body Plymouth Roadrunner. The
Nusom brothers of Gresham, were right behind with John
second, Curt third and defending champ Scott Puncochar
of Hillsboro, fourth. Former sportsman champion Gannin
Thomas of St. Helens, competing for the first time
in four years, was fifth in a Chevy Malibu.
Meyer was second in the mini stock
main in his Dodge Neon, trailing winner Joe Cherington
of Vancouver, in the Dusty's Machine Shop Datsun. Portland's
John Clampitt nearly rolled his 1977 Toyota Celica
as it tipped over in turn one on lap 16. Rian McVae
of Scappoose won the PHRA dwarf car main and Greg Long
won the B main.
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