by Mike Weber
Seven proved to be lucky for Sean
Fox of St. Helens and Dan Smith of Scappoose, who both
drove cars numbered seven into victory lane to capture
main events Saturday at River City Speedway. Rian McVae
of Scappoose, was runnerup in three events - the trophy
dash, heat race and main in the Pacific Hardtop Racing
Association with his Chapman Auto Repair sponsored dwarf
car.
Fox took the lead from Portland's Marc
Sayre on lap three and remained up front throughout
the 25-lap Baxter Auto Parts Modified race to notch
the first ever A main win of his three-year career in
the Competitive Edge Sign & Design open-wheel style
racer. Smith, 36, passed Vancouver's John Fordyce on
lap 19 and led the next six circuits with his Alliance
Automotive/STC Racing Parts Chevrolet Camaro to capture
the Reser's Fine Foods Sportsman main.
Former series champion (2001) Mark
Guindon of Warrenton, who took second in the division
last year to four-time champ Joe Cherington, won the
mini stock A main, the dash and was second in the heat
with his Part Time Auto Wrecking Toyota Celica. Cherington,
from Vancouver, was the fastest qualifier (16.79 seconds)
on the quarter-mile clay oval track, he took second
in the main and leads the point standings. Deer Island's
Scott McMullen celebrated his 35th birthday while driving
his McMullen Water Systems Ford Mustang to victory in
the B main.
Fox, driving the same car that his
dad, Dan, set the track qualifying record (13.95) last
year, was followed closely by 2004 series champ Ray
Elwess of Portland as their two cars were bumper-to-bumper
at the conclusion. Sayre (third), Gannin Thomas (fourth)
of St. Helens and Stephen Kaptur of Deer Island finished
in the top-five. Thomas and Smith, who took 10th, are
a just a few of the double-duty drivers who compete
in two classes. Thomas took second to Smith in the sportsman
main. Tricia "Great" Brittain of St. Helens,
took third and she also won the heat.
"It's just awesome to get my first
win and I'm so glad having an opportunity to drive my
dad's car," said Fox, 23, who also competes at
Sunset Speedway in Banks. "Tony Malar (Malar Performance
Engines) built a great motor for us and Sam and Tricia
Brittain have really made the car look fantastic too.
Elwess did a good job, we were side-by-side a few times
when he tried passing and I enjoy racing with him because
he's a good, clean driver. We're going to try to win
a division title at Banks and if I continue to have
success here, then maybe we'll have a shot at capturing
two championships, which would really be nice."
"This is the first time I've driven
the car in two years and there were lots of crashes,
which luckily, were all behind me," said Smith,
whose daughters Amber and Katie are members of the Class
3A state playoff bound Scappoose Indians softball team.
"We had a good day and my pit crew with Dennis
Blasier, my brother Robert and Sam Jeffers always helps
tremendously and it was lots of fun winning the dash
in both classes (sportsman/modified)."
Vancouver's Dennis Krohling won the street stock A main
and Hillsboro drivers Rick Adams (PHRA) and Kari Puncochar
(women's division) also captured main event wins. Krohling
took the lead from Gresham's John Nusom on lap five
and led the remainder of the 40-lap race, winning by
one-car length over division leader Curt Nusom of Gresham.
Longview's Arnold Norton won the B main.
Vancouver's Stacey Fordyce was a two-time
winner with her victories in the dash and heat in addition
to taking second to Puncochar in the women's race. Celeste
Hardesty of Scappoose, was the fastest qualifier (15.93)
and she was third in the main. The third Columbia County
Racing Association event at the fairgrounds facility
in St. Helens is June 3, followed by events on the 17th
and 24th.
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