By Mike Weber
A memorial lap honoring a former driver who died
in Afghanistan was undoubtedly the highlight attraction
Saturday at River City Speedway. Army Reserve Specialist
Joseph Jeffries, 21, of Beaverton, was killed May 29
when a land mine exploded under the vehicle he was
driving for the 320th Psychological Operations Company.
For
nearly everyone attending, including fans and drivers,
it seemed like a subdued and sympathetic atmosphere
as Joey's dad, Mark Jeffries, drove a Ford Mustang
while competing at the speedway for the first time in nearly 10 years. Mark,
from Beaverton, has previously been involved in the Columbia County Racing
Association as a driver, CCRA board member and track
photographer. Joey started competing
at the speedway as a 16-year-old and he took seventh place in the mini stock
division point standings in 2000 and 2001.
Two earlier events (May 8th, 22nd)
were cancelled because of rain and this was the first
stock car race since the May 1 season opener. Mother
Nature again tried
to stall the motorsports activity at the Columbia County Fairground's dirt
track, but patient CCRA president David McDaniel didn't
succumb to the threatening wet
weather. After the 124 competitors completed two-lap qualifying runs on the
quarter-mile oval, heavy rain followed to cause a temporary
delay.
"It's my job to get cars onto the track and provide fans with good races,
but the rain sure made it an unpleasant day," said McDaniel, who owns Dave's
Automotive in Scappoose. "It was stressful for me, but I had to make
some tough decisions, such as reducing the normal race program and having
shorter
main event time limits. If the guys had good, clean races, then they can
compete longer, but numerous caution flags and mishaps forced us to shorten
the races.
The weather caused a delay, but it's been five weeks since our last race,
everyone is anxious to compete and it's only our second race this year. The
memorial
to Joey was obviously the highlight. It was unbelievable to see Mark Jeffries
compete
here, especially considering how he and his family are responding to such
difficult circumstances regarding this tragedy. It was nice that we dedicated
the races
as a memorial event, but I absolutely hate the fact that we lost such a special
hero and
a brave soldier like Joseph Jeffries."
A lengthy drying process with
nearly every car on the track helped pack the surface until a fairly
dry and smooth condition enabled racing to finally
begin at 9
p.m. Trophy dashes and heat races were eliminated, since there was only
enough
time left for some short versions of the main events prior to the 11
p.m. track curfew.
Stephen Kaptur of Deer Island (sportsman),
Randy O'Connor of Portland (street stock) and Boring's
Gary Morris (modified) captured the three
B mains to
qualify for last place A main starting positions. Defending series champion
Scott Puncochar
of Hillsboro, won the 15-lap street stock A main in his Oly's Construction/Goddard
Garden Landscaping sponsored Chevrolet Camaro. Marty Holmason of St.
Helens, won the 20-lap sportsman A main in his Emmert Chevrolet/Rich
Bailey Construction
Monte Carlo. Rainier drivers Corey Cook and Mike Hagen were next, followed
by Castle Rock's Doug Hurley and Tricia "Great" Brittain of
St. Helens. Kelly Nace of Clackamas, captured the caution-free, 25-lap
mini stock
main
by a straightaway length over two-time series champion (2000, 2002) Joe
Cherington of Vancouver.
Brian Timmons of Scappoose, led five circuits
of the six-lap modified race to capture the Reser's Fine Foods Main
Event with his Heckman Trucking/STC
Racing
Parts open-wheel race car.
For Timmons and his Wide Open Motorsports team, which includes pit
crew chief Mike Luna , of Scappoose, it marks their first ever A main
win.
"It sure seemed to take a long time to prepare
the track for racing, but the rain definitely presented
us with some problems and maybe it should've been cancelled,
but we got it done and everything worked out in our
favor," said Timmons, 33. "It's great to
get my first ever main event win and we'll certainly
take it anyway we can. Being a frontrunner among all
these other, more experienced and excellent drivers
is definitely the highlight of my two-year career and
I just feel like I'm on cloud nine now."
For Kerry Smith of Scappoose, it seems difficult for
her to admit it, but it's certainly true that she's
undoubtedly the top women's division title contender.
Smith proved it by capturing the caution-free, 20-lap main in her Alliance
Automotive/STC
Racing Parts Camaro. Bobby Harris of Battleground, led the initial opening
circuits, but Smith zoomed by her on the backstraightaway
on lap four and took the checkered
flag with an impressive half-a-lap advantage over Harris. Stacey Fordyce of
Vancouver was third, followed by Portland's Jackie
Graham and Sundee Hamrick of Gresham.
"I'm pretty excited, especially since it's my first ever main event victory,
but I don't feel like I'm considered as the favorite to win the division title," said
Smith. "There's other girls who also have a chance to win, such as Graham,
who is really a tough driver too. We have a good pit crew, which includes my
husband Dan, his brother Robert and also Dennis Blasier and they always have
the car running in excellent condition for me at each race."
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