By Mike Weber
Columbia County Racing Association
division leaders Clark Tenney, Gary Morris, Troy Schreiner,
Joe Cherington and Jacki Graham each recorded top-five
finishes to remain atop their respective point standings
following the Coyner Auto Body sponsored race Saturday
at River City Speedway in St. Helens.
The husband/wife
duo of Dan and Kerry Smith of Scappoose, had a remarkable
accomplishment as they both captured main event wins.
Dan won the Reser's Fine Foods Modified
Main and Kerry won the women's race. Portland's LeRoy White (sportsman) and Rainier's
Jon "Razor" Gillett (street stock) both notched A main victories. Cherington,
of Vancouver, won the mini stock main and George Dohn of St. Helens, had a career-best
second place. Gillett and Dan Smith were in runnerup spots, but they were rewarded
with first place after street stock winner Kari Puncochar and modified winner
Ron Greer were both disqualified by speedway officials because of a controversial
technical rules violation.
The modified main was delayed by yellow
flag caution periods four times in the first 15 laps.
Greer took the lead from Clint Petty
on lap three and led the
next 37 circuits of the quarter-mile clay oval track to notch what seemed to
be his first ever A main win in the series. Smith was subsequently awarded
the win in the STC Racing modified racer owned by Sam
and Jane Jeffers of Scappoose.
Morris, of Boring, leads the division and took second, followed by Portland's
Ray Elwess, Jeremy Martin of St. Helens and "Mello" Marc Sayre of Portland.
Shawn Dorie of Scappoose, manuevered up from last place to win the 30-lap B main.
"Since Jeremy won July 3, that's two consecutive races that we've won for
Sam Jeffers race team," said Smith. "I was trying to avoid the mishaps,
but it was tough and a couple of times, there were crashes just ahead of me,
but I was lucky to get by without getting involved in a collision. I have to
give lots of credit for our success to our pit crew of Dennis Blasier, Rex Flatt
and my brother, Robert, because they also work hard on the cars every week to
prepare them for racing on Saturday's."
Puncochar, of Hillsboro, led
the street stock main from start-to-finish with her RPM Motorsports Chevrolet
Camaro. It would've been her first win in the
series, prior to the unfortunate ruling by technical inspector Scott Winebarger.
Gillett
was elevated to first, followed by divison leader Tenney of Scappoose,
Vernonia's Gary Meyer and Aaron Prettyman of St. Helens.
"So far, it's been a great season, but I sure couldn't do this without the
help of my pit crew members David McDaniel, Bert Jones and Jesse Jones," said
Tenney, who drives a 1979 Malibu and a 2000 Monte Carlo while competing in both
the street stock and sportsman classes. "We're hoping to win the street
stock championship and also the sportsman Rookie-of-the-Year award. Meyer is
one of the best drivers in the street stocks, so we'll have to work hard to stay
ahead of him in the standings."
White led the first three laps of
the sportsman A main in his Genie Electric Construction Monte Carlo.
Rainier's Corey Cook overtook him and led briefly
on lap four, but White regained the advantage on the ensuing go-around
and led the
remainder of the 40-lap race, with runnerup Doug Hurley of Castle Rock
a car-length behind. Cook was third, followed by Rainier's Mike Hagen,
series
leader Schreiner,
Marty "McFly" Holmason of St. Helens, Lisa Liner of St. Helens
and Tenney.
Smith took the lead in the women's
main after passing Beaverton's Sue Wallace on lap four
and won by a half lap over division leader
Graham,
of Portland.
"Dan and I both had a good race and our goal is to win the women's division
title, but Jacki is a tough competitor," said Smith, who notched her third
win in the Alliance Automotive Camaro.
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