By Mike Weber
Race car driver Jeremy Martin of
St. Helens and Scappoose drivers Clark Tenney and Kerry
Smith continue enjoying success in the Columbia County
Racing Association as they each recorded top-10 finishes
in the Baxter Auto Parts sponsored event Saturday at
River City Speedway. The trio solidified their positions
near the top of their respective series standings as
they're each on track to possibly win a division championship.
Martin took third in the Modified
A Main while driving the Superior Torque Convertor
open-wheel racer owned by Sam Jeffers of Scappoose.
It marked a fifth consecutive top-five main event finish
for Martin, currently third in the division behind
Portland's Ray Elwess and leader Gary Morris of Boring.
Elwess started on the pole position of the 16-car field
and led from start-to-finish to notch his first win.
Morris was runnerup, just inches ahead of Martin as
their two cars were side-by-side at the conclusion
of the 40-lap race.
Shawn Dorie of Scappoose was fourth,
he was the fastest in qualifying on the quarter-mile
clay oval track at 14.76 seconds and he also won a
heat race. Mark Hill of Scappoose won the B Main.
"It was a good, exciting race,
we're solidly holding onto third and we're so close
to the leaders (Morris, Elwess) that it's very likely
the championship will be decided on the last race of
the season (Sept. 25)," said Martin, whose Reser's
Fine Foods sponsored race team includes Dan Smith,
Robert Smith, Dennis Blasier and Rex Flatt. "We've
been working hard all year, while we're also having
fun every week, but the two frontrunners both have
10-years more experience in motorsports than me."
Dan's wife, Kerry, won her fourth
women's main and has posted top-five finishes in six
of seven events with her Alliance Automotive/STC Racing
Parts Chevrolet Camaro. Portland's Jacki Graham led
the first 16 circuits until Hillsboro's Kari Puncochar
moved ahead on lap 17. On lap 23, Smith passed Puncochar's
Chevy Nova on the inside of turn four and remained
in front the remainder of the 40-lap race. Puncochar
was runnerup and Vancouver's Stacey Fordyce was third.
Smith won the heat race and she was also the fast qualifier
(16.66).
Tenney is one of just a handful of
drivers, that competes in two CCRA classes (street
stock, sportsman). Marty "McFly" Holmason
of St. Helens (sportsman, modified), Hillsboro's Scott
Puncochar (street stock, modified) and sister, Kari
(women's, street stock) are also double duty drivers.
Scott Puncochar led all the way to
capture the street stock main with his Oly's Construction/Goddard
Garden Landscaping Camaro. Tenney won the B main to
qualify for a last place A main starting position and
he maneuvered up to ninth in his 1979 Malibu. Tenney,
who leads the street stock standings, took seventh
in the sportsman main in his 21st Century Towing Monte
Carlo and is ranked fifth in the series.
Sportsman division leader Troy Schreiner
of Longview, led 36 laps of the A main until Sandy's
Randy Allen passed him on the inside of turn four.
Allen led the last four circuits with his Malar Performance
Engines Monte Carlo to post his first win. Schreiner
was second, followed by Rainier's Mike Hagen, Castle
Rock's Doug Hurley, LeRoy White of Portland. Lisa Liner
of St. Helens, took sixth in her Lawrence Oil Chevy
Malibu. Deer Island's Stephen Kaptur, won the B main.
Tricia Brittain, of St. Helens, who celebrated a 34th
birthday Saturday, was 11th.
"It's been a tough season, but
things are going pretty well now, I'm in the top-10
of the points and I hope to reach top-five by the end
of the year," said Liner, whose pit crew includes
Eric Faulkner, Brian Vaughn and her dad, Paul Liner.
Portland's Kelly Nace won the mini
stock main and George Dohn of St. Helens (5th) notched
a fifth straight top-five.
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