by Mike Weber
Columbia County Racing Association
division leaders Jeremy Martin, Celeste Hardesty, Curt
Nusom and John Nusom all solidified their positions
atop the point standings after notching wins in the
Reser's Fine Foods Labor Day weekend stock car races
Sept. 1-2 at River City Speedway.
A late season surge by Tricia "Great"
Brittain of St. Helens, who won Saturday's A main and
was third Sunday, has helped propell her into the top-five
of the sportsman series. Scappoose drivers Bobby Morley
and Amber Smith had a night to remember as they each
captured their first ever main event wins Sunday. Morley
won the street stock A main and Smith won the women's
race.
Martin of St. Helens, took the lead
in Sunday's modified main after passing Vernonia's Doug
Davenport on lap 21 and he led the remainder of the
40-lap race to post his fourth win in the STC Racing
Parts sponsored open-wheel style racer owned by Sam
Jeffers of Scappoose. Earlier this season, Martin won
the Baxter Auto Parts Challenge - an eight-race series
with four events in St. Helens and four at Banks and
he won twice at both tracks to win with 798 points,
just ahead of Portland's Marc Sayre at 777.
"I've waited 12 years to win a
championship and now I might win two," said Martin,
who leads the CCRA modified division with just one race
left. "I couldn't have won tonight without the
help of my pit crew - Morley, Dennis Blasier, Robert
Smith and Mike Harrison, because those guys worked very
hard to get the car ready for the main after the transmission
blew up in the heat race, so they sure deserve some
credit for the win too."
Martin took fourth Saturday, just behind
STC Racing teammate Dan Smith of Scappoose, who also
had two top-five main event finishes (3rd, 5th) in the
weekend event at the Columbia County Fairgrounds facility
in St. Helens. Gannin Thomas of St. Helens, also had
an impressive performance as he won Saturday in his
Generation Transmission racer and was runnerup Sunday.
Brittain led from start-to-finish in
recording her first sportsman win in four years and
second overall in the series with her Quimby Welding/Fast
Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Jon "Razor"
Gillett of St. Helens, had a season best second in his
Camaro. Brittain also notched a third Sunday, behind
Castle Rock's Doug Hurley and winner Curt Nusom of Gresham.
"It was so exciting to get my
first win since 2003 and Jon and I sure had a good race
up front," said Brittain. "Unfortunately,
we didn't have much time on Saturday because of the
11 p.m. track curfew, so I was unable to say thanks
to all my sponsors, which is the normal procedure after
winning. It was a great win though and I have to give
lots of credit to my dad (Bud Fast) and my husband Sam,
who both work hard on the car all season so that I can
come out and compete here and have fun."
Hurley and Milwaukie's Eric Lindquist
captured B main wins. Davenport and Clint Petty of St.
Helens won modified B mains. Street Stock B Main winners
included Neil Hardesty and Steven Harris. Morley passed
frontrunners Doug McVae of Scappoose and Vernonia's
Robert Williams, who collided on lap 39 of the street
stock A main and led the last two laps to notch the
win with his McFly Racing/STC Racing Chevy Camaro.
"It's great getting my first win,
the car was running well and I'm having a pretty good
season for a rookie, especially since I've moved up
to fourth in the standings," said Morley. "I
didn't expect to win, but I just happened to be in the
right place at the right time when the two leaders crashed."
Gresham's John Nusom started on the
front row of the street stock A main Saturday and led
all the way in his Bud's Auto Wrecking/T&T Draggin'
Wagons Camaro. Eddie Farness of Sandy, Nusom's co-driver,
was second to Morley and the duo has nearly clinched
the title.
John's brother Curt, was a double duty
driver as he competed in street stock and sportsman
events both days. Curt, 44, drove the same car that
he won the 2006 CCRA street stock title with and he
recorded two fourth place main event finishes with the
Tom's Auto & Performance Machine Camaro.
"It appears almost certain that
John and I will each win a division title in the last
race on Sept. 15 and I'm sure that it's the first time
in the speedway's 20-year history that two brothers
captured titles in the same year," said Nusom.
"We'll always cherish this season and have some
fond memories too, but we've sure had to work hard while
keeping the cars running well all year. I really didn't
expect to win a championship at the beginning of the
year, but I've had lots of fun and I've won five A mains,
which is the most wins I've ever had in one season."
Hardesty of St. Helens, won the women's
main Saturday in the Fast Lube & Oil Monte Carlo
for her seventh victory, which ties the all-time mark
for wins in a season and she's aiming to break the record
in the season finale. Smith led all the way Sunday in
the Alliance Automotive Camaro, followed by Hardesty
and Kathy Griffin of Scappoose.
Mini Stock A main winners included
James Lutz of Milwaukie winning on Saturday and Vancouver's
John Fordyce captured Sunday's A main. Brandon Sayre
of Portland won the Student Division race and Sammy
Wright of Vancouver, captured the Micro Sprint main.
Corey Esteban won the PHRA Dwarf Car main on Sunday.
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