by Mike Weber
A number of local drivers improved
their chance of concluding the Columbia County Racing
Association season with a prestigious top-five division
ranking after impressive finishes in the Reser's Fine
Foods Labor Day weekend races. St. Helens drivers Terry
Moss, John Haagenson and Adam Beehler each recorded
a pair of top-five A main finishes Saturday and Sunday
at River City Speedway.
Defending modified champion Dan Smith
of Scappoose, notched two fop-five's in the Baxter Auto
Parts series to take over fifth in the point standings.
Portland's Mike Graham and Rainier's Greg Greer captured
A main wins and division leader Ray Elwess of Portland,
posted a fourth and a sixth to remain atop the division
with just event left on Sept. 16.
Graham led from start-to-finish Sunday
to post his first series win this year with his Perfection
Automotive open-wheel style modified racer. St. Helens
drivers Shawn Dorie (second) and Clint Petty (third)
were close behind, followed by Portland's "Mello"
Marc Sayre and Smith. Greer won Saturday in his Kelso
Advantage Screen Printing racer, followed by Gresham's
Curt Nusom, Smith, Elwess and Pam Graham of Portland.
"It was certainly nice to finally
get a win, especially since I've had so much bad luck,
like when I've been involved in a crash or have a mechanical
breakdown," said Graham. "I'm having a good
time and I'm not concerned about the points chase, like
the other guys are here, but I just come out here to
have fun."
Rainier's Rodney Cook has nearly clinched
the sportsman title after winning Saturday and getting
third Sunday with his Clatskanie Builders Supply Chevrolet
Monte Carlo. Tricia "Great" Brittain of St.
Helens, posted her fourth straight top-five (seventh
overall) Saturday with a third place finish in the Competitive
Edge Sign & Design Monte Carlo. Brittain was the
fastest qualifier Saturday (15.96 seconds) in preliminary
time trials on the quarter-mile clay oval track. Brittain,
who is hoping for a career best second in the series,
took eighth Sunday and is locked into a two-way battle
for the runnerup position with Tim Williams of Scappoose,
who posted a fifth and a 12th place A main finish.
Former area resident Paul Liner, now
living in Olympia, had a stellar two-day effort as he
recorded a victory and a runnerup finish. On Sunday,
Liner passed Vancouver's Don Jenner with just two laps
remaining to get a win in the Lawrence Oil/Somarakis
Chevy Malibu. Liner won by four car-lengths over Jenner,
with Cook in third. Rookie-of-the-Year contender Larry
Lemons of Toledo, was fourth and Jon "Razor"
Gillett of St. Helens took fifth. On Saturday, Liner
took second to Cook, with Brittain getting third, Aaron
Prettyman of St. Helens, was a career best fourth and
Williams took fifth.
"I had a good weekend and I just
try to stay up front, but sometime's that's tough to
do when Liner is right behind you," said Cook,
who has nine top-five's out of 11 races. "I have
a good lead in the points now, so I'm looking forward
to just coming out here in the last race and relax a
little, because it doesn't really matter where I finish.
Success is hard to come by here, because other drivers
are always improving their cars and the competition
gets tougher every year. I'm pretty happy though, particulary
since this is the best season I've ever had in my five-year
motorsports career."
"When I got into second, Jenner
was a straightaway ahead, but after I caught up, I knew
that I had the faster car," said Liner, whose daughter,
Lisa Faulkner, won Sunday's women's main. "I waited
for Jenner to make a mistake and when he got behind
some lapped cars, it provided me with an opportunity
to pass on the inside and take the lead. It was a great
weekend for Lisa and I as we both got a first and second
place finish."
Haagenson recorded a career best second
to Gresham's John Nusom in Saturday's street stock A
main and he took fifth Sunday. Moss posted third and
fourth place street stock main event finishes. Chris
Hallberg of Sandy, won Sunday's street stock A main,
with Nusom taking second. Beehler won Saturday's mini
stock main and was runnerup to Portland's Don Grentz
on Sunday with his DFI Honda Civic.
Faulkner took second to division leader
Stacey Fordyce of Vancouver, on Saturday and the two
were in opposite spots Sunday with Faulkner winning
by a straightaway length in a caution-free 30-lap race.
Celeste Hardesty of St. Helens, who is second in the
series, notched two top-five's with a third on Saturday
and fourth place Sunday. With six wins, Fordyce has
a chance to tie the single season record (seven) for
wins held by three drivers - Paula Timmons of Kelso,
Hillsboro's Kari Puncochar and Faulkner.
Richard Petty of Scappoose, notched
his third win this year as he captured the Pacific Hardtop
Racing Association (PHRA) main with his Competition
Motorsports dwarf car. Division leader Corey Esteban
of Gaston, took second, followed by Hillsboro's Rick
Adams and Rian McVae of Scappoose.
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