by Mike Weber
The Columbia County Racing Association
season concluded with Rodney Cook, Ray Elwess, Joe Cherington,
Gresham's Curt Nusom and Vancouver's Stacey Fordyce
winning division titles in the Napa Auto Parts Championship
Saturday at River City Speedway. There were also impressive
performances by Deer Island's Jereld Strawn and Celeste
Hardesty of St. Helens, who won their first ever main
events.
Teia Thomas of St. Helens, led the
first six laps of the women's main until Hardesty overtook
her on lap seven and led the remainder of the 40-lap
race with her Fast Lube & Oil Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
It was the first win in the series for Hardesty, a second-year
driver, it was her 12th top-five main event finish and
she finished second to Women's Division champion Fordyce.
Tria Prettyman of St. Helens was second, followed by
Fordyce in the All Star Sports Bar Monte Carlo.
Strawn started on the pole position
of the street stock main and led the first eight circuits
around the quarter-mile clay oval until Nusom passed
him on lap nine. Strawn regained the lead for good with
his Recovery Racing/M Cutter Pontiac Firebird after
passing Nusom on the back straightaway on lap 12. Nusom
was close behind Strawn as their cars were bumper-to-bumper
throughout the 40-lap race. Street Stock Division Champion
Nusom was runnerup in his City Sprint Chevy and he won
the title by just two points over his brother, John.
Dan Smith of Scappoose, led from start-to-finish
to capture the Baxter Auto Parts Modified A main, Vernonia's
"Hollywood" Gary Meyer won the mini stock
A main and Vancouver's Don Jenner won the Reser's Fine
Foods Sportsman main event. Tricia "Great"
Brittain of St. Helens, won the sportsman heat race,
she was 10th in the A main and took second behind Sportsman
Champion Cook in the final point standings, which was
the highest finish ever by a woman in the sportsman
series.
Aaron Prettyman of St. Helens, led
the first 11 laps in the sportsman race until he was
sidelined after his Camaro overheated. Jenner then moved
ahead and led the remaining 29 laps with his Tom's Performance
Machine Monte Carlo, winning by a straightaway length
over Wilsonville's Jesse Freeman. Area competitors finishing
in the top-10 included Deer Island's Stephen Kaptur
(4th) and St. Helens drivers Jon Gillett (5th) and Lisa
Faulkner (9th), followed by Brittain in the Competitive
Edge Sign & Design Monte Carlo. Sportsman Champion
Cook of Rainier, was eighth in his Dan Holum Trucking
sponsored Chevy.
"It was an absolutely great season,
the best ever of my five years in the sportsman class,
I'm thrilled with all the success we've had and I just
couldn't be any happier," said Brittain, whose
Warren Country Inn/Fast Racing team includes her husband
Sam, along with her dad, Bud Fast. "Sam and dad
worked hard all year and did a tremendous job preparing
the car to keeping it running great every week."
Smith led the modified main all the
way to notch his first win in the STC Racing Parts/Alliance
Automotive racer owned by Sam and Jane Jeffers of Scappoose.
Jeremy Martin of St. Helens, was second in an identical
looking Jeffers-owned car to give the Reser's sponsored
team a 1-2 finish. Corbett's Scott Winebarger was third,
followed by Portland's Marc Sayre and Clint Petty of
St. Helens. Sayre took second in the standings to Modified
Champion Elwess of Portland, who was eighth in the Triple
E Racing/Cedarscapes Greenhouse racer.
"We have an awesome crew with
my brother, Robert, Bobby Morley and Dennis Blasier
and I couldn't ask to drive for a better owner than
Sam Jeffers," said Smith.
"I didn't win one main, but I
was consistent with six top-five's and having a good
crew chief, Joe Stinnett along with my dad Frank, my
two sons Aaron and Edward and my brother, Frank Jr.,
who also helped."
"Hollywood" Gary Meyer of
Vernonia, overtook Adam Beehler of St. Helens, on lap
12 of the mini stock A main and remained up front to
notch his first win this year in the Meyer's Auto Body
Dodge Neon. Warrenton's Mark Guindon was a close runnerup,
followed by Adam Beehler, Gladstone's Ben Palmer and
Mini Stock Division Champion Cherington. It marked the
third straight title for Cherington, 45, of Vancouver,
who captured his fifth title in seven years.
"My goal at the beginning of the
year was to win another title, I had consistent finishes
all season and that's what it takes to win a title,"
said Cherington, who had four victories and a total
of 12 top-five's with his Circle H Enterprises Datsun
210. "After winning a championship, it seems like
everyone tries to do their best to beat you the following
season. I've had lots of fun and it's nice being a five-time
champion, but I might take next year off."
Rick Beehler of St. Helens (mini stock),
Longview's Larry Benson (modified), Castle Rock's Doug
Hurley (sportsman) and Sandy's Chris Hallberg (street
stock) each recorded B main wins.
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