by Mike Weber
The 2007 stock car racing season concluded
with the "Run What Ya Brung" Saturday at River
City Speedway in a non-points race, as the Columbia
County Racing Association's final regular event was
the week before (Sept. 15). For St. Helens drivers Terry
Moss and Celeste Hardesty and Gresham's Curt Nusom,
they were clearly focusing on ending the season on a
positive note and that's exactly what they did while
recording outstanding performances on the quarter-mile
clay oval track.
In the combined sportsman/street stock
class, Moss took second in the D main, he won the C
main and took seventh in the B main while driving his
Al's Automatic Transmission Chevrolet Malibu. Moss,
who won the Sept. 15 A main, started last in all three
races, which really makes his accomplishment seem even
more remarkable.
Moss arrived at the Columbia County
Fairgrounds track late and missed the qualifying session
that determines the lineup of each race, so he had to
start at the rear of the 16-car D main field. He maneuvered
his way towards the front and was runnerup to Larry
Lemmons in the 25-lap race. Only the top-two cars earn
a transfer spot into the C main, where they must start
last. Again, it wasn't a problem for Moss, who passed
every competitor and took the checkered flag to post
an impressive win.
In the B main, Todd Hardesty of St.Helens,
started up front and led all the way to notch the win
in his Fast Lube & Oil Chevy Monte Carlo. Jesse
Freeman of Wilsonville, was second and Ian Lamma of
St. Helens took third. Moss took seventh after starting
last in the the 16-car lineup.
"I didn't change anything on the
car after winning last week, it was running great and
I sure had fun tonight," said Moss, who posted
six top-five A main finishes this year and took third
in the street stock point standings. "I sure had
lots of momentum the last two weeks and hopefully, it
will continue next season. My goal at the beginning
of the year was a top-five finish and I wanted to improve
my position from last year (fifth place). I had a great
season, I'm glad that I exceeded my goal and I couldn't
be any happier, so I can't wait until next year."
One week after winning the Reser's
Fine Foods Sportsman division championship, Nusom again
showed why he's the top driver in the series as he maneuvered
up from last place in the A main to get the victory
in his T & T Draggin' Wagons/Steven's Printing Monte
Carlo. Gresham's Skip Pillow led the first 28 laps of
until his car stalled and Nusom took the lead for good
on lap 29.
On the fourth lap, Nusom exited to
the pits with a right rear flat tire. Nusom's two nephew's
Steven Nusom and Kyle Kuiawa, quickly changed the tire
and helped him return to the track where he was positioned
at the rear of the 14-car-field. Nusom rapidly progressed
towards the front and won by a straightaway advantage
over Freeman. Women's Division champion Celeste Hardesty
took third, after moving up impressively from a 10th
place starting position in her Monte Carlo and Curt's
brother John, took fourth in the Tom's Auto & Performance
Machine Camaro.
"This was a new experience for
me, since it's the first time that I've competed with
the men and they drive much more aggressively than the
girls in the women's class," said Hardesty. "I
was driving patiently, while trying to give the guys
plenty of room and it was fun moving up from the back
of the field. I'm thrilled to get third and I think
I proved that I'm capable of competing very well against
the guys, so maybe I earned their respect too."
Linda Holland of Deer Island, won the
women's main as she recorded a come-from-behind win
in her Buick Regal after starting last in the 10-car
field. Holland, who took fifth in the standings, moved
ahead on lap nine and won by eight car-lengths over
Portland's Jackie Graham.
James Lutz of Milwaukie, maneuvered
up from last place to capture the mini stock main with
his German Auto Wrecking Volkswagen Rabbit. Deer Island's
Justin McMullen had a career best second in his McMullen
Water Systems Ford Mustang and Vancouver's John Mayfield
took third.
In other events, Mike Barnett of Estacada,
won the dirt late model main, Hillsboro's Rick Adams
won the the PHRA dwarf car main and Derek Marquardt
of Portland, won the Micro Sprint main. Aloha's Doug
Lockwood won the 30-lap modified main. The CCRA's award
banquet is scheduled for Nov. 10 at the Columbia County
Fairgrounds pavilion.
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