Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2004)
Page 20 The INDEPENDENT, July 15, 2004 Surprising results at St. Helens River City Speedway July 3, 2004 By Mike Weber There were some surprising developments in the Columbia County Racing Association's Wilcox and Flegel sponsored race Saturday, July 3 at River City Speedway. Rookie driver Robert Sterling won the street stock main, a woman competi- tor - Lisa Liner, was the fastest qualifier in the sportsman class and Jeremy Martin of St. He- lens, captured his first ever Reser's Fine Foods modified main event win. The top two modified contenders, Boring's Gary Morris (eighth place) and Brian Timmons of Scappoose (15th), struggled and had dis- appointing main event finishes. Things remain unchanged in the women’s division and the mini stock class. Division leader Jacki Graham of Port- land, won the women’s main and Kerry Smith of Scappoose, was runner-up, as this duo con- tinues to dominate the series in which they’ve both recorded two main event wins. Graham passed Battleground’s Bobbi Harris on lap three and led the remainder of the 20-lap race with her Flying V Motors/Per- fection Automotive Chevrolet Nova. Smith, who is second to Graham in the point standings, was a straightaway length be- hind in the Alliance Automotive Camaro. Two-time champion and current series leader Joe Cherington of Vancouver, cap- tured his third mini stock main event win with his Circle H En- terprises Datsun. Kelly Nace of Portland, was second and Scott McMullen of Deer Island took third, which marked the exact same finish as the previ- ous race June 19. Rainier’s Ron Greer led the first 25 circuits of the 40-lap modified main until Martin slipped underneath, bumped Greer slightly, then zoomed down the back straightaway af- ter grabbing the lead. Another bumping incident immediately followed in turn three, when Greer made contact with Mar- tin, who spun out, causing a caution flag delay of the race. Greer was penalized by flag- man Ed Brasmer and sent to the rear of the 16-car field. Mar- tin remained ahead in the Su- perior Torque Converter open- wheel racer owned by Sam Jefffers of Scappoose, and won by a car length over “Mello” Marc Sayre of Portland. Hills- boro’s Scott Puncochar was third, followed by Shawn Dorie of Scappoose, Portland’s Ray Elwess, Clint Petty of St. He- lens and Dan Smith of Scap- poose. Rudy Chappelle of St. Helens, was a two-time winner as he captured the B Main and heat race. “It sure feels great to finally get my first modified main win and it’s been a lengthy time span (2 yrs.) since I won an A Main, but it was worth waiting for,” said Martin, whose last A main victory was in 2002 in the street stock class. “I sure enjoy driving Sam’s car and we’ve got an excellent pit crew with Robert Smith, Dennis Blasier, Rex Flatt along with my team- Forest Grove Honda 3619 Pacific Ave. Forest Grove Your Home Town Dealer Since 1976 (877) 500-7300 or ( 503) 357-7300 mate, Dan Smith. I took third in the standings last year, but it’s a long season and I’m going to try my best to win the champi- onship. There was lots of inci- dental contact, but that’s just one of the normal aspects of racing.” The 10 fastest qualifiers were inverted at the front of all A Mains and Sterling, who qual- ified 10th, started on the pole position of the street stock main. Sterling took advantage of his good luck and led the 40- lap race from start-to-finish in the Prudential Northwest Prop- erties/Action Auto Glass Olds- mobile Cutlass. Defending se- ries champ “Hollywood” Gary Meyer of Vernonia, made it in- teresting, though, as his Ply- mouth Roadrunner was side- by-side with Sterling’s car as he made several unsuccessful at- tempts to pass on the last five circuits around the quarter-mile clay oval track. The two cars were bumper-to-bumper at the finish line, with division leader Clark Tenney of Scappoose, a close third in a Chevy Malibu. “I’m absolutely ecstatic, I’m on cloud nine and it’s just in- credible to beat great drivers like Meyer and Tenney,” said Sterling, 38. “Luckily for me, the inverted start helped, so maybe I should buy a lottery ticket. Stock car racing is such a thrilling and exciting sport and what I’ve done so far this year, with three top-10 finishes and being fifth in the division stand- ings is just way beyond my ex- pectations,” Sterling continued. “I’m ahead of lots of good driv- ers, who have been competing here a long time and I have a great crew chief in Adam Smith, who really set up the car per- fectly. I feel like I have a pretty good chance to win the Rookie- of-the-Year Award.” Liner, the 2003 sportsman Rookie-of-the-Year, continues to enjoy success after winning the 2002 women’s title. Liner, W illiams M etal F ab S PECIALIZING P HONE /F AX IN 21, posted the top time trial of 15.92 seconds with her Law- rence Oil Malibu and she fin- ished 10th in the 40-lap A main. Rainier’s Mike Hagen won, fol- lowed by division leader Troy Schreiner of Longview, Doug Hurley of Castle Rock, Randy Allen of Sandy, Kelso’s Bob Cram and Tricia “Great” Brittain of St. Helens. Marty “McFly” Holmason had an outstanding performance in his Emmert Chevrolet Monte Carlo as he maneuvered up from 10th place and finished second to Portland’s LeRoy White in the B main. The top two finishers from the B feature qualify for a last row position in the 16-car A main. Holmason, of St. Helens, again expertly moved through traffic to take seventh place. CCRA Results – July 3, 2004 SPORTSMAN – Fast Time: 15.92 – Lisa Liner, St. Helens. Trophy Dash: Troy Schreiner, Longview. Heat 1: LeRoy White, Portland; Dustin Maxwell, Portland; Jody Turner, St. He- lens. Heat 2: Marty Holmason, St. He- lens; Don Schott, Portland; Clark Ten- ney, Scappoose. Heat 3: Mike Hagen, Rainier; Allen Jewett, Longview; Jeff Si- mons, North Plains. Heat 4: Schreiner; Liner; Kirk Brissett, Scappoose. B Main: White; Holmason; Ron Williams, St. Helens; Maxwell. A Main: Hagen; Schreiner; Doug Hurley, Castle Rock; Randy Allen, Sandy; Bob Cram, Kelso; Tricia Brittain, St. Helens; Holmason; Tim Williams, St. Helens; White; Liner. MODIFIED – Fast Time: 14.85 – Dan Smith, Scappoose. Trophy Dash: Gary Morris, Boring. Heat 1: Rudy Chappelle, St. Helens; Terry Buckner, St. Helens; Sam Jeffers, Scappoose. Heat 2: Brian Timmons, Scappoose; Sean Fox, Warren; Clint Petty, St. He- lens. Heat 3: Smith; Ray Elwess, Port- land; Morris. B Main: Chappelle; Buck- ner; Paul Folwick, St. Helens; Jeffers; Bill Gannon, Portland. A Main: Jeremy Martin, St. Helens; Marc Sayre, Port- land; Scott Puncochar, Hillsboro; Shawn Dorie, Scappoose; Elwess; Pet- ty; Smith; Morris; Larry Benson, Longview; Buckner. STREET STOCK – Fast Time: 16.41 – Scott Puncochar. Trophy Dash: Gary Meyer, Vernonia. Heat 1: Brenda Hurley, Castle Rock; Brett Eakins, General/Custom Fabrication & Welding of All Metals S TAINLESS S TEEL &A LUMINUM : 503-429-8431 Robert Williams Vernonia, Oregon 24 H R R EPAIR Washougal; Nathan Slape, Rainier. Heat 2: Aaron Bozarth, Rainier; Kevin Melland, Kelso; Chris Hallberg, St. He- lens. Heat 3: John Nusom, Gresham; Robert Sterling, Scappoose; Robert Duncan, Portland. B Main: Hurley; Ter- ry Moss, Warren; Steve Moore, Port- land; Slape; Steven Harris, Battle- ground. A Main: Sterling; Meyer; Ten- ney; Scott Puncochar; Mark Reser, Beaverton; Duncan; Ralph Puncochar, Hillsboro; Kari Puncochar, Hillsboro; Don Kelley, St. Helens; Nusom. MINI STOCK – Fast Time: 17.11 – George Dohn, St. Helens. Trophy Dash: Bob Remmick, Beaverton. Heat 1: Scott McMullen, Deer Island; Ray Perry, Portland; Brad Nusom, Gre- sham. Heat 2: Joe Cherington, Vancou- ver; Kelly Nace, Portland; McMullen; Todd Nace, Portland; Dohn; Perry; Brad Ruth, Washougal; Nusom; Tony Kanies, Portland; Kathy McMullen, Deer Island. WOMEN'S DIVISION – Fast Time: 17.01 – Stacey Frederikson, St. He- lens. Trophy Dash: Kerry Smith, Scap- poose. Heat 1: Jacki Graham, Portland; Susan Wallace, Beaverton; Bobbi Har- ris, Battleground. Heat 2: Frederikson; Smith; Stacey Fordyce, Vancouver. Main: Graham; Smith; Fordyce; Angela Jones, St. Helens; Harris; Tracy Munger, Longview; Carrie Melland, Rainier; Frederikson; Wallace; Kay Bayot, Oregon City. WEATHER REPORT JUNE 2004 DATE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 TEMPERATURE HI LO 68 73 78 82 65 59 63 72 60 55 58 63 62 63 72 81 87 87 85 87 86 66 63 64 73 73 75 77 77 78 39 41 40 47 47 46 48 53 49 46 39 46 47 40 36 40 43 41 41 41 50 54 55 53 43 44 42 43 41 43 PRECIP. AMT. -- -- -- .12 .38 .24 .10 T .08 .11 T .02 -- -- -- -- -- -- .10 -- -- T -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Temperature and precipitation amounts are from the official U.S. weather station at the Vernonia wa- ter plant. Measurable precipitation in June totalled 1.15 inches.
