Page 14
The INDEPENDENT, May 21, 2009
Nusom wins Rivercity Speedway street stock main at first 2009 race
by Mike Weber
River City Speedway in St.
Helens started its 23rd year of
motorsports with the May 16
season opener during which
area drivers Jeremy Martin,
Linda Holland and Adam
Beehler captured main event
wins.
Martin, of St. Helens, won
the main modified main with his
Reser’s Fine Foods/Alliance
Automotive sponsored open-
wheel style racer. Holland, of
Deer Island, led all the way in
winning the women’s division
race. Beehler, from St. Helens,
took the checkered flag in the
mini stock main.
Gresham’s John Nusom
won the street stock main, Van-
couver’s Chris West won the
sportsman main and Corey Es-
teban of Gaston, won the Pacif-
ic Hardtop Racing Association
main event.
Beehler started sixth in the
14-car field and he quickly ma-
neuvered up front while driving
his Triple X Archery/Dan Garri-
son
CPA Honda
Civic.
Beehler’s
nephew
Joel
Beehler, led the first six circuits
of the quarter-mile clay oval
track in his Dodge Neon.
Adam zoomed past Joel in
the outside lane on lap seven to
take the lead and stayed there
for the duration of the 40-lap
race. Since there was no yellow
flag to delay the race, Beehler
gained a large advantage and
won by a half a lap over his
nephew, who took second.
“Hollywood” Gary Meyer of Ver-
nonia, took third in his Meyer’s
Auto Body Neon. Joel Beehler
and Jenelle Harrison won six
lap heat races and Adam
Beehler won the trophy dash.
Meyer was the fastest qualifier
at 16.38 seconds.
“There’s lots of fast cars in
this division, so it’s exciting to
start the season with a win,”
said Beehler, who was the run-
nerup a year ago to the 19-
year-old McMullen of St. He-
lens, the defending champion.
“I was expecting to see Meyer
challenge for the lead and I was
surprised he didn’t, because he
has a fast car.”
Holland led from start-to-fin-
ish with her Recovery Racing
1978 Buick Regal to notch the
fourth win of her four-year stock
car racing career. Vancouver’s
Stacey Fordyce took second,
followed by Susan Nelson of
Portland.
Holland and Fordyce are co-
drivers who will alternate their
position in the driver’s seat
each week. Fordyce won the
women’s title in 2006 and she’ll
have a good chance to win her
second Columbia County Rac-
ing Association championship
this year.
Holland’s fiancé, Jereld
Strawn, drove the Buick in the
sportsman division main and
was runnerup to West. Nusom,
a leading contender in both
street stock and sportsman
classes, led throughout most of
the 30-lap race with his Bud’s
Auto Wrecking Chevrolet Ca-
maro. On the final lap Nusom,
who was leading, collided with
Longview’s Clyde White on the
back straightaway.
West overtook both front-
runners to get the win with his
Baxter Auto Parts/Tom’s Auto &
Performance 1980 Malibu.
Vancouver’s John Fordyce took
third, followed by Milwaukie’s
Eric Lindquist and Portland’s
Rick Graham to round out the
top-five.
“It was getting pretty hot in
the car because of all the yel-
low flags,” said West, 33, who
recorded his first ever CCRA
main event win. “I got lucky, be-
cause I think Clyde should’ve
won. He deserved to win, but
that’s what happens some-
times.”
Rian McVae of Scappoose,
led the first nine laps of the
PHRA main with his Competi-
tion Motorsports 1934 Ford
sedan two-third scale replica
dwarf car. Esteban moved past
McVae on the 10th lap and led
the next 30 circuits of the 40-
lap race with his C & E Exca-
vating 1934 Ford Vicky dwarf
car. McVae finished 13th out of
the 16-car field. Esteban, 38,
won 11-of-14 races last season
on his way to winning his sec-
ond PHRA title and he’s won
three races this year
The opening event of the 13-
race series was set for May 2,
but was canceled because of
rain. The next race is June 6
and the NOMA Midgets and
USCA Sprints will be featured,
along with the regular race pro-
gram.
See photo on page 24
RIVERCITY SPEEDWAY
MAY 16 OFFICIAL RESULTS
Modified Division – Fast Time:
Doug Davenport, Vernonia 15.03.
Trophy Dash: Jeremy Martin, St.
Helens. Heat Race: Martin; Curtis
Zelmer, Portland; Dennis Blasier,
Scappoose. Main: Martin; Daven-
port; Blasier; Don Jenner, Vancou-
ver; Zelmer; Robert Jenner, Van-
couver; Scott Winebarger, Corbett.
Women’s Division – Fast Time:
Linda Holland, Deer Island 16.88
Trophy Dash: Stacey Fordyce,
Vancouver. Heat: Fordyce; Hol-
land; Kathy McMullen, St. Helens.
Main: Holland; Fordyce; Susan
Nelson, Portland; McMullen; Bobbi
Harris, Battleground; Natalie
Williams, Vernonia.
Street Stock – Fast Time: John
Nusom, Gresham 16.58. Trophy
Dash: Brad Nusom, Gresham.
Heat 1: Stephen Fenter, St. He-
lens; Todd Newton, St. Helens;
Ronnie Racer (Dodge), Vernonia.
Heat 2: John Nusom; Zelmer; Gary
Meyer, Vernonia. Main: Nusom;
Mike Crase, Portland; Brad Nu-
W illiams
M etal
F ab
Custom Fabrication & Welding
All Metals Including
Stainless Steel & Aluminum
Portable W ELDING A VAILABLE
5 0 3 - 4 2 9 - 84 3 1
17819 Noakes Rd., Vernonia, Oregon
som; Zelmer; Fenter; Mike Harri-
son, St. Helens; Racer; Newton;
Meyer.
Sportsman Division – Fast
Time: Rick Rehanek, St. Helens
15.62. Trophoy Dash: John Nu-
som. Heat 1: Eric Lindquist, Mil-
waukie; Larry Lemmons, Toledo,
WA; Tim Williams, Scappoose.
Heat 2: Frank Elwess, Portland;
Nathan Slape, Rainier; Brenda
Hurley, Castle Rock. Heat 3: Chris
West, Vancouver; John Nusom;
Clyde White. Main: West; Jereld
Strawn, Deer Island; John
Fordyce, Vancouver; Lindquist;
Rick Graham, Portland; Rehanek;
Williams; John Nusom; White; Ben
Crase, Portland.
PHRA – Trophy Dash: Corey
Esteban, Gaston. Heat 1: Rich
Adams, Portland. Heat 2: Esteban.
Heat 3: Richard Petty, Scappoose.
A
Main:
Esteban;
Mitch
Meeuwsen, Portland; Adams; Jim
Pavel, Mollala.
River City Speedway
2009 Schedule
June 6 – CCRA, USCA Sprints
and NOMA Midgets
June 20 – CCRA and Micro
Sprints
June 27 – CCRA, PHRA and
Tracers
July 11 – CCRA, PHRA and
Pacific Mini Sprints
July 15 – Columbia County Fair
Race
July 25 – CCRA and PHRA
Aug. 1 – CCRA, USCA Sprints
and NOMA Midgets
Aug. 15 – CCRA, Micro Sprints
and Tracers
Aug. 29 – CCRA and PHRA
Sept. 5 – CCRA, PHRA and
Tracers
Sept. 6 – CCRA, PHRA and
Tracers
Sept. 19 – CCRA Championship
Sept. 26 – Run What Ya’ Brung
What do you do
if you see a bear?
From page 10
face the bear
· Consider talking to it in a
firm tone of voice to let it know
you are a human
· Avoid direct eye contact
with the bear.
· If you are attacked, fight
back, shout, be aggressive,
use rocks, sticks and hands to
fend off an attack.
For more information about
living with black bears, visit the
ODFW Web site at: http://www.
dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_w
ith/black_bears.asp.