Page 20
The INDEPENDENT, September 2, 2010
River City Speedway results from next to last race of the season
by Mike Weber
Five of the six Columbia
County Racing Association
main event winners had one
thing in common at the August
21 Wilcox and Flegel-spon-
sored race: It marked their first
win this year at River City
Speedway. It was a particularly
notable occasion for Wood-
land’s Devon Reed, Stan
Asanovic of Forest Grove and
Vancouver’s John Fordyce,
who each won their first-ever
main events.
For longtime standout Jere-
my Martin of St. Helens, his
modified main event victory
was nothing new for him, as
he’s recorded numerous wins
in the series the last seven
years. Nevertheless, Martin’s
win was as sweet as could be,
as it marked his first since he
replaced the car’s V-8 motor
four weeks ago.
Martin took the lead on the
second lap after passing Port-
land’s Dale Holland on the back
straightaway. Martin led the re-
mainder of the 30-lap race to
take the checkered flag with his
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sponsored open-wheel style
racer.
“My sponsors are really the
people who are most responsi-
ble for allowing me to continue
racing, especially after I had to
replace the motor four weeks
ago,” said Martin, 38, a former
series champion (2007), who
notched his third win this year.
“The track was a little rough,
but it wasn’t as bad as it looks
and we’re fortunate to usually
have a pretty smooth track sur-
face every week. Ed Brasmer,
Charlie Rigdon and Sam Brit-
tain always do a great job in
preparing the track.”
Reed took the lead on lap 16
in the sportsman main after
passing leader Frank Elwess of
Portland, who had a flat tire on
his Chevrolet Nova. Reed held
onto the advantage throughout
the 40-lap race, which was de-
layed by four caution flags. By
lap 25, Reed was being chal-
lenged for first place by Jereld
Strawn of Deer Island and divi-
sion points leader Bud Russell
of St. Helens.
Reed managed to hold off
both local drivers in his Floors
& More Chevy Monte Carlo and
won by nine car-lengths over
Strawn, in his 1978 Pontiac
Firebird. Russell maneuvered
up from an 11th place starting
position to take third place in
his Competitive Edge Sign &
Design Monte Carlo. Lisa Liner
of St. Helens, who was compet-
ing for the first time this year,
took fourth in her Liner Racing
Chevy. Her dad Paul, of
Olympia, took seventh in his
Chevy and it marked the first
ever competitive racing action
between a father and daughter
at the speedway.
“There were a few guys who
were driving a little rough, but
that’s all just part of stock car
racing,” said Russell, who post-
ed a sixth consecutive top-five
main event finish. “At some
points during the race, it almost
seemed like a demolition derby.
I had a good day though and
I’m glad that I got third. As long
as I continue having good luck,
then I think I’ll have a good
chance to win the division
championship.”
Jenelle June Harrison of St.
Helens, started on the pole po-
sition of the 16-car mini stock
main and led the opening lap
around the quarter-mile clay
oval with her Past Time Tavern
1981 Datsun 210. Longview’s
Jerry Winchester moved in
front after passing Harrison on
the outside lane of the front
straight on lap two.
“It was fun having the early
lead, but I sure felt nervous,”
said Harrison, who is the only
woman driver in the mini stock
class. “It seemed like a strange
night with all the caution flags
and the rough track conditions.
Everything turned out OK
though because my car is very
reliable and it’s been running
good all season. This is an af-
fordable class of motorsports to
compete in and I’m having a lot
of fun this year.”
Winchester continued lead-
ing in his Ford Mustang, but
was unable to get around
lapped cars and Adam Beehler
zoomed past him on lap 18 to
take the lead. Beehler and Win-
chester battled for the lead for
the next 10 laps until both fron-
trunners were sidelined on lap
29. Beehler, the division leader
from St. Helens, exited to the
pits with a broken left rear
wheel component and Win-
chester had a radiator problem.
“When I was leading, I felt
like I had a good shot at win-
ning five in a row,” said Beehler,
who had won the previous four
mini stock mains with his Triple
X Archery/Dan Garrison CPA
Honda Civic. “My car was run-
ning good and I’m still leading
the point standings over my
nephew (Joel Beehler), so I re-
ally can’t complain. It would’ve
been nice to get another victo-
ry, but you can’t win every
race.”
Asanovic, 30, took over first
place on the lap 29 restart and
stayed ahead the next 11 laps
to get his first-ever CCRA win
with his Meyer’s Auto Body
Dodge Neon. John Oyler of St.
Helens, was second, “Holly-
wood” Gary Meyer of Vernonia
took third and Harrison had a
season best fourth place.
Vancouver’s Stacey For-
dyce, the defending champion
along with co-driver Linda Hol-
land of Deer Island, who was
competing for the first time this
year, won the 20-lap women’s
division main with her D & S
Light Truck sponsored Chevy
Nova. Division leader Kathy
McMullen of Deer Island, was
trying to notch a fourth straight
win, but her win streak ended
as she was runnerup in her Mc-
Mullen Water Systems Chevy
Malibu.
“It was nice having more
cars than we’ve had in other
races and that sure makes it a
lot more fun,” said McMullen.
“As long as nothing happens to
my car, then I think I’ll have a
good chance to win the
women’s division champi-
onship. Stacey is a very good
driver and it’s always nice to
have more competition.”
Stacey’s husband John,
overtook Gresham’s Brad Nu-
som on lap 19 of the street
stock main and led the last six
circuits to get the win in his
1975 Nova. The two cars were
very close at the conclusion
with Nusom’s Camaro bumper-
to-bumper with Fordyce as they
crossed the finish line. It
marked the first-ever street
stock win for Fordyce. It was
also the first time that a hus-
band/wife duo have won main
events at the speedway while
driving the same car.
Scott Reed of Toledo, who
was competing in his first race
this year, led from start-to-finish
to capture the Pacific Mini
Sprint 25-lap main with his Sign
Pro open-wheel winged sprint
car.
The next race is the Reser’s
Labor Day Weekend races
September 4-5 at the Columbia
County Fairgrounds facility.
R IVER C ITY S PEEDWAY
A UGUST 21, 2010 R ESULTS
Sportsman – Fast Time:
Clyde White, Longview 14.53.
Trophy Dash: Devon Reed,
Woodland. Heat 1: Bob Berg,
St. Helens; Dennis Munger,
Vancouver; Matt Taylor, St. He-
lens. Heat 2: Bud Russell, St.
Helens; Paul Liner, Olympia;
Lisa Liner, St. Helens. Heat 3:
Tricia Brittain, St. Helens; Curt
Nusom, Gresham; Reed. B
Main: Taylor; Berg; Munger;
Justin Davis, Portland. A Main:
Reed; Jereld Strawn, Deer Is-
land; Russell; Lisa Liner; Brian
Vaughn, Longview; Chris West,
Vancouver; Paul Liner; Berg;
White; Stephen Kaptur, St. He-
lens.
Street Stock – Fast Time:
Aaron Prettyman, St. Helens
15.97. Trophy Dash: Brad Nu-
som, Gresham. Heat 1: Robert
Jenner,
Vancouver;
Mike
Crase, Portland; David Craw-
ford, Portland. Heat 2: R.T. Cut-
See Race on page 22