Page 14
The INDEPENDENT, June 16, 2011
Racing season has started at River City Speedway in St. Helens
by Mike Weber, Correspondent
After the first two races in
May were cancelled because of
rain, River City Speedway final-
ly started its 25th year of action
with a total of over 100 drivers
competing in the 2011 season
opener Saturday, June 4, at the
Columbia County Fairgrounds
facility in St. Helens.
For 15-year-old Brad Martin,
the youngest driver at the track,
he had a spectacular debut
while competing for the first
time ever in a Columbia County
Racing Association adult classi-
fication. Martin of St. Helens,
won the street stock A main and
also notched top-three finishes
in other events.
Brad Beehler of St. Helens
led a one, two, three finish of
family members with his mini
stock main event win. Tiffany
Gee of Scappoose, recorded
her first-ever main win to cap-
ture the women’s division race.
Vernonia’s Doug Davenport
won the modified main, and
four-time speedway champion
Curt Nusom of Gresham won
the sportsman main.
In other events, Cody Smith
of Scappoose was a three-time
winnner in the tracer division
for teenagers. Smith won the
trophy dash, heat race and was
the fastest qualifier (17.15) with
his Alliance Automotive spon-
sored Chevrolet Camaro. Smith
was third in the main behind
runnerup Baleigh O’Connor
and tracer winner Jonathan
West. Gresham’s Dave Walters
won the 15-lap Pacific Mini
Sprint main. Steffen Strawn of
Deer Island won the street
stock B main.
Martin started on the front
row of the 16-car street stock
main and led all 15-laps to take
the checkered flag with his
Reser’s Fine Foods Camaro.
Gresham’s John Nusom was
second, followed by John Haa-
genson of St. Helens and Ger-
ardo Caballero of Portland. It
was the first ever street stock
race for Martin, who took third
in the heat. Martin was also
runnerup in the dwarf car main
to winner Ryan Martinez of
Portland and he won the heat
race.
“I’m just so surprised that I
was able to win a street stock
main, especially since it’s the
first time I ever entered a race
in this class,” said Martin, who
has also won championships in
quads, quarter midgets and the
student division. “I still can’t be-
lieve it and it’s really a huge ac-
complishment”
Martin’s dad Jeremy, took
fourth in the 17-lap modified
main and was the fastest quali-
fier on the quarter-mile clay
oval track at 14.98 seconds.
Davenport started on the front
row of the 14-car field and led
all the way with his Double K
Trucking/BSB Manufacturing
open wheel style modified rac-
er. Vancouver drivers Don Jen-
ner (second) and Robert Jen-
ner (third) followed. Defending
series champion Greg Greer of
Rainier was fifth.
“It felt real good to get a win
and it’s a good way to start the
season,” said Davenport, 36. “I
was fortunate that the race
ended when it did, because
something broke in the motor
immediately after I took the
checkered flag. If there was an-
other lap, then one of the Jen-
ner boys would’ve passed me. I
might compete here more often
than I have in the past, espe-
cially since it’s close to home.”
Brad Beehler passed Port-
land’s John Adams to get the
lead on lap seven in the 18-car
mini stock main. Beehler was
followed closely by his brother
Adam in second, and nephew
Joel in third for the remainder of
the 15-lap event. Brad’s Datsun
210 and Adam’s Dan Garrison
CPA Honda were side-by-side
at the end in a thrilling photo
finish, with the Datsun ahead
by just inches. Joel Beehler
See Racing on page 16
Foreground left is Ron Dodge of Vernonia with Rob Williams, also from Vernonia, next to
him, as they get ready to race at River City Speedway in St. Helens on June 4.
Council hears water system in okay shape
From page 13
for safety shrubbery installed at
the Log Cabin Park bus stop,
as well as for installation of a
future bicycle rack.
• The State Water Programs
Office has conducted their tri-
ennial inspection of the city’s
system. The system had dis-
crepancies but overall the in-
spectors were pleased with the
management of the system. A
report of the city’s plan for cor-
recting the discrepancies will
be completed within the next
two weeks.
• Mayor John Kinsky has ex-
ecuted the annual contract
amendment for contract deputy
services.
• Thanks to Debi Wyckoff;
the city has had office furniture
donated free of charge for the
Public Works Building when the
build out is completed.
• June 15 the city com-
menced stump grinding on
Maplecrest Way and on Ashton
Drive.
The Banks Police Services
Local Operating Levy will ex-
pire on June 30, 2012. In antic-
ipation of the expiration, council
is contemplating placing a Lo-
cal Operation Levy on the No-
vember, 2011 election ballot. A
motion to approve a Local Op-
tion Levy Ballot Measure Draft
Statement for the November
2011 General election was
made by Councilor Rob Fowler
and carried unanimously.
On May 10 and again on
May 17 Council voted to renew
the intergovernmental Cooper-
ation Agreement with Washing-
ton County for the Community
Development Block Grant Pro-
gram. The council now has the
final draft of the new agree-
State Farm ®
Providing Insurance and Financial Services
Home Office, Bloomington, Illinois 61710
Bunny Girt, Agent
1229 N. Adair
PO Box 543
Cornelius, OR 97113-0543
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bunny.girt.b71g@statefarm.com
ment. Council again motioned
to approve the agreement and
the motion passed.
Council motioned and ap-
proved an amendment to the
Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Operat-
ing Budget appropriating ex-
penditures in the water fund to
cover expenses of additional
cost for emergency water line
repairs.
Council adopted a resolution
for fiscal year 2011-2012 De-
claring the City’s Election to re-
ceive State revenue and elect-
ed to receive State-shared rev-
enue.
A resolution providing for
Fiscal Year 2011-2012 inter-
fund borrowing for the library
fund #03 was adopted as well
as an interfund borrowing for
police services fund #07.
The Banks Budget Commit-
tee received and reviewed the
proposed operation Budget
and Capital Improvement Plan
for Fiscal year 2011-2012,
which has now been approved
after making some adjust-
ments. Council adopted the
Operating Budget and Capital
Improvement Plan.
The next City Council Meet-
ing will be held in Banks City
hall Council Chambers, on July
12, at 7:00 p.m.