by Mike Weber
St. Helens drivers Stephen Kaptur
and Adam Beehler won main events and Don Grentz recorded
his fifth street stock top five finish in the Budweiser
Race Saturday at River City Speedway in St. Helens.
Reser's Fine Foods Sportsman Division
leader Tricia "Great" Brittain of St. Helens,
notched a second straight main event runnerup finish.
Dan Smith of Scappoose, won the modified main to notch
his second win and sixth straight top five as he leads
the division standings.
In addition to the Columbia County
Racing Association program, drivers in the NOMA Midgets
and the USCA Sprints open wheel series also competed
at the speedway. Tim Pyle of Gresham, won the NOMA main
and Pat Canfield of Battleground, won the USCA main.
Eddie Farness of Sandy, passed Vernonia's
Ron Dodge on lap 21 to win the street stock main. Dodge
notched a career best second in The Independent sponsored
Oldsmobile Cutlass and was followed by Gresham's Steven
Nusuom in third. Grentz of St. Helens, took fourth in
his Camaro for his fifth top five finish. Terry Moss
of St. Helens, was fifth in his Knife River Malibu.
Kaptur moved up front from a fourth
place start and took the lead on the opening circuit
of the 40-lap sportsman main. He led all the way in
his Mike Smith Plumbing sponsored 1980 Malibu and won
by eight lengths over Brittain.
"I was able to pass a couple of
slower cars on the first lap to get the lead and it
was fun staying up front," said Kaptur. "I've
had mechanical problems with the car, mainly an oil
leak, but I think I've fixed it. I've been in just four
races this year, so I'm not concerned about the standings,
but I hope to do well in the next race (Aug. 16)."
Brittain notched her sixth straight
top five with her Fast Racing/Ridleys Rides Monte Carlo.
She was fourth early in the race behind Doug Hurley,
Leroy White and Kaptur. She passed White on lap 28 for
second and held onto her spot.
"I was caught behind lapped cars
and after I got by them, Stephen was way ahead,"
said Brittain. "It was a good day, the car runs
great and the track was in excellent condition. It's
exciting to have the division lead and I feel a little
overwhelmed by it. I hope that I can keep the lead and
maybe be the first woman to win the title, which would
really be awesome."
Robert Jenner of Vancouver, led 37
laps of the modified main. Smith maneuvered past Jenner,
who was slowed by lapped cars, moving by him on the
inside lane for the lead on lap 38. Smith's STC Racing
Parts teammate, Jeremy Martin, had a flat tire as the
yellow caution flag came out. On the lap 39 restart,
Smith zoomed further ahead with the Reser's Fine Foods
racer owned by Sam and Jane Jeffers of Scappoose and
won by four car lengths over Jenner. The father/son
duo of Dan Fox (3rd) and son Sean (4th) followed with
Vernonia's Doug Davenport in fifth.
"Jenner ran a good race and when
we both got behind lapped cars, I was able to thread
the needle and take the lead," said Smith, the
2006 series champion. "Jeremy and I are both one,
two in points and that's Sam's goal to see us finish
atop the division. With four races left we'll have a
good shot at it. Sam provides us with awesome race cars
and we're having lots of fun this year, so you really
can't ask for anything better than that."
Beehler passed Jason Scheibel of Kelso
on lap 10 and led the next 30 circuits to win his second
straight mini stock main with his Dan Garrison, CPA
sponsored Honda. Deer Island's Scott McMullen took second
and Milwaukie's Eric Lindquist was third.
Portland's Jackie Graham won the women's
main in the Perfection Automotive Pontiac Firebird and
series leader Brenda Hurley of Castle Rock, was second.
Melissa McVae of Scappoose, a Rookie-of-the-Year contender,
had a season best third in her Chapman Auto Repair Malibu.
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