By Mark Kane
For Capital Region Independent Media
After a strong start to the 2023 race season, the popular Australian Peter Britten was sidelined with a finger injury taking him out of his potent 21A.
Before the injury, Britten was on a roll keeping the 21A near the front, both on the road as well as at his home tracks. Making the return for the Albany Saratoga Massive Weekend in 2023, Britten drove from 17th to fifth against a stout field of DIRTcar’s best. For 2024, Britten is back and looking strong with a solid third on opening night and following it up with a great run to win week two at the “Great Race Place,” Albany Saratoga Speedway.
Living up to the nickname, the Malta facility again was in great racing condition and Lyle DeVore and his team are giving race teams a smooth racing surface. For Britten it was no easy win having to start 15th against a strong contingent of NAPA Modifieds that assemble weekly in a green to checker 35 lap feature. Yeah, baby.
NAPA MODIFIEDS
As the green flag dropped on the NAPA Modified feature it was Demetrios Drellos — the 2023 Albany Saratoga and Fonda Speedway Modified champion who has had a tough 2024 season, losing a rear-end opening night and being involved in an accident at Utica Rome — on the move early from fifth.
With Rich Ronca grabbing the early lead and James Meehan running right on his rear deck, Drellos went into turn 3 in third and became the new leader at the line as the leaders were three-wide battling for position.
Once out front, Drellos 111 started to open up on the field with Meehan 32, Robert Bublak 27, and Brian Calabrese 21C, and worked his way into the top 5 as Ronca battled hard to hold onto fifth. On the move finding the high side to their liking were Matt DeLorenzo and Peter Britten, who were on a charge while a great race was developing mid-pack as Marc Johnson found his rhythm and started his march.
Making a return to Albany Saratoga, Brett Hearn is finding some tough going in the early season as the 20-team has yet to hit their stride, racing most of the night outside the top 15. Don’t count Hearn out yet, folks. I think he has a few good runs left in him.
Once Drellos caught traffic, Bublak and Meehan worked hard to stay with the leader as Britten was wound up on the high side and he was coming to the front having a great battle with Jack Lehner and once past Lehner, was looking for more and would find it. With the 111 of Drellos still out front, Britten continued to hit his marks lap after lap, using the top side and sometimes it looked like a little more with perfection working his way into the top 4 with the leaders in his sights.
As the green flag laps clicked away, traffic was no friend to the leaders, but for the fans it kept the racing tight, sometimes a little too close for comfort, as Britten and Meehan made contact in turn 3, with Britten going to the bottom in turn 3 slide up into Meehan as it was now Drellos, Bublak with a solid run, Britten, Meehan, and Brian Calabrese, who was having a great run in the top 5.
However, a freight train was coming. Going back to the top, Britten set after Bublak and would make the pass out of turn two and down the back chute. Once in second, the 21A of Britten started to reel in the 111 of Drellos, who was running low in the same groove as the lap car of Garrett Poland. Britten continued his assault on the top, reeling in the leader as they came to the flag stand.
By lap 31, Drellos was the leader. Going into turn one they were side by side, with Britten throwing dirt up top. Coming out of turn 2 Britten was the new leader as Drellos was hung up behind a lap car on the bottom. Britten was the leader by lap 32 and never looked back, picking up the popular win in front of a crowd that had just witnessed another great NAPA Modified feature with Drellos, Bublak Jr., Jack Lehner with a late race charge, and Matt DeLorenzo, who edged out Marc Johnson at the line for fifth.
Other racing of the night found Tim Hartman Jr. pick up the Ideal Excavating Sportsman race, adding to his all-time win list, picking up his 37th win at the Great Race Place. Craig Wholey, Zach Buff, Brandon Gibbons and Jim Nagle rounded out the top 5. The full-fender Saratoga Masonry Supply Pro Stocks was won by veteran Rob Yetmen. With his win this puts him back in a tie with Kim Duell for the all-time win list. Following Yetman to the line was Jason Casey, Duell, Jordan Modiano, and Rich Crane rounding out the top 5.
HAUN Welding Limited Sportsman was won by Tanner Coon as PJ Cram won the Cornell’s Auto Parts Street Stocks. The RUSH Late Models made a special appearance as they are trying to make this class grow and will run them at Glen Ridge in 2024 weekly. Making his way back home with the win was BAM BAM Brock Pinkerous. Only seven cars showed for the event with one not making it through hot laps, leaving a six-car feature.
FONDA SPEEDWAY
Well, Saturday morning I looked at the weather report and it was no better than it had been, but there was a slight glimmer of hope. So off to Fonda Speedway for their 73rd opening night, deep down knowing it was going to be an early night.
As race time got closer so did the rain on the map, but that didn’t keep the race fans from getting to the track, some earlier than others and all settling in for a night of racing. The Fonda race family was home for opening night, right where they wanted to be, supporting Brett Deyo and Fonda Speedway.
What was that old girl going to do with new clay on her along with all the rain? You had a better chance trying to predict the weather.
A good field of cars made their way to the pits off turns 3 and 4 as the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series filled the inner pit area down the old drag strip. Now if that didn’t bring back some great memories of racing gone by throughout my years in the covered grandstand.
When the cars came out for hot laps and heats they put the old girl through her paces and she stood proud, even with them throwing the Modifieds to the high side with what looked to be three groves before rain moved into the area.
For those in the covered grandstand toward turn 1, you could hear drivers burp the throttle, set the car and drive hard off turn 1 and 2 on the bottom, while others were just blasting the top of turn 1. With foot to the motor plate and staying high in 2 down the back chute, they stayed to the high side all the way around. There was the middle as well with plenty of racing room. Remember, it is spring and that is a new racing surface and it seems to me the track was in pretty good shape until the rains came.
Picking up heat wins before the rains was Chris Curtis, Jessica Friesen and Jack Lehner in the three Modified heats, with 25 cars showing up for the racing action.
In the 602 Sportsman it was Clayton Dumond, Chip Constantino, and Jonny Feagles with 28 cars showing up. Pro Stocks had 10 cars, with Jason Morrison taking the heat win. Limited Sportsman had 20 cars, with Ryan Sweet and AJ Greco picking up the heat wins.
Picking up the wins in the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) was Joe Rondo-Mystique, and Chris Condon in the Late Models, and Bryan Scofield in the Antique.
LEBANON VALLEY SPEEDWAY
The “Valley of Speed,” Lebanon Valley Speedway, managed to get their opener in with Andy Bachetti picking up the Modified feature over Keith Flach, Brian Berger and Marc Johnson, with Kyle Armstrong rounding out the top 5.
The Sportsman had Tim Hartman Jr. pick up his second win of the weekend with Kevin Ward, Mike Arnold, Ricky Davis and Whitey Slavin rounding out the top 5. The Pro Stock feature had Zach Sorrentino in for the win over Nick Hill, Chad Jeseo, Dave Stickles and Paul LaRochelle rounded out the top 5.
MORE RACING
The “Home of Heroes” Utica Rome found Matt Sheppard went back to back, picking up the Modified win over Billy Decker, Alex Yankowski and Michael Maresca, with Rocky Warner rounding out the top five. The 602 Sportsman had Matt Janczuk picking up the win with Payton Talbot, Zach Sobotka, David Hackett and Nicholas Root rounding out the top 5.
Pro Stock action had AJ Walters picking up the win. Eric Johnson won the limited Sportsman. Rudy King was the 4 cyl. winner as the Slingshots were won by All-Star Brett Putnam, with the Junior Slingshot won by Addisyn Roger.
The Short Track Super Series (STSS) will head to the Accord Speedway for the “Battle of the Bullring” on Tuesday, May 14. The 50-lap STSS North Region opener will pay $9,090.90 in honor of former Accord regular Barry Davis and his #9D. A fine field will make their way to the tough little oval that will keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Along with the STSS Modifieds, the STSS 602 Sportsman and Accord Street Stocks will take to the track.
The High Limit 410 Sprints will be making their way to New York to the Outlaw Speedway on May 16, and then they will be heading to Brett Deyo’s Utica Rome and Fonda Speedways on May 17 and 18, with the High Limit 410 Sprints and Modifieds on the card for both events.
Look for drivers Brad Sweet, Rico Abreu, Parker Price-Miller, Zeb Wise, Tyler Courtney, Kasey Kahn, and many other High Limit, high energy drivers calling the road home in 2024.
Last year, Danny Varin shocked the Sprint Car world by beating the Tony Stewart 410 All Star Circuit of Champions that is now part of High Limit Sprints. Danny, as well as others, will be looking to upset the High Limit 410 Winged Super Sprints. This is going to be an exciting event.