MALTA, N.Y. — Stewart Friesen avoided getting involved in three separate incidents, used a lapped car to get past leader Ken Tremont Jr. and walked off with his fourth win of the season in the 35-lap modified feature Friday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
The victory was worth $2,500, thanks to bonus money put up by Bart Contracting.
Friesen’s wild night actually began in his heat race. Hoping to get into a handicapped position, Friesen quickly ate up ground, but was pinched into the inside wall on lap four, had to check up, and could only finish fifth, which put him 17th in the 30-car modified field.
On lap two of the feature, there was a chain reaction incident in the second turn right in front of Friesen, but he managed to avoid the incident without getting caught up in the chaos.
Then, on lap four, Rich Ronca got spun around by Brian Berger in the fourth turn, starting another incident. Both Ronnie Johnson and point leader Mike Mahaney couldn’t avoid contact with Ronca and each other, but Friesen cranked the wheel of the Halmar modified to the left, rocketed through the infield and got back on the track in turn one.
Peter Britten, who didn’t even complete a lap in the feature the previous week, used his eighth starting spot to take the lead on lap six, and one lap later, defending champion Marc Johnson, who has been on fire ever since switching to a Bicknell chassis, took over the No. 2 spot.
Tremont joined the lead group from his 10th starting position and got a big jump on a restart to get the lead coming out of the fourth turn on lap 11.
Friesen was up to fourth by lap 14 and began to battle Britten for the No. 2 spot. On lap 20, they rocketed into the fourth turn, with Britten as high as he could go, and Friesen just inside. Just inches apart, Britten got up into the loose stuff and slammed into the fourth turn outside wall, while Friesen ducked away and took over third.
Tremont, Marc Johnson and Friesen then put on a whale of a show, with Tremont and Friesen hugging the cushion, and Johnson running the extreme inside. Friesen finally cleared Johnson on lap 24.
On lap 32, Tremont and Friesen were dead even coming across the finish line, with the lapped car of Berger looming right in front of them. Friesen cleared Berger first, and took the lead away from Tremont coming out of turn two.
Keith Flach brought out the final yellow on lap 33, but all that did was allow Johnson to get past Tremont for the No. 2 spot on the restart.
“I could keep pace with him,” said Friesen. “The top of three and four was so good, but in one and two, he was holding me off. But when we got in traffic, I finally got him.”
Anthony Perrego, who was looking for the Madsen Overhead Doors/Flach Products Back-to-Back bonus, finished fourth while Matt DeLorenzo was fifth.
Mahaney came from the rear after his pit stop on lap four to finish seventh, allowing him to maintain the point lead.
The finish:
Stewart Friesen, Marc Johnson, Ken Tremont Jr., Anthony Perrego, Matt DeLorenzo, Jackie Brown Jr., Mike Mahaney, Bobby Hackel IV, Jessey Mueller, Todd Stone, Neil Stratton, Adam Pierson, Jack Lehner, Brian Gleason, James Meehan, Ronnie Johnson, Elmo Reckner, David Schilling, Ricky Davis, Keith Flach, Mett Depew, Derrick McGrew Jr., Don Ronca, Brian Berger, Vinnie Visconti, Derek Bornt, Bob Hentschel, Peter Britten, Rocky Warner, Rich Ronca.