MALTA, N.Y. — Australian expat Peter Britten, known as “Batman” to his many fans, easily claimed the DIRTcar big block modified feature Friday night at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
But what the fans will remember long after details of the 35-lap feature escape their memory was his crowd pleasing “Kyle Busch bow” in victory lane.
“Obviously I didn’t know Kyle,” said Britten pitside. “But I respected his ability in a race car and losing him at such a young age is a major tragedy.”
Britten took the green in the sixth row but he didn’t stay there long. When the night’s second yellow flew on lap four, he was already fifth, courtesy of two cars dropping out and outside passes on five others.
Rookie Andrew Buff shot down leader CG Morey on the ensuing restart but Britten stood third on lap five, blew by Jack Lehner for second the next time around and three laps later drove around Buff to take command.
“I fired off the green good and just kept going,” summed up Britten with a big smile. “The track got pretty wide because everybody kept pushing the top out. It was starting to go away by the time I got out front but I got the lead there and I couldn’t give it up, though it did get a bit hectic in traffic towards the end.”
Early on, it seemed as if Matt DeLorenzo, who started two rows behind Britten, might catch him. DeLorenzo was fifth at halfway and got to second with ten to go but ran out of steam before he could close on Britten.
“I got too tight on the outside and had to drop down a groove,” tipped DeLorenzo. “I was catching him but then I started losing the nose and he got away. It’s tough coming from the back like that!”
Third went to Brian Calabrese by inches over the night’s hard charger, defending track champion Mike Mahaney, who came from 18th on the grid. Jeremy Pitts was fifth ahead of Demetrious Drellos, Marc Johnson, Neil Stratton, Justin Stone and Buff.
“I got caught sleeping on the start and Britten went by,” offered Calabrese. “I had hopes of catching him early on, but my right rear got so hot it was all I could do to keep it on the track. Then I got in the wall with two to go, so third isn’t bad.”
Scott Duel led the Pro Stock feature all the way for his eighth career score, besting Brandon Emigh, Caden Dumblewski, Jordan Modiano and Rob Yetman. Vermonter Katrina LeClair notched her first win ever in the Sportsman finale, leading teenager Bodie Marks, Connor Crane, division kingpin Tim Hartman Jr. and Craig Wholley to the stripe.
