MALTA, N.Y. — One week ago, “Batman”, Peter Britten, picked up his second win of the season in DIRTcar Modified competition at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway. This week it was “The Dark Night,” who did just the same – won his second feature event of the season.
With the win, Johnson’s career DIRTcar Modified win total at the track is pushed to 31. His 31 wins ranks him seventh on the all-time feature winners list at the track, tying him with the late Lou Lazzaro.
Don Ronca led the opening lap of the 35-lap DIRTcar Modified feature event. By lap two both Neal Stratton and C.G. Morey had made their way past with Stratton holding the lead. Marc Johnson and rookie Dylan Grogan also moved past, into third and fourth position respectively.
By lap five Ronnie Johnson moved into the fifth position as Ronca dropped near the end of the top 10. On lap nine Marc Johnson took over the second position from Morey and set his sights on race leader Stratton.
Stratton, the son of long time Green Mountain State campaigner Hector Stratton, help the lead until lap 12 when Johnson used the low groove to take over the top spot. Stratton dropped to second with Morey a very distant third. Ronnie Johnson and Grogan rounded out the top five.
Tommy D’Angelo brought out the caution flag on lap 17 when he slowed, forcing a restart. While under caution, Stratton’s left front Hoosier Racing Tire went flat however he continued.
On the restart Marc Johnson held the lead with Stratton second, Ronnie Johnson third. Jack Speshock fourth and Morey fifth. Ronnie Johnson moved to second before the “big one” happened on the front stretch.
Stratton made contact with Ronnie Johnson and went hard into the front stretch wall. Numerous others were collected in some way including Ronca, Andrew Buff, Morey and Peter Britten.
On the restart John held the lead with Speshock and Ronnie Johnson following. The yellow lights were back on one lap later when Justin Stone and Felix Roy tangled in turn one.
When racing resumed it was Johnson, Speshock and Johnson, one-two-three with points leader Matt DeLorenzo fourth and Brian Calabrese fifth. Johnson moved into the second position on lap 25, forcing Speshock back to third.
As the laps clicked off, Ronnie Johnson closed on Marc. With five laps to go Ronnie Johnson was all over Marc as DeLorenzo closed on them both. Ronnie Johnson could not catch Marc and had to defend the second position from DeLorenzo.
Marc Johnson held on for his second win of the season with Ronnie Johnson second, DeLorenzo third, Speshock fourth and Calabrese fifth. Heat races for the 27 cars on hand went to Morey, Stratton and Ronca.
Rocky Warner won the 25-lap DIRTcar 358 Modified feature event. Taylor Wason won the 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman feature event. Kim Duell won the DIRTcar Pro Stock division feature event. Nick Arnold won the 20 lap Limited Sportsman feature event. Shane Wetherington won the 20 lap Street Stock feature event. Josh Reome won the DIRTcar 4-Cylinder feature event.
