MALTA, N.Y. — Demetrious Drellos, known to his legion of fans as “The Greek Streak,” notched a $4,000 triumph in Friday night’s DIRTcar big-block modified feature at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
His second score of the season came at the expense of Jessey Mueller, who thought he had his third 2024 win firmly in hand until the third-running Drellos drove in under the rim-riding leader after a late-race restart, then moved up in front of him to take his favored groove away.
“It was all from tire management under yellow. That was the difference tonight,” offered the elated winner. “We fired way better on the green getting into one. I knew Jessey would want the top and that gave me the bottom to get under the 08 at that end and Jessey at the other. That was the magic, plus the track was perfect after all the rain yesterday and I could run anywhere I needed to.”
Rich Ronca led off the pole early on but by their second tour of the three-eighths-mile oval, Jack Speshock had his No. 08 even at the flag stand and took the lead the next time around. But behind the battle for the lead, the seventh starting Mueller was mowing them down running the extreme outside and stood a distant second at halfway.
Mueller had cut Speshock’s advantage to two car lengths by lap 20 and three laps later got even with him when they split a lapped car on the frontstretch. He then worked his way by a foot at a time and had the lead when they got back to the flag stand again.
With that battle over, fans turned their attention to Drellos, who had started alongside Mueller but had not advanced as quickly. But he kept getting better and better and when the night’s first yellow flew on lap 26, he stood third. He didn’t get anywhere on the resulting restart but the yellow reappeared a lap and a half later and that time he was ready to make his move, hugging the inside edge of the track to shoot by Speshock and then Mueller to take command.
“I thought we had it in the bag,” tipped Mueller. “I didn’t get as good a launch on that second restart but I wasn’t worried because I didn’t expect anyone to challenge us. I sure didn’t need those restarts, because they were the difference in winning or losing.”
Speshock, after running up front all night, faded in the waning laps with point leader Peter Britten moving to third.
“I felt good but I didn’t quite have enough,” summed up the Australian. “Drellos is always quick and his winning was no surprise.”
Jack Lehner advanced from 16th to fourth, with 29th starting Marc Johnson fifth. The second five included Speshock, Matt DeLorenzo, Neil Stratton, David Schilling and Jeremy Pitts.
In Pro Stock action, Rob Yetman claimed his 37th Albany-Saratoga win, besting Beau Ballard and Pete Stefanski.
Thirteen-year-old Connor Crane Jr. won the Sportsman finale, besting division kingpin Tim Hartman, Mike Coffey Jr. and John Miller.