MALTA, N.Y. — Ronnie Johnson had a smile wider than the gap he shot through to get the lead after Friday night’s 35 lap DIRTcar modified feature at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
After charging from 10th to fourth before the night’s first yellow on lap nine, Johnson launched like a rocket on the restart, blowing around Kris Vernold down the frontstretch, then squeezing between Bobby Hackel III and Jessey Mueller exiting turn two to take command down the backstretch. He was definitely a man in a hurry.
“I knew I had to get to the front quickly,” summed up Johnson, enjoying a great week after claiming the Fonda Speedway point title Saturday. “I knew who was on my tail and I couldn’t have passed them back if they’d gotten around me. The car felt really good tonight and that lets you do things that make you look like a hero.”
Once out front, Johnson didn’t have to worry about anyone catching him, but Mueller and Hackel had their hands full as Peter Britten, defending Albany-Saratoga champion Mike Mahaney, Kenny Tremont Jr., Keith Flach and point leader Anthony Perrego had all started behind him and were battling their way forward.
Three more cautions, on laps 14, 24 and 31, kept Johnson out of traffic and kept the field closed up, a great advantage for the high fliers from the rear. Britten led the charge, climbing to fourth at halfway before engaging in a back-and-forth battle with Hackel and Mueller.
The lap-31 caution saved Hackel momentarily, as Britten was alongside when Perrego slowed to draw the yellow, but a good start saw the Australian blow around the outside to seize second on the restart.
They ran that way to the checkers, with Hackel third ahead of Meuller, Jack Lehner, Mahaney, Flach, Tremont, Tyler Dippel and Jeremy Pitts.
Darryl Nutting claimed a $1,000 victory in the sportsman finale, besting Dick Bisson and Pat Jones, while Chris Bisson prevailed in the limited sportsman feature over Chris Crane Jr and Dakota Green.
Mike Arnold led Jeff Meltz and Kaleb Shepard in a terrific street stock race that saw the lead swapped back and forth right to the checkers.