MALTA, N.Y. — Mike Mahaney seemed to have the $3,000 DIRTcar modified feature firmly in hand Friday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, but Jessey Mueller had other ideas.
Rim rider Mueller got to second when Neil Stratton, who’d been second the entire race, spun on lap 30 to scramble the lead pack. Mueller, third at the time, hit the outside even harder on the restart and the next time around had the lead and his third win at the three-eighths-mile oval.
Kenny Tremont Jr., up from 11th, was third ahead of Marc Johnson and Ronnie Johnson.
Polesitter Lou Torres led until Mahaney arrived on the scene and took the point, with outside front row starter Stratton following him around Torre. By lap 10 it was Mahaney, Stratton, Mueller, Bobby Hackel and Tremont, with Rocky Warner working hard on Tremont for fifth.
By the time Torres spun at halfway in the 35-lapper, Mueller had lost one spot but he got it back by lap 20 as Tremont and Warner dueled behind him. Warner, charging hard, took third from Mueller on a lap 27 restart and seemed headed for the front until Stratton went around and sent him over the turn two banking.
That put Mueller second for the restart and he rode his beloved outside groove to the lead off turn four with four to go.
Hackel led the second five, with Matt DeLorenzo, Brett Hearn, Demetrious Drellos and Jack Lehner trailing.
In supporting class action, the top three Pro Stocks ran under a blanket for the second half of the race before Brandon Emigh finally slipped under race long leader Jason Corbin for the win. In the street stocks, Randy Miller, made his customary run from the rear of the field to claim the win.