July 15, 2011: MALTA NY – After getting a late start to the racing  season, Mike Bruno found himself staring at a big deficit in the NASCAR Modifieda point race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

But it’s never too late to start a comeback.

Bruno, who lost the 2010 track championship on the  final night of the season, started another climb toward the top Friday night with a victory in the  double-points Midseason Championship at the historic Malta  track.

Although Bruno has two pro late model wins under  his belt at  Albany-Saratoga, Friday night’s victory was his first in the NASCAR Modified division in  2011. And he made it look very easy. After a shaky first lap, when his left front tire dropped off the pavement into the infield on the backstretch, Bruno dominated the feature. He  pulled out to an early five-car advantage and easily handled lapped traffic.

With just one yellow coming out in the 35-lap feature, Bruno finished with  a comfortable 1.038 second margin of victory over teenager Hunter Bates, who came away with his second runner-up performance of the season.

Ron Proctor continued his hot streak, finishing third, giving him a win, a second and a third in his last three races. Bobby Hackel IV, coming off his first career victory on Sunday night at Devil’s Bowl, crossed the finish line fourth and points leader Joe Williams was fifth.

The crowd then settled back and waited to see if Bruno could also win the pro late model feature and pull off his first double-dip of the season.

Darryl Carl, who won the first two pro late model features of the season before cooling off, started on the pole and set a quick pace in the 25-lap  feature, but Bruno kept the crowd entertained and moved into  second on lap 13. But two laps later, Bruno got loose in the fourth turn (something broke in the car) and lost a lot of  ground, enabling Carl to pull away for an easy win.

He was followed by Dan  Petronis, Mike Scorzelli, Brandon Emigh and David Emigh.

Frank Monroe returned to victory lane in the  Renegade division, posting his second win of the year and first since opening night. The race had to be red-flagged on the fifth lap when Andy Smith blew something in the motor and dropped fluid on the track. But once racing resumed,  Monroe held off Josh Coonradt and Rowdy Burch to get the victory.

Matt Pappa won the INEX Young Lions feature, and  Harold Lavair Jr. was awarded the win in the Bomber Warriors feature. Colin Clow was first under the checkerered flag, but was later disqualified, giving the win to Lavair. Ironically, the last time Albany-Saratoga was in action, on July 1, Clow was awarded a win when Lavair was disqualified.

Albany-Saratoga will return to action on Friday, July 22, with all divisions in action. It will also be CSEA Employee Fun Night, and will feature the always-popular kids’ bike races on the asphalt track.

NASCAR MODIFIEDS: MIKE BRUNO, Hunter Bates, Ron  Proctor, Bobby Hackel IV, Joe Williams, Fred Proctor, Ron Proctor, Tom  Rotondaro, Luke Klob, Cody Sargen, Paul Dunham Jr., Dave Manny, Skip Shippee,  Jessey Mueller. DNS: Cody Hunt

PRO LATE MODELS: DARRYL CARL, Dan Petronis, Mike  Scorzelli, Brandon Emigh, David Emigh, Mike Bruno, Randy Miller.

RENEGADES: FRANK MONROE, Josh Coonradt, Rowdy  Burch, Matt Livingston, Bill Burlingame, Andy Smith.

BOMBER WARRIORS: HAROLD LAVAIR JR., Mark  Lindblade, Dan Collins, Tom Bristol, John McCarron, Dan Older Jr., Blake  Schwarting, Robert Sousis III. DQ: Colin Clow.