Malta, NY – To many, the epitome of a racer is someone who competes on a shoestring budget and does more with less. When such a driver beats the higher profile teams, it becomes a feel good story. If there was a feel good story of such a racer at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway last season it would clearly be Marc Johnson.

The veteran from Guilderland, New York will once again be calling the Great Race Place home for the 2014 season. He will have the same trusted Troyer chassis DIRTcar Modified in the pit area each week in search of his first track championship.

“We are going to run the same car that we had last year,” Johnson said. “It is a 2012 Troyer and everything else on the car will pretty much be the same that we had last year. We will have a small block under the hood as I no longer own a big block.”

To call the 2013 season a stellar one for Johnson would be a severe understatement. Johnson visited victory lane twice (May 10^th and August 30^th) and competed in 16 of the 17 events. He finished the season with ten top five finishes and 15 top ten finishes. Despite the lack of major sponsor dollars Johnson had an average finish of 5.63 and ended the season third in the final point standings.

“It was an awesome season,” Johnson said. “I would be happy if this season was just as good as last year but you always hope for a better one. You couldn’t ask for much better of a season than last year, we didn’t get in too many jingles and the momentum carried over to Syracuse and hopefully the same thing happens this year, the momentum carries from Syracuse over to this year.”

His third place finish in the championship hunt is very impressive considering he missed one event (July 26^th) due to mechanical issues that sidelined the team earlier in the evening. In the end he would finish ten points behind Kenny Tremont, Jr. and 42 behind track champion Brett Hearn. Assuming the rest of the season played out as it did, Johnson would only have needed to finish seventh on July 26^th to win the track championship.

On the heels of his successful 2013 season that included a top ten finish in the Salute to the Troops 150 DIRTcar 358 Modified Championship during Super DIRT Week and winning one of the twin 20 qualifying events during the week, Johnson is confident that he will be able to challenge Hearn and Tremont for the 2014 track championship.

“I really do think we have a shot,” Johnson said of his chances at being crowned track champion for the first time. “I wish we could have had a backup car or that someone would have let me take a backup car out and we could have seen what happened. It is what it is, we will take a third, I am still happy with that.”

As any good driver will tell you, the way to stay on top in racing is to keep learning. Johnson is no exception as he has learned some things that will carry over to the 2014 season.

“I learned that maintenance plays a big part of it,” Johnson said. “The harder you work in the garage it shows on the race track. If you work hard at it the results will show.”

Johnson would continue, “I’ve got to thank my father, he puts his heart and soul in the motors. I have to thank Big Mann Painting who has helped in a big way, Rich Diamond (Diamond Fabrication) who has always trusted in me and Andy’s Speed Shop. It is pretty much a team effort, my family, my brother and my wife who puts up with my ridiculous hours in the garage. Maybe we will be able to land something big on the quarter panels this year.”

Marc Johnson has three career feature wins at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway. The 2013 season marked the first time he visited victory lane on the track’s dirt surface. His first feature win came on May 7^th, 2010 on the pavement.

For more information on the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, including the full 2014 schedule please visit the track website at www.albany-saratogaspeedway.com