MALTA – Jim Nagle had already made up his mind.

After struggling to be competitive in the modified division at Albany-Saratoga Speedway for the last two years, the 37-year old driver from Rotterdam, N.Y., decided it was time to stop chasing his dream, and sold all of his equipment last September. His plans for the 2020 season were to work with fellow competitor Ronnie Johnson.

But those plans have changed.

Rather than be on the sidelines for 2020, Nagle will be back behind the wheel, driving in the sportsman division at Albany-Saratoga Speedway for Hall of Fame owner Tommy Spencer.

Nagle’s friendship with Tim Clemons, who was behind the wheel of Spencer’s sportsman for some of the best years of his career, probably helped Nagle land his new ride.

“I ran into Timmy when he was up here (in the fall),” said Nagle, who built his first sportsman in Clemons’ garage. “I wasn’t planning to race in 2020. I had already sold my stuff and planned to help on Ronnie Johnson’s race team. “Timmy must have put my name out there, because Tommy called me out of the blue and asked me if I wanted to drive his car.”

Nagle, whose introduction to dirt track racing came when he began working on Jeff Sheely’s car at the age of 14, is no stranger to the fans in the Capital Region of New York. He ran sportsman from 2007 to 2013 before moving up to the modified division. But running against the best drivers in the business can become a very frustrating, and very expensive, proposition.

He’s been to victory lane three times in his career, all in the sportsman division at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, the last coming in 2008.

“My personal accomplishment in the modifieds came in 2018,” he said. “That was the first year we were able to string a whole year together.”

Being at the track every week obviously helped, as he recorded his first two top-10 finishes at Malta in 2018, a ninth on July 20 and an eighth on August 31.

Last season, Nagle made 12 starts at Albany-Saratoga, with his best finish a 13^th on August 23.

Nagle enters the new season with realistic goals.

“We want to have a solid season and have some fun,” he said. “Don’t get me wrong. We want to win. I’ve been hungry all these years. Not winning more hasn’t been for lack of effort.

“We want to be in competition for the points at Malta, but we know that isn’t going to be easy. The competition at Malta is the best around, in every class. But I’ve always wanted to prove that I can race against the best.”