MALTA – If Anthony Perrego doesn’t pass the test, it isn’t because he didn’t do his homework.

The test comes Friday night, when Albany-Saratoga Speedway hosts the Super DIRTcar Series for a 71-lap feature, which will pay $7,500 to win. Perrego, the 2021 modified champion at Malta, hopes to atone for a mechanical problem that cost him a possible win in last year’s Series race during Malta Massive Weekend.

After teaming up with owner Vinnie Salerno’s 4-Star team for the Super DIRTcar Series during the offseason, Perrego hasn’t been a regular at Albany-Saratoga on Friday nights this year. But he was in the pits at Malta with Salerno’s car last Friday, doing some testing, taking notes and getting ready for this week’s 71-lapper.

“Obviously, that’s what we’re here for,” he said. “We felt like, in the DIRT race last year, we let one get away from us. Hopefully, we can get it back.”

Perrego was leading last year’s 100-lap Super DIRTcar Series race, which paid $13,000 to win, when something broke in the rear end of the Brian Smith-owned 44P on lap 69, giving the lead to eventual winner Mike Mahaney.

Perrego also raced at Malta on opening night this season, finishing ninth in Smith’s car.

Perrego is always a contender at the special shows at Malta. He won the “Come ‘N Get It” race in 2019, walking off with the top prize of $5,400, and picked up $7,500 for his win in the Super DIRTcar OktoberFAST series feature in 2020.

Friday will mark the first time in the track’s history that a Super DIRTcar Series race will be held on a regular race night. In addition to the Super DIRTcar Series feature, sportsman and pro stocks are also on the card, and last Friday promoter Lyle DeVore announced that the limited sportsman class will also be added, but will be running only a B-main and a feature.

Racing Friday night will begin at 7 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is $28. For the latest updates, log into the Albany-Saratoga Speedway Facebook page.