Malta, NY — What a difference a week makes —  when management hosted the season opener the week before they opened the gates to 70 degree temperatures.  Turn the clock ahead one week and the temperatures dropped some 50 degrees.  It was cold but the faithful came out and they were not disappointed.

Many things at the Malta-based oval were chilled, but not Modified sensation Brett Hearn.  The Madsen Motorsports team was on fire as Hearn easily secured his first win of the season at the Lyle DeVore-promoted speedplant.

Hearn started the 35 lap event from the 16th starting position and was already looking at a top-five run when the seventh circuit fell.  He was in the lead by lap 14 and went on for the win.

“That was a heck of a race,” said Hearn during post race ceremonies.  “This track is great — the inside, the outside, the middle — it’s awesome.”

All the while Hearn was soaring through the stellar field of cars, so was visitor Matt Sheppard.  The defending DIRTcar Modified Champion headed down the Thruway after his Friday night track was canceled due to the weather.  Sheppard’s entire evening was impressive, securing the win in his qualifying event earlier in the evening and coming from the 20th starting slot to follow Hearn across the finish line.

Ronnie Johnson, Ken Tremont and Don Ronca rounded out the top five.

Bobby Hackel was the victor in the 25 lap Budget Sportsman feature event. Mechanical issues forced Hackel to go home early on opening night, so he was making up for last week’s misfortune.  Hackel and eventual second place runner, Rocky Warner, treated the frozen race fans to a good show.

“Rocky raced me real clean,” said Hackel, a fourth generation racer.  “We had a real good race, we banged doors a couple of times.  Once he got by me that one time I had to sit [under caution] and think about what I was going to have to re-do to get by him again because he had the outside working real good.”

Tim Hartman, Jr. (came from 20th), Jeremy Pitts and Dan Santabarbara (came from 19th) rounded out the top five.

The Pro Stock feature event had the crowd on their feet until the checkered flag dropped on the 25 lap event.  In his second outing at the ‘Great Race Place’ Chad Jeseo took his first feature event win, but not before putting on a show with opening night winner Rob Langevin.

Dan Older, a former Street Stock champion under old AS management and also an earlier heat race winner, came across the finish line in third place.  Ken Martin and Brandon Emigh made up the mighty five.

Bits:  In these trying times the car counts — over 50 Budget Sportsman and close to 40 Modifieds — have the management team smiling…  B-Dry Waterproofing was the sponsor adding $500 to the Modified payoff this week… Modified chauffeur Donnie Corellis had a sizable fire happening under his racecar during the second qualifying event, he was forced to qualify for the main event through the consi…  Chauffeur/Promoter Mike Perrotte hosts his season opener at Airborne Speedway on Sunday… The 24-year-old Australia driver Peter Britten made an Albany2Saratoga Speedway appearance on Friday night due to the closure of other speedways.  He finished 9th… 28 cars were in the Budget Sportsman B Main…  According to old AS management Brett Hearn’s win last night should be his 98th win at the Malta oval but in victory lane Hearn said it was his 99th.  A call to someone that handled things at AS reports that they didn’t count one event that Hearn won because it was a dash type event and it was believed that Hearn counts it because it was an event he won and was paid for… you decide.

What A Guy Used Cars & B-Dry Waterproofing MODIFIED (35 Laps) – 1. Brett Hearn, 2. Matt Shepard, 3. Ronnie Johnson, 4. Ken Tremont Jr, 5. Don Ronca, 6. Todd Stone, 7. Joe Williams, 8. Jeff Trombley, 9. Pete Britten, 10. Matt Delorenzo, 11. Rich Ronca, 12. Mark Kislowski, 13. Elmo Reckner, 14. J.C. Flach, 15. Bodie Bellinger, 16. Hector Stratton, 17. Marc Johnson, 18. Craig Hanson, 19. Donnie Corellis, 20. Dustin Delaney, 21. Matt Depew, 22. Keith Flach, 23. Mike Perrotte 24. Pep Corradi, 25. Bob Savoie, 26. Patrick Duprey, 27. Chris Johnson, 28. Justin Barber, 29. Jimmy Cottrell, 30. Neil Stratton, DNQ) Jason Herrington, DNQ) Rich Scagliotta, DNQ) C.G. Morey, DNQ) Brian Whittemore, DNQ) Chris Busta, DNQ) Jeff Kelley, DNQ) Cass Bennett, DNQ) John Lutes Jr.

Brett Hearn notches first win of 2012. Photo courtesy Dave Dalesandro.

BUDGET SPORTSMAN (25 Laps) – 1. Bobby Hackel IV, 2. Rocky Warner, 3. Tim Hartman Jr, 4. Jeremy Pitts, 5. Dan Santabarbara, 6. Derrick McGrew, 7. Nick Lussier, 8. Joey Scarborough, 9. Mike Tholin, 10. Joey Budka, 11. Jack Swinton, 12. D.J. Brundage, 13. Mark Hughes, 14. Jeff Rockefeller, 15. Stan Lemiesz, 16. Mike Ostrander, 17. Fred Proctor, 18. Jon Miller, 19. Robert Bublak, 20. Jack Gentile, 21. Skip Shippee, 22. Jeremy Digert, 23. Andy Durie, 24. Frank Hoard III, 25. Fred Mullberger, 26. Brian Gleason, 27. Butch Wilcox, 28. Elliott Lussier, 29. Mike Burdo, 30. Scott Duell

PRO STOCK [25 Laps] – 1. CHAD JESEO, 2. Rob Langevin, 3. Dan Older, 4. Kenny Martin, 5. Brandon Emigh, 6. Walt Brownell, 7. Dean Charbonneau, 8. Kim Duell, 9. Ed Thompson, 10. Kevin VanChance, 11. John Fitzgerald, 12. Jay Corbin, 13. Chip Smith, 14. Rob Yetman,15. Bill Smith,16. Dave Emigh, 17. Pat Zimmer,18. Jeff Washburn,19. Joe Santoro

STREET STOCK – (20 Laps) 1. JOSH COONRADT, 2. Bill Dupree, 3. Paul Mulrain, 4. Randy Miller, 5. Yule Cook, 6. Jody Thew, 7. J.T. Ronner, 8. Ken Conroy, 9. John Hayes, 10. Justin Smith, 11. Jay Severson, 12. Rowdy Burch, 13. Fred Harris, 14. John Lindblade

4 Cylinder COMBINED – (15 Laps) 1. ART CLEMENT, 2. Mark Lindblade, 3. Dan Older, 4. Chris VanDePutte, 5. Keith Tesiero, 6. Keith Tesiero Jr., 7. Shawn Ryba, 8. Pete Vila, 9. Jim Williams, 10. Lance Robertson, 11. Josh Dupree, 12. Blake Schwarting, 13. Phil Defiglio, 14. Anthony Alger, 15. Hunter Sanchez, 16. Brooklyn Wescott, 17. Dave Labarge, 18. P.J. Bleau 19. David Frame

4 Cylinder SINGLE CAM – 1. MARK LINDBLADE, 2. Dan Older, 3. Keith Tesiero, 4. Keith Tesiero Jr., 5. Jim Williams, 6. Lance Robertson, 7. Josh Dupree, 8. Blake Schwarting, 9. Brooklyn Wescott, 10. Dave Labarge

4 Cylinder DUAL CAM – 1. ART CLEMENT, 2. Chris VanDePutte, 3. Shawn Ryba, 4. Pete Vila, 5. Phil Defiglio, 6. Anthony Alger, 7. Hunter Sanchez, 8. P.J. Bleau 9. David Frame