Camara wins second straight

MALTA - While movie theaters across the nation were packed by patrons watching Jim Carrey’s "Bruce Almighty" last weekend, the main attraction at Albany-Saratoga Speedway Friday night was "Dave Almighty."

Dave Camara, once again showing the confidence and driving expertise that carried him to back-to-back track championships in 2000 and 2001, held off his former mentor, Jack Johnson, to win the 35-lap, double-point Spring Championships 358 modified feature at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

The victory allowed Camara to reach another milestone in his Champlain Valley Racing career, giving him back-to-back victories at Albany-Saratoga Speedway for the first time ever.

When Camara first became interested in racing, he and his father used to sit in the stands and root for Jumpin’ Jack Johnson, but Camara showed little respect for his hero Friday night. Camara used a late restart to get the lead, after running wheel-to-wheel with Johnson for most of the race, before coming away with his 10th career victory at the Malta track.

Had it not been for a mistake by Tim Laduc, Johnson probably would have ended his two-year winless streak. Laduc, who had started on the front row, and Johnson, who had been eighth on the starting grid, locked into a crowd-pleasing battle early, and maintained their head-to-head tussle through a rash of restarts.

Laduc began to stretch out his lead, and with five laps left, had a huge advantage over Johnson. But Laduc then spun out in the first turn, the victim of a broken caliper, and Johnson had to get out of the throttle to avoid hitting Laduc’s car.

That little miscue was all Camara needed. Camara got around Johnson before the caution came out, and had the advantageous starting position for the restart. Johnson gunned the Witz Roofing small block heading into the second turn on the restart and momentarily regained the lead, but Camara had the momentum going into turn three and was back on the point for good as the two leaders passed the flag stand.

Johnson could only watch as the Camara Slate Express pulled out to a 1.206-second margin of victory. The win also proved Camara can win with a conventional body configuration. His last two victories came with either wings or sail panels on the car.

Brett Hearn did an incredible job to nip Don Ackner for third. Hearn suffered a flat left rear tire on lap six and had to pit, and when he rejoined the field, the Madsen Motorsports small block didn’t appear to be handling as well as it had in the first five laps. But Hearn wrestled the car around the speedway and came away with a third-place finish.

Ackner broke into the top five for the first time in two years, while Ray Hoard finished fifth.

Completing the top 10 were Mike Ronca, Matt DeLorenzo, Jack Cottrell, Gene Munger and Ken Tremont Jr.

Tim Hartman didn’t let one bad week of racing get him down, as he bounced back to post his third win of the season in the 20-lap sportsman feature. Hartman, who had been knocked out of competition the previous week after a bout with the concrete wall, took the lead on lap 11 and outran John Bellinger to the finish line.

Dick Bisson came off the front row to lead the first eight laps before he brought out a caution and went to the rear of the field. That gave the lead to Bellinger, but Hartman, who had started ninth, wasn’t going to let his nemesis take control. Just two laps later, Hartman had the lead, and beat Bellinger to the finish line by less than a second.

Derrick McGrew was third, followed by Jason Herrington and Joe Budka.

Carl Vladyka spoiled a strong run by Brian Holbritter to notch his second win of the season in the pro streets, and first since opening night. Holbritter appeared to be on his way to his first career win, but Vladyka never gave up, and passed Holbritter with two laps to go in the 20-lap feature, beating Holbritter to the finish line by 0.334 seconds. Dean Charbonneau finished third, with Chris Maxon fourth and Walt Brownell fifth. The fifth-place finish by Brownell was his best finish ever at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

Jim Monroe Jr. won the hobby stock feature, which looked like a Monroe family reunion at the finish, as Jeff Monroe was second and Jim Monroe III was third. Brian Myers was first under the checkered flag in the cruiser division. David Kennedy was second overall, and the first four-cylinder driver.

Albany-Saratoga Speedway will open the month of June with an appearance by the Empire Super Sprints. Also in action will be modifieds, pro-street stocks, hobby stocks and cruisers. The sportsman division will have the night off, but those drivers will have the option of running with the modifieds. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.

June 13 will be Topless Night. Modifieds will be required to run without tops, and any fans coming to the track in a convertible will receive a family four-pack to the races, as long as they display their car on the speedway green behind the grandstands.

MODIFIEDS: DAVE CAMARA, Jack Johnson, Brett Hearn, Don Ackner, Ray Hoard, Mike Ronca, Matt DeLorenzo, Jack Cottrell, Gene Munger, Ken Tremont Jr., Ronnie Johnson, Randy Hotaling, Mike Perrotte, Frank Hoard Sr., Mike Ballestero, Dave Manny, Don Mattison, Tim Laduc, Ron Proctor, Todd Ryan.

SPORTSMAN: TIM HARTMAN, John Bellinger, Derrick McGrew, Jason Herrington, Joe Budka, Dan Bublak, Stan Lemiesz, Erik Mack, David Peek, Jack Swinton, Neal Erickson, Bill Cody, Jeff Sukup, Dick Bisson, Ed Pieniazek Jr., Ken Anatriello, Gary Gates, Ray Martindale, Jimmy Cottrell, Keith Nichols, Jimmy Meka, Randy Salisbury, Rich Ronca, Fred Proctor.

PRO-STREET STOCKS: CARL VLADYKA, Brian Holbritter, Dean Charbonneau, Chris Maxon, Walt Brownell, Bob Schmidt, Henry Tanner, Steve Burega, Tom O’Connor, Lori Cary, Don Daniels, Butchie Irwin, Vince Santoro, Jimmy Eaton, Bernie Companion, Cale Kneer, Randy Brownell, Dave Uline, Matt Anatriello, Bob Langevin, Charlie Koenig, Mike Wheeler, Roy Fifield, Joe Santoro.

HOBBY STOCKS: JIM MONROE JR., Jeff Monroe, Jim Monroe III, Byron Westcott, Mike Carman, John Morris Jr., Mike Tholin, John Filarecki, Bob Smith, Keith Guilder, Mike Scorzelli, Chris Busta, Nathan Chaves, Ed Frank, Dave Perretta, Fred Backes III, Richard Burke, Rusty Palmateer.

CRUISERS: BRIAN MYERS, DAVE KENNEDY, Kevin Connors, Ron Zagata, Matt Thomas, Jon Atwell, Amanda Clemon, James McCarthy, Ben Durie, Joe Naccarato, John Sullivan, Pete Jeske, Rich Mrzyglod, Brittany Ladd, Keith Wright, Robert Ross, Elmer Montville, Ken Wooley, Jeremy Brownell, Todd Burch, Emerson Ostrander.