Lape wins 100-lapper

MALTA - In thoroughbred racing, they give out an Eclipse Award each year to the champion older horse.

If the same was true in dirt track racing, Dave Lape would be a lock for champion older driver.

The 56-year-old Lape, who is savoring his 40th year of racing as if it was an expensive Chardonnay, put an indelible stamp on the 2003 campaign Friday night when he won the 100-lap Big Block/Small Block Challenge at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

By picking up the victory, Lape became the second driver in the history of Albany-Saratoga Speedway to win races in four different decades. His first win at the historic Malta track came on July 14, 1972, when the track was asphalt, and he was one of the dominant drivers at the speedway during the 1980s, winning the modified point title in 1982. His last win at Malta came on Aug. 30, 1991, when the big blocks made what has become their annual late-season trip to the speedway.

Lape’s win was the highlight of a wild night of racing, which saw two first-time winners in the sportsman division, two brothers in victory lane and a disqualification in the pro-street stock division that will have a direct bearing on the point race in that class.

Lape, driving the Andy’s Service big block owned by longtime dirt track driver and owner Andy Romano, dominated the 100-lap Big Block/Small Block Challenge. When the race restarted on lap five, the point where it was halted by rain on Aug. 29, it looked like a Veterans’ Day parade, with 58-year-old Jack Johnson setting the pace, and the 56-year-old Lape making the big moves.

Johnson quickly opened up a full straightaway lead, but one of nine cautions that plagued the event bunched the field, and that was all Lape needed. Racing with defending track champion Brett Hearn, Lape made a three-wide move to get the No. 2 position on lap 17, and three laps later, passed Johnson for the lead.

And that’s where Lape stayed for the rest of the feature. A caution with three laps to go allowed Hearn to get right on the rear bumper of the Andy’s Service Bicknell, but Lape is a master at protecting his position, and he hit the checkered flag first to record his 24th career victory at the speedway.

Hearn was second, followed by Jack Johnson, Ronnie Johnson and Frank Hoard Sr. Completing the top 10 were Gene Munger, Ken Tremont Jr., Jack Cottrell, Mike Ballestero and modified rookie Robert King.

Matt Quinn, who had picked up a ride in the Kearns 97 for the 100-lapper, looked like he was going to be a factor in the race. After starting 25th, he moved up to seventh, but his night ended on lap 69 when he was involved in a wreck with Mike Perrotte.

Mike Ronca ended a long drought by winning the regular 35-lap 358 modified feature. Ronca took the lead away from Perrotte, who went to a backup car for the second event, on lap 18 and went on to pick up his first win since opening day, 2001.

Jack Johnson ran another strong race in the Witz Roofing small block and finished second, with Tremont crossing the finish line third, ahead of Perrotte and Munger. Completing the top 10 were Hoard, Don Scarborough, Hearn, Ronnie Johnson and Lape.

With Tremont and Hearn picking up the exact same number of points in the two features, Tremont goes into the final point race of the season with a three-point advantage over Hearn.

Rich Ronca completed the brother act by posting his first career win in one of the 20-lap sportsman features. Tim Hartman, who is trying his hardest to break the track record for sportsman victories in a season, had to settle for second, just 0.223 seconds behind Ronca. Erik Mack was third, with Jack Swinton fourth and Derrick McGrew fifth.

History repeated itself in the second sportsman feature, as Neal Erickson drove to the first victory of his career, again denying Hartman a victory. Erickson, who started eighth, got the lead on lap six and did a great job to hold off Hartman. This race was even closer than the first one, as Hartman was just 0.113 seconds back at the checkered flag after charging to the front from his 17th starting position. Fred Proctor was third, his best performance of the season, while Mack finished fourth and Joe Budka came across the finish line fifth.

Butchie Irwin appeared to win the regular 20-lap pro-street stock feature, but when he failed to go directly to the scales after the race, he was disqualified, giving the victory to Carl Vladyka, his sixth of the season.

Irwin was the point leader three weeks ago, but the disqualification was his second straight run-in with track officials. Two weeks ago, he was sent to the rear of the field after an incident with Joe Santoro while the two were racing for the lead, and only finished 10th.

Following Vladyka across the finish line Friday night were Henry Tanner III, Bob Schmidt, Adam Tranka and Dean Charbonneau.

With a second and a third in his last two races, Schmidt has regained the point lead in the pro-street stock division, with Vladyka 11 points back.

Chris Busta and Jeff Monroe traded places in the two hobby stock features. Busta won the first event, beating Monroe to the finish line by just over two seconds. But Monroe reversed the order of finish in the second 15-lapper, nosing out Busta by 0.222 seconds, and moved up to the No. 2 position in the point race behind Mike Tholin, who struggled all night, finishing fifth and 12th.

The cruisers were also in action Friday night, with Brian Myers picking up his third victory of the season. Robert Bublak Jr. was second and had the first four-cylinder car across the finish line.

Track champions will be decided in all divisions Friday night when Albany-Saratoga holds its Championship Weekend. Double points will be offered in all classes, with racing beginning at 7 p.m.

Although the point season will end on Sept. 12, one of the most anticipated races of the season will be staged on Friday, Sept. 19, when Albany-Saratoga Speedway holds its 50-lap Run What Ya Brung Series race, which will pay $5,000 to win. Kenny Brightbill, a frequent visitor to the speedway for the Super Shootout races during the 1980s, has indicated that he’ll return for the Run What Ya Brung event, part of a three-race series that also includes races at Devil’s Bowl Speedway and Lebanon Valley Speedway. The first driver to win three series races will receive a $20,000 bonus.

MODIFIEDS (100 LAPS, HELD OVER FROM AUG. 29): DAVE LAPE, Brett Hearn, Jack Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Frank Hoard Sr., Gene Munger, Ken Tremont Jr., Jack Cottrell, Mike Ballestero, Robert King, Don Ronca, Scott Noel, Chuck Higley, Ray Hoard, Don Mattison, Tom Proctor, Matt Quinn, Mike Perrotte, Matt DeLorenzo, Bobby Varin, Randy Hotaling, Ron Proctor, A.J. Romano, Mike Ronca, Don Scarborough.

MODIFIEDS (REGULAR FEATURE): MIKE RONCA, Jack Johnson, Ken Tremont Jr., Mike Perrotte, Gene Munger, Frank Hoard Sr., Don Scarborough, Brett Hearn, Ronnie Johnson, Dave Lape, Matt DeLorenzo, Don Ronca, Tom Proctor, Scott Noel, Chuck Higley, Randy Hotaling, Todd Ryan, Robert King, Ray Hoard, Mike Ballestero, Don Mattison, Jack Cottrell.

SPORTSMAN (HELD OVER FROM AUG. 29): RICH RONCA, Tim Hartman, Erik Mack, Jack Swinton, Derrick McGrew, Neal Erickson, Jimmy Cottrell, Stan Lemiesz, Doug Sheely, Dan Bublac, Ken Anatriello, Erik Nelson, Keith Flach, Joe Budka, Dick Bisson, John Lutes, David Peek, Jason Herrington, Tony Ballestero, Ed Pieniazek Jr.

SPORTSMAN (REGULAR FEATURE): NEAL ERICKSON, Tim Hartman, Fred Proctor, Erik Mack, Joe Budka, Keith Flach, Doug Sheely, David Peek, Jack Swinton, Jimmy Cottrell, Ed Pieniazek Jr., Lenny Billings, Erik Nelson, Dan Bublac, Jason Herrington, Stan Lemiesz, Derrick McGrew, Tony Ballestero, John Lutes, Rich Ronca.

PRO-STREET STOCKS: CARL VLADYKA, Henry Tanner III, Bob Schmidt, Adam Tranka, Dean Charbonneau, Don Daniels, Steve Burega, Jimmy Eaton, Jamie Proctor, Brian Holbritter, Bernie companion, Lori Cary, Matt Anatriello, Tom O’Connor, Dave Uline, Cale Kneer, Randy Brownell, Mike Dundon, Walt Brownell, Chris Maxon, Joe Santoro, Robert Langevin, Vince Santoro, Mike Paquin, Chris Wemple, Fred Backes III. DQ: Butchie Irwin.

HOBBY STOCKS (HELD OVER FROM AUG. 29): CHRIS BUSTA, Jeff Monroe, Brian Ashline, Jim Monroe Jr., Mike Tholin, John Morris Jr., Kevin Van Chance, Byron Westcott, Dan Daniels, Adam Stoddard, John Laviolette, Jim Monroe III, John Filarecki, Bob Smith, Thomas Pierce, Tim Ippoliti, Kevin Sawyer, John Coon.

HOBBY STOCKS (REGULAR FEATURE): JEFF MONROE, Chris Busta, Bob Smith, Jim Monroe Jr., John Filarecki, Billy Lussier, Byron Westcott, Adam Stoddard, John Morris Jr., Keith Guilder, Mike Carmen, Mike Tholin, Dave Emigh, Kevin Van Chance, John Laviolette, Tim Ippoliti, Bill Burlingame, Brian Ashline, John Coon, Mike Scorzelli.

CRUISERS: BRIAN MYERS, Robert Bublak Jr., Rich Mrzyglod, Matt Thomas, Luke MacIsaac, Kevin Connors, Jeremy Brownell, Keith Wright, Keith Keller, Butch Ryan, Dan Uber, Mitch Cranston, Amanda Clemens, Bill Bradley, Brittany Ladd, Matt Delucia, Jamie McCarthy, Matt Corbiel, Dave Kennedy, Chris Carrie, Joe Naccarato, Nick Wadman, Vince Greme.