Hearn closes in on title

MALTA -Brett Hearn is taking all the suspense out of the 358 modified point race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
With one of his most dominant performances of the season Friday night, Hearn chalked up his eighth victory of the year at the historic Malta facility, and virtually locked up his second track championship.

With the victory, Hearn opened up a 100-point lead over veteran Jack Johnson, who finished third on Friday night. Although the last point race of the season on Friday, Sept. 10 will offer double points, all Hearn has to do is take the green flag in the feature to wrestle the crown away from Ken Tremont Jr.

When Hearn won his first track title in 2002, he completely dominated the competition, tying the track record with 12 victories. He’s been almost as dominant this year in his first season in the Vinny Salerno-owned small block, and his win Friday night was like a walk in the park.

Three early cautions were all Hearn needed to charge from his 15th starting spot into the lead. Mike Ronca was the early leader from his front row starting position, but every time the yellow flew, Hearn inched closer to the front.
Hearn had already cracked the top five by lap six, and the next time around, the third yellow of the night came out for an incident involving Gene Munger and Bob Savoie. When the green came back out, Hearn charged past Ronca for the lead, and brought Jack Cottrell with him.

Hearn and Cottrell were soon in lapped traffic, but that didn’t help Cottrell in his bid to catch Hearn. Hearn, who switched over to the Brodix spec heads program two weeks ago, got quicker as the feature went on, and on lap 25, turned his fastest lap of the night, stopping the clock in 17.155 seconds, over three-tenths of a second faster than Cottrell’s best.

When the checkered flag fell, Hearn had built up a 3.685 second lead over Cottrell, who had his best night of the season.

Jack Johnson, who had been forced to go to the rear after a tangle on lap three, put on another show in the Witz Roofing small block, which also has the Brodix heads, and got back up for third. Tremont came across the finish line fourth, followed by Munger, who twice had to come from the rear.

The Line-X Modifieds ran an extra distance feature, and that was just what Dick Bisson needed to come away with his first career win at Albany-Saratoga.

Bisson and Jimmy Cottrell, the front-row starters, put on a show for most of the feature, getting glued together early in the event and staying that way for much of the 30-lapper. Cottrell went right to the lead, but Bisson survived a challenge from Ricky Davis for second, and then snatched the lead away from Cottrell on lap 14.
One late caution closed the field, but all that yellow did was allow Keith Flach to move up to grab the No. 2 position, as Bisson finished nearly a full second ahead of the rest of the field. Flach’s runner-up performance was also his best ever at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, while Joe Budka got up for third. He was followed by Tony Ballestero and Clemons, as Cottrell faded to sixth in the closing laps.

Bernie Companion came away with his first career victory in the 30-lap Amsoil pro-street stock feature. Earlier in the season, an extra-distance race cost Companion his first career win, as he suffered engine problems in the final laps while leading the event.

On Friday night, he had no such problem.

The pro-street stock feature was the best race of the night, as Henry Tanner, Companion and Joe Mottoshiski kept the fans on their feet with some fantastic racing action. Tanner set the pace for the first 11 laps, but Companion, who had started on the pole, used a restart on lap 13 to get the lead for the first time. Mottoshiski, who had started fifth, was never far from the lead pack, and put his car out on the point on lap 19, but the next time around, Companion had the lead back.

Mottoshiski, also looking for his first career win, refused to give ground, and pressured Companion all the way to the finish line, waiting for a mistake that never happened. Companion finished 0.465 seconds ahead of Mottoshiski, while defending track champion Butchie Irwin charged up for third. Lori Cary grabbed fourth, with Dean Charbonneau fifth.

Jim Monroe outran Chris Busta to pick up his third win of the season in the Rentway Limited feature, and Elmer Montville Jr. and Jamie McCarthy were winners in the Pro-Built mini-stock division.

The night also featured a 50-lap enduro, with Nick Belmonte getting the win, and Ben Crewell finishing second.
All divisions will be in action Friday, Sept. 10, with double points on the line. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.

MODIFIEDS: BRETT HEARN, Jack Cottrell, Jack Johnson, Ken Tremont Jr., Gene Munger, A.J. Romano, Don Ronca, Don Scarborough, Mike Ronca, Mike Perrotte, Matt DeLorenzo, Bob Savoie, Scott Noel, Todd Ryan, Lucas Baker, Frank Hoard Sr., John Kollar, Don Ackner, Ronnie Johnson, Randy Hotaling.

LINE-X MODIFIEDS: DICK BISSON, Keith Flach, Joe Budka, Tony Ballestero, Tim Clemons, Jimmy Cottrell, Derrick McGrew, Mike Ballestero, Neal Erickson, Mike Tholin, David Peek, Ricky Davis, Erik Mack, Bill Cody, Stan Lemiesz, Jack Gentile, Ken Anatriello, Chris Garrity, Jack Swinton, Rich Ronca, Dan Bublak, Paul Dunham Jr., Dennis Pennock, Tim Hartman.

AMSOIL PRO-STREET STOCKS: BERNIE COMPANION, Joe Mottoshiski, Butchie Irwin, Lori Cary, Dean Charbonneau, Henry Tanner, Robert Langevin, Jimmy Eaton, Rob Muscanell, William Smith IV, Brian Holbritter, Jeff Washburn, Chris Maxon, Steve Burega, Bobby Gile, Matt Anatriello, Cale Kneer, Joe Santoro, Scott Duell, Don Piper, Fred Little, Bob Schmidt.

RENTWAY LIMITEDS: JIM MONROE, Chris Busta, Kevin Van Chance, Mike Pfau, Byron Westcott, Tom Pierce, John Morris Jr., William Duprey, Thomas Conroy, Lucas MacIsaac, Shannon Donnelly, Jared McMahon, Gene Wetherington, David Emigh, Adam Stoddard, Jim Monroe Jr., Richard Burke, Brian Ashline, Bob Smith, Curtis Condon.

PRO-BUILT MINI-STOCKS (SIX-CYLINDER): ELMER MONTVILLE JR., Jeremy Brownell, Rich Mrzyglod, Art Howe, Dan Uber, Thomas Brunell, Brian Myers Jr., Tim Glowowski, Dan Petronis, Shea Montgomery, Ray Galusha, Amanda Clemens, Emerson Ostrander.

PRO-BUILT MINI-STOCKS (FOUR-CYLINDER): JAMIE McCARTHY, Kevin Connors, Matt Depew, Mike Cranston, Heather Combs, Brett Osgood, John Baldwin, Perry Schaad, Travis Tromans, Bruce Pratt, Lewis Kusalonski, Joe Baker, John Willis, Matt Corbiel, Ben Durie.