Two in a row for Hearn at Albany-Saratoga


MALTA – Here's some bad news for the rest of the 358-modified division at Albany-Saratoga Speedway – it looks like Brett Hearn has finally found a setup he likes.

Coming from an 18th starting position on a racing surface that was giving a lot of other drivers trouble, Hearn charged into the lead on lap 25 and came away with his second straight win Friday night in the 35-lap 358-modified feature at the historic Malta track.

The win marked the first time in two years that Hearn has won two in a row at Malta. Although he won eight features and his third straight track championship for owner Vinny Salerno last season, Hearn never had back-to-back wins.

“The Four Star crew has gotten a setup that I'm comfortable with,” said Hearn in victory lane after his third win of the season and 81st career victory at Albany-Saratoga. “And they are the best at maintaining that setup for the different track conditions that we deal with all summer.”

For a while, it looked like Matt Sheppard might come away with his first career win at Malta. Sheppard started sixth in the Randy Ross-owned small block and had the lead by lap 10, but the car faded at the end, dropping Sheppard to sixth.

A.J. Romano, looking for his second win of the season, took the lead away from Sheppard on lap 21, but just one lap later, Hearn moved into second and it didn't take him long to hunt down Romano and make the pass for the lead.

Romano had to settle for second, while Ken Tremont Jr., who started 15th, made a late charge to finish third.
 Jimmy Davis hit the finish line fourth, his first top-five finish of the season, and Vince Quenneville Jr. got up for fifth, the second straight week he's cracked the top five.

Completing the top 10 were Sheppard, Todd Stone, Mike Ronca, Matt DeLorenzo and Jeff Trombley.

Chris Busta put on an impressive performance to come away with his third win of the season in the 25-lap sportsman feature. Busta, who won back-to-back features early in May, started ninth and only needed six laps to get to the front.

Mike Tholin, who started 10th , moved into the No. 2 spot on lap 14, but Busta never bobbled, and had a 0.619-second margin of victory over Tholin. Dustin Delaney was third, followed by Whitey Slavin and Matt Depew.

Cale Kneer recorded his first win of the season in the special 31-lap pro-street stock feature. The feature was run in memory of Ed Frank, a pro-street driver who passed away last year. Frank's car number was 301, and track officials ran the 30-plus-one feature in his honor.

Kneer got the lead on lap three and then held off Jimmy Eaton for the win. Eaton was just a car length back at the finish line, with Lori Cary third, Kim Duell fourth and Dan Madigan fifth.

Mike Minick added his name to the list of winners in the limited division, nailing down his first win of the year. After Jim Monroe Jr. dominated the division early in the year, the class has seen three different winners in the last three weeks.

Although Minick started third, he didn't get the lead in the 20-lap feature until lap 16, and then had to battle D.J. Brundige for the victory. Brandon Emigh, looking for his second straight win, had to settle for third.

Bryan Davis came away with his first win of the year in the budget sportsman division, and Phil DeFiglio recorded his third straight win, and fifth of the year, in the mini-stock class.

All divisions will be in action on Friday, June 22, when Albany-Saratoga holds its annual Rock and Racing Night. Action begins at 6:45 p.m.

MODIFIEDS: BRETT HEARN, A.J. Romano, Ken Tremont Jr., Jimmy Davis, Vince Quenneville Jr., Matt Sheppard, Todd Stone, Mike Ronca, Matt DeLorenzo, Jeff Trombley, Jack Johnson, Marc Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Don Ronca, Don Ackner, Tony Kawalchuk, Mike Perrotte, Frank Hoard Sr., Jimmy Cottrell, John Proctor, George Foley, Kris Vernold, Tom Faxon, Mike Smith, Ron Proctor, Elmo Reckner, Tim Hartman, Keith Flach, Ken McGuire Jr.

SPORTSMAN: CHRIS BUSTA, Mike Tholin, Dustin Delaney, Whitey Slavin, Matt Depew, Rich Ronca, Jack Gentile, Kory Sandstedt, Mike Ketchum, Josh Hohenforst, Dick Bisson, Chris Johnson, David Peek, Mark Kislowski, Ken Anatriello, Joe Santoro, David Baranowski, Scott Duell, David DePaulo, Stan Lemiesz, Brian Holbritter, Corey Gilligan, Neal Erickson, Rob Langevin.

SPORTSMAN B MAIN: NEAL ERICKSON, Mike Ketchum, Ken Anatriello, Corey Gilligan, Scott Duell, Josh Hohenforst, Adam Tranka, John Willis, Nick Anatriello, Colleen Salisbury, Dan Carlton, Tyler Curtis, Justin Barber, Pep Corradi.

PRO-STREET STOCKS: CALE KNEER, Jimmy Eaton, Lori Cary, Kim Duell, Dan Madigan, Bernie Companion, Darryl Carl, Jeff Washburn, William Smith IV, Chuck Towslee, Gregg McGill, Jim Monroe, Josh Joseph, Kevin Van Chance, Jake Losaw, Vince Santoro, Randy Miller.

LIMITEDS: MIKE MINICK, D.J. Brundige, Brandon Emigh, Dan Petronis, Jim Monroe Jr., Brian Ashline, John Filarecki, Mike Ostrander, Mike Duclos, John Morris Jr., Dan Older, Steve Holcomb, Mark Dwyer, Amanda Clemens, Curtis Condon, Ben Durie, Bill Burlingame, Harry Coonradt, Anthony Marro, John Miller, Jeff Monroe, Rich Burke, Ken Conroy, Charles Primeau.

BUDGET SPORTSMAN: BRYAN DAVIS, Paul Dunham Jr., Angela Hoard, Chuck Allen, Kale Groff, Frank Hoard III, Mike Visconti, Fred Proctor, Al Williams, Ralph Denison, Ron Casey, Brandon Jacobsen, Kris Bradbury, Jared McMahon, Steve Williams.

MINI-STOCKS: PHIL DEFIGLIO (6), Brette Osgood (4), Travis Tromans (4), Shane Marks (4), Jason Dickson (4), Andy Hickok (4), Mike Cranston (4), Jason Rheome (4), Dan Older Sr. (4), Ray Galusha (6), John Baldwin (4), Car No. 16, Charles Stoddard (4), Jim Daniels (4), Dan Lorenc (6).