DeLorenzo Wins 2007 Opener

MALTA - If Albany-Saratoga Speedway had opened its season with a 47-lap feature, defending track champion Ken Tremont Jr. would have been in victory lane.

Instead, he was sitting in the pits, watching Matt DeLorenzo record his third career victory at the historic Malta track.

Tremont blew his engine on lap 48, giving the lead and the victory to DeLorenzo in the season-opening 50-lap 358-modified feature Friday night.

Tremont wasn't the only one who suffered from motor problems on opening night. Ronnie Johnson, who won the season-opener in 2007, only lasted four laps before his engine shut down, and Brett Hearn, who had won three straight track titles at Albany-Saratoga before Tremont ended that run last year, pulled out with engine problems of his own on lap 17.

Tremont, who started 13th in the 22-car field, took the lead away from Mike Ronca, who had started in the front row, on lap 20, and put his car on cruise control, opening up a full straightaway lead. But a caution with five to go bunched the field, and the restart may have put too much stress on Tremont's power plant, which let go three laps later.

“I didn't know whether or not I had anything for Tremont,” said DeLorenzo, whose last win at Albany-Saratoga came on Aug. 18, 2006. “I just stayed on the bottom of the track, after the top got some marbles on it, and stayed patient.”

Mike Ronca hit the finish line second, while A.J. Romano, who had started on the pole and was running a year-old engine, surprised himself by finishing third. Elmo Reckner was fourth while Ray Hoard, who started last, ran a patient race and took the No. 5 position.

Dave Camara, who is back at Albany-Saratoga on a fulltime basis for 2008, rebounded from an early tire change to finish sixth. He was followed by Marc Johnson, Todd Stone, Keith Flach and Robert King. Only the top seven cars finished on the lead lap.

The sportsman division also began its season with a 50-lap feature, and Hollywood Joe Santoro survived a rash of late restarts to hold off Rob Langevin. Josh Hohenforst and Dave Manny kept the crowd entertained early with some outstanding side-by-side racing at the front of the pack. But Santoro, who had started 11th, got the lead on lap 28 and came away with his third career victory in the division.

Langevin was second and Chris Busta, who was never far behind the leaders, was third. Hohenforst finished fourth and Mike Ketchum was fifth.

Jeff Washburn held off Kim Duell to win the 20-lap pro-stock feature. Duell, who started on the pole, led the first five laps, gave up the top spot to Lori Langevin for a couple of circuits, and then moved back out front on lap nine. Washburn, who started seventh, took over second on lap 10 and finally moved around Duell on lap 17.

Duell stayed right on Washburn's rear bumper, but had to settle for second as Washburn also recorded his third career win. Vinnie Santoro hit the finish line third, followed by Walt Brownell and Nick Stone.

Frank Hoard III won the 25-lap budget sportsman feature after a crowd-pleasing battle with Scott Duell, Dan Petronis won the limited division feature and Jason Dickson took the checkered flag in the mini-stock main event.

MODIFIEDS (50 LAPS): MATT DELORENZO, Mike Ronca, A.J. Romano, Elmo Reckner, Ray Hoard, Dave Camara, Marc Johnson, Todd Stone, Keith Flach, Robert King, Jimmy Cottrell, Vince Quenneville Jr., Ken Tremont Jr., Jeff Trombley, Jim Ryan, Ron Proctor, Jack Johnson, Brett Hearn, Mike Perrotte, Don Ronca, Ronnie Johnson, Don Mattison.

SPORTSMAN (50 LAPS, TOP 10): JOE SANTORO, Rob Langevin, Chris Busta, Josh Hohenforst, Mike Ketchum, Matt Depew, Kory Sandstedt, Keith Slavin, Dave DePaolo, Ken Anatriello.

PRO-STOCKS: JEFF WASHBURN, Kim Duell, Vinnie Santoro, Walt Brownell, Nick Stone, Ed Thompson, Bob Schmidt, Cale Kneer, Jim Monroe, Greg McGill, Josh Joseph, Mike Paquin, Phil DeFiglio, Daryl Carl, Randy Miller, Lori Langevin, Kevin Van Chance, Ron Zagata, Pete Broderson, Bernie Companion, Charles Towslee.

BUDGET SPORTSMAN: FRANK HOARD III, Scott Duell, Seth Howe, Bryan Davis, Jim Nagle, Matt Hyde, Paul Dunhan Jr., Mike Budro, Cullen Howe, Jared McMahon, D.J. Brundige, Chuck Dickinson, No. 23E, Peter Carlotto, Chris Hutchinson, Mike Grogan, Alex Bell, Angelo DiCarlo, Scott Straight, Fred Proctor Jr., Nick Lussier.

LIMITEDS: DAN PETRONIS, Dan Older, Mike Ostrander, Mark Burch, Jon Filarecki, Dave Billings, Mark Lester, Rich Howe, Charles Burkhart III, Yule Cook, Jim Monroe, Megan Purstell, Jeff Monroe, No. 22D, Steve Burch, Brian O'Reilly, Briah Ashline, Andrew Durie, Tim Anagnos, Russ Farr, Ken Conroy.

MINI-STOCKS: JASON DICKSON, Mike Cranston, Michelle Catone, Ray Galusha, Ken Schroeder, Justin Demers, No. 25.