Hearn returns to Victory Lane

MALTA, NY - Remember the old saying, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” That seems to work pretty well for Brett Hearn and his car owner, Vinny Salerno.

Salerno presented Hearn with the same car and engine package he used to win the final three races of the 2008 season, and Hearn came up with another victory Friday night in the season-opening 35-lap 358 modified feature at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

About the only change on the car was sponsorship. Gone is the Delaney Construction graphics package, replaced by Kreizer Aluminum Wheels.

“Basically, Vinny brought the same car back, set up the same as it was when we finished the 2008 season,” said Hearn after recording his 93^rd career victory at the historic Malta oval. “This is why you don't build a new car to start the season.”

The fans on opening night knew they were going to be in for a treat when Hearn and Ronnie Johnson started side-by-side in the second row after a set of time trials and heat races. Don Mattison and defending Devil's Bowl track champion Todd Stone started on the front row, but on lap eight, both Johnson and Hearn got around Stone, leaving Mattison to set the pace.

Johnson soon pulled even with Mattison and after a couple of laps of side-by-side action, Johnson ducked under Mattison on lap 13 to get the lead.

But that move nearly created disasterous results. Mattison got out of shape coming out of the fourth turn and clipped the wall. Somehow, Hearn managed to avoid Mattison.

“Mattison was all crossed up after hitting the wall, and I almost plowed right into him,” said Hearn later.

On the restart, Hean got the jump on Johnson and pulled into the lead, and he stayed out front the rest of the way. A restart with two laps to go allowed Johnson and Matt DeLorenzo, who had taken over third, to get a shot at Hearn, but he pulled off another perfect restart, and hit the finish line 0.872 seconds ahead of Johnson.

DeLorenzo, defending track champion Ken Tremont Jr. and Stone completed the top five. They were followed by Jack Johnson, Dave Camara, Jeff Trombley, Keith Flach and Mike Perrotte.

Derrick McGrew won the 25-lap budget sportsman feature, returning to victory lane for the first time in almost four years. McGrew was one of the top sportsman competitors at the track during the 2005 campaign, but after a disagreement with track management, left to compete elsewhere.

But he showed Friday that he still knows the quickest way around Albany-Saratoga. After starting eighth, McGrew took the lead away from Tim Hartman Jr. on lap 16 and was over a full second ahead when the green flag fell.

Hartman, a rookie in the budget sportsman division who has never done any other kind of open wheel racing, was impressive in his debut, hitting the finish line second, ahead of Frank Hoard III, Dan Peckham and Ricky Quick.

Rob Yetman, who earned a hard luck award at the end of the 2008 season, obviously won't be in line for that award this year, as he came away with his first career victory in the 25-lap pro-street feature. Jimmy Monroe and Jeremy Pitts swapped the lead back and forth for the first 16 laps of the feature, but Yetman, who had started 10^th, got the lead for good on lap 17 and crushed the field. Defending track champion Kim Duell got up for second, with Monroe third, Pitts fourth and Kevin Van Chance fifth.

Dan Petronis, who lost the point championship on the final night of racing last year, began the 2009 campaign on a high note, winning the 20-lap limited feature. He was followed by Mike Ostrander, Ken Conroy, Dan Older and Mark Lester.

Albany-Saratoga will return to action with Full Throttle Friday on April 24. The 358 modifieds will have the night off, but the sportsman, budgets, pro-streets and limiteds will be in action. Racing will begin at 6:45 p.m.

MODIFIEDS: BRETT HEARN, Ronnie Johnson, Matt DeLorenzo, Ken Tremont Jr., Todd Stone, Jack Johnson, Dave Camara, Jeff Trombley, Keith Flach, Mike Perrotte, Jimmy Cottrell, Tim Laduc, Mark Kislowski, Ray Hoard, Joe Williams, Elmo Reckner, Don Ackner, Don Ronca, Kory Sandstedt, Marc Johnson, Ken Anatriello, Matt Depew, Don Mattison, Rob Langevin, Ron Proctor, Pat O'Brien, Tony Kawalchuk.

BUDGET SPORTSMAN: DERRICK MCGREW, Tim Hartman Jr., Frank Hoard III, Dan Peckham, Ricky Quick, Jack Gentile, Mike Tholin, Bryan Davis, Chuck Dickinson, Shannon Donnelly, Marc Hughes, Ralph Denison, Mike Burdo, Nick Lussier, Scot Straight, Pete Carlotto, Cullen Howe, Scott Duell, Seth Howe, Anthony Marro, Ron Ayotte, Jared McMahon, D.J. Brundige.

PRO-STREETS: ROB YETMAN, Kim Duell, Jimmy Monroe, Jeremy Pitts, Kevin Van Chance, Walt Brownell Jr., Bill Smith IV, Gregg McGill, Chuck Towslee, Darryl Carl, Tom O'Connor, Cale Kneer, Matt Anatriello, Jeff Washburn, Dave Cook, Lori Langevin, Jim Monroe.

LIMITEDS: DAN PETRONIS, Mike Ostrander, Ken Conroy, Mark Lester, Dan Older, Dan Carlton, David Emigh, Jon Miller, Jeff Monroe, Ben Durie, Brian Ashline, Brian O'Reilly, Jason Wood, Paul Braymer, Mitch Sequin, Justin Demers, Chuck Burkhart, David Billings, Nathan Dahoda.