The 4th Turn

~ By Tom Boggie

Racing action during last weekend’s season-finale Super DIRT Series race at the World Finals in Charlotte, N.C.

OK, raise your hand if you picked Demetrios Drellos to finish in the top five in last weekend’s season-finale Super DIRT Series race at the World Finals in Charlotte, N.C.

I’m not seeing a lot of hands.

But when the checkered flag fell on the 40-lap modified feature Saturday night in Charlotte, the Queensbury driver came across the finish line fifth, behind Tim Fuller (taking home $8,000), Matt Sheppard, Billy Decker and Brett Hearn – unquestionably four of the best dirt track modified drivers in the Northeast.

Drellos, who campaigns his own Drellos Racing 111 at Albany-Saratoga on Friday nights and races for Bill Nelson on Saturdays at Fonda, competed in seven Super DIRT series races prior to Saturday’s finale, and never made the top 10.

So his fifth-place finish last Saturday was a surprise, especially when you consider what he went through to get there.

First, we need a little background, The final weekend of the season at Charlotte is designed to have two Super DIRT Series races, both 40-lappers. Qualifying is done on Thursday, one feature is run on Friday and the finale takes place on Saturday.

But because of rain last week, both of the modified features were pushed back to Saturday, beginning in the afternoon.

There are also two qualifying sessions, one for Friday’s race and one for Saturday’s. Drellos was a monster in qualifying for the Saturday show, topping his qualifying group and also winning his heat race, which had him on the outside pole for the final race of the year.

His qualifying for the Friday session didn’t go well, and he started 30^th in the field.

That proved to be the wrong place to be on Saturday afternoon, as he got caught up in a late-race wreck and did substantial damage to the 111.

Between features, the Drellos Racing crew had to replace the entire front axle, as well as shocks and radius rods, to get the car ready for the second race.

And it all paid off.

The 21-year-old Drellos is developing into one of the best young drivers in the area. His accomplishments in 2018 include his first career win at Devil’s Bowl, in the King of Dirt Series C.J. Richards Memorial; his first career big block win at Fonda Speedway, where his grandfather, Chris, was a legendary car owner back in the 1960s and 1970s; and his run-in with Ken Tremont Jr. at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, which resulted in a one-week suspension for both drivers.

Other area drivers, in addition to Hearn and Drellos, who took part in the finale on Saturday were Keith Flach (10^th), Stewart Friesen (15^th), Jessey Mueller (16^th) and Chad Jeseo (26^th).

A-S regulars Hearn (20) and Mueller (19) at Charlotte.

Friesen flew into Charlotte after competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in Texas on Friday night (where he finished eighth) and picked up a ride in Jeseo’s backup car. Friesen didn’t qualify, so took a non-paid provisional to get into the field.

In Friday’s 40-lapper (remember, that was run first on Saturday), the 60-year-old Hearn, who won the modified titles at both Albany-Saratoga and Lebanon Valley this season, drove to his fifth career victory at Charlotte. Drellos finished 18^th in that race after his wreck, Josh Hohenforst was 20^th, Mueller finished 25^th and Flach was 28^th.

Local drivers Drellos in the 111 on the high side and Hohenforst in the 6H raced at Charlotte.

Hohenforst, who finished second in the Fonda Speedway modified point race this season, usually takes some vacation time to watch from the stands at Charlotte, but decided to take his car and race this season. He only qualified for the first feature.

Although Sheppard didn’t win a race at Charlotte for the first time in three years, he finished third in the first race and second in the finale to wrap up his seventh Super DIRT Series point championship. He needs one more crown to tie Hearn for the most Super DIRT Series championships ever.

STEWART’S CORNER

Although Friesen has been knocked out of the playoffs on the Camping World Truck Series, he’s still hunting for that elusive first win. He’ll be back in action this weekend at Phoenix.

Friesen also announced that he’ll be competing in the Snowball Derby for super late models on Sunday, Dec. 2 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. Friesen will be driving the Balough 112 in that race. Gary Balough, who is recovering from surgery after a bad fall, is the only driver who has won both the Super DIRT Week modified race at Syracuse and the Snowball Derby. Friesen already had a pair of seconds in the Balough 112 this year (at Bristol and Nashville), and will be heading to Florida a week early to do some testing.

RIP, CLANCY

I was saddened to hear of the death of Clancy Miller after a long battle with cancer. Miller ran the photo booth at Fonda Speedway for many years, and when I first started writing The 4^th Turn column for the Schenectady Gazette, Clancy would always provide me with photos to run with the columns. I’m sure I’ve still got some stashed away somewhere.

The “round man with a square deal,” as he was nicknamed by Fonda Speedway announcer Jim King, will be missed.

AROUND THE TRACKS

In case you missed it, Tyler Dippel of Walkill, a former modified driver at Lebanon Valley, has joined Friesen’s GMS team with Johnny Sauter for the final four races in the truck series. The 18-year-old was 14^th last weekend at Texas.

In addition to winning the Super DIRT Series title, Sheppard has also been announced as the champion of the American Racer Cup. His bonus money from that series will be $11,000 from a total bonus pool of $51,450. Both Fonda Speedway and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park will be part of the American Racer series next season.

Glen Ridge has posted its purses for the 2019 season. The crate modified winner will receive $600 for a regular feature; if more than 20 cars participate, the winner’s share will go up to $750.

If you haven’t had your fill of racing, mark down Nov. 24 on your calendar. That’s the date of “The Gobbler” at Accord Speedway, a 50-lap race paying $5,000 to win. Andy Bachetti is the defending champion.

The third annual Elmo’s Speed Shop Swap Meet will be held at Albany-Saratoga on Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m. All proceeds will go to the Albany-Saratoga Speedway drivers’ point funds.