The 4th Turn

~ By Tom Boggie 

Being the degenerate that I am, I’ll kill an hour or two on a boring afternoon watching TVG (for the uninformed, that’s the horse racing channel on Spectrum). And because I have an account at Capital OTB, I’ve been known to make a wager or two.

One of the analysts on TVG likes to play what he calls “the light bulb angle.” If a horse has been competitive and finally gets a victory, he’ll usually pick the horse to come back with a second straight win. As he explains, it’s like a light bulb went off over the horse’s head (like in the cartoons) and the horse thinks, “So that’s how you do it!”

The light bulb angle was definitely in effect last weekend. On Friday night, Brian Calabrese of Johnstown recorded what has to be one of the biggest upsets ever when he won the 100-lap Northeast Crate Nationals at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, a win worth $2,500. That was Calabrese’s first win ever at Albany-Saratoga.

And darned if he didn’t go right back out Sunday night and win the crate modified feature at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. Because of the bounty put up for anyone who could beat Dave Constantino and Tim Hartman Jr., Calabrese won another $1,800 on Sunday.

Normally, when I’m watching a race, I don’t get emotionally involved. But I was yelling at Marty Kelly III, who was a lap down, to get the hell out of Calabrese’s way with five to go last Friday so Connor Cleveland wouldn’t have room to get around Calabrese.

Hey, when a guy driving a 10-year old chassis climbs out of his car and calls his win a “dream come true,” it makes for a good story.

MORE FROM MALTA

It was good to see Jimmy Cottrell back at Albany-Saratoga Friday night after the second-generation driver took most of the racing season off. Cottrell began the season at Malta, and had a top-10 finish in the second race of the year, but soon realized the W16 motor he had put in his car wasn’t going to be competitive against the big blocks. He talked to promoter Lyle DeVore about dropping the weight for a modified using a low-budget W16, which he thought might encourage other drivers to get on the W16 bandwagon, but that idea didn’t fly, so Cottrell parked his car.

“I’ve been here most Friday nights with my buddies, watching the features,” said Cottrell, who spent the weekends during the summer doing normal family things.

The W16 proved to be very competitive against the small blocks last Friday, as Cottrell finished sixth in the 40-lapper. Before the race, he was looking forward to working with his new crew chief – his little boy, James III.

Also on hand Friday were Bobby Varin and car owners Carole and Alton Palmer. Varin is the newly crowned modified champion at Fonda and can’t say enough good things about the Palmers.

“This is probably the most fun I’ve ever had,” said Varin. “Alton and I are like two peas in a pod.”

And the Palmers feel the same way about Varin. “He’s a real character,” said Carole Palmer. “He and Alton get along great.”

The Palmer Services team would like to do more racing during the summers, but their schedules just don’t allow it. “You’ve got to pay the bills first,” said Varin of the work schedules he and Palmer have. On Friday, after correcting some motor problems (the big block in the 76 had been freshened and put back in the car on Monday), Varin came away with a second-place finish.

The team will be heading to Super DIRT Week in Oswego with a new car and an enthusiastic attitude.

In addition to Calabrese’s victory, fans at Malta Friday night saw one of the best finishes to a race ever, when Derrick McGrew Jr. climbed over the wheel of Scott Bennett’s car coming out of the fourth turn on the final lap and took the checkered flag with his front wheels off the ground, then sliding into the infield. As Bennett (whose car suffered a mechanical breakdown coming out of the fourth turn on that last lap) was getting towed off the track, he was standing on the side rail of his car and applauding for McGrew, who was doing his victory lane interview.

Another good photo op: Tommy Spencer, who owns Chad Edwards’ car, mooching a victory lane photo with Calabrese. Hey, Tommy. How about springing for a new fire suit for the kid?

Frank Hoard III made a rare appearance at Malta last Friday, and probably wishes he had stayed home. During the small block feature, he was squeezed into the front stretch wall after contact from Neil Stratton, and barrel-rolled his car twice, doing heavy damage.

Rarely do you see Tim Hartman Jr. make a mistake, but he had the Northeast Crate Nationals locked up until he jumped the berm in turn two on lap 88, losing the lead to Cleveland and dropping back to third.

AROUND THE TRACKS

All the buzz this weekend is about the Vermont 200 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. On Sunday, the track will run a 200-lap feature for crate sportsman, paying $10,000 to win. Among the drivers entered is Brett Hearn, who hasn’t raced at the Bowl since 2000 (that must have been the USNA race). Hearn’s only win at the Bowl came in a “Hot Summer’s Night” feature in 1992. The Vermont 200 field will also include the likes of Ken Tremont Jr., Jessey Mueller and Marc Johnson, and many other outsiders are expected to show up for a shot at the largest purse ever paid for a crate race.

You want a prediction? I’ll give you a prediction. I’m going with Joey Scarborough, who has momentum (he recorded his fourth win of the year in last weekend’s Leon Gonyo Memorial), home-track advantage, and half of Vermont rooting for him.

The Vermont 200 will be the last chance for former track champion Vince Quenneville Jr. to get his first win of the season. The last time Quenneville went through a season without a win was 2013. That year, Todd Stone won 10 of 16 features, and Quenneville finished in the top five in 12 of those 16 races.

C.D. Coville will be the grand marshall for the Vermont 200. Coville is a three-time champion at the Vermont track. Time trials on Sunday will begin at 2 p.m.

Congratulations to Craig Hanson of Tribes Hill for winning last Friday night’s feature at I-88 Speedway in Afton. That was Hanson’s first win in over two years, as he had a rare winless season in 2017.

Danny Johnson won last weekend’s Super DIRT Series feature at Drummondville, his third victory of the series. Don’t be surprised to see Johnson pull into Devil’s Bowl on Sunday. Longtime racing fans will remember The Doctor’s only win at the Bowl, in 1997, when he drove Paul Parker’s 73 to victory in a 100-lapper. The top five that night consisted of Johnson, Jeff Heotzler, Don Scarborough, Jack Johnson and Bob Savoie.

Stewart Friesen did double duty at Orange County Speedway last Saturday, finishing 13^th in the Halmar big block and third in the small block. He’ll be in Las Vegas tonight for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series World of Westgate 200. You can watch that on FSI at 9 p.m.

Albany-Saratoga Speedway will close out its racing season tonight with a card that will be highlighted by the King of Dirt 358 Series Small Block Nationals. The CRSA sprints will also be in action, along with limited sportsman (running extra distance for an increased purse), street stocks and four-cylinders.

Fonda Speedway will reopen Saturday night with all divisions in action, highlighted by the rain-delayed Hondo Classic. Promoter Pete Demitraszek has removed the King of Dirt Series sanction from that race to give more pro stock drivers the opportunity to compete without having to pay an entry fee. But he’s still going to pay a King of Dirt Series purse. The CRSA sprints will complete their two-night Capital Region swing on the card.