The 4^th Turn

~ By Tom Boggie

Tim Hartman Jr. was depressed, and for a good reason.

Marc Johnson was … well, I’m sure not what he was, because he rarely changes his expression.

Such was Championship Night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

Let’s start with Hartman Jr. Going into the final points race of the season, the defending sportsman champion trailed Connor Cleveland by eight points. He knew the only way to insure a second straight championship was to win the feature, so he went out hard.

After starting 12^th, he was up to second after 11 laps, kept working his way forward and then made a move on leader Daryl Nutting in the second turn on lap 22.

But before completing the pass, Hartman’s car suddenly lost power, and the quest for a championship went out the window.

“After I got into the wreck last week, the only things we didn’t change (during the week) were the transmission and the rear end,” explained Hartman Jr. after the race. “Then when I went out tonight, there was a vibration, so we changed the rear axle. We still had the vibration, so we changed the transmission. Then, we still had the vibration, so we said, the heck with it, let’s hope it (the Parillo Services No. 22) lasts. Then in the feature, something broke. It must have been the rear end.”

He was having this conversation while the motor was being pulled out of his car, on the order of promoter Lyle DeVore, who wanted the motors from the cars of the top contenders in the sportsman and pro stock divisions impounded so they could be sent out and be checked.

“It sucks now,” said Hartman Jr. of losing the title. “Having them pull the motor after a DNF is just the cherry on top of tonight.

“But I can’t hang my head. We were 2 ½ laps away. Otherwise, we had a great year. We won (the championship) at Fonda and about all we have to do is show up at Afton to win that (the North Region STSS) title.”

Hartman Jr.’s misfortune gave the title to Cleveland, and it was well-deserved. Cleveland finished second in the sportsman points race for the last three years, but never griped, just kept driving as hard as he could, and finally got the crown.

Over on the other side of the pits, Johnson was celebrating his second championship, if you can call talking to Ed Lamberton a celebration. The man who hates to finish second (Johnson did that four times this season) was finally No. 1 overall.

“Second still sucks, but in the end, they’re good,” said Johnson with a smile.

Johnson’s patience may be his biggest asset. Running a small block, he knows he has to bide his time until the track comes to him, so he rarely gets into trouble early in a race, which usually results in a bad finish. He had 14 top-10 finishes in 17 starts, and that included nine top-fives.

“I’m definitely a good points racer,” said Johnson. “As soon as one year ends, I start thinking about next year’s points.

“Both cars have been real good this year. I’ve got the best sponsors you could have, and I’ve got great guys working for me. All I really do is the tires and clean the car. Apples and Pudd’n do all the work on the car. This is really the first year I’ve trusted the guys to make most of the decisions, and it really worked out good.”

Apples and Pudd’n? If Johnson had a bigger crew, would it include steak and potatoes? Pizza and beer?

BIG PAYDAYS

Ken Tremont Jr. and Rocky Warner were the big winners last weekend.

After winning the modified feature at Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Friday night, Tremont took home the top prize of $25,500 from the Mr. Dirt Track USA race at Lebanon Valley on Saturday. Ever since promoter Howie Commander upped the ante on Mr. Dirt Track, Tremont is 2-for-2. The win also gave Tremont a guaranteed starting spot in the Billy Whittaker Cars 200 at Oswego next month.

Ronnie Johnson came oh, so close to recording the biggest win of his career. He led most of the 101-lap Mr. Dirt Track race, but Tremont got by him with 10 to go, and Johnson had to settle for second. He still took home $8,000. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, running second to him,” Johnson said after the race. Brett Hearn started on the outside pole and finished third, hindered by a fading right rear tire late in the race.

Tremont was also second in the Vermont 200 at Devil’s Bowl on Sunday, adding another $4,000 to his weekend take that totaled $32,000.

In addition to Mr. Dirt Track, the Valley also ran Mr. Crate Track for sportsman, and Whitey Slavin took the checkered flag. The win was Slavin’s first in two years at the Valley. His father Win Slavin won Mr. Dirt Track in 1980.

Warner finally got his signature win on Sunday, winning the Vermont 200. I know the Flying Squirrel has been to victory lane numerous times during Super DIRT Week, but the win in Vermont was worth over $14,000 in purse and lap money. Sunday’s win was his first ever at Devil’s Bowl, and his 18^th of the season.

Warner is developing a reputation for pulling into the pits late, and Sunday was no exception. He got his times mixed up, and thought warmups were at 5 p.m.; they actually began at 3. So when he pulled in, warmups were already done and he had to start last in one of the heats. But he later made up for it, giving car owner Jake Spraker one of the big paydays he’s been looking for ever since putting Warner behind the wheel of his race car.

On a personal note, I could never work with Rocky. I hate being late. If someone tells me to be somewhere at noon, I’m sitting outside at 11:50 a.m. Maybe I should offer my services as Rocky’s personal secretary, and make sure he shows up to his appointments on time.

AROUND THE TRACKS

After his engine was pulled and later declared legal, Josh Coonradt is officially the pro stock champion at Albany-Saratoga. This year marked the first season that Coonradt has been a full time competitor at Albany-Saratoga, and he made it pay off, leading the division with four wins.

Coonradt also won the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series race at Weedsport on Labor Day. The Empire Super Sprints were also in action at Weedsport, with Danny Varin getting the win.

Cleveland only won two features at Albany-Saratoga during the points season, but he chalked up his seventh win of the year last Saturday at Airborne in Plattsburgh. Despite the seven wins, he finished second to Adam Pierson in the points race.

Nutting did a heck of a job to pick up his first sportsman win of the year at Albany-Saratoga last Friday. Even though he started on the front row and led all 25 laps, he had Kale Groff breathing down his neck for the final three laps, after Hartman Jr.’s misfortune. Groff even bounced off the fourth turn wall in one last final attempt at Nutting, but Nutting beat Groff to the finish line by two-tenths of a second. Nutting has been racing a sportsman for about eight years. One of his first wins (it could be his first ever, for all I know) came at Mohawk International in 2013, when he had Camara Slate as a sponsor.

Tucker O’Connor picked up his first win of the year on Sunday in the crate modified feature at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. He’s also got two wins in the limited sportsman division at Albany-Saratoga.

The sportsman will get top billing Friday night at Albany-Saratoga, which will host the Saratoga 602 Super Nationals. The 100-lap race will pay $2,000 to win and $200 to start, thanks to sponsorship from Groff’s Plumbing and Dean’s Electric. The card will also include the first annual Fall Pro Stock Classic, which will pay $5,000 to win. That 50-lapper is being sponsored by Meltz Lumber, Stone Fabrication, Lazzaro’s Auto Body and Classic Muscle Parts.

Attention Media Members: Requests for Malta’s Massive Weekend (Sept. 17-19) credentials must be submitted by Sept. 10.  The application form can be found on the track website.  Spread the word.