~ By Tom Boggie

Everyone likes to say that records are made to be broken, but there are some numbers that just seem really untouchable.

For instance, there’s 200. That’s the number of NASCAR Cup Series wins Richard Petty amassed during his career. In those days, Petty was racing three or four days a week around dirt tracks throughout the Eastern Seaboard. That record will stand forever.

Then there’s 2,632. That’s the number of consecutive games played by former Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. Again, untouchable. Just for historical value, Ripken Jr. broke the previous record of 2,130 games, which Lou Gehrig had held for 56 years, in 1995.

How about 56? That the record for Major League Baseball’s consecutive games with a hit, set by Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees in 1941. The closest anyone has come to that record in the last 20 years was Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies, who hit safely in 38 games during the 2005-06 season.

Because Albany-Saratoga Speedway promoter Lyle DeVore is such a big hockey fan, I’ll also put in the No. 92. That’s the number of goals Wayne Gretzky scored during the 1981-82 season, when the league played an 80-game schedule. To put that in perspective, Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, who many experts say is the “next Gretzky,” had a career-high 64 goals last year.

Which brings us to the No. 175. That’s the total number of modified victories Ken Tremont Jr. has at Lebanon Valley Speedway. That includes 142 big block wins and 33 small block victories. That is another record that will never be broken.

As everyone knows, Tremont will be driving the iconic No. 115 for the final time Saturday night in the Super DIRTcar Series race at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. After a career that began in 1977, when he would go out on the track and warm-up his father’s backup car, Tremont has become a legend in dirt track racing. So much has been written about him since he announced his retirement earlier this summer that it’s hard to add anything new.

I’ve been following Ken around for over 40 years, through good times and bad, and we’ve had some great conversations, although not all of them were suitable for print. I’ve talked to him in victory lanes all over the Northeast, from Malta to West Lebanon to Syracuse; hell, even to Vernon, when Jim Beechy was running New Venture Speedway. It will be strange to walk into the pits at Malta and not see the 115 hauler. But all good things have to come to an end, and I’m glad that Ken got to go out on his own terms.

OK, that’s enough sentimentality for one day. On to Malta Massive Weekend.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I think Jordan Modiano’s Autism Awareness “Dare to be Different” race on Friday night is really going to be something special. With an extra $500 kicked in by Dean’s Electrical, the race will pay $10,500 to win, which is an unheard-of payday in the pro stock ranks.

Modiano had 46 drivers signed into the pits two weeks ago, when the original date was rained out. I found it interesting that one of the drivers on the list was Rob Yetman, who, if I’m not mistaken, hasn’t raced at all in 2023. But with that much money on the line, I’m not surprised to see him coming back.

One of the drivers to watch has to be Luke Horning. The Cousin is buzzin’. Horning had two wins at Albany-Saratoga this season before switching Friday night tracks following a one-week suspension from Malta, and last weekend, he won on both Friday and Saturday nights during the Mohawk Fall Nationals at Mohawk International Speedway.

Tremont’s number 115 will be plastered around Albany-Saratoga Speedway this weekend. Bart DeRocha of Bart Contracting is putting up $115 bonuses for all the sportsman, 358 modified and pro stock heat race winners on Friday night, and Brian Madsen of Madsen Overhead Doors will be paying $115 bonuses to the fast timer, heat race winners and consolation winners on Saturday for the Super DIRTcar Series big block race, which will be 115 laps in distance and pay $11,500 to win, again as a tribute to Tremont.

DeRocha has added $1,000 to the DIRTcar 358 modified purse on Friday, kicking up the winner’s payday to $5,000 for the 40-lap event.

DeRocha is also offering a $1,500 bonus to any driver who can win the DIRTcar 358 modified feature on Friday night and the Super DIRTcar Series 115-lapper on Saturday.

If you were curious, the closest anyone has come to a sweep during Malta Massive Weekend was 2021, when Mike Mahaney finished second in the Fall Foliage 358 race on Friday and then won the Super DIRTcar Series 100-lapper on Saturday.

I’m going with a longshot in the Super DIRTcar Series race. Sorry, Ken. I can’t see a fairy tale ending here. Adam Pierson is due to win one of these things, and I think Saturday could be the night.

HITTING HIS MARKS

It’s about time for Bodie Marks to get a little recognition. The junior slingshot driver from Scotia has put together an incredible season. For most of 2023, he followed a three-night-per-weekend schedule, campaigning at Utica-Rome on Friday, at the go-kart track at Lebanon Valley on Saturday and at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park on Sunday.

To date, he’s chalked up 21 wins, including a track record 12 and the junior slingshot championship at Glen Ridge. He also had four wins at the Valley (where he was second in points to good friend EJ Hatch), three wins at Utica-Rome (again, second in points) and two at Caroga Creek in Ephratah.

Last weekend, he ventured to Accord Speedway and made his debut with the All-Star slingshots, finishing fourth in his first step up in competition. He’ll be running All-Star slingshots next season, and should be added to the list of drivers to watch in the future.

THAT’S DEDICATION

Sometime soon, someone has to give Brian Calabrese a dedication to racing award.

Calabrese, who usually shows up at Albany-Saratoga on Friday nights with just one crew member (if he’s lucky), did his regular double duty last weekend at that dirt track in Montgomery County, running in both the 200-lap modified race, as well as the sportsman race. He finished in the top 10 in both events (ninth in the 200-lapper, sixth in the sportsman feature).

Calabrese ran a total of 38 modified races this season, as well as sportsman races at Fonda and some occasional stops at Glen Ridge. Of those 38 modified features, he had two top-five finishes (a fourth at Albany-Saratoga on May 26 and a fourth at Fonda on July 22). He finished second to Jordan McCreadie in the 358 modified feature at Glen Ridge on July 23, and was also second, to track champion Peyton Talbot, in the sportsman feature at Fonda on July 17.