Ken Tremont Holds Off Hearn In Side By Side Battle at Albany-Saratoga

MALTA NY -- Ken Tremont of West Sand Lake NY took his first checkers of the season at

Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Friday. During two restarts and ten laps of intense side by side

racing Tremont rebuffed Hearn's advances by running a high line around the track. The crowd

was on its feet for the last five laps and cheered wildly when Tremont crossed the finish

line just ahead of Brett the Jet. In a very competitive sportsmen division, rookie Ronnie

Johnson has flexed his muscles on the CVRA all season, and Friday night cruised to his second

win at Albany-Saratoga, and his third on the CVRA.

Tremont lined up in 15th at the start of the modified feature, but Don Scarborough of Brandon

VT was the early leader. A yellow flew on lap six for Jim Ryan as he spun in turn one and

went over the berm and off the race track. By then Tremont and Brett Hearn were both on the

move, following each other up through the pack, with Tremont in seventh and Hearn right

behind him in eighth. Todd Ryan had moved into second behind Scarborough with Guy Sheldon and

Brian Gerrain hanging on in third and fourth and David Towns in fifth. Tremont discovered the

high side of the race track was working for him and he was rim-riding, going way up in the

corners and holding his line on the straightaways.

Scarborough was checking out on the field with a big lead at the halfway point and Tremont

got by Guy Sheldon on the high side, with Hearn following one lap later. Jeff Heotzler also

found a groove that worked for him and began to storm by one car after another. Mike Ricci

headed to the pits with a race car that was giving him problems all night long. With 17 laps

down Tremont flew past Todd Ryan in turn four to move into second place and begin closing the

gap on Scarborough, who also found the top of the race track working for him. With 15 to go

Hearn passed Todd Ryan also, and moved into second behind Tremont. With 10 laps to go Tremont

was reeling in Scarborough, and a caution was thrown for Todd Wilkinson who got lost in the

weeds off the race track. That spelled doom for Scarborough, who fired off at the cone on the

high side, but Tremont went low and took the lead with Hearn following him into second place.

Todd Ryan was in fourth working on Scarborough, but he spun in turn four, taking Mike Ronca

out with him. They both headed for the pits with another yellow and 28 laps on the books.

The crowd was primed for a battle between Tremont and Hearn to see who would take the

checkers with only seven laps left. A great race shaped up, with Hearn getting by Tremont in

turn two on the bottom, but Tremont held his line up high and took the lead on the

backstretch. They went side by side in the corners for five laps, with Hearn riding the

inside guardrail and Tremont floating up, up into the corners. Each time out of turn two

Tremont would race back by Hearn on the stretch, and Hearn would get low in three and four,

looking as if he had the lead, then Tremont would come roaring out of four and take Hearn at

the flagstand. While the crowd's attention was riveted on the lead, Jeff Heotzler was quietly

working the field, getting by Mike Perrotte and trying to challenge Scarborough for third.

Tremont took the white flag by only a quarter panel on Hearn. On the last lap Hearn got a

little too close to the rail and the left front bobbled just a bit, but that was enough for

Tremont to hold on to his slim lead and take the checkers to a standing ovation from his

fans. Scarborough held on for third, with Heotzler in fourth, Perrotte in fifth, Guy Sheldon

with a good finish in sixth, David Towns, Vince Quenneville, Brian Gerrain and Bob Savoie

rounded out the top 10.

In the sportsmen feature Ron Johnson started seventh and battled side by side with Dave Manny

and Jim Davis for the lead. Johnson took the top spot, with Davis in second and Manny third.

Randy Delaney moved into second after he came together with Scott Noel but both held it

together. At the finish it was Johnson, Delaney, Davis, Noel and Manny in the top five. In

street stock action a red-hot Chad Miller took his first win over Joe Mulvaney (in his first

appearance this year), John Fitzgerald and Mark Emigh. Ryan Odasz came back to victory lane

over Randy Moore and Dan Lee in the 15 lap hobby stock main.

Coming up at Albany-Saratoga on Thursday July 3rd is the big holiday spectacular with

Transaurus and Bone Shaker, fireworks, and more great racing action.

MODIFIEDS: KEN TREMONT JR., Brett Hearn, Don Scarborough, Jeff Heotzler, Mike Perrotte, Guy

Sheldon, David Towns, Vince Quenneville, Brian Gerrain, Bob Savoie, Jeff Trombley, Lee

Nutting, Jack Cottrell, Brian Berger, Hector Stratton, Jim Ryan, Don Ronca, Randy Hotaling,

Ron Dwyer, Todd Ryan, Mike Ronca, Todd Wilkinson, Mike Ricci, Jeff Sheely.

SPORTSMEN: RON JOHNSON, Randy Delaney, Jim Davis, Scott Noel, David Manny, Mike Ballestero,

Tim LaDuc, Joe Budka, Jim Senzio, Lance Harting, Jim Introne, John Ruchel Jr., Jeff Betit,

Todd Ryan, Tim Hartman, Bob Schmidt, Don Mattison, Tony Ballestero, Scott Tripp, Mitch Beede,

Chuck Higley, Tom Proctor, Brian McKenzie, Ken Aanonsen.