Don Ronca Wins With Exciting Finish at Albany-Saratoga

Spring finally sprung Friday night at the Albany Saratoga Speedway, as great racing weather

graced the Malta area for the first time in 1997. A large crowd was on hand to bask in the

sunshine and they were greatly rewarded with some hot and heavy action out on the race track

as longtime CVRA modified driver Don Ronca picked up his first checkered flag of the year in

the 35 lap main event in his Gremlins-sponsored #1.

Ronca took the lead from Jack Cottrell, on lap 22, with Kenny Tremont a very close second,

and hard-charging Brett Hearn, Bob Savoie, and Cottrell rounding out the top five. In

sportsman action, Scott Noel picked up the feature win in the 20 lap event over Randy Delaney

and an impressive Dave Sargent. The win was Noels third of the season at "The Great Race

Place".

For the second week in a row, Jim Ryan got the jump on the field at the green flag, beating

pole-sitter Brian Gerrain to the first turn on lap one. Ronca quickly moved to fourth around

the high side of turns one and two, as superstars Brett Hearn, Tremont, and Jeff Heotzler

began to slowly move through traffic from the back.

By the seventh lap Jack Cottrell wrestled the lead away from Ryan with Ronca a close third.

Don Ackner then flexed his muscle for the second week in a row, going from sixth to fourth in

a great move down the front stretch, as Bob Savoie began to move quickly through traffic up

to the eighth position.

Cottrell looked strong in leading and seemed to be on his way to victory as he approached

traffic on lap 16. Meanwhile, Tremont had clawed his way up to ninth and was breathing down

Savoies neck for the eighth position. The two would duel for a while, before Tremont

prevailed. Ronca was a comfortable second at the time, with Ryan and Ackner following.

As the race moved past the halfway point without a caution, and Cottrell maneuvered through

lapped traffic, Don Ronca began to close the gap and make a race of it. The two modifieds put

on a ding-dong battle for the lead for three laps until finally Ronca soared around Cottrell

in turn three on lap 22 as Ackner, Savoie, and Tremont went at it tooth-and-nail for fifth

behind Ron Dwyer, who had moved up to fourth.

The first caution of the race finally fell on lap 24 when Don Ackners great run was cut

short as his modified shed its right front wheel and he was clipped by Todd Ryan. Ackner was

finished with a heartbreaker, as his tire careened down the front shoot, and Ryan would pit

and return. On the restart, Ronca was off and running. He used the outside cushion to run

away on the rest of the field, while Tremont made a strong run past Savoie into fourth, and

then past Jim Ryan for third. Savoie and a hard charging Brett Hearn then followed suit,

moving around Ryan for the fourth and fifth positions.

The trio of Tremont, Savoie, and Hearn then made their way past early leader Cottrell and

Tremont began to stalk the Gremlins modified. With four to go the caution waved for the

second and final time, as Ron Dwyer blew a tire and was skimmed, by, once again, Todd Ryan.

The final dash for the finish was marked by a great side-by-side battle for third between

Savoie and Hearn, as Tremont tried to find a way around Ronca. Tremont was unsuccessful in

his mission and had to settle for second, as Ronca drove to a well deserved victory. Hearn

nipped Savoie at the line for third, and Cottrell rounded out the top five.

Heotzler, Jim Ryan, Vince Quenneville, Lee Nutting, and Mike Ricci, who started 23rd after

qualifying through the consi, rounded out the top ten.

In the sportsman feature, Scott Noel used a lap 17 restart to catapult his mount from third

to first in a three wide move past leader Dave Sargent and Randy Delaney. Noel pulled away as

Sargent and Delaney battled fiercely for second. Delaney took the second position at the

line, beating out Sargent who put on a great show for the fans. Kenny Aanonsen had a great

run in fourth and Tim Laduc rounded out the top five.

Steve Burega took the lead at the start of the Hobby Stock feature and went the distance for

an impressive victory. He was followed across the line closely by hot-shoe Ryan Odasz, Adam

Tranka, Vince Raylinsky, and Dan Lee. In Pro-Street Stock action, Mike Bradley continued his

dominance in winning yet another 20 lap feature event in convincing fashion. Mike Paquin,

Mike Fritz, Dave Crounse, and Lucas Baker completed the top five in the very competitive

division.

MODIFIEDS: DON RONCA, Ken Tremont, Brett Hearn, Bob Savoie, Jack Cottrell, Jeff Heotzler, Jim

Ryan, Vince Quenneville, Lee Nutting, Mike Ricci, Floyd Billington, Don Scarborough, Mike

Perrotte, Hector Stratton, Brian Berger, Jeff Trombley, Mike Benson, Ron Dwyer, Todd Ryan,

Brian Gerrain, Randy Hotaling, Don Ackner, Mike Ronca, John Harrison, Jeff Sheely.

SPORTSMEN: SCOTT NOEL, Randy Delaney, Dave Sargent, Ken Aanonsen, Tim LaDuc, Chuck Higley,

Jim Davis, Mike Ballestero, Lance Harting, Dave Manny, Brian McKenzie, Todd Morey, Jeff

Betit, Tony Ballestero, Bob Schmidt, Joe Budka, Ed Sansoucie, Don Mattison, Jim Groncki, Ray

Simpson, Jim Senzio, Ron Johnson, Jim Introne.

STREET STOCK TOP 10: MIKE BRADLEY, Mike Paquin, Mike Fritz, Dave Crounse, Lucas Baker, Mark

Emigh, John Russo, Chris Lussier, Jason Miller, Phil Sherman.

HOBBY STOCK TOP 5: STEVE BUREGA, Ryan Odasz, Adam Tranka, Vince Raylinsky, Dan Lee.