MALTA - No doubt about it...Dave Camara’s new Teo Pro car was the class of the field Friday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Now, if he can only find a set of tires that will last 35 laps. Seemingly on his way to an easy victory, Camara blew a right front right tire on lap 18, allowing Wayne Jelley to pull off a huge upset Friday night in the double point Midseason Championships at the historic Malta track.
Jelley, who drives a car financed by his older brother, the legendary Butch Jelley, inherited the lead when Camara’s tire blew, and then held off hard-charging Andy Bachetti to end a 15-year winless drought at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Jelley’s only other win at Malta came on May 30, 1986, when he won the first half of Twin 25s. “This place has haunted me for years,” said Jelley with a big smile after becoming the 12th different driver to win a modified feature at Albany-Saratoga Speedway this season.
Maybe the ghosts have just changed places, and are now in Camara’s pit. Camara first brought out his new car two weeks ago, but blew a head gasket during warmups and never got achance to really run the car hard. He proved just how good the car is going to be Friday night, when he charged up from his 18th starting position to get the lead away from Ron Dwyer after just nine laps. Jelley, who had started fifth, got past Dwyer for second the next time around, and that proved to be a good place to be, as Jelley then inherited the lead when Camara’s tire blew. Camara went to the pits for a new tire and rejoined the field, but his adventure wasn’t over yet. Frustrated by the developments, Camara jumped the restart, and when the next caution came out, on lap 25, Camara was sent back four spots for the infraction. He did manage to come back to finish eight, but that certainly wasn’t the performance he was hoping for.
Bachetti, who had started dead last in the 25-car field after breaking a steering pump during his heat race, made a huge run at Jelley during the final 10 laps of the feature, and tried to get the jump on the leader on the final restart, on lap 28. But Jelley held his line, following the same line around the track that Camara had been carving out when he was on the point, and came away with the victory. Ken Tremont Jr. finished third, with Scott Noel fourth and Vince Quenneville fifth.
Tremont had to come from the back after being involved in a mishap in the first turn on the third lap. After sitting out two weeks with engine problems, Jack Johnson returned to Friday night action, but probably should have gone to the movies instead. On the second lap of the feature, he was involved in a multi-car tangle in the first turn which resulted in a flat tire on his Witz Roofing small block. Johnson would come back with a new tire, but pulled off the track on the 24th lap, finishing 21st. Completing the top 10 were Jim Ryan, Jack Cottrell, Camara, Tim Laduc and Todd Ryan.
Tony Ballestero recorded his second win of the season in the 20-lap sportsman feature, but the aspect of the race that fans will long remember was a horrific flip by John Bellinger in the John Kollar-owned small block. Midway through the feature, Bellinger and Jimmy Becker came out of the fourth turn side-by-side, and banged together. Bellinger’s car, on the inside, got the nose pointed to the outside of the track, which allowed the front of Becker’s car to lift the Kollar car into the air and sent it into a series of violent flips down the front straightaway. When the car came to test on its wheels, Bellinger was unconscious in the cockpit. By the time emergency crews cut him from the car, he was conscious and talking to EMTs, but as a precaution, he was airlifted to an area hospital for observation.
Ballestero, who had started seventh, took advantage of that restart, and another on lap 11, to move into second place, and he then took the lead away from Dick Bisson, who was looking for his first career win, on lap 15. Bisson’s bid for the win ended on lap 17, when he spun around in the second turn, allowing defending track champion Tom Proctor to finish in the No. 2 hole. Paul Cirincione was third, followed by Mike Ballestero and John Harrison.
Joe Santoro padded his point lead in the pro-stock division, easily winning the 20-lap feature, his fourth victory of the season. He left Mike Paquin and Carl Vladyka to battle for second, with Paquin coming out on top of that little war. Steve Burega was fourth, with Matt Anatriello fifth.
Curt Condon held off Adam Stoddard to win the hobby stock feature. Condon got the lead with three laps to go when Ken Town, battling for the lead, took out leader Don Daniels. Chuck Gauthier (four-cylinder) and W. Jon Smith (six-cylinder) won the cruiser division features.
MODIFIEDS: WAYNE JELLEY, Andy Bachetti, Ken Tremont Jr., Scott Noel, Vince Quenneville Jr., Jim Ryan, Jack Cottrell, Dave Camara, Tim Laduc, Todd Ryan, Frank Hoard Sr., Brian Gerrain, Ron Proctor, Jason Becker, Chuck Higley, John Proctor, Don Ackner, Mike Perrotte, Don Mattison, Ron Dwyer, Jack Johnson, Gene Munger, Mike Ronca, Brian McKenzie, Matt DeLorenzo.
SPORTSMAN: TONY BALLESTERO, Tom Proctor, Paul Cirincione, Mike Ballestero, John Harrison, Elmo Reckner, Sput Shaw, Ray Martindale, Frank Hoard Jr., Jack Gentile, Keith Nichols, Mike Boomhower, Jim Becker, Stan Lemiesz, Dick Bisson, Brent Bouplon, Bob Matthews, Gerry Conroy, Rich Ronca, Tim Hartman, Gary Gates, Jason Herrington, John Bellinger.
PRO-STREETS: JOE SANTORO, Mike Paquin, Carl Vladyka, Steve Burega, Matt Anatriello, Bob Schmidt, Randy Brownell, Charlie Koenig, Bill Smith, Tigger Driscoll, Jeff Sukup, Dean Charbonneau, Ed Pieinazek, David Shippee, Adam Tranka, Jason Brownell.
HOBBY STOCKS: CURTIS CONDON, Adam Stoddard,Vince Santoro, Mike Tholin, Jim Monroe, Ron Tollner, Lori Cary, Mike Newhouse, Bob Smith, Cliff Brooks, Chris Reckner, Don Daniels, Mike Ostrander, Dan Daniels, Tony Condon, Roy Fifield, Dave Daniels. DQ: Ken Towne.
SIX-CYLINDER CRUISERS: W. JON SMITH, Chris Busta, Ron Earfrato, Jason Keller, Dave Kennedy, Luke MacIsaac, Randy Rathburn, Jeff Monroe, Tom Pelech, Matt Thomas.
FOUR-CYLINDER CRUISERS: CHUCK GAUTHIER, Jason Duncan, Jon Atwell, Kevin Connors, Bill Lehman, Mike Carmen, John Richter, No. 65, Jim Monroe, No. 74, Ben Durie, Joe Naccarato, Kevin Van Chance, Mitch Gries, Mike Burdo.