Brett Hearn Wins At Albany-Saratoga

Albany-Saratoga Speedway Results for June 23 , 2000

MALTA - Being the perfectionist that he is, Brett Hearn won’t stop tweaking

with a chassis until a good race car becomes a great one. He obviously hit

on the right combination Friday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Despite

starting 18th, Hearn rocketed through the field in the Enders-powered

Teo-Pro car and easily picked up his first win of the season in the 35-lap

modified feature on New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame Night.

Hearn had only made three appearances at Albany-Saratoga Speedway before

Friday night, and had a pair of second-place finishes under his belt. But he

knew the car could be better, and he proved it Friday.

Brian Whittemore jumped into the lead from his front row starting

position, but relinquished the lead to Gene Munger on the sixth lap. Ronnie

Johnson, who had started seventh, quickly made his way up with the leaders

and was running second by the eighth lap. At the same time, Hearn, who had

put the Brioschi-sponsored small block up against the cushion early in the

race, was eating up ground and was in the top 10.

Dave Camara was also making his way through traffic, and he and Hearn

were both involved in an incident on the 13th lap that brought out the

fourth yellow flag of the feature. Going down the backstretch, Hearn and

Whittemore touched wheels, and when Whittemore checked up, Camara slammed

into the back of Whittemore’s car, sending him flying off the third turn.

That caution changed the complexion of the race. On the restart, Johnson

charged around Munger coming out of the fourth turn to get the lead, and

Hearn got a big jump and moved all the way to fourth. One lap later, Hearn

blew past both Jim Ryan and Munger to move into second, and then cruised

past Johnson on the high side to get the lead on lap 16.

Johnson, keeping his Nice ‘N Easy-sponsored Teo-Pro car tucked against

the inside guard rail, didn’t let Hearn get away, and nearly pulled even

with the leader on the 23rd lap. But Hearn then ducked low, forcing Johnson

to break his rhythm, and then moved right back to the top and pulled away

for an easy win.

Johnson was second, the third straight week he’s finished in the top

three. Ryan hung on for third, matching his best finish of the season, and

Camara passed Munger on the final lap to finish fourth. Completing the top

10 were Mike Ronca, Bob Savoie, Todd Ryan, Jack Cottrell and Tim LaDuc.

While the finish of the modified feature was pretty anticlimactic, both

the sportsman and pro-street stock features had wild endings. Tim Hartman

drove to his second win of the season in the caution-plagued 20-lap

sportsman feature. Hartman got the lead on lap 15 and then had his hands

full with Tony Ballestero in the closing laps. Coming out of the fourth turn

on the final lap, Ballestero hit the rear of Hartman’s car, putting both

cars in near-spins. But both drivers were able to get their cars across the

finish line. But Ballestero’s hard ride wasn’t necessary, as scorers showed

that he had lost a lap in the pits early in the race while getting a tire

changed. That put Mike Ballestero second in the final order of finish, with

Don Mattison third, Jimmy Becker fourth and Jimmy Davis fifth.

Ernie Grenier crossed the finish line first in the 20-lap pro-street

stock feature, but the win went to Mike Paquin. Grenier passed Paquin coming

out of the fourth turn on the final lap, but the starter had flicked on the

yellow lights just before the pass, displaying the yellow and checkered

flags at the same time, for a spin in the first turn. That decision put

Paquin back up front for his second win of the year. Following Paquin and

Grenier across the finish line were Phil Sherman, Fred Little and Randy

Brownell.

Curt Condon used a front row starting position to win the hobby stock

feature, and Mitch Gaies and Roy Fifield were the cruiser division winners.

Fireworks and a 50-lap sportsman feature will highlight Friday night’s

schedule at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

MODIFIEDS: BRETT HEARN, Ronnie Johnson, Jim Ryan, Dave Camara, Gene Munger,

Mike Ronca, Bob Savoie, Todd Ryan, Jack Cottrell, Tim LaDuc, Don Ackner,

Vince Quenneville Jr., Ken Tremont Jr., Jeff Trombley, Brian Gerrain, Hector

Stratton, Ray Hoard, Jeff Betit, Dave Manny, Brian Whittemore, Mike

Perrotte, Ken Aanonsen, Lance Harting, Scott Noel.

SPORTSMAN: TIM HARTMAN, Mike Ballestero, Don Mattison, Jimmy Becker, Jimmy

Davis, David Peek, Tom Proctor, Kim Duell, Jack Gentile, Lucas Baker, Gary

Gates, Rich Ronca, Floyd Billington, Tony Ballestero, Sput Shaw, Ken

McGuire, Jason Harrington, Ray Martindale, Doug Sheely, Randy Salisbury.

PRO-STREET STOCKS: MIKE PAQUIN, Ernie Grenier, Phil Sherman, Fred Little,

Randy Brownell, David Cook, Dave Uline, Matt Anatriello, Adam Tranka, Dean

Charbonneau, Walt Brownell, Jason Miler, Jeff Sukup, Kelly Williamson,

Bernie Companion, Charlie Koenig, Al Hunter, Chris Maxon, D.J. Mabb, Matt

Rich, Joe Santoro, Tom O’Connor.

HOBBY A MAIN: CURTIS CONDON, Jason Armer, Gary Michaud, Daniel Lee, Don

Daniels, Dan Daniels, Bill McDonald, Jeff Assman, John Morris Jr., Rob

Muscanell, Ron Tollner, Mike Ostrander, Jim Monroe, Adam Stoddard, Steve

Vrooman Jeff Davis, David Peck, Mike Tholin.

HOBBY B MAIN: MIKE OSTRANDER, Jeff Assman, Ron Tollner, Jon Trudeau, C.J.

Brooks, Howard Clark, John Donnelly, Brian Ashline, Eric Lacasse, Robert

Cox, Jeff Daubert, Mike Marsche.

FOUR-CYLINDER CRUISERS: MITCH GAIES, Pete Knapp, Jim Monroe Jr., David

Kennedy, Randy Rathbun, Gene Brownell, Ben Ladd, Todd Burch, Dave Campbell,

Mike Carmen, Bill Marshall.

SIX-CYLINDER CRUISERS: ROY FIFIELD, W. John Smith, Rich Mrzyglod, Chris

Busta, Randy Manhey, Jon Atwell, Jeff Monroe, Dan Uber, No. 40, Tony Condon,

Ron Earfrato, Bill Barslow.