Dave Camara Widens Point Lead at Albany-Saratoga

MALTA - At a time of year when championships are won or lost, Dave Camara is

making all the right moves. Going back to a setup that was effective early

in the season, Camara breezed to his third victory of the season Friday

night in the 35-lap 358 modified feature at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, and

put a little more distance between himself and the rest of the pack in the

point race at the speedway. More important, the win also allowed Camara to

pad the cushion he has in the overall Champlain Valley Racing Association

point race, which will pay $10,000 from the Goodyear point fund to the

overall champion.

Camara has been fighting with a loose race car in recent weeks at

Albany-Saratoga Speedway, so he went back to a setup which put a little push

into his Camara Slate-sponsored TEO-Pro car, and that was just what he

needed to dominate the field.

Dave Manny came off the front row to lead the first of three laps of the

feature, before the first caution flag of the night came out on lap four ,

when John Harrison came to a stop off the fourth turn. Two significant

things happened on the subsequent restart. First, Mike Perrotte took the

lead away from Manny and Camara, who had started 11th, made a pair of strong

moves along the bottom to move into fourth by the time the field went past

the flag stand to complete lap 4.

Although the top was the quicker way around the speedway, Camara was

content to work the bottom, moving past Dave Leckonby into third place on

lap six, and then rocketing by Manny into the No. 2 spot the next time

around. He caught Perrotte on lap 13, and two laps later, the second caution

of the night came out when Todd Ryan slowed on the front straightaway.

The lap 16 restart proved to be a huge problem for a couple of drivers.

First, Ron Proctor and Hector Stratton came together in the fourth turn,

quickly bringing the yellow out again. On the next restart, Mike Ronca was

knocked around in the fourth turn, collecting Ken Tremont Jr.. and Jimmy

Ryan. There was enough damage to Tremont’s car to send him to the pits for

the rest of the night, placing him 21st in the final running order.

The yellow came out again on lap 20 when Vince Quenneville, who was

running fifth, spun around in the fourth turn, and things then got very

interesting. Camara rocketed past Perrotte to get the lead on the lap 20

restart, and the next time around, Perrotte pulled off the track in the

second turn, the victim of a broken panhard bar.

From there on, it was clear sailing for Camara, leaving the rest of the

field to keep the fans interested. Manny, who has three sportsman wins to

his credit at the Malta track, came across the finish line in second place,

the best 358 modified finish of his career. Gene Munger, who started 22nd,

had one of the fastest cars on the track and put on a big charge in the last

half of the race to finish third, with Don Scarborough fourth and Don Ackner

fifth. Completing the top 10 were Tim LaDuc, Leckonby, Brian McKenzie,

Ronca and Wayne Jelley.

Sput Shaw drove to his third win of the season in the 20-lap sportsman

feature. Helped by three early restart, Shaw was able to take the lead on

lap 7 and held off point leader Tom Proctor for the victory. Jack Gentile

was third, followed by Tim Hartman and Jimmy Becker.

The Central New York Mini-Sprints made their second appearance of the

season at the speedway, with Don Harvey holding off a late charge from

modified driver J.R. Heffner to get the win. Lapped traffic allowed Heffner

to pull right alongside Harvey in the final laps of the race, but Harvey

held on for the win.

Ernie Grenier charged from his 11th starting position to pick up his

second win of the year in the 20-lap pro-street stock feature. Grenier took

the lead with two laps remaining in the feature and had a three-car length

advantage over Joe Santoro and Rick French when the checkered flag fell.

Chris Maxon finished fourth, with Phil Sherman fifth.

Mike Tholin picked up his first win of the season in the hobby stock

feature, while Pete Knapp (four-cylinder) and Randy Manhey (six-cylinder)

won the cruiser division features.

Albany-Saratoga Speedway will be back in action Friday night with a

100-lap Big Block/Small Block Challenge race. All other CVRA divisions will

also be in action, with racing starting at 7 p.m.

MODIFIEDS: DAVE CAMARA, Dave Manny, Gene Munger, Don Scarborough, Don

Ackner, Tim LaDuc, Dave Leckonby, Brian McKenzie, Mike Ronca, Wayne Jelley,

Vince Quenneville Jr., Bob Savoie, Jeff Betit, Jim Ryan, Ron Proctor, Jack

Cottrell, Chuck Higley, Scott Noel, Hector Stratton, Mike Perrotte, Ken

Tremont Jr., Todd Ryan, Kenny Aanonsen, John Harrison.

SPORTSMAN: SPUT SHAW, Tom Proctor, Jack Gentile, Tim Hartman, Jimmy Becker,

Kim Duell, Jimmy Davis, Stan Lemiesz, Lucas Baker, Doug Sheely, David Peek,

Rich Ronca, Derrick McGrew, Gerald Conroy, Floyd Billington, Jason

Herrington, Jake Zak, Don Mattison, Ken McGuire, Jeff Lutes, Mike Boomhower,

Tony Ballestero, Mike Ballestero.

PRO-STREET STOCKS: ERNIE GRENIER, Joe Santoro, Rick French, Chris Maxon,

Phil Sherman, Dean Charbonneau, Adam Tranka, Fred Little, Dan O’Connor,

Bernie Companion, Mike Paquin, D.J. Mabb, Tom O’Connor, Charlie Koenig, Bill

Smith, Walt Brownell, Jason Miller, Randy Brownell, Bob Gile, Al Hunter,

Matt Anatriello, Dave Uline, Matt Rich.

HOBBY A: MIKE THOLIN, Rob Muscanell, Ray Michaud, Jason Armer, Ken Town,

Glen Evans, Brian Ashline, Jeff Davis, Dan Daniels, John Donnelly, Chris

Reckner, Howard Clark, Adam Stoddard, Curtis Condon, Joe Trudeau, Jeff

Assman, Jim Monroe, Mike Ostrander, Bill McDonald, Jeff Daubert, Todd

Dunston, Mark Miller.

FOUR-CYLINDER CRUISERS: PETE KNAPP, Bill Marshall, Mike Carmen, Jim Monroe

Jr., Randy Rathbun, Mitch Gaies, Ben Ladd, Ron Gregory, No. 21, John Stiles.

SIX-CYLINDER CRUISERS: RANDY MANHEY, Ken Busta, W. John Smith, Luke

MacIsaac, Jon Atwell, No. 43, Roy Fifield, Dan Uber, Rick Mrzygold, Jeff

Monroe, Tony Condon, Ron Earfrato, No. 67.