Jumpin' Jack still going strong 

MALTA - Everyone in racing knows that Albany-Saratoga Speedway is a driver's track, and everyone knows that Jack Johnson is still one helluva driver.

Dipping into his wealth of experience about both the track and the competitors, Johnson used a restart on lap 24 to get the lead, and went on to post his third victory of the season in the Bobcat of Saratoga 358 modified feature Friday night at the Malta track.

Although Johnson dropped out of the battle for the point championship in late July when he finished 17th in a double-point show, he hasn't lost the desire to win. The last time he won three features in one season at Albany-Saratoga Speedway was 1994.

And he got Friday night's victory with a backup motor. “We've got a spec motor in the car,” said Johnson in victory lane. “It's one of Dave Camara's old motors. It doesn't have the stuff we need, but it got the job done.”

In a strange way, Jumpin' Jack got a little assist from his son, Ronnie, in getting the win. On lap five, Brett Hearn tried to squeeze inside Ronnie Johnson coming through the fourth turn and when Ronnie closed the door, Hearn made contact with the inside Jersey barrier and had a tire go down. By the time he got a new tire and got back on the track, the rest of the field was coming out of four to take the green, putting Hearn a half-lap behind.

Jack Cottrell, still looking for his first win in what could be his final season of racing, came off the pole and had the Kendall Oil car hooked up, leading the first 23 laps. But Jack Johnson, who had started seventh, was running second when Keith Flach hit the wall in turn four, bringing out the yellow, and the next time around, Johnson had the lead for good.

“You've got to know who you can race with and know where to pass,” said Johnson. “That's where experience paid off tonight. I knew Jack was committed to the bottom and I knew if I could get to the top and keep the motor wound up, it would be all right.”

Ken Tremont Jr. made a late charge and got up for second, with Matt Delorenzo third, Cottrell fourth and Ronnie Johnson fifth. Completing the top 10 were Don Ackner, A.J. Romano, Don Ronca, Hearn and Tim Clemons.

Randy Hotaling, who began the season in the modified division, came from deep in the pack to record his first win of the year in the 20-lap sportsman feature. Because of his experience, Hotaling has been relegated to starting last among the qualified cars by track officials, but that didn't make much difference Friday. Despite starting 18th, Hotaling took the lead away from Dick Bisson with four laps to go and notched his ninth career sportsman win, to go along with two modified victories. Bisson finished second for the fourth time this season, with Jack Gentile third, Tim Hartman fourth and Rich Davis fifth.

Defending pro-street stock track champion Butchie Irwin, who regained the point lead a week earlier, put a little more distance between himself and the Lazzaro Motorsports team by driving to his second straight victory in that division.

Irwin, who started 10th, only needed five laps to get to the front, thanks to a couple of early restarts, and then dueled with Lori Cary before she slipped back late in the race, relinquishing the runner-up position to Rob Langevin, who didn't have enough for Irwin at the end. Cary crossed the line third, with Jimmy Eaton fourth and Cale Kneer fifth.

Jeff Monroe kept his hopes for the Rentway Limited track championship alive by picking up his second win of the season. Monroe made his way through traffic as Mike Pfau and Kevin VanChance battled side-by-side for the first five laps, and Monroe then moved past both leaders on lap seven to get the lead for good in the 15-lap feature.

VanChance, who hasn't been to victory lane since June, hung tough but was two-tenths of a second behind at the finish. Following Monroe and VanChance across the finish line were Jim Monroe Sr., John Filarecki and Rich Burke.

Two familiar faces were back in victory lane in the Pro-Built Mini-Stock division, as Jeremy Brownell rolled to his sixth win of the season in the six-cylinder division, and John Baldwin took the checkered flag for the fourth time in the four-cylinder class.

The night ended with a 50-lap enduro, won by Richard Langley.

BOBCAT OF SARATOGA MODIFIEDS: JACK JOHNSON, Ken Tremont Jr., Matt Delorenzo, Jack Cottrell, Ronnie Johnson, Don Ackner, A.J. Romano, Don Ronca, Brett Hearn, Tim Clemons, Mike Ronca, Bobby Varin, Mike Perrotte, Frank Hoard Sr., Jimmy Davis, Erik Mack, Craig Hanson, Marc Johnson, John Proctor, Todd Ryan, Keith Flach, Paul Cirincione, Ron Proctor.

SPORTSMEN: RANDY HOTALING, Dick Bisson, Jack Gentile, Tim Hartman, Rick Davis, Mike Tholin, Mike Ballestero, Joe Budka, Dan Bublak, Ken Anatriello, Matt Depew, David Peek, Derrick McGrew, Bill Cody, Jimmy Cottrell, Chris Busta, Rich Ronca, Neal Erickson, Adam Tranka, Jamie Proctor, Bill Bokus, Elmo Reckner, Stan Lemiesz, Tony Ballestero, Chris Johnson, Dustin Delaney.

PRO-STREET STOCKS: BUTCHIE IRWIN, Rob Langevin, Lori Cary, Jimmy Eaton, Cale Kneer, Steve Burega, Scott Duell, Bernie Companion, Bill Smith IV, Bob Schmidt, David Peck Jr., Matt Anatriello, Joe Santoro, Vince Santoro, Brian Ashline, Dean Charbonneau.

RENTWAY LIMITEDS: JEFF MONROE, Kevin VanChance, Jim Monroe Sr., John Filarecki, Rich Burke, Bob Smith, Paul Mulrain, Tom Conroy, Dave Emigh, Mark Burch, John Morris Jr., Mike Wilber, Mike Ostrander, Mark Emigh, Bill Burlingame, Rich Holmes, Tim Shaw, Mike Minick, Brian Haas, Mike Pfau, Charlie Koenig, Ken Conroy, Dan Petronis.

PRO-BUILT MINI-STOCKS (SIX-CYLINDER): JEREMY BROWNELL, Tom Jeffalone, Randy Manhey, Kevin Lukasik, Dan Uber, Lewis Kusalonis, Ray Galusha, Amy Benacquista, Chris McCarthy.

PRO-BUILT MINI-STOCKS (FOUR-CYLINDER): JOHN BALDWIN, Roger Newkirk, Kevin Connors, Mark Emigh, Pete Willis, Mike Cranston, Tyler Peetz, Matt Corbiel, Travis Tromans, Ben Durie, Jeremy Curley, Jason Dickson, Chris Greene, Ryan Pechtel.