WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Super DIRTcar Series, Albany-Saratoga Honor Don Davies With Don Davies New York Modifieds 76

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Anthony Perrego holds eight-point cushion over Peter Britten in Series standing

Mike Warren

June 21st 2024

A special night is on the horizon for the Super DIRTcar Series when it returns to Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

Hall of Fame motorsports journalist Don Davies will be honored with the Don Davies New York Modifieds 76 — a 76-lap, $7,600-to-win event featuring a “Race Within a Race.”

Along with the purse money, drivers can cash in on more than $13,000 worth of bonuses throughout the night.

Fans can also walk away with prizes from the event. Tuesday’s 50/50 raffle will have 24 drawings, including the cash grand prize, two DIRTVision subscriptions, and a 2023 Super DIRTcar Series champion hat signed by Matt Sheppard.

DIRTcar Pro Stocks and DIRTcar Sportsman are also on the card—two classes that Davies enjoyed every Friday night at the “Great Race Place.” Bonus money will be available for all three divisions.

Wednesday, June 26, will be the rescheduled date if weather hinders the event.

If you can’t make it to the track, watch all the action live on DIRTVision, either online or with the DIRTVision app.

Here’s a look at what to watch for at Albany-Saratoga:

The Race Within a Race: Tuesday’s Don Davies New York Modifieds 76 will feature a unique format, a “Race Within a Race,” something Davies wanted to see in an event.

The 76-lap Feature will be run in two segments. The first segment will be 46 laps, followed by an invert of four, six, or eight – drawn randomly by the leader on Lap 46. The leader at Lap 46 will receive a $2,000 bonus.Segment two is a 30-lap sprint for the $7,600 prize.

For more information on the “Race Within a Race,” CLICK HERE.

Ant-Man Leads the Pack: Anthony Perrego finds himself alone at the top of the Super DIRTcar Series points standings for the first time in his career.

The Montgomery, NY driver wrestled the lead from Peter Britten with a second-place finish at Big Diamond and enters Albany-Saratoga Speedway with an eight-point lead over the Aussie.

Perrego has found past success at Albany-Saratoga, winning the 2021 track championship and earning his first Super DIRTcar Series win at the Malta, NY oval during OktoberFAST in 2020.

He’s yet to finish outside the top five in six Series events this season.

Britten, a two-time Albany-Saratoga champion, currently leads the track standings entering this weekend.

“The Batman” scored a win at the facility on April 26 and aims to reclaim the Super DIRTcar Series points lead at his home track. He finished fourth and fifth in last year’s Series stops.

A win by the Aussie would be his fourth Super DIRTcar Series victory.

Mat Williamson and Matt Sheppard enter the Don Davies New York Modifieds 76 third and fourth in the standings, respectively.

Both drivers are looking to rebound after both failed to earn a top five in either stop at Albany-Saratoga last year.

Out of the two Series champions, Sheppard is the only one with a Series victory at the “Great Race Place,” winning during Malta Massive Weekend in 2022.

For a complete look at the Series points standings, CLICK HERE.

Home Track Advantage: For the first time this season, the Super DIRTcar Series visits a dirt track where its full-time competitors race weekly.

Britten, Jack Lehner, Mike Mahaney, Justin Stone, and C.G. Morey each call Albany-Saratoga Speedway home on Friday nights.

So far, Lehner and Mahaney are the only two who have reached Victory Lane. Lehner, from Saratoga Springs, NY, scored his victory on May 17, while Mahaney earned a DIRTcar 358 Modified win last Friday.

Of the five Albany-Saratoga regulars who race with the Super DIRTcar Series, Mahaney has had the most success, scoring his first two Series wins at the track.

Ready to Play Spoiler: The Super DIRTcar Series stars are only part of the stout field that races every Friday at Albany-Saratoga.

Chasing Britten in the battle to be track champion is Marc Johnson, who has a Big Block and 358 Modified victory at the track in 2024.

Johnson has knocked on the door of a Super DIRTcar Series win twice, earning two seconds in back-to-back races in 2022 at Albany-Saratoga and Lebanon Valley Speedway. The “White Knight” enters the event with momentum after winning the Slate Valley 50 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Father’s Day.

Two other former Albany-Saratoga Speedway track champions to watch are Matt Delorenzo and Demetrios Drellos.

“Matty D,” the 2022 track champion, finished second to Chris Hile in last year’s “Summer Starter” at the track, tying his best Super DIRTcar Series finish.

Meanwhile, defending track champion Demetrios Drellos earned his lone Super DIRTcar Series victory during the inaugural Malta Massive Weekend in 2019, leading all 100 laps. The Queensbury, NY driver is aiming for his second checkered flag of the season at the track on Tuesday after winning on May 31.

Drellos finished fifth during the Summer Starter last year.

Friesen Heats Up: Stewart Friesen has been consistent in his two Super DIRTcar Series championship season starts, finishing third at Weedsport and winning at Big Diamond.

Four of Friesen’s 45 Series wins have come at Albany-Saratoga, including his triumph during Malta Massive Weekend last September.

He already has a win at Albany-Saratoga in 2025, finding Victory Lane during the track’s opening night in April.

Friesen enters the Don Davies New York Modifieds 76 with five straight top five finishes in points-paying Super DIRTcar Series races.

WHEN AND WHERE 
Albany-Saratoga Speedway (4/10-mile) on Tuesday, June 25

TRACK RECORD
Albany-Saratoga Speedway: 15.277 by Jimmy Phelps on Sept. 24, 2022

FEATURE WINNERS: (4 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY- 2
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-2
Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-1
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON-1

HEAT RACE WINNERS (14 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-5
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD, AUS-3
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-2
Jimmy Phelps, Baldwinsville, NY-2
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-2
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-2
Rick Laubach, Quakertown, PA-1
Alex Payne, Hopewell, NY-1
Rex King Jr., Bristolville, OH-1
Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1
Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown, NJ-1
Bob McGannon, Garnerville, NY-1
Tim Sears Jr., Hastings, NY-1
Max McLaughlin, Mooresville, NC-1

LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN WINNERS (9 Drivers)
Rank- Driver- Hometown-Wins

Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-2
Felix Roy, Napierville, QC-1
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON -1
Billy Pauch Jr., Frenchtown. NJ-1
Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-1
Marc Johnson, Guilderland, NY-1
Brandon Walters, Unadilla, NY-1
Daniel Johnson, Middlesex, NY-1
Alex Yankowski, Covington Township, PA-1

PODIUM FINISHES (7 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – Podiums

Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-4
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-3
Matt Sheppard, Waterloo, NY-3
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-2
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-2
Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-1

HARD CHARGER (5 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – H.C.

Larry Wight, Phoenix, NY-2
Stewart Friesen, Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON-1
Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ON-1
Anthony Perrego, Montgomery, NY-1
Louden Reimert, Oley, PA-1

BILLY WHITAKER CARS AND TRUX QUICK TIMES (6 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs

Mat Williamson, St. Catharines, ONT-1
Rex King Jr., Bristolville, OH-1
Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, NY-1
Peter Britten, Brisbane, QLD-1
Stewart Friesen, Sprakers, NY-1
Erick Rudolph, Ransomville, NY-1

JAM Performance Fastest Hot Lap Award (3 Drivers)
Rank – Driver, Hometown – QTs