Terry Guest
Special to the Record
The 30th anniversary celebration of Saratoga Speedway was capped off by an amazing firework display on Saturday.
North Island College sponsored the night of racing, which began with a car parade thanking all the drivers for their commitment to racing over the years.
The Dwarf cars ran the first dash of the evening, with the B going to #7 Mike Schott and the A to #11 Mike Meeres. Schott led the 12-lap heat for the first nine laps, but Meeres fought his way from the back to take the win. Car #44 Bob Greenaway led the 10-lap reverse heat for the first three laps until #95 Jeremy Stevens took over and never looked back.
The 25-lap feature saw Schott take the lead early and stretch it from there. Meeres caught Schott on lap 17 and held on for the win. Schott finished second and third went to #4 Sean Sanger.
Seven I.M.C.A Modifieds took to the track, which marked the biggest field in years. Car #98 Pat Brown set yet another track record, with his 15.296-second lap beating his old record of 15.383. The B dash went to #32 Dano Bryant and the A to #53 Kevin Noble.
Car #89 Gregg Sagmoen held an early lead in the heat, but #8 Brad Purdy soon passed him en route to the win. Noble led the reverse heat from the first lap and won his second race of the night. Noble continued his winning ways in the main, leading every lap of the 20-lap feature. Car #48 Rob Ryan finished second and Brown placed third.
Car #99 Gilles Cyr once again set fast time in qualifying in the Bomber car division with a 17.733 tour of the track. The B dash went to #33 Brian Baltis and the A to #24 Charlie Ackerman. Car #97 Ken Hallgarth Jr. led the heat for the first three laps, but Ackerman found his way around him on lap four and went on to take the win. Car #11 Mike Dionne took an early lead in the reverse heat and never looked back, leading eight of the 10 laps.
Ackerman once again took an early lead in the 25-lap feature. Dionne stayed with Ackerman for the whole main event but couldn’t find a way around him. Ackerman went on to win the feature, leading all but two laps. Dionne finished second and Hallgarth Jr. third.
EXTRA LAPS Duane Zeinstra successfully destroyed the limo in our only car jump of the season ... this was Zeinstra’s first-ever car jump, and afterward he said, “I just tried to hit the jump properly and hold on.” ... Bryce Muyr was the driver in the rollover; he flipped three times and eventually landed on his roof ... this weekend is the first Crash to Pass Boat Race of the season ... the car tossing competition will also take place along with the Hornets and Roadrunners ...