Mike Mahaney (photo DIRTcar)
MALTA, NY – Mike Mahaney couldn’t help but dance while he was on his modified big-block Saturday night.
The adrenaline, joy and rest went through him in a way he had never experienced before.
After 115 starts in the Super DIRTcar Series, Mahaney finally celebrated his first win of the series, claiming the top prize of $ 13,000 at the Malta Massive event at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.
Stewart Friesen finished second after accusing 19 positions and Matt Sheppard went on to build his bid for the eighth Super DIRTcar Series championship with his third place.
With a few laps remaining, Mahaney and Friesen lined up side by side to start again. Both cars fired almost at the same time. Friesen sent his number 44 to the side with a hard, clean slider. As Friesen balanced the car on the cushion lip on the second lap, Mahaney rejected the track and managed to get it back in laps three and four.
Friesen used every inch of the track and every horsepower in the challenge, but Mahaney kept it.
“I really wanted to let it go,” Mahaney said. “I won races before and after, it felt like it happened so fast. This is a great one. It’s the most money I earned in a race: $ 13,000. Because it was my first Super DIRTcar Series win, it was just something I really wanted to get there. “
Mahaney has been on the podium many times with the Super DIRTcar Series but this time he is in the middle.
“I’m glad they were both on the podium with me,” he said with a smile. “I don’t know how many times I’ve sat next to them on the sidelines. They are the best at modifying dirt. Currently in this era, they are the best. They are winning all the races. Getting it in the end and getting there means something super special to me. They did not fall. We got them. “
Friesen finished second.
“The Halmar boys worked really hard all night,” Friesen said. “I was in Ronnie Johnson’s trailer picking up springs and working.”
Point Chief Matt Sheppard finished third after starting nine.
“This place hasn’t been great for us the last few times we’ve been here,” Sheppard noted. “Coming off the podium is great as we have been on a roll. Our qualification effort was great and we achieved a podium. We will definitely take it. “
Finish:
Feature (100 Laps): 1. 35M-Mike Mahaney [2][]; 2. 44F-Stewart Friesen [21][]; 3. 9S-Matt Sheppard [9][]; 4. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson [3][]; 5. 21A-Peter Britten [13][]; 6. 88W-Mat Williamson [11][]; 7. 111D-Demetrios Drellos [14][]; 8. 99L-Larry Wight [10][]; 9. 91D-Billy Decker [5][]; 10. 5H-Chris Hile [8][]; 11. 2L-Jack Lehner [20][]; 12. 83X-Sears Team [1][]; 13. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [16][]; 14. 32CC-Max McLaughlin [12][]; 15. 215p-Adam Pierson [6][]; 16. M1-Dave Marcuccilli [4][]; 17. 25R-Erick Rudolph [25][]; 18. 42P-Pat Ward [15][]; 19. 28M-Jordan McCreadie [19][]; 20. 19M-Jessey Mueller [17][]; 21. 7D-Donald Ronca [22][]; 22. 44P-Anthony Perrego [7][]; 23. 34R-Kevin Root [26][]; 24. 97B-Bobby Hackel [23][]; 25. 9X-Tyler Trump [24][]; 26. 32CM-James Meehan [18][]