Auto racing: Duell savors latest victory - Times Union

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Pro stock driver Kim Duell is passionate.

He’s pretty much passionate about everything.

Doesn’t matter the topic — COVID 19 issues, a past race, a scenic photo he took or a current topic on social media — his passion spills out.

So you knew that after Duell thrilled a packed-house at Albany-Saratoga Speedway on Friday night it was going to be colorful. Duell and Jason Meltz entertained as they ran side-by-side during the 25-lap pro stock feature event.

Since both racers were coming off a few weeks of dismal runs they both started from the front row. And both were hungry for a good run.

“We had swapped the lead back and forth several times in the first half-dozen laps — boy that was a lot of fun,” said Duell, who would eventually settle into the lead.

And although he saw the flagger waving the two-to-go signal at him — Duell knew it was far from over yet.

“I knew we were coming to the end but I could see blue next to me,” Duell said. “It is really hard to see but I knew he (Meltz) was there and we went into turns three and four and I had him by no more than a half-a-car going in. I knew what he was going to try and do, what he had to do, and that was turning and staying on the gas and drift up across the track and get in front of me — that’s the game you play on that last lap.”

Fortunately for Duell, Meltz couldn’t clear Duell’s Curtis Lumber-sponsored automobile.

“He’s a class act,” said Duell of Meltz. “He could have stayed on the gas and we definitely would have made contact — I’ve seen guys do it. He chose to half-spin his car and ended up finishing sixth instead of wrecking us both.”

The win — his 25th pro stock win at the Malta speedway — was emotional for two reasons. Duell, who fibbed about his age when he was 15 years old so he could start racing, lost his dad Gordon back in May and he has been trying to win one for his dad.

“He went every week until his health made it difficult for him to go but he was always one of my biggest fans and I miss him,” Duell said.

And secondly.

“The wins are getting harder to get so when you finally get there — you finally win, it’s big,” Duell said. “That was a career-high for us, I’m pretty sure I’m about one of the oldest guys out there so to be able to pull one off. If we do anything good at the track I’m an emotional freight train — I kept telling myself to keep it together as I was getting out of the car Friday night.”

It’s a family thing for the Duells. His son Scott runs a sportsman car at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, his three daughters are always there for dad, and his wife Denice played a huge part in helping the speedway with the added workload that COVID-19 put on speedways.

What’s really cool — that win now ties Duell with Rob Yetman for second-place on the speedway’s all-time pro stock win list. Joe Santoro holds the top honor with 26 victories but Santoro left racing to focus on family.

“That does drive us,” Duell said. “I have no plans to go beyond pro stock racing again (Duell ran modifieds for more than a decade) so to be able to put our name on top of that list would be a pretty neat thing to do.”

Did you know?

Kenny Tremont’s modified win Friday at Albany-Saratoga was his 79th career win at the oval. The 59-year-old racer has 13 track titles at the Lyle DeVore-promoted oval.

This year is Tremont’s 40th consecutive year racing with a visit to victory lane (1982-2021).

Next tour stop

A must-see event is the ‘Horsepower 100’, a Super DIRTcar Modified Series event scheduled for Albany-Saratoga on June 22.

Some of the best in the business will invade the Malta oval for the 100-lap traveling tour event. The sportsman division has also been invited to the event.

One to remember

Marc Johnson scored his first career modified win on Saturday at Lebanon Valley Speedway. Johnson’s impressive late-race moves scored him the win and a nice spot in the points chase. Andy Bachetti’s two wins this season keeps him in the lead with 232 points. Johnson follows with 214. Eddie Marshall (210), Brett Haas ( 194) and Tremont (186) round of the top five.

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