Schedule Set For “Malta Massive Weekend” At Albany-Saratoga This September

Story By: TOM BOGGIE / ALBANY-SARATOGA SPEEDWAY – MALTA, NY – Grab a handful of dirt track racing schedules, and you will see the season is full of “Battles,” “Shootouts” and “Clashes.”

But what do you have when the best modified and sportsman drivers in the Northeast show up at the “Great Race Place” for three consecutive nights of racing?

You have “The Malta Massive Weekend.”

Albany-Saratoga Speedway promoter Lyle DeVore has announced plans for “The Malta Massive Weekend,” which will be held from Sept. 19-21, and there’s no shortage of outstanding racing and dynamite payouts.

“The Malta Massive Weekend” will begin on Thursday, Sept. 19 with the 54-lap “Come ‘N Get It” season-opening program, which was rained out five times. Sponsored by Bart Contracting and Schaghticoke Wine & Spirits, “Come ‘N Get It” will pay $5,400 to win.

Although the heats for the 54-lapper have already been completed, DeVore said that there will be at least one consolation race for the modifieds, and he has also added one last chance qualifier, which is open to any car, big block or small block, that wants a chance to get into “Come ‘N Get It.”

In addition, the Thursday card will include all the regular divisions that were scheduled to compete on April 23. The sportsman will be racing for a top prize of $1,000, compliments of John Ray & Sons. Pit wristbands and general admission tickets from the rained out program on April 23 will be accepted.

Night two of “The Malta Massive Weekend” will be held on Friday, Sept. 20 and will be highlighted by a small block modified feature which will pay $4,000 to win. The primary sponsor for that race is Tom Clothier Trucking and will be part of the Suicide Prevention Awareness campaign. Bart Contracting has also come on board for the Friday night show, which will include modified time trials, with a $500 bonus going to the quickest driver around the historic four-tenths mile circuit. A Dean’s Electrical sportsman series race, street stocks and four-cylinders will also be on the program.

Night three of “The Malta Massive Weekend” will be showcased by a 100-lap Super DIRTcar Series race that will pay $10,000 to win. The modifieds will be joined by a DIRT Pro Stock Series race and limited sportsman on the Saturday, Sept. 21 program.

Sunday, Sept 22 has been set aside for a rain date if any of the three original nights have to be postponed because of weather.

Reserved seating in the top two rows of the grandstand will go on sale on Aug. 8 and will be available for both the Friday and Saturday shows. Reserved seating will be $20 on Sept. 20, and $35 on Sept. 21.

“We’re also working on a bonus for any driver who can win all three nights of ‘The Malta Massive Weekend,’” said DeVore. “It sounds like it would be nearly impossible to win ‘Come ‘N Get It’, win the bonus on Friday for setting fast time and then win the 100-lapper on Saturday, especially when you consider the field of cars that will be competing, so if someone can pull it off, we’ve got to come up with something memorable for the occasion.”