News Director 
Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – WEST LEBANON, NY – Could a better draw for the Super DIRTcar Series event Monday night at Lebanon Valley have helped Andy Bachetti win the King of Spring 100?
Bachetti says yes, but while he would have loved to take home the $13,500 paycheck, he doesn’t necessarily want to win that way.
“I honestly don’t like winning from the front,” Bachetti said. “I actually hate it. I like to race and driving through the field to win is way more satisfying.”
Bachetti started the feature event in 11th after the redraw but didn’t stay there long. The defending Lebanon Valley DIRTcar Big Block Modified champion worked his way to the top 5 by the one-quarter mark of the event.
He then settled in and road for about 50 or so laps around the Valley before the caution would come out for second-place runner Peter Britten who’s right rear shredded on lap 66 to bring out the caution and move the Garrity Asphalt machine up to fourth.
On the ensuing restart, Bachetti would fight side-by-side with the #9 of Marc Johnson for third, and he would get the spot at the line. That was just before Larry Wight brought out another caution on the next circuit as the #99L slammed into the outside wall in turns three and four.
Third place would be as high as Bachetti would get on this night, however, as the Sheffield, MA driver would have to settle for the show position at his Saturday night home.
“My car was just too free tonight,” he said. “I should have tightened it up some but I thought we were going to be okay.”
Bachetti was able to make several of his passes on Monday evening running the new lower lane of the Valley. However, this may have been a reason he didn’t get to make a charge late in the event.
“Running down there is probably what killed my right rear tire,” he said. “Not to mention doing that also plugged my radiator full of rocks and stuff so who knows if that hurt our chances.”
Once he got to third, that’s where Bachetti stalled out.
“I just ran out of tire,” he said. “We had a D400 on (Hard Compound) and running that low lane to make passes, I had to abuse it more than I would have liked. By the end of the race, there wasn’t anything left.”
In the end, going from 11th to third in 100 laps around Lebanon Valley Speedway is nothing to scoff at, and Bachetti is pleased with his result.
“I’ll take a third tonight,” he said. “I’m a little aggravated we didn’t get the win but I’m happy with how things went. It was really tough to pass out there tonight. It seemed like there was only one groove but to finish third, I’ll take it.”
