RPW Exclusive: Different Circumstances At New Egypt Saturday Throw Curves To Drellos & Reimert

Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – NEW EGYPT, NJ – The new clay that has been put down on the New Egypt Speedway this off-season threw several teams a curveball for a variety of reasons Saturday durin the 2024 Super DIRTcar Series championship opener.

That included invaders and locals alike. Just ask Demetrios Drellos and Louden Reimert.

For Drellos, the draw for time trials is what put his #111 team behind the eight ball all evening and forced them to work harder than they would have liked.

“I think we got screwed by being the first car out on the race track for time trials,” Drellos said. “That put use behind all night.”

As cars went later in the group and those who were in group B, times began to pick up.

“The second group was faster than the entire first one,” he said. “My group had what seemed like every good car in it.”

The Queensbury, NY driver was able to qualify for the main event through his heat race and started in 13th. Unfortunately, that’s where he’d also finish the 75-lap Power In The Pines event.

“It was dusty but I like the place,” he said. “It’s very unique. I honestly like it better than a lot of tracks in Central New York. I’d love to see how the track and the surface are in the middle of the summer after some races have been on it.”

Now what’s next on the 2024 schedule for Drellos and his family-owned team?

“We’re going to be at Albany-Saratoga for their season opener on the 12th and then head to Can-Am the next night for their Super DIRTcar Series race,” he said. “We’ll be at Malta weekly this year on Friday nights and start the season at Fonda on Saturday’s, but are going to take that week-to-week.”

For Reimert, Saturday was a positive outing for his Don Grebe Construction #58 team. The track regular drove from his 18th starting spot to come home eighth at the completion of 75 laps.

However, it was the track’s racing surface that threw Reimert for a bit of a loop.

“I think the new clay they put down is quite a bit different than how it was last year,” Reimert said. “I honestly can tell the difference between running New Egypt on the Hoosiers versus the American Racers but the clay was more of a difference.”

Did having an understanding of the track help him during the course of the night?

“I’m not sure, really,” he said. “I don’t think it did but I definitely still benefited from it somewhat.”

After racing the DIRTcar Nationals in Florida where he enjoyed a best finish of eighth on night one, and racing the Series opener on Saturday, will fans get to see the “Blue Collar Crew” at more DIRTcar races this season?

“Right now, we aren’t really sure,” he said. “We’re going to try and hit as many as we can. However, the only races we’ll be at for sure, as of now, are Selinsgrove and Big Diamond.”