By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – Stewart Friesen returned to Fonda Speedway on Saturday evening and dominated the $4,000 to win Sunoco Modified feature event. The event was the first of the Thunder on the Thruway Series of six events between the Fonda and Utica Rome Speedways with a great crowd on hand on a cold night by the Mohawk River.

 Other winners on Pig Skin Pros Night at Fonda were Jason Greco (Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman), Nick Stone (Algonkin Motel Pro Stocks), Kyle Dingman (Montgomery County Office for the Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman), Ken Hollenback (SOHC) and Slappy White (DOHC) in the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders.

The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series were also on hand with John Flach (Modified), Stephen Denton (Sportsman), Bryan Scofield (Antique), and Curtis Condon (Late Models) taking the wins in the feature events.

After some great work by the track crew to get the track in shape after a rainy day and week, racing was on for Saturday with the invocation given by Fonda Speedway announcer Chris Moore followed by the singing of the National Anthem by victory lane announcer Mimi Lazzaro. 

Special thanks to Todd Cipperly of the Farmers Insurance Cipperly Agency of Central Bridge, NY for the giveaways to the fans at intermission and congratulations to the 50/50 winner, which was worth $1,413!

Drivers drew for starting positions in the 35-lap Sunoco Modified feature event with Bobby Varin and David Schilling on the front row. Varin was the leader at the drop of Joe Kriss’ green flag with third place starter Stewart Friesen close behind in second. By lap six Varin was already in lap traffic with Friesen still chasing behind as Mike Mahaney, Craig Hanson, and Ronnie Johnson were moving up after starting fourth, seventh, and 13^th respectively.

Friesen went by both Varin and a lap car in turn one on lap 10 to take a lead that he would never relinquish for the remainder of the event. With the race now for second the trio of Mahaney, Hanson, and Johnson continued their march to the front as they all got by Alan Johnson for positions in the top five behind Varin. 

With ten laps to go Friesen was a straightaway ahead of Varin while Hanson made his way by Mahaney for the third position. The one and only caution of the event was out on lap 28 for a smoking Rocky Warner who drove into the pit area in turn three out of harm’s way. Friesen stretched out his lead on the restart as Mahaney took the third position away from Hanson, but all eyes now were on invader Matt Sheppard who was making his way to the front after starting 19^th.

Friesen went on to his 70^th career win at Fonda and his second of the 2021 season at the “Track of Champions” followed by Varin, Mahaney, Hanson, Johnson, and Sheppard with a great run to finish sixth.

“I felt like I let all my local fans down last evening in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Darlington while running in the second position late in the race and getting caught up in a wreck,” Friesen told Fonda Speedway announcer Chris Moore in the Fuccillo Autoplex of Nelliston Mike Cole Memorial Victory Lane. “I love it here at Fonda, we have a great race team, and the track was hammer down fast tonight, the fastest it’s been in a long time.”

After a draw for starting positions, Chip Constantino and Jason Greco were the front row starters in the 25-lap Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman feature with Constantino taking the race lead early on. As Constantino stretched out his advantage just before the halfway point, the race for second was a four-car battle between Jason Greco, Tucker O’Connor, Tim Hartman Jr., and Cody Clark as Greco tried to hold the position and battle for the win.

Mark Mortensen started the event in the 16^th position and was in the top 10 late in the event when he was forced into the pit area when the transmission blew on the #1M. With less than five laps to go on lap 21 the yellow flag came out for Brett Mortensen who slowed on the front stretch with a flat right rear tire and came to a stop on the backstretch not able to make it to the pit area.

On the restart, Greco took the lead away from Constantino with Hartman gaining two positions to second as Greco went on to his first career win in the division in the Greco’s Auto & Truck Center NAPA sponsored #12J. Hartman, Constantino, Clark, and O’Connor completed the top five.

“This is amazing I can’t believe it,” Greco told Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane. “It is a dream come true for sure. Chip (Constantino) drove a flawless race and I definitely needed that caution to have a chance at the win.”

By the luck of the draw Steve Cosselman and Nick Stone were the front row starters in the Algonkin Pro Stock feature with Stone taking the lead at the drop of the green flag. Chuck Dumblewski and Kenny Gates both got by Cosselman for the second and third positions while Stone continued to stretch out his advantage in the caution free event.

At the halfway point, the top five consisted of Stone, Gates, Dumblewski, Jason Morrison, and Ivan Joslin. Back in the pack after starting fourth but losing positions early, Devon Camenga put on a show to get back into the top five as he, Joslin, and 16^th place starter Josh Coonradt were the drivers to watch late in the event as they gained positions to the front.

Stone crossed under the checkered flag for his 55^th career win in the division and his second in a row followed in the top five by Gates, Joslin, Camenga, and Coonradt.

“Two in a row, that’s what we come here to do,” Stone said in victory lane. “The track was definitely fast, and I want to thank my car owner Todd Hoffman and my own crew that help me with my own car on Friday nights for making this a great race team.”

Kyle Dingman led every lap in the 15-lap Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman feature for his first career win in the division followed in the top five by Jonathan Feagles, Clayton DuMond, Stephen Gray, and Carter Gibbons.

Ken Hollenbeck was the overall winner in the Fonda Fair Four Cylinder division claiming the single overhead cam victory while second place overall finisher Slappy White claimed the dual overhead cam victory. Brandon Tyler, Kerrie Hollenback, and Jeff Tubbs completed the top five in the 12-lap event.

Next Saturday, May 15 St. Lawrence Radiology presents “Dollar Night” with $1.00 grandstand admission. All regular divisions will be in action with a starting time of 7:00 p.m.

Since 1953, the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car racing. Under the management of BD Motorsports Media LLC, the speedway will operate weekly on Saturday nights from April through August plus several special events. Fonda Speedway is located on the Montgomery County Fairgrounds off New York State Thruway Exit No. 28 at 21 S. Bridge Street Fonda, NY 12068.

Fonda Speedway is on the web at www.thefondaspeedway.com. To learn more, call the office at 518.915.4395, like Fonda Speedway on Facebook www.facebook.com/thefondaspeedwy or follow the speedway on Twitter: @thefondaspdwy.

PIG SKIN PROS NIGHT

SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE – THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY SERIES RACE #1 – $4,000 to win – 35-laps – STEWART FRIESEN, Bobby Varin, Mike Mahaney, Craig Hanson, Ronnie Johnson, Matt Sheppard, Alan Johnson, Josh Hohenforst, Matt DeLorenzo, David Schilling, Jack Lehner, Jessica Friesen, Dave Constantino, Pep Corradi, Brian Gleason, Steve Akers, Rich Christman, JaMike Sowle, Dylan Scribner, Tim Fuller, Derrick McGrew Jr., Rocky Warner, George Foley, Keith Flach, Ancel Collins, Michael Maresca, Adam McAuliffe, Brian Pessolano, Aaron Jacobs 

Lap leaders – 1-9 Varin, 10-35 Stewart Friesen

Heat race winners – Warner, Schilling, Corradi

SWAGGER FACTORY APPAREL CRATE 602 SPORTSMAN FEATURE – THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY SERIES RACE #1 – $1,500 to win – 25-laps – JASON GRECO, Tim Hartman Jr., Chip Constantino, Cody Clark, Tucker O’Connor, Payton Talbot, Chad Edwards, Tony Farone, Addison Bowman, Brian Borst, Mike Ketchum, Nick Scavia, Tanner Warner, Troy Palmer, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Tim Dwyer, Ricky Quick, Bill August, Griffen Mansmith, Rocco Leone, Dan Santabarbara, Troy Zilles, Brett Mortensen, Mark Mortensen, Brendan Gibbons, Aaron Jacobs

Lap leaders – 1-21 Constantino, 22-25 Greco

Heat race winners – Scavia, Dwyer, Greco, Clark

Consolation race winner – Brett Mortensen

Did not qualify – Shane Larman, Dave Richer, David Manchester, Michael McCallion, Kevin Crave, Kathy Bellen, Don Bellen, Jason Reome

Greco’s NAPA Hard Charger – Brian Borst 10 spots from 20^th to 10^th

ALGONKIN MOTEL PRO STOCK FEATURE – THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY SERIES RACE #1 – $1,000 to win – 20-laps – NICK STONE, Kenny Gates, Ivan Joslin, Devon Camenga, Josh Coonradt, Chuck Dumblewski, Jason Morrison, Andy Graves, Beau Ballard, Shane Playford, Bill Knapp, Steve Cosselman, Gary Silkey, Randy Cosselman, Mike Kalkbrenner, Zach Sorrentino, Cliff Haslun, Luke Horning, Scott Townslee

Lap leaders – 1-20 Stone

Heat race winners – Stone, Steve Cosselman

MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE FR AGING LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 15-laps – KYLE DINGMAN, Jonathan Feagles, Clayton DuMond, Stephen Gray, Carter Gibbons, Taylor LaPlante, Jeremy Tyrrell, John Young, Ryan Sweet, Bill Port, John Anderson

Lap leaders – 1-15 Dingman

Heat race winner – Dingman

FONDA FAIR 4-CYLINDER FEATURE – 12-laps – KEN HOLLENBECK (SOHC), SLAPPY WHITE (DOHC), Brandon Tyler, Kerrie Hollenback, Jeff Tubbs, Todd Morey, Wayne Russell Jr., John Napoli, Zach McSpirit, Harris St. Andrews, Tyler White, Dale VanAllen, Shawn Hemstreet, David Peek-Britten, Billy Hillman, Jamie Warner, AJ VanHoesen

Lap leaders – 1-2 Tyler, 3-12 Ken Hollenback

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES MODIFIED FEATURE – JOHN FLACH, Randy Delaney, Jon Kuleszo, Darral Hulbert, Phil Beaver, Jack Miller, Mark Hahn, Merv Blackwell, Stanley Wetmore, Gus Kamburelis

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES LATE MODEL FEATURE – CURTIS CONDON, Adam Warner, John Roese, Will Reed, Brent Tardy DNS

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES SPORTSMAN FEATURE – STEPHEN DENTON, Brian Gray, Tim Natalino, Mike Francisco, John Constantino, Dan Wood, John Marks, George Palmer, Carl Cram, Dan Karl, Mike Wheeler

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES ANTIQUE FEATURE – BRYAN SCOFIELD, Jimmy Fugel, Chuck Scofield, Stew Pidasso, Ed Docskalik, Don Briggs, Joe Trudeau, Frank Blanchard

By: Ron Szczerba

 Fonda, NY – First career wins are special moments in a driver’s racing career. But to win in a car that has ties to the history of a racetrack makes it even more special to not only the driver but the race team as well. That is what took place on Saturday evening at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway when Jack Lehner took the iconic family-owned Nelson Motorsports #85 to the Fuccillo Automotive Group Mike Cole Memorial victory lane.

“To get a win for me is special,” Lehner said in victory lane. “But to get a win for them (car owners Bill & Erik Nelson) makes it even better.”

Lehner became the 135^th different driver in the history of the Fonda Speedway to win in the Modified division in 1381 racing events! 

The Nelson Motorsport’s/Bloomfield’s Florist sponsored #85 has been a part of Fonda Speedway history for many years with both Bill and Erik behind the wheel of the car at Fonda, Erik with a win in the Open Sportsman division back on 7/30/2005. Demetrious Drellos also drove the Nelson Motorsports #85 to victory lane at Fonda for his first career win back on 6/16/2018.

Other winners on Southern Adirondack Night presented by O’Connor Motorsports were Brian Borst (Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman), Nick Stone (Algonkin Motel Pro Stocks), Stephen Gray (Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman), Tyler White (DOHC) and Shawn Hemstreet (SOHC) in the Fonda Fair Cruisers.

Former Miss Fonda Fair in 2006 and winner of the Fonda Fair Karaoke contest in 2016 & 2018 Amanda Valentine sang the National Anthem and Fonda Speedway announcer Chris Moore gave the invocation before the first green flag of the evening fell from starter Joe Kriss. Fans also took part in giveaways by Todd Cipperly of Farmers Insurance at intermission as Race Director Denny Tilison and Ed Biittig Sr. threw out items to the fans,

The Sunoco Modifieds started their 30-lap main event with Andel Collins and Jack Lehner on the front row decided by the luck of the draw. Lehner took the top spot at the drop of the green flag followed by third place starter Jessica Friesen with last week’s winner Rocky Warner up to the third position just before the first yellow of the event came out on lap three.

Lehner continued to lead on the restart with Matt DeLorenzo and defending track champion Michael Maresca just behind Warner after starting sixth and eighth, respectively. DeLorenzo and Maresca both got by Warner on lap seven with Lehner out to a straightaway advantage by lap 11 and two laps later he was in heavy lap traffic.

Friesen closed in on Lehner on lap 19 as Lehner was having problems getting by the lap cars of Jeff Rockefeller and Derrick McGrew Jr. who were racing side by side for position. When Lehner finally cleared the lap cars he again moved out to a comfortable lead. DeLorenzo moved into the second position on lap 24 after getting by Friesen with Maresca also getting by Friesen for the third spot.

Maresca’s great run came to an end with four laps to go when he came in contact with the inside wall in turn two and pulled into the infield on the backstretch out of the event. Seventh place starter Craig Hanson and 10^th place starter Tim Fuller were in the top five and on the move with only two laps remaining, but it was Lehner who went on to his first career victory at Fonda.

DeLorenzo, Hanson, Friesen, and Fuller completed the top five in the event.

“I got my start here at Fonda, so it holds a special place in my heart,” Lehner said. “I can’t think of a better place to get a win. Erik & Bill put everything into this so I’m happy to get as win for them. There is nothing like getting a win to build your confidence because thinking that you can win and knowing that you can win are two totally different situations.”

The first week of handicapping in the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman saw two former Rookie/Limited Sportsman campaigners Dylan Eldred and 2020 Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Track Champion Brett Mortensen on the front row with Mortensen taking the early lead.

By lap seven Mortensen was out to a straightaway advantage and five laps later he was in lap traffic. At the halfway point, the top five consisted of Mortensen, Eldred, fifth place starter Brian Borst, Anthony Cardamone, and forth place starter Tucker O’Connor. Eldred closed in on Mortensen in lap traffic just past the halfway point with 11^th place starter Cody Clark up to the fourth position on lap 18.

Borst was the new second place car with five laps to go and was able to get by Mortensen for the lead in lap traffic on lap 21. Clark also got by Mortensen for the second position but Borst was just too strong as he took his Midtel sponsored family owned #69 to victory lane for his second career win in the division after the event went caution free. Borst also has a total of 15 wins in the former “Open” Sportsman division at the “Track of Champions”.

Clark, Mortensen, Eldred, and ninth place starter Tony Farone completed the top five.

“We cooked a motor last week and this is our old motor in the car tonight,” Borst told Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane. “We hit the setup dead on tonight and when I saw the leader in lap traffic, I knew that I had to get up there and get him. I missed racing for 15 years, I couldn’t even come here to watch, but my family was able to talk me into it again.”      

The 20-lap Algonkin Pro Stock feature was worth $1,000 to the winner as it was race number one in the American Racer/Lias Tire Super Six Series and despite many cautions slowing the event nothing could take away from the side-by-side race to the win.

Bill Knapp led from the outside pole at the start of the event with third place starter Luke Horning in tow. Horning took the lead away from Knapp on a lap four restart with seventh place starter Ivan Joslin on the move early, sitting in the third position on lap seven after getting by Steve Cosselman for the position.

Joslin’s great run came to an end on lap eight as he spun in turn two after contact in the rear by Jason Morrison who was put to the rear for his actions. On the restart, 12^th place starter Nick Stone moved into the second position with Cosselman now the new third place car. While Horning was working the outside of the speedway, Stone was working the inside as the two raced side by side for the lead.

Stone took the lead away from Horning on the inside of the backstretch on lap 17 with the final caution of the event coming out on lap 18 with only two laps to go. Once the race was restarted Stone and Horning were side by side over the remaining laps, Horning leading lap 19 while Stone stayed low on the speedway to take the lead back on the final lap for his 54^th win in the division which is second on the all-time win list.

Horning, sixth place starter Josh Coonradt, 11^th place starter Kenny Gates, and 13^th place starter Beau Ballard completed the top five in the event.

“Thanks to Todd Hoffman who owns this car for this opportunity,” Stone said in victory lane. “I like to get a win early in the season, but we’ve had a lot of second place finishes so far wherever we ran. Winning gives you more confidence and that was one heck of the race. We raced hard (with Horning) but we’ve been racing together for a long time.”

John Young led the first eight laps of the 15-lap Montgomery County Office for Aging Limited Sportsman feature before third place starter Stephen Gray took over the lead at the line to complete lap nine. Gray went on to his second career win in the division followed by last week’s winner Carter Gibbons, Young, Kyle Dingman, and opening night winner Jeremy Tyrrell.

Brandon Tyler was the first driver to lead a lap in the 12-lap Fonda Fair Cruiser feature with seventh place starter Billy Hillman leading the second lap. 10^th place starter Tyler White took the lead away on lap three and never looked back as he took the overall win, his second win of the season in the DOHC class. Shawn Hemstreet finished fifth overall but was declared the SOHC winner.

Next Saturday, May 8 will be the first race in the Thunder on the Thruway Series between Fonda Speedway and Utica Rome Speedway both promoted by BD Motorsports Media. The Sunoco Modifieds will race for a $4,000 to win prize while the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman will race for $1,500 to win and the Algonkin Motel Pro Stocks $1,000 to win. There will be a separate point fund paid out at the end of the six-race series of three races at each track.

The Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman and the Fonda Fait Cruisers will also be in action on May 8 along with the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series. Racing will begin at 7:00 p.m.         

Since 1953, the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car racing. Under the management of BD Motorsports Media LLC, the speedway will operate weekly on Saturday nights from April through August plus several special events. Fonda Speedway is located on the Montgomery County Fairgrounds off New York State Thruway Exit No. 28 at 21 S. Bridge Street Fonda, NY 12068.

Fonda Speedway is on the web at www.thefondaspeedway.com. To learn more, call the office at 518.915.4395, like Fonda Speedway on Facebook www.facebook.com/thefondaspeedwy or follow the speedway on Twitter: @thefondaspdwy.

O’Connor Motorsports Southern Adirondack Night

SUNOCO MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-Laps – JACK LEHNER, Matt DeLorenzo, Craig Hanson, Jessica Friesen, Tim Fuller, Josh Hohenforst, Rocky Warner, Ronnie Johnson, David Schilling, Dave Constantino, Mike Mahaney, Brian Gleason, Pep Corradi, Brian Pessolano, Ancel Collins, Steve Akers, JaMike Sowle, Rich Christman, Derrick McGrew Jr., Jeff Rockefeller, George Foley, Dylan Scribner, Michael Maresca, Bobby Varin, Adam McAuliffe

Lap Leaders – 1-30 Lehner

Heat Race Winners – Hanson, Collins, Warner

SWAGGER FACTORY APPAREL CRATE 602 SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 25-Laps – BRIAN BORST, Cody Clark, Brett Mortensen, Dylan Eldred, Tony Farone, Tucker O’Connor, Chad Edwards, Mark Mortensen, Brian Calabrese, Addison Bowman, Tim Hartman Jr., Aaron Burton, Mike Ketchum, Anthony Cardamone, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Troy Palmer, Nick Scavia, Ricky Quick, Tim Dwyer, Tanner Warner, David Manchester, Michael McCallion, Brendan Gibbons, Joe Orlando, Kathy Bellen, Dan Santabarbara

Lap Leaders – 1-20 Brett Mortensen, 21-25 Borst

Heat Race Winners – Mark Mortensen, Clark, Burton, Eldred

Consi Race Winners – Gibbons, Hartman Jr.

Did Not Qualify – Chip Constantino, Jason Reome, Fire Swamp, William August, Jason Greco, Don Bellen, Griffen Mansmith, Troy Zilles, Payton Talbot, Shane Larman, Brad Elger, Dana Camenga, EJ McAuliffe 

Greco’s NAPA Hard Charger – Hartman Jr. 11 spots, 22^nd to 11^th

ALGONKIN MOTEL PRO STOCK FEATURE – $1,000 to win – 1^st race in the American Racer/Lias Tire Super Six Series – 20-Laps – NICK STONE, Luke Horning, Josh Coonradt, Kenny Gates, Beau Ballard, Steve Cosselman, Bill Knapp, Chuck Dumblewski, Devon Camenga, Frank Hoard Jr., Cliff Haslun, Kyle Hoard, Gary Silkey, Mike Kalkbrenner, Terry Graves, Andy Graves, Jason Morrison, Shane Playford, Ivan Joslin, AJ Walters, Jim Normoyle, Randy Cosselman, Don Collins, Chris Cross 

Lap Leaders – 1-3 Knapp, 4-16 Horning, 17-18 Stone, 19 Horning, 20 Stone 

Heat Race Winners – Morrison, Stone, Silkey 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE FOR AGING INC. LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 15-Laps – STEPHEN GRAY, Carter Gibbons, John Young, Kyle Dingman, Jeremy Tyrrell, Clayton DuMond, Taylor LaPlante, Ryan Sweet, Jonathan Feagles, Bill Port 

Lap Leaders – 1-8 Young, 9-15 Gray

Heat Race Winner – Young

FONDA FAIR CRUISERS FEATURE – TYLER WHITE (DOHC), Billy Hillman, John Napoli, Kerrie Hollenback, SHAWN HEMSTREET (SOHC), Brandon Tyler, Wayne Russell Jr., Ken Hollenback, Zach McSpirit, Dale VanAllen, AJ VanHoesen, David Peek-Britten, Lee Horning, Slappy White