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BBL Racing Coming ‘Home Again’ to Fonda Speedway; Brian Gleason Plans Full Weekly Schedule, Matt DeLorenzo Semi-Regular

FONDA, NY – As the John Denver song says, ‘It
feels good to be back home again.’

For the BBL
Racing team and driver Brian Gleason, ‘home’ is Fonda Speedway and in 2019,
they’ll be back in their comfort zone. Gleason will race regularly in Fonda’s
Sunoco Modified division this season for the first time in more than three
years, marking a return to the ‘Track of Champions’ by the popular BBL team.

“Fonda has
always been home,� Gleason said honestly. “It’s always been the favorite place for me to go as a
spectator or a driver. There’s something different about pulling in there;
something about going over the bridge, all the people behind the grandstands
tailgating. Fonda’s got a different feel.�

Gleason, 24,
will forego Friday night action and put his full focus on Saturdays at Fonda in
‘19 piloting a brand-new No. 3G DKM chassis with 360 cubic inch small-block
power from Dan Bedell.

While Gleason
hasn’t run Fonda on a regular basis since ’15, he feels ready for a return to
the half-mile oval.

“I feel more
comfortable at Fonda, more solid,� offered Gleason, an Assistant Project
Manager for BBL. “I’m confident in the setup I am bringing there. I have a
different perspective going there.�

Gleason is
looking forward to the upcoming season at Fonda with American Racer tires on
the cars and engine rules allowing for big- and small-block combinations.

“I’m looking
forward to running American Racer tires,� Gleason said, reflecting on the success
achieved by his mentor and teammate Matt DeLorenzo during the Ric Lucia
promotional era at Fonda under a similar rules package. “The majority of Matt’s
success at Fonda came with a small-block and American Racers.

“The
compounds that are being run this year are the same as what we ran back then.
Prep wise, I know what to do.�

The
opportunity to pilot a small-block was equally appealing.

“The majority
of the time I ran there, it was with a 358,� he said. “That’s a pretty familiar
area for me.�

Gleason looks
to put his name on the Fonda win list after several strong runs in the past.

“I’ve had
more consistent runs there,� he said. “I have four second-place finishes just
to Stew (Friesen) alone.�

Gleason will
be able to draw knowledge from DeLorenzo, the 2007 Modified champion and
two-time 358-Modified titlist with 37 career Fonda victories. Like Gleason,
DeLorenzo – who promoted the speedway for a pair of seasons (‘14 & ‘15) –
has been absent on Saturday nights for the last three years.

That will
change in ’19. While he won’t be a point chaser, look for ‘Matty D’ to compete
on a semi-regular basis at Fonda this year. 

The upcoming
season brings a fresh perspective for Gleason, who moved into a new home in
Glenville, N.Y., this past March.

“Racing at
Fonda will be a nice change of pace,� he said. “Fridays are kind of hard for
all of us to get ready for – personally and with work.�

Then, there’s
the track itself – and a history of weekly racing that dates back to 1953.

“I like the
character of the place,� he said. “No matter the surface, the weather, racing
is always close and competitive at Fonda. It’s got a ‘short-track’ feel on a
big track. Fonda creates races that are unpredictable. There’s just something
different about it.

“The place is
so historic. You know you’re making history every time you go there. You’re
part of it.�

For Gleason’s
team and supporters, there is a widespread enthusiasm about the change of
plans.

“There are a
lot of people behind us who are involved in our races that enjoy going to Fonda,�
he said. “It’s been home for a lot of people that support us.�

The engines
fire on the ’19 season at Fonda on Saturday, April 13 with a practice session.
Opening Night is slated for Saturday, April 20 featuring the Sunoco Modifieds,
Crate 602 Sportsman paying $1,000 to win (thanks to Eric Orozco Racing), Pro
Stocks in a ‘Best of 8’ Series $800-to-win event, Limited Sportsman and Street
Stocks.

Since 1953,
the ‘Track of Champions’ Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car
racing. Now 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/thefondaspdwy or follow on Twitter: @thefondaspdwy.

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