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RANDALL IMPLEMENTS PRESENTS “FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT” THIS SATURDAY JUNE 22 AT THE FONDA SPEEDWAY WITH $5 GRANDSTAND ADMISSION

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – This Saturday, June 22 at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway a special “Fan Appreciation Night” with $5 grandstand admission for all of the fans will take place at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds track presented by Randall Implements. A special event on the racing program will be in honor of the late Bill Anagnostopoulos, as the current top five in Amsterdam Truck Center Modified points will compete in the “Bill Ag Modified Elimination Races” with a lot of money on the line from various sponsors going to the drivers competing in the event.

The racing program will begin with a Meet & Greet with race fans able to go out on to the front straightaway to meet their favorite drivers. Divisions competing this Saturday, June 22 at Fonda will include the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds, the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, the Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks, the Montgomery County Office of the Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, and the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders in regular scheduled feature events.

The make-up features from 5/25 will also be run for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds and the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman divisions.

The event known as the “Bill Ag Modified Elimination Races” is held in honor of the late Bill Anagnostopulos who was the owner of the Winners Circle, which is a restaurant in Fonda, NY that is located just around the corner from the Fonda Speedway. Bill was a great friend to racing and sponsored many drivers at the speedway through the years and sponsored events at the track as well. On a typical Saturday evening, he would get away from the restaurant to attend the races at Fonda where he had many friends in both the pit area and the grandstands.

Michael Maresca, Rocky Warner, Alex Yankowski, Jack Lehner, and Ronnie Johnson are locked into the 2024 Bill Ag event for being the current top five drivers in the point standings as of 6/15/24. Jessica Friesen, Bobby Hackel IV, Roger Henion, Jr., Chris Curtis, and Dave Constantino all have a chance to race into the event based on who has the fastest hot lap time!

Last year in 2023, RJ Ronnie Johnson won the 8th Annual “Bill Ag Memorial Match Races”, sweeping five rounds of the event on his way to a $4,451 payout! Johnson is now a four time winner of the event after victories back in 2016, 2017, & 2021. It is also the third time that Johnson swept every round in the event after doing so back in 2016 & 2021!

“It’s pretty cool to see this event get bigger and bigger every year,” Johnson said after his win last year in 2023. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Bill was a great guy, and it shows who he was with all of this support of this event. It’s just something special. This race has been great to us, it’s an honor to support Bill and his whole family.”

This Saturday will be the 9th Annual “Bill Ag Memorial Elimination Match Race” event run at Fonda with past winners including Bobby Varin in 2014, no event in 2015, Ronnie Johnson in 2016 & 2017, Tim Fuller in 2018, Stewart Friesen in 2019, no event in 2020, Ronnie Johnson in 2021, Demetrious Drellos in 2022, and Ronnie Johnson again last year in 2023.

Some quotes from previous winners of the “Bill Ag Memorial Modified Elimination Races” event:
“It feels great to be back here in victory lane at Fonda for the 2022 Bill Ag event,” Demetrious Drellos said in victory lane after the win over Craig Hanson. “Hopefully, we can get another one later on in the regular feature, but it was cool to win $1,000 it was a fun race. After being pushed to victory lane for the ceremonies for the Bill Ag event, Drellos said “I gotta figure out what’s wrong with the car, I think I broke the driveshaft, but I rather it happened now than during the regular feature.”

“What an honor to win this race in Bill’s honor,” Ronnie Johnson said after the 2021 event. “Bill was a great guy, and it shows what he meant to everyone as this event is still being held in his honor and supported by so many people. I found a spot in turn two where I could get a good launch and I knew that if I beat everyone to turn three that I would be okay.”

“This is a very special event honoring Bill from the Winners Circle,” Stewart Friesen said in victory lane after his win in 2019. “This is a cool mid-summer special race that has become a big event so thanks to all the sponsors and the organizers for their efforts.”

“When Josh (Hohenforst) got lane choice for the last race I thought that I was in trouble,” Tim Fuller said after his win in 2018. “I was real concerned because he is fast here at Fonda on a heavy track. This event is a little different, it has a lot of pizzazz, and racing needs more of that.”

If you are a race fan that gets to the track early, be sure to check out the Fonda Speedway Museum & Hall of Fame which is located on the Fonda Fairgrounds at the rear of the parking area going down towards turn four. The museum is open from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on race days and admission is free!

All races at Fonda Speedway – will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv) as part of the $150 annual subscription.

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 or follow the speedway on Twitter and Instagram: @thefondaspdwy.

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