1/27/2025
Fonda Speedway
A LITTLE THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY SERIES HISTORY
By: Ron Szczerba
Fonda, NY – “Can You Hear It”? Announced by Fonda Speedway management last week on their Facebook page, the Thunder on the Thruway Series returns to the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway in 2025 with three races at Fonda and three races at Fonda’s sister track the Utica Rome Speedway. With that announcement, lets look back at the history of the series from the beginning back in 2008.
The Thunder on the Thruway Series has been around since 2008 when it was known as the Go-Green NMX Series. In 2009 the series was known as the Dual Track Thunder Series before the current title was started in 2010 and it has been run under the Thunder on the Thruway Series title in 2011, 2021-2024. It will run as the Thunder on the Thruway Series again in 2025 at both the Fonda and Utica Rome Speedways with race dates of 5/3, 6/21, & 8/9 at Fonda and 4/25, 6/27, & 8/1 at Utica Rome.
The history of Thunder on the Thruway Series champions since the start of the series shows Brett Hearn as Modified champion in 2008 (only the Modifieds ran the series back then); Bobby Varin (Modified) and David Towns (Open Sportsman) in 2009; Stewart Friesen (Modified), Bill Trexler Jr. (Open Sportsman), and Rocky Warner (Pro Stock) in 2010; Stewart Friesen (Modified) and Rocky Warner (Pro Stock) in 2011; Stewart Friesen (Modified), Chad Edwards (Crate 602 Sportsman), and Nick Stone (Pro Stock) in 2021; Alex Yankowski (Modified), Payton Talbot (Crate 602 Sportsman), and Nick Stone (Pro Stock) in 2022; while in 2023 Yankowski, Talbot, and Stone repeated as series champions.
Last year in 2024, Michael Maresca (Modified), Talbot (Crate 602 Sportsman), and Kenny Gates (Pro Stock) were the Thunder on the Thruway Series Champions in their respective divisions.
Win lists in the Thunder on the Thruway Series since its inception find a total of 44 Modified events held with 15 different drivers winning those events. Stewart Friesen leads the way with a total of 17 wins followed by Matt Sheppard with five wins, Matt DeLorenzo with four wins, Brett Hearn and Billy Decker each with three wins, Ronnie Johnson and Bobby Varin each with two wins. Single event wins in the series have gone to Pat Ward, Tony Pepicelli, Willy Decker, Jim Gabriel Jr., Larry Wight, Max McLaughlin, Cody Clark, and Michael Maresca.
A total of five Open Sportsman events have been held in the series with four different drivers winning those events led by Luke Munroe with two wins; Jason Rood, Matt Janczuk, and David Towns each with one victory.
A total of 23 events have been held in the series in the Crate 602 Sportsman division with eight different drivers winning those events led by Matt Janczuk and Payton Talbot each with seven wins. Cody Clark is next in line with three series wins followed by Chad Edwards with two victories. Jason Greco, Butchie Irwin, Tyler Peet, and Brendan Gibbons all have one win apiece.
Thirty-One total events have been held in the Pro Stock division with 15 different drivers winning those events led by Nick Stone with eight wins. Following behind Stone with their amount of wins in parenthesis are Beau Ballard (5); Kenny Gates (3); Tom Denton, Rob Yetman, and Luke Horning (2); Chip Smith, Rocky Warner, Shawn Frost, Glenn Forward, AJ Walters, Shane Playford, Devon Camenga, Bret Belden, and Andy Graves (1).
Since 1953, the Track of Champions Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car racing. The speedway operates 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: @thefondaspdwy or Instagram: @fondaspeedway.
Submitted By: Brett Deyo