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THE HONDO CLASSIC AND BOBCO MEMORIAL DASH WILL HONOR TWO VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE AT THE FONDA SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY, JULY 26

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – On Saturday, July 26 at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway, two very special events will be held. The 29-lap Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock feature will be the 20th edition of the Hondo Classic in memory of the late Hondo Carpenter. A complete list of finishing bonuses, lap bonuses, and special awards for the event can be seen at the end of this release.

The Hondo Classic has been organized by Kelley and Kaitlyn Keefe since the first event was held back in 2006, with all events held at Hondo Carpenter’s home track, the Fonda Speedway.

In addition to that, the 4th Annual Bobco Memorial Dash for Cash in memory of the late, long time Fonda Speedway videographer Bob James, who passed away on September 20, 2020, will be held. Organized by Bob’s longtime friend Mark Krosky, the six lap event will have a total payout of $3,254! Bob James was a long-time car owner for Hondo Carpenter so what better night to have a Dash for Cash in his honor than during Hondo Classic Night!

The Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds will not be in action on Saturday, July 26 as the 358-Modifieds will take their place. The Swagger Factory Apparel Sportsman, Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, and Fonda Fair Four Cylinders will also be in action with gates opening at 4:00 p.m., hot laps at 6:00 p.m., and racing at 7:00 p.m.

The Hondo Classic is named for Hondo Carpenter, a popular competitor in both the Street Stock and Pro Stock divisions at the Fonda Speedway, who lost his life in an ATV accident on July 4, 2005. Each year dozens of supporters of this event contribute to the bonus money that is awarded along with the track purse. According to the competitors, the money is always welcome but the big draw to the event is the bragging rights.

Hondo’s statistics at Fonda included five wins in the street stock division to go along with four wins in the pro stock class. But perhaps what had even more meaning for Hondo was his popularity with the kid’s and the fans, always ready to take a photo with anyone or autograph anything that a fan desired.

The First Annual Hondo Classic was won by Jim Burton in 2006. Nick Stone is a five-time winner of the event in 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, & 2020 while Kenny Gates is a four-time winner of the event in 2009, 2015, 2018, and last year in 2023. Pete Broderson (2012 and 2014) and Luke Horning (2021 and 2024) have both won the event twice while Chip Smith (2010), Rob Yetman (2011), Kenny Martin, Jr (2013), Josh Coonradt (2019), and Beau Ballard (2022) each have one win in the event along with Burton.

The 4th Annual BOBCO Memorial Dash for Pro Stocks, presented by Krash Menders (Mark Krosky) will also take place on Saturday, July 26th at the Fonda Speedway as part of The Hondo Classic for Pro Stocks. Bob James (BOBCO) was very well known as he was the official Videographer of the Albany-Saratoga, Fonda, Lebanon Valley, Glen Ridge, and Devils Bowl Speedways.

He videoed at Fonda for over 25 years and the tower on the roof of the grandstand at the Fonda Speedway is dedicated in his memory, named as “The Bobco Video Terrace”. His videos were known to many as “the next best thing to being there.” And they were just that.

James started going to the races with his parents when his mother was pregnant with him, and when he was old enough to remember who the drivers were, his favorites were Harry Peek and Jack Johnson. However, it was one other driver who gave him his first kiddie ride that he will never forget, that was Lou Lazzaro.

He started videoing racing events at Fonda back in 1986 when he got his first video camera. At that time, he would either go on the infield or in turn four to do his videotaping. At the midpoint of the 1992 season at Fonda, the videographer at Fonda left, and James was asked to take over at that time.

James started owning a race car when he and his cousin Hondo Carpenter got into the sport back in 1996 as partners. Their first car was purchased in 1996 which Hondo raced in the street stock division at Albany Saratoga for one year in 1997. Chris Fain built them their next street stock which Hondo ran at Fonda and Albany Saratoga for two or three years before moving up to pro stocks and running only at Fonda.

The previous winners of the BOBCO Memorial Dash are Nick Stone (2022), Kenny Gates (2023 when he also won the Hondo Classic event on the same night), and AJ Walters (2024). The purse for this year’s BOBCO Memorial Dash is starting at $3254 with the fifth and sixth place finishers getting an extra $100 each thanks to those that donated to the BOBCO Memorial Dash at the Fonda Speedway Car Show back in March.

The same format will be used in 2025 as in the previous three years, the top two finishers from each of the three heats will redraw for their starting positions in the BOBCO Memorial Dash. Six cars will race six laps for a payout as follows: 1st $1009, 2nd $759, 3rd $509, 4th $409, 5th $309, and 6th $259. Mark Krosky would like to thank all of the sponsors for making this the HIGHEST PAYING DASH in the COUNTRY!

If you are a race fan that gets to the track early, be sure to check out the history of the Fonda Speedway at 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!

Fonda Speedway weekly feature winners, their race teams, and sponsors are invited the following week to display their cars at the museum and watch their feature win on Flo before the races. The victorious car display can begin as early as 3:00, and you are welcome to arrive and stay as late as your schedule allows.

Please message the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame and Museum Facebook page to RSVP or with any questions!

All Fonda Speedway events are broadcast LIVE on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv).

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.

2025 HONDO CLASSIC BONUSES & AWARDS
FINISHING BONUSES
WINNER, POSITION, SPONSOR, AMOUNT
Winner Finish Catalytic Recovery $300.00
Winner Finish Assemblyman Chris Tague $275.00
Winner Finish Pizza Plus, Grand Gorge $209.00
Winner Finish Irwin & Sons Farm $125.00
Winner Finish Snap On Tools - Chris Morris $100.00
2nd Place Finish Jim's Home Improvement $500.00
2nd Place Finish Driveshafts by DMC $100.00
2nd Place Finish In Memory of Bobby Chalmers $50.00
2nd Place Finish Catskill Valley Chiropractic - A Center for Wellness $99.00
2nd Place Finish Gates Racing $50.00
3rd Place Finish We Buy Junkers $160.00
3rd Place Finish Jim Horning's Port Hole Pub, Plant City FL $100.00
3rd Place Finish Blue Mountain Excavating $100.00
3rd Place Finish Racingjunk.com $100.00
3rd Place Finish In Memory of Bobby Chalmers $50.00
3rd Place Finish Gates Racing $50.00
3rd Place Finish Stone Motorsports $50 GC
4th Place Finish Playfab Chassis $100.00
4th Place Finish Paul's Self Storage - Mayfield $100.00
4th Place Finish RaceProWeekly.com $75.00
4th Place Finish In Memory of Bobby Chalmers $50.00
4th Place Finish Stone Motorsports $50 GC
4th Place Finish Gates Racing $50.00
4th Place Finish In Memory of Bill Sprague $25.00
5th Place Finish Catalytic Recovery $200.00
5th Place Finish Patty Gentile In Memory of Bobby James $75.00
5th Place Finish Gates Racing $50.00
5th Place Finish In Memory of Jon Ballard $25.00
6th Place Finish Lucas Outload $100.00
6th Place Finish Joslin Racing $70.00
6th Place Finish Pizza Plus, Grand Gorge $41.00
6th Place Finish Gates Racing $20.00
7th Place Finish Chad Edwards Racing $100.00
7th Place Finish Irwin & Sons Farm $50.00
7th Place Finish VanWert, Ballard, Hill Racing $25.00
7th Place Finish Gates Racing $20.00
8th Place Finish Joslin Racing $50.00
8th Place Finish VanWert, Ballard, Hill Racing $25.00
8th Place Finish Gates Racing $20.00
9th Place Finish Chris Carpenter $99.00
9th Place Finish VanWert, Ballard, Hill Racing $25.00
9th Place Finish Gates Racing $20.00
10th Place Finish Camenga Construction $50.00
10th Place Finish VanWert, Ballard, Hill Racing $25.00
10th Place Finish Gates Racing $20.00
11th Place Finish Camenga Construction $50.00
11th Place Finish VanWert, Ballard, Hill Racing $25.00
11th Place Finish Gates Racing $20.00
12th Place Finish Stone Motorsports $50 GC
12th Place Finish Gates Racing $20.00
13th Place Finish Haslun Racing $50.00
14th Place Finish Stone Motorsports $50 GC
15th Place Finish VanWert, Ballard, Hill Racing $25.00 18 Pk Beer
15th Place Finish In Memory of Joe & Ivy Williams $20.00
16th Place Finish In Memory of "Wolfie" Kevin George $50.00
17th Place Finish Irwin & Sons Farm $25.00
17th Place Finish Melissa Dawson $20.00
18th Place Finish Hometown Deli - Westerlo $25.00
18th Place Finish Melissa Dawson $20.00
19th Place Finish In Memory of Bob James $19.00
20th Place Finish In Memory of Bob James $19.00
21st Place Finish In Memory of Bob James $19.00
22nd Place Finish In Memory of Bob James $19.00
23rd Place Finish In Memory of Bob James $19.00
24th Place Finish In Memory of Bob James $19.00
25th Place Finish In Memory of Bob James $19.00
Last Place Finish Camenga Construction $50.00

LAP BONUSES
LAP, POSITION, SPONSOR, AMOUNT
Lap 1 Leader Mortensen 1B & 1M Racing $20.00
Lap 2 Leader AJ Walters Racing $22.00
Lap 3 Leader Randy Cosselman $25.00
Lap 4 Leader David Herrick $20.00
Lap 5 Leader In Memory of "The Silver Fox" Don Warner $25.00
Lap 6 Leader Snap On Tools - Chris Morris $20.00
Lap 7 Leader Full Throttle Pro Speed & Raceway $20.00
Lap 8 Leader Leeann Achzet in Memory of Fonda HOF Lee Achzet $81.00
Lap 8 2nd Place Leeann Achzet $35.00
Lap 9 Leader J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Lap 9 9th Place Snap On Tools - Chris Morris $20.00
Lap 10 Leader David Herrick $20.00
Lap 11 Leader Randy Cosselman $25.00
Lap 12 Leader David Herrick $20.00
Lap 13 Leader Haslun Racing $50.00
Lap 14 Leader In Memory of "The Silver Fox" Don Warner $25.00
Lap 15 Leader David Herrick $20.00
Lap 15 15th Place VanWert, Ballard, Hill Racing $25.00 18 Pk beer
Lap 16 Leader Snap On Tools - Chris Morris $20.00
Lap 16 Leader Joslin Racing $20.00
Lap 17 Leader Full Throttle Pro Speed & Raceway $20.00
Lap 18 Leader Joslin Racing $20.00
Lap 19 Leader Snap On Tools - Chris Morris $20.00
Lap 19 9th Place Friends of Hondo Memorial Society $25.00
Lap 20 Leader Full Throttle Pro Speed & Raceway $20.00
Lap 21 Leader Joslin Racing $20.00
Lap 22 Leader AJ Walters Racing $22.00
Lap 23 Leader Fox23 Fast Tracks Alumni $23.00
Lap 24 Leader Snap On Tools - Chris Morris $20.00
Lap 25 Leader Hometown Deli - Westerlo $25.00
Lap 25 Leader Burch Boys Racing $10.00
Lap 26 Leader Full Throttle Pro Speed & Raceway $20.00
Lap 27 Leader Stone Motorsports $50 GC
Lap 28 Leader David Herrick $20.00
Lap 29 Leader Full Throttle Pro Speed & Raceway $20.00

SPECIAL AWARDS
Hondo's Lunch Joe Achzet $40.00
Winner's Check Joe Achzet
Victory Lane Sign Joe Achzet
Heat Race 1 Winner J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 1 2nd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 1 3rd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Heat Race 1 4th Place Friends of Hondo Memorial Society $20.00
Heat Race 2 Winner J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 2 2nd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 2 3rd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Heat Race 2 4th Place Friends of Hondo Memorial Society $20.00
Heat Race 3 Winner J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 3 2nd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 3 3rd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Heat Race 3 4th Place Friends of Hondo Memorial Society $20.00
9th Place Starter In Memory of Bob James $25.00
15th Place Starter VanWert/Ballard/Hill Racing $25.00 18 Pk Beer
9th Member Finish New York State Stock Car Association $100.00
Hard Charger Bonus Stone Motorsports $50 GC
Hard Charger Bonus Joslin Racing $20.00
Hard Luck Bonus Shaffer Racing $109.00
Last Pass Bonus Krash Menders $100.00
1st Playfab Chassis Playfab Chassis $40.00
Special thanks to Chatham Clothing and Ed Lamberton for their sponsorship of our driver's shirts.

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