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2025 FONDA SPEEDWAY TRACK CHAMPIONS IN THEIR OWN WORDS

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – On Saturday evening August 16 Benjamin Moore Paints presented Championship Night at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway. It is a night for drivers names to be written into the history book of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds ½ mile track, a prestigious honor for those drivers to have.

Below are the drivers who either won championships for the first time on Saturday or others who now have multiple championships to their credit. Here is what each of them had to say about it “In Their Own Words.”

2025 AMSTERDAM TRUCK CENTER MODIFIED TRACK CHAMPION ALEX YANKOWSKI – SECOND CAREER MODIFIED TRACK CHAMPIONSIP AT FONDA (2024, 2025)

“It is about time, it took a lot of hard work from a lot of good people,” Alex Yankowski said regarding winning the championship in 2024 without the benefit of a win vs this year when he had two wins. “Huge thanks to Corey Wilcox for all he has done for our program, it has really helped us to elevate our team and get better and better. So many people to thank, so proud, we lean on the 44 and 1Z to come up here, so we are thinking about them. Stew and his recovery, that is what is most important right now.”

“We wanted to get up to Utica Rome, and with Stew and Jess so close to Fonda it made it easier. They gave us a home base to work out of. We developed a real good relationship with them, so I am just so proud of everybody and how hard we work. Any championship takes a lot of maintenance and a lot of equipment. This deal, we had a few people pony up and help me get across the stretch, they know who they are, I really can’t thank them enough, and I will never forget that help.”

“Fonda is a historic venue, and it means so much to race fans. This place has so much history, you can’t really recreate that over a short period of time, the history book is forever. My girlfriend, her grandfather Mitch Gibbs won a championship here (a 320-Modified title in 1984). I had a chat with him this morning. It is cool what this place means to dirt racing and racing in the Northeast.”

“You never know what can come about. I always feel that we just have to make the best of our situation and our great partners that really have elevated this whole deal. We’re just gonna race every race the best that we can, take it race by race, and whatever opportunities come about we’ll take advantage of. Really proud to have such great people in my corner.”

2025 SWAGGER FACTORY APPAREL SPORTSMAN TRACK CHAMPION CHAD EDWARDS – FOURTH CAREER 602 SPORTSMAN TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP AT FONDA (2018, 2020, 2021, 2025)

“It’s great, a good hard fought year,” Chad Edwards said during the championship celebration on Saturday. Unfortunately, John (car owner John Kollar) can’t be here with us, he’s getting better every day now and he’ll be back for sure. I broke a right rear shock with two laps to go in the feature tonight, but I just rode it out, I knew we were in a good spot there. I knew that Tyler (Peet) had to win for us to lose the championship so I knew we were good, and I figured that I would just ride it out.”

“Having a good group of guys that help us out and having John take care of all the bills, his love for the sport is second to none. It is hard to beat a combination like that; it is a bunch of hard work. I have the same group of guys; it is hard to find people that want to do this. When I first started racing, I was hoping to get one feature win. To have the wins and championships we have here is awesome.”

2025 LEATHERSTOCKING CREDIT UNION PRO STOCK TRACK CHAMPION BEAU BALLARD – FIRST CAREER PRO STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP AT FONDA

“I thought it was gonna be over before it started there,” Ballard said about his feature event run on Saturday. “I was looking at route 30, gathered it back up, and went back to work. I used a lap car as a pick and finally got around Luke (Horning), Kenny (Gates), and Nick (Stone), I was really praying for a yellow flag right there because this thing was a rocket.”

“In the back of my mind I knew that I was doing all that I needed to do. I know that Jimmy (Normoyle) is looking down on us, thoughts and prayers are with his family. My family had an absolutely terrible season, I haven’t said much about it but two weeks ago I lost my two year old nephew to Leukemia. I have his hospital wrist band in my pocket, and he has been riding with me the last two weeks.”

“So, it has been tough getting the work done in the garage, just trying to stay focused. We have a bunch of people looking down on us and we’re glad that we were able to get this one, that is what we came to do this year. This is the fifth different race track we’ve won a Track Championship at, and this field of cars is the most stoudt field of cars around, they race and win everywhere.”

“Racing here at Fonda makes you that much better elsewhere. We probably spend more time on tires than anything else, it is the only thing that touches the race track. Thanks to Kenn and Deb VanWert, they own this thing, they own all of it really. I wouldn’t be doing this without them, I’d be sitting up there in the grandstands watching and that would kill me, they are like another set of parents to me really.”

“My biggest inspiration in doing all of this is my father (Danny Ballard). I sat up there watching him for years and to finally get my name on the same column as he is (Danny was the 1994 Fonda Speedway Pro Stock Track Champion) it means more to me than any of the other ones. Fonda has always been home and to get it done here means the world to me. Special thanks to my stepmother, my girlfriend, and my kids, I’m away from home a lot but they support me along with my crew and sponsors.”

2025 MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE FOR AGING INC. LIMITED SPORTSMAN TRACK CHAMPION CORKY WARNER – FIRST CAREER LIMITED SPORTSMAN TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP AT FONDA

“Going from helping people to winning a Track Championship at Fonda and writing your name in the history books is pretty cool,” Warner said during the championship celebration. “It is gonna be cool to move up to regular Sportsman, but it is going to be different for us. I have a long way to go to be as good as my dad (Rocky) but hopefully one day I can win a Modified championship here at Fonda and be standing up here again.”

“This one is for Pop’s; he turned 70 today and it was definitely cool to have that. I’ve had a strong piece here every week and that made us look forward to this year. Last week Randy (Cosselman) told me to go run his car after my wreck. If it wasn’t for him anything could have happened. Definitely cool to write our name in the history book here at Fonda.”

2025 DOHC FONDA FAIR FOUR CYLINDER TRACK CHAMPION JAY INGERSOLL – SECOND CAREER FOUR CYLINDER TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP AT FONDA (2024, 2025)

“Last year was great, this year solidified it,” Ingersoll said. “It feels awesome. All of the legends that have had pictures taken here on victory lane after winning races and championships, it is an awesome feeling. That is what makes it so much more special. Knowing the history of this track and everyone that has stepped foot right here on victory lane that is what it is all about. We are living a dream.”

2025 SOHC FONDA FAIR FOUR CYLINDER TRACK CHAMPION WAYNE RUSSELL JR. – FIRST CAREER FOUR CYLINDER TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP AT FONDA

“I grew up watching your dad and Jack,” Russell Jr. said to Mimi Lazzaro. The history, you can’t even describe it the list of winners here goes on and on. My sponsor Pat Reilly always tells me to just go out there and do what you do.”

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