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FRIESEN, EDWARDS, AND BALLARD WIN THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY SERIES EVENTS AT FONDA

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – The first race of a three race Thunder on the Thruway Series took place at the Fonda Speedway on Wednesday evening with Stewart Friesen ($4,000 to win Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds), Chad Edwards ($1,500 to win Swagger Factory Apparel Sportsman), and Beau Ballard ($1,000 to win Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks) taking the feature wins.

“This was Jess’ (wife Jessica Freisen) call on setup tonight,” Stewart Friesen said in victory lane. “She is pretty aggressive on turning wrenches, so she made a couple calls, Tommy (Conroy) and I were yeah I don’t know, but it worked out real good.”

“That was a workout out there tonight,” Edwards said after his victory. “The beginning of the race me and Dave (Constantino) had a great race. He got the jump on me there and we had to fight on the bottom to get by him, I really didn’t know if we were gonna be able to.”

“I would just like to give a special shout out to the track crew,” Ballard said in victory lane. “They have turned this thing around and I’m telling you what this new surface is awesome. I hope it is like this every week.”

The Fonda Fair Four Cylinders were also in action with Jay Ingersoll (DOHC) and Ken Hollenback (SOHC) winning in their respective classes.

Mimi Lazzaro sang the National Anthem to start the midweek festivities at the “Track of Champions” and the 50/50 girls Julie, Heather, and Rose performed their magic with a 50/50 worth $1,457 to the winner.

Bobby Hackel IV and Danny Varin started the 30-lap Amsterdam Truck Center Modified feature on the front row by the luck of the draw with Varin leading when lap one was completed. Stewart Friesen started the event in the fifth position and by the time the lap counter clicked off lap three he was already in the second position.

Two laps later Friesen was right on Varin’s rear bumper and took the lead on lap five with a move around the outside of Varin in turn four. Jessica Friesen started seventh and at the lap ten mark she was already up to the third position after getting by Hackel. The first of only two yellow flags in the event flew on lap ten after Varin slowed in turn four while running second. He was done for the night at that point.

Stewart Friesen chose the outside for the restart with his wife Jessica now alongside awaiting Joe Kriss’ green flag. Stewart maintained the lead on the restart with sixth place starter and defending Track Champion Alex Yankowski the new second place car on lap 12 after he got by Jessica Friesen for the position.
At the halfway point in the event, Stewart Friesen was the leader followed by Yankowski, Jessica Friesen, tenth place starter Cody Clark, and eighth place starter Ronnie Johnson. Stewart Friesen was in lap traffic with ten laps to go with one final yellow flag flying on lap 24 when Craig Hanson slowed in turns one and two.

Stewart Friesen went on to his third win of the season and the 97th of his career at Fonda in the Halmar #44 followed in the top five by Yankowski, Jessica Friesen, 14th place starter Rocky Warner, and Johnson. Last weeks winner Clark was running in the fourth position with two laps to go but was forced pit side with mechanical problems.

“The whole Halmar Team works so hard,” Friesen told Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane. “We had a great race car tonight; the track was slick as it has been all year. I was just trying to keep the tires underneath us. There was some good character where you can move around and get a bite between turns one and two and I migrated back to that. “

“I knew when Alex (Yankowski) was second he likes ripping the top, so I figured I was safe on the top,” Friesen continued to say. “But then again all the way out there wasn’t really that good. We were able to move around, race all over the track, and that’s all we can ask for. I think the track was pretty perfect tonight.”

Dave Constantino led at the start of the 25-lap Swagger Factory Apparel Sportsman event from his third place starting position as he got by both front row starters Chip Constantino and Chad Edwards for the lead at the drop of the green flag. Edwards pressured Dave Constantino for the lead for the first seven laps while tenth place starter Tyler Peet and ninth place starter Payton Talbot moved into the third and fourth positions, respectively.

Edwards got by Dave Constantino for the lead on lap eight on the inside of turn two and immediately stretched out his advantage. Peet and Talbot both worked their way by Dave Constantino for the second and third positions with the top five at the halfway point consisting of Edwards, Peet, Talbot, Dave Constantino, and Cody Clark.

Two consecutive yellow flags on laps 16 and 17 slowed the field and gave Peet and Talbot a chance at the leader but Edwards was just too strong and went on to his third win of the season and the 25th of his career in the division in the Kollar Motorsports #10% over Peet, Talbot, Dave Constantino, and 12th place starter Tanner Warner.

“Stew (Friesen) and the guys were real fast there in the feature on top, but I don’t know the bottom just came to us and we were able to get by Dave,” Edwards said after the win. “Then we had Tyler (Peet) and Payton (Talbot) racing with us on those couple of restarts and we were able to hold those guys off so that’s always good.”

Mike Hill led at the start of the 20-lap Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock feature with Ivan Joslin in tow. On a lap six restart, Joslin took the lead away from Hill with seventh place starter Beau Ballard the new second place car one lap later on lap seven. At the halfway point in the event the top five consisted of Joslin, Ballard, fifth place starter Jason Morrison, Hill, and sixth place starter Kenny Gates.

Numerous yellow flags slowed the field and kept it closed up, but Joslin was able to maintain his lead on all of the restarts until mechanical issues forced him out of the event on lap 15, handing the lead over to Ballard. Ballard survived two restarts to win his second feature of the season and the seventh of his career in the division at Fonda in the Michael’s Auto & Trailer Sales #15. Morrison, Gates, eighth place starter Steve Cosselman, and Hill completing the top five.

This Saturday, June 21 will be round two in F.X. Caprara Car Companies Thunder on the Thruway Series with racing in all regular divisions along with the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS), who will host a memorial event in honor of both Kenny Shoemaker and Frank Trinkaus.

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.

6/18/2025 F.X. CAPRARA CAR COMPANIES PRESENTS THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY SERIES

18 Entrees
Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds
A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 44-Stewart Friesen[5]; 2. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[6]; 3. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[7]; 4. 79-Rocky Warner[14]; 5. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[8]; 6. 19-Tim Fuller[12]; 7. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[1]; 8. 4AP-Anthony Perrego[16]; 9. 21C-Brian Calabrese[9]; 10. 21P-Luciano (Pep) Corradi[3]; 11. 76-Jamike Sowle[4]; 12. 27B-Robert Bublak[11]; 13. 71-Eric Mack[13]; 14. 27-Jason Reome[17]; 15. 4-Cody Clark[10]; 16. 20C-Craig Hanson[15]; 17. 93-Danny Varin[2]; 18. 16-Aaron Jacobs[18]

PALMER’S SERVICE CENTER/JAMIE & DENISE PAGE POWER POSITION – $100 Gift Certificate to Online Performance/Stone Motorsports – Brian Calabrese

23 entries
Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 10%-Chad Edwards[2]; 2. 12T-Tyler Peet[10]; 3. 14T-Payton Talbot[9]; 4. 7-Dave Constantino[3]; 5. 78-Tanner Warner[12]; 6. 89-Dylan Madsen[16]; 7. 1-Cody Clark[5]; 8. 63-Chip Constantino[1]; 9. 1B-Brett Mortensen[11]; 10. 82H-David Hackett[15]; 11. 27-Michael Ballestero[23]; 12. 2K-Mike Kalkbrenner[14]; 13. 12AJ-AJ Greco[7]; 14. 31J-John Dumond[4]; 15. 5C-Randy Cosselman[22]; 16. 42H-Kadon Hohensheldt[18]; 17. 618-Bobby Rhinehardt[21]; 18. 26-Mason Gray[6]; 19. 25-Stephen Gray[13]; 20. 117-Butchie Irwin[19]; 21. 99-Clyde Peek[20]; 22. 19Z-Dylan Scribner[17]; 23. 1H-Harry Shaffer[8]

PALMER’S SERVICE CENTER/JAMIE & DENISE PAGE POWER POSITION – $100 Gift Certificate to Online Performance/Stone Motorsports – David Hackett

GRECO’S NAPA HARD CHARGER AWARD – $100 Gift Certificate to Greco’s NAPA – Michael Ballestero +12

16 entries
Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 15-Beau Ballard[7]; 2. 715-Jason Morrison[5]; 3. 35-Ken Gates[6]; 4. 25-Steve Cosselman[8]; 5. 15M-Mike Hill[1]; 6. 2H-Luke Horning[9]; 7. 07-Chucky Dumblewski[16]; 8. 93-Justin Knight[10]; 9. 1D-Nick Santuccione[11]; 10. 62-Nick Danna[14]; 11. 6-Shane Playford[4]; 12. 49-Ivan Joslin[2]; 13. 96-Andy Graves[3]; 14. 39-Hayleigh Gates[13]; 15. 7C-Caden Dumblewski[15]; 16. 57-Chuck McSpirit[12]

PALMER’S SERVICE CENTER/JAMIE & DENISE PAGE POWER POSITION – $50 Gift Certificate to Online Performance/Stone Motorsports – Luke Horning

9 entries
Fonda Fair Four Cylinders
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 97JD-Jay Ingersoll[6]; 2. 12S-Ken Hollenbeck[3]; 3. 8S-Stephen Burka[1]; 4. 26D-Len St Andrews[5]; 5. 54S-Wayne Russell Jr[4]; 6. 29JD-John Ray[8]; 7. 777S-Shawn Hemstreet[7]; 8. (DNS) 77S-Zach McSpirit; 9. (DNS) 33D-Kerrie Hollenbeck

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