4/14/2026
Fonda Speedway
ADVANCED RESTORATION AND CLEANING PRESENTS 12A OPENING DAY THIS SATURDAY AT FONDA
By: Ron Szczerba
Fonda, NY – After a successful practice session back on April 11, it’s race week at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway this Saturday, April 18 when Advanced Restoration and Cleaning presents the “12A Opening Day” honoring Jumpin’ Jack Johnson with points beginning in all divisions as the 2026 regular season begins. Please note that the 2026 season was actually opened back on January 1 with the running of the “Chill Factor Enduro” which was won by Josh Kane.
The 2026 season will be the 75th in the history of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds facility making it an even more historical season than ever. There have been many questions whether or not this is indeed even the 75th season at Fonda and the only explanation that I have for this is that back in 2001, in the Fonda book, the author, co-author, editor, and publisher put a sentence in the introduction that read “On behalf of all of us, happy 50th Fonda, and here’s to 50 more”. Therefore if 2001 was the 50th season, add 25 years to that, bringing us to 2026, making it the 75th season of competition at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway.
Throughout the 75 year history of the Fonda Speedway, none of it would have ever been possible if it wasn’t for sponsors of both the track and all of the race cars competing at the track. This year in 2026, all of the division sponsors are returning for another season as divisional partners including the Amsterdam Truck Center (Modifieds), Swagger Factory Apparel (Sportsman), Leatherstocking Credit Union (Pro Stocks), Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. (Limited Sportsman), the Fonda Fair (Four Cylinders), and Online Performance Parts (Street Stocks).
Advanced Restoration and Cleaning starts off the 2026 season as sponsor of the events on April 18 while Mirabito Energy Products will conclude the season as the sponsor of the Fonda 200 in September. In between those dates, many different sponsors will place their names on racing events each and every week throughout the season, and they will be recognized weekly in track press releases along with announcements all race night long by track announcers Todd Morey and Mimi Lazzaro.
BONUS SPONSORS: There are many weekly bonus sponsors signed on for the 2026 season and they are listed below.
HARD CHARGER BONUSES FOR SPORTSMAN & LIMITED SPORTSMAN: Greco’s Auto & Truck Parts has signed on to present weekly hard charger awards for the Swagger Factory Apparel Sportsman ($100 certificate weekly) and Montgomery County Office for Aging, Inc. Limited Sportsman ($50 certificate weekly). Drivers must display the Greco's decal on their car to be eligible for the awards.
This will be the sixth year that Greco’s Auto & Truck Parts owner Jason Greco has been presenting the award. According to Jason, he has been attending the races at the Fonda Speedway for over 40 years, starting out when he was a young boy. It is a very special place to him and all he ever wanted to do was win one day at the track. He did exactly that in the Sportsman division at Fonda on May 8, 2021.
His son AJ has seven career wins in the Limited Sportsman division at the track along with the 2024 Track Championship in the division. AJ will compete in the Sportsman division in 2026, his second year in the division after moving up from the Limited Sportsman. Jason’s grandfather was the track welder at Fonda back in the 70’s and continued to do that into the Ric Lucia era at the track. Greco's Auto & Truck Parts is located at 6014 St Hwy 5, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428
PALMERS SERVICE CENTER POWER POSITION AWARD returns for the 2026 season at Fonda Speedway. Drivers finishing second through 10th, respectively, will be entered into drawings during Victory Lane ceremonies for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modified, Swagger Factory Apparel Sportsman and Montgomery County Office for Aging, Inc. Limited Sportsman divisions every Saturday Night. The drivers drawn will receive gift cards for Online Performance Parts amounting to $100 for Modified & Sportsman and $50 for the Limited Sportsman.
Also, a huge part of the 75 year history of the Fonda Speedway in different ways, Alton and Carole Palmer have been involved with the track for many years, Alton as a competitor and a car owner along with his wife Carole. They have sponsored many events at the track and sponsor many cars that compete at the track as well up to this day. Alton leads the way on the Fonda All Time DIRT Legal Sportsman Win List with a total of 56 along with five Track Championships in the division in 1987, 1996, 1997, 1998, & 1999. He also has a total of five wins in the Big Block Modified division at Fonda.
Along with her part as car owner/sponsor, Carole once ran the Fonda Kid’s Club with a lot of help from her parents Ed & June Keyser who helped out not only with the Kid’s Club but also with the race team when Alton was racing as well.
LOYALTY REWARDED: The top 15 Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock drivers at Fonda Speedway in 2026 will all be eligible for a $7,000 “Manimal” Chassis Giveaway courtesy of Online Performance Parts and Stone Motorsports. Nick Stone currently competes in the Pro Stock division where he is second on the All-Time Win List with a total of 71 victories at Fonda along with Track Championships in the division back in 2014, 2020, 2021, & 2022.
10TH PLACE WEEKLY: Thanks to Lexie and Donnie Delurey and Jack Lehner of JLR Technologies, the 10th-place Amsterdam Truck Center Modified finisher every Saturday night in 2026 will receive a $75 bonus, bringing the weekly 10th place money to $775! Lehner competes in the Modified division at Fonda and has a career total of four Modified wins at the track.
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).
The “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car racing for 75 years. 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