---

FONDA SPEEDWAY TO INDUCT FIVE INTO THEIR HALL OF FAME THIS SATURDAY, MAY 23

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – This Saturday, May 23 at 1:00 p.m. at the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum, the class of 2026 will be inducted into the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame. The class of 2026 includes Bob Mott, Ron Constantino, Steve Bidwell, Bob James, and Kenny Gates.

Two special awards will also be presented at the ceremony to Ed Lamberton who will receive the “Bruce Dostal Award” and the Montenaro Family who will receive the “Stepping Stone Award.”

The “Bruce Dostal Award” is presented in recognition for contributions to the Fonda Speedway and the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum while the “Stepping Stone Award” will be presented to the Montenaro Family for their part in giving many drivers the needed experience in the Go-Kart ranks at their track the Dodge City Speedway before moving up to race stock cars at many area tracks.

BOB MOTT
Bob Mott, of Schenectady, NY, was one of the pioneer drivers at the brand new Fonda Speedway. He finished fourth in the very first race at the oval, but before coming to Fonda to run, he had won races at many other speedways like, Stateline Speedway, Menands, Utica-Rome, etc.

Around mid-summer 1953, Bob hired a new driver named Jeep Herbert to pilot his soon to be famous Yellow #3. It was with the Mott #3 that Jeep first attempted the Fonda oval. He was approached by Fonda Speedway promoter Ed Fuez shortly before the start of the new season at Fonda as Fuez was looking for good quality cars to run at the new speedway and the Mott #3 was just the type of machine needed to draw the fans.

At this particular time Jeep and Bob were running the car at the Stateline Speedway near Bennington, VT. The Mott/Herbert team provided to be a good move over the next couple years, as they piled up numerous victories and top five finishes including the 50 lap Eastern State Championship in 1955.

In 1956, Bob put Fonda hot shoe Pete Corey in his #3, another great move as the team piled up eight feature wins and twelve top five finishes. Although nobody expected the success that the Mott/Corey pairing would generate, Corey’s Lil’ Yellow #3 went undefeated during the first five weeks of the 1955 season, kick starting a legend.

In 1957 the Mott/Corey team continued with their winning ways and top five finishes, to include a victory in the biggest race of the year, a 100-lap event. While in victory lane that night Bob put the now famous, “Mott’s Yellow #3” up for sale. Paul Pankorik, owner of Jimmy Luke’s #113, immediately purchased it, and the #3 returned to the speedway, renumbered #213, as the team car to Luke’s #113.

This ended Bob’s ownership of stock cars, but not his involvement in them, as he would later team up with Irv Tayor to build the #111 owned by Henry Caputo and piloted by Taylor. This car also found its way into victory lane several times.

Bob Mott passed away in 1999, but for those around Fonda Speedway in those pioneer days, we will always remember the famous “Mott’s Yellow #3”. In addition to his Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame induction this year, Mott was also inducted into the New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Hall of Fame in 2001.

RON CONSTANTINO
When Ron Constantino was 12 years old, he and his father sat on the top row of the bleachers in turn one at the Fonda Speedway. His father used to race as well but that was before Ron was even born. “It was the place to be, it was exciting,” Constantino said about the Fonda Speedway. “Back then every kid wanted to be a race car driver, it was everyone’s dream. People sat in the turn one section arguing amongst themselves on who was the better driver and that was a show right there.”

Constantino’s first laps around the “Track of Champions” occurred back when they used to allow fans to bring their vehicles out on the track to run it in. At that time, he didn’t even have a driver’s license. “We used to sit with the “Back Row Boys” in the turn one bleachers and one of them, Dave Freely had just purchased a brand new Chevy truck,” Ron said. “He took the truck out on the track to run it in one night and allowed me to drive it. When I see him to this day he tells me that he is the one who gave me my first laps around Fonda Speedway.”

Constantino started his racing career at Albany Saratoga in a Street Stock with one championship there to his credit in the division. After that he moved his racing to the Fonda Speedway in the 320-Modified division where he has one win in that division before moving on to the Open Sportsman division where he has eight total wins and Track Championships in 1989 and 1995. “I was hooked right there,” he said. “When DIRT changed all the rules and went to 358’s was when I decided to get out of it, it wasn’t fun anymore and I decided to get out of it.”

Ron also spent a couple of years racing at the Lebanon Valley Speedway where he had a total of seventeen second place finishes. He also scored two wins, but they told him that he was light (weight) for both of them and he never got credit for them. “I wasn’t one of their favorites,” he said. “When I see Howie (Commander) to this day and ask if he still remembers me, he says 2 ½ years of pure aggravation.”

Enter into the conversation one of Constantino’s sponsors, Jerry Krug, who talked Ron into getting back into racing this year. Jerry was in the hospital for over 100 days for a heart transplant and he said to me, “What do think about getting back into racing?” Constantino said. “When I stopped racing, he went on to sponsor Jack Johnson. There were a lot of drivers from Rotterdam back in the day. Me and my dad used to go to Jack’s shop quite a bit and we became good friends. Back then Jack Johnson was the man.”

Constantino purchased a 2007 Bicknell car that was a former Steve Paine car, went through it, and is ready to have fun again in the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) Modified class. “I haven’t raced in 25 years, but we plan to feel Fonda out this year and then maybe travel a little bit next year,” he said. “The car was good back on warm-up day in April and will be #21A which my dad used as his car number back in the day and I did as well.”

The Track Championship that Constantino won at Fonda back in 1989 was a special moment for him, driving for Ray Vines at the time. “I was with Ray for a short time before moving on to a different car owner,” Ron said. “I moved on to a different car owner thinking things would be better, the next one is always better, but I should have stayed with Ray longer than I did.”

Constantino also won the 1995 Sportsman Track Championship at Fonda in one of Dave Lape’s Champ Cars, a car that he really liked. “They were good ones,” he said. Regarding his 2026 Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame Induction Constantino said, “You just don’t walk in there, it’s special when they recognize you for the little bit that you did. Sitting in the turn one bleachers at age 12, I never once thought I’d be recognized for something like this.”

STEVE BIDWELL
Steve Bidwell began his racing career in 1990 in an Enduro car which he ran at different tracks such as Lebanon Valley, Fonda, and others. He remained in that division for two years before moving up to the Street Stock class where he competed at Fonda and on the DIRT Street Stock series.

Through the 1996 racing season, Bidwell had one feature win in the Street Stock division which came at the Fonda Speedway. Steve sat out the 1997 racing season to get some needed time off. “We were out of motors and instead of paying $6,000 for a new motor to use in the Street Stock car decided to sit back and regroup,” he said.

After thinking it over and deciding that there was more money involved to build a Street Stock car than it was worth, Bidwell started looking into other avenues and the IMCA Modifieds was what he chose as his new class to compete in. “It is $5,000 cheaper to build a new IMCA Modified than it is to build a new Street Stock,” Steve said. “The overall price to run on a weekly basis is also cheaper.”

Bidwell purchased an IMCA Modified chassis from Dirt Works in Iowa and bolted the car together on his own along with doing all of the tin work on the new car. He also built the motor for the car. As far as rules for the new division Steve said “there is one set of rules, two pages long which are followed by everyone across the country. Only one type of tire is run and there is also a claiming rule on the motor.”

After testing the car out in the two warm-up sessions prior to the 1998 season opener at the New Fonda Speedway, Bidwell stated that the IMCA Modifieds are totally different from a Street Stock. “You can feel everything that the car is doing in comparison to a Street Stock, and there are a lot more adjustments which can be made to the IMCA car,” he said. “When an adjustment is made, you can really tell what a difference a small change makes in the handling of the car.”

Opening night of the 1998 season at the New Fonda Speedway saw sixteen of the IMCA Modifieds on hand with Steve getting one of the heat race wins to go along with a fifth place finish in the feature event. He plans to travel some this year to different tracks with the new car and said, “I plan to stick with the IMCA Modified division for a while.”

Bidwell had a total of sixteen IMCA wins at Fonda during his career, the first win coming on 10/16/1999 and his last on 5/1/2004 to go along with two Track Championships in the division in consecutive years in 2000 and 2001. He was killed tragically on 11/28/2004 in a car accident at age 29 and will be known as one of the most popular drivers in the division at the Fonda Speedway.

“BOBCO” BOB JAMES
Bob James started going to the races with his parents when his mother was pregnant with him. 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. “Lou Lazzaro gave me my first kiddie ride and also became one of my favorites,” James said. “I will never forget that.”

James 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.

“When I first started videotaping at Fonda, it was from the top of the video booth in turn four,” James said. “In 1994 when I moved up into the main tower, I also started doing video replays which race officials started to use to review what happened during a wreck.”

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.

When Hondo was killed in a four wheeler accident in 2005, Kenny Martin Jr. finished out the 2005 season in the car and also ran for James during the 2006 season as well. From that point on James and Martin became partners in the #93 racing team just as James and Hondo were prior to that. Both Kenny and his son Sheldon have competed in the #93 since the loss of Hondo.

At the Northeast Motorsports Expo car show in 2017 at the Via Port Mall, Bob James owner of Bobco Video was given an award for his 25 years of videoing racing events at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway. The award was given to Bob by Fonda Speedway promoter Pete Demitraszek and the plaque on the front of the award trophy said: “In recognition and appreciation for your twenty five years of dedication and diligence videotaping the racing action at Fonda Speedway dated March 18, 2017.”

“The award is definitely special,” James said. “Who would think that someone starting out sitting in the grandstands back in 1986 would get the opportunity to be the videographer at the Fonda Speedway for the next 25 years?”

Bob James was also honored by Fonda Speedway promoter Brett Deyo on the evening of the Hondo Classic event on July 15, 2020. James was in attendance for the race that evening and was honored during pre-race ceremonies. Pre-race ceremonies began that evening with the invocation by Ed Biittig Sr. who stood alongside Bob James who was in a wheelchair on victory lane.

“We wanted to do a little something special here along with the Hondo race,” Fonda Speedway promoter Brett Deyo said. “The perch up there on top of the grandstand has been the official tower and home to Bobco Video for many, many years. You have captured so many moments here at the Track of Champions documenting history and you are part of that history.”

“Tonight, and for the remainder of time here at the Fonda Speedway the perch up there is going to be known as the Bobco Video Tower in your honor to thank you for everything you’ve done to preserve the history of the Fonda Speedway.”

“Thank you very much,” Bob James said afterwards. “I appreciate what you’ve done for me, 30 years of racing events plus motorsports events at the Fonda Fair, I’ve taken a lot of videos and have enjoyed it all.”

Bob James passed away on September 20, 2020 which was a huge loss to the racing community and to the Fonda Speedway.

KENNY GATES
Kenny Gates took his first career win at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway on 7/12/1997 and Saturday evening 6/21/2025, almost 28 years later, he scored a very special win, career win #100 in the Pro Stock division. Gates took the lead on lap three of the Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock feature and led the rest of the way for his second win of the 2025 season.

“This means a lot,” Gates told Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane after his 100th career win at Fonda. “There’s only legends like your dad (Lou Lazzaro) that have ever got to triple digits and to be able to even be mentioned amongst guys like that, it’s such an honor. There is so much history here at the Track of Champions, it is a blast to be here.”

“I can’t believe we’ve had the good fortune to have everybody with me here tonight,” Gates said after the win. “Leo, Joe, and Brandon have been with me for a long time. My brother has been with me since the very start and now we’re starting over with his daughter (Haleigh Gates), I am truly blessed.”

After being asked by Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane about where do you go from here Gates answered: “Win more I guess. I’m still as happy as I ever was for the next one, I want to win more, this is what it is all about. This is so much fun, we’re still doing good, and as long as we are we’re gonna keep after it.”

“I want to thank my wife Cathy, who has been with me since day one,” Gates concluded. “From getting my first car, getting going, without her I couldn’t do any of this. So, I want to dedicate this 100th win to her, she’s been with me through all of it, if it wasn’t for her I’m not here tonight.”

As it turns out, Gates’ parents met at Fonda on a blind date and Kenny has been going to Fonda ever since. “I always came here with them since I was a baby,” he said. “When I started racing my father did everything with me. He taught me everything that I know about racing including how to race, all about the car itself, how to set it up, and all of the physics behind it. I think that he forgot more about racing than I will ever know.”

Kenny’s father Harold or “Buzz” as everyone used to call him, taught his son all of the ins and outs of the racecar, the chassis, the suspension, and it really helped him get going in the sport. One thing that his father didn’t do was to try to push him to get into the sport of racing.

“When I was in school I played all of the stick and ball sports,” Gates said. “After I got out of college my father noticed that Jamie Christian was selling one of the Street Stocks that he ran at Fonda. That was all that I needed to get into the sport. My dad and I went to look at the car, bought it, and brought it home. The rest is history.”

Kenny Gates started his racing career in that car at Fonda in 1993 in the Street Stock division and since that time (the name of the division was changed to Pro Stocks in 1999) it has been the only division that Gates has ever been involved in.

Kenny’s father was out in the garage with him the night that he passed away and they were talking about what they were going to do for the 2007 season. Sadly, Kenny’s father passed away on 11/19/2006 and it left a void in his race team that will never be filled. I’m sure that Buzz will be looking down today as Kenny is being inducted into the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame with Father’s Day only a short time away.

ED LAMBERTON
Ed Lamberton lived eight miles from the Fonda Speedway and could hear the roar on Saturday nights when they raced down the backstretch. His father would take him and his brother to the races each week as long as Ed mowed the lawn that week. “We raced my best friend and his father on the way home from Fonda on the back roads,” Lamberton said. “It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do but it was really fun.”

Ed was a big Steve Danish fan.

Lamberton got hooked up with his mentor John Stanley doing a thirty second wrap-up of Fonda Speedway results on John’s Sunday radio show The Auto Racing Scene. In 1979, Ed was referred to Phil Spencer who owned the WCSS radio station. Spencer was looking for a host of his auto racing show and because of his work with John Stanley, Ed was chosen to do it.

When Ed started the radio show, there were several racing shows in the area on Monday nights including Jim Hillier, Jim King, and Clem DaBiere. “I was always the last one on at 8:00 p.m. because that was the soonest that I could get to the station after milking cows,” Lamberton said. “One of the highlights of my first year doing the show was having Jack Johnson live in studio after he became the first New York State driver to win Syracuse.”

After many years at WCSS, Ed moved to WKOL for several more years and got to work with legendary broadcaster Bob Cudmore, doing weekend racing reports on his morning show as well as his own Wheel People Show. “At the time I was looking for a way to get on the internet, so I left WKOL and went with WSPD DP, a startup station run by Richie White,” Lamberton said. “After several years there, I finally got on Facebook with my own page called Wheel People with Ed Lamberton.”

Ed has had the pleasure of talking with hundreds of different racers, promoters, and race officials throughout the years and has enjoyed every minute of it. “My most memorable moment was interviewing Bobby Allison as we walked around Fonda Speedway, talking about the NASCAR races that were held there,” he said. “It was also pretty neat to interview Harry Gant at Fonda many years ago.”

A few years after Lamberton bought Dairy Frost he decided to take ice cream to the crews of the feature winners in the Modified, Sportsman, and Pro Stock divisions at the Fonda and Albany Saratoga Speedway each week. “I am probably known better in the pits as the Ice Cream man rather than Ed from the Wheel People show,” he said.”

Lamberton came up with The Wheel People name as a twist to a popular TV game show back in the 70’s. “I am honored to receive the Bruce Dostal Award, an award named after an icon of the Fonda Speedway,” he said. “I actually did a show live at Bruce’s shop years ago.”

PAUL MONTENARO
Back in 1968/1969 in the Town of Amsterdam on McQuade Road, Peter and Aurora Montenaro developed a race track for Go-Kart’s. If you go down that road today and look carefully at that location, you can still see a silhouette of the track in the field where it was located originally.

“By the time we got fencing around the track and insurance on the facility, it was 1974 before we actually raced on it,” Montenaro said. “Five races in they said that we can’t continue and although we weren’t paying any money out to race at the track we didn’t push it and that was the end of it.”

In the same year, 1974, the Montenaro’s got a call to see if they wanted to take over the Dodge City Speedway in Cobleskill and this year in 2026 they celebrate their 53rd year of operating the Go-Kart track. “We had 12 Go-Kart’s that we towed to Dodge City every week and I raced there for ten years while promoting the track,” Paul said. “It has been a long time, but we just never gave up, and I don’t think it would have stayed a Go-Kart track if we decided to leave.”

Paul wasn’t the only member of the Montenaro Family to race at the track, his brothers Jim, John, and Andrew all raced as well as his sister Marilyn. His brother Anthony still races to this day in his early 60’s. “It has been a true family affair,” Paul Montenaro said. “My father took care of the refreshments at the track; it was what he wanted to do.”

The Montenaro’s have a “Show-Kart” as they call it, a Go-Kart with all of the names of drivers who first competed in Go-Kart’s at Dodge City before moving on to stock cars at other area tracks including the Fonda Speedway.

“Ronnie Johnson gave us a trophy that his father Jack Johnson won after capturing a Track Championship at the track in 1960 or 1961,” Montenaro said. “The trophy is from the Schoharie Valley Racing Club, and we have a picture of Jack in a Go-Kart to go with it.”

They also have a circle drawn of a race track in a 2X2 frame with all of the names of the drivers that competed at Dodge City in the past that went on to climb the ladder to racing stock cars. “While I can’t name the names of all of those drivers it is titled a Trip Around the Track,” Montenaro said. “What a journey it has been through life.”

Montenaro appreciates receiving the “Stepping Stone Award” which will be presented at the 2026 Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame ceremonies on Saturday May 23 at the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum located on the Fonda Fairgrounds. “It’s an honor,” he said. “We have brought so many people up through the ranks.”

When asked how long he will continue to promote the Dodge City Speedway with his family, Paul Montenaro jokingly said another 50 years. “Each year we ask each other if this is it,” he said. “Then we start talking about things that need to be done at the track. I guess I’ll go on as long as my health allows me to.”

---

Back to News