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By: Ron Szczerba
FONDA, NY Last week Matt DeLorenzo had a possible win taken away from him when he suffered a flat left front tire with only three laps to go relegating him to a third place finish.
DeLorenzo came back to Fonda this week and after a spirited battle with Dave Camara got the win in the BBL Companies sponsored #3D. For DeLorenzo it was his fifth career modified feature win at Fonda.
The track was good in the heat races but it tore up pretty bad in the feature, DeLorenzo said. Dave (Camara) was fast and I didnt know if I would be able to get him or not.
After breaking a birdcage on the car in his heat race, DeLorenzo got some help from a fellow driver who let him have the parts that he needed.
I have to thank John McAuliffe for letting me have the parts that I needed to fix my car for the feature tonight, he said.
Other winners on Saturday night at Fonda included David Towns (sportsman), Roy Fifield (pro stock), Danny Ody (IMCA), Dave Horning Sr. (street stock), and Justin Barger (360 Sprint).
For both the modified and IMCA divisions it was the opening night of points towards the 2007 track championships.
Just before the National Anthem was played, the Track of Champions observed a moment of silence in honor of the tragedy that happened at the Virginia Tech University this past week. Defending modified track champion Bobby Varin gave the command to start your engines to get the modified feature started.
Camara was the leader at the drop of the green flag to start the 30-lap event with DeLorenzo taking the lead by the time lap one was completed. On lap two, Camara retook the lead on the outside of turn four.
The yellow was out on lap six for Steve Akers who spun in turn two and again on the restart for Craig Hanson who spun on the backstretch. Camara was able to hold the lead through the two restarts with Ronnie Johnson third by lap seven.
Jim Davis and Johnson were having a great battle for the third spot, swapping the position back and forth many times before Johnson took over the spot for good on lap 13.
A crash in turn four on lap 14 involving Ryan Odasz, Tony Pepicelli, and Ray Zemken brought out another caution flag with Odasz flipping his car in the wreck. Fortunately he was not injured.
During the caution period Camara went pit side with overheating problems handing the lead back to DeLorenzo with Johnson second and Bobby Varin third. One more yellow slowed the field on lap 18 with Pat Ward getting by four cars on the restart into the third spot after starting 22nd.
DeLorenzo spread his advantage over Johnson to a straightaway by lap 25 and was able to keep that advantage to the checkered flag winning the event over Johnson, Ward, defending champion Bobby Varin, and Alan Johnson.
I need to thank my brother Mike who really has everything together this year along with my family and sponsors, DeLorenzo said.
The sportsman feature was the final race of the evening after the track maintenance crew took care of some rough spots in turns one and two with the race being totally dominated by David Towns who led all 20 laps on his way to the 17th sportsman feature win of his career at Fonda.
After some tough luck last week on opening day, Towns won his heat race and started the feature from the pole position. At the drop of the green he immediately took the lead followed by Derrick McGrew who was second on lap two after starting fourth.
McGrews good run came to an end on lap six when he stopped on the backstretch bringing out the first caution of the event and taking away the half track lead that Towns had built up.
On the restart, last weeks winner John McAuliffe took the second spot away from Danny Varin with the final yellow of the event coming out on lap 14 for Robert Perry who flipped his car in turn one in a single car wreck. He was not injured.
Towns pulled away on the restart with the best race on the track being the race for third between Varin and Jeremy Wilder. Varin and Wilder swapped the position many times each lap before Wilder took over the spot for good with two laps to go.
At the finish line under the checkered flag the win went to Towns followed by McAuliffe, Wilder, defending track champion John Scarborough, and Varin.
Last week wasnt good for us as we blew the motor in the car, Towns said. A lot of people stepped up this week including Dan Bedell who let us put the new motor on his dyno this morning, Gary Waters, and Tim Groski among others to get us back on the track today.
Ed Thompson led the pro stock feature at the drop of the green flag with Nick Stone taking over the lead on lap two on the outside in turn three. Another car on the move was Roy Fifield who was in the second position on lap four after starting sixth.
Fifield quickly caught Stone and the two were waging a great battle for the top spot for many laps with Fifield ducking down low in the turns and Stone staying up in his usual high groove to hang on to the lead.
Stone and Fifield were side by side at the line on lap eight but Stone kept up the momentum on the outside of the speedway again to hold on to the lead. Fifield made a move under Stone on lap 13 in turn two to take over the lead with the top four cars of Fifield, Stone, Kenny Gates, and Kenny Martin Jr. all together at that point for the top spot.
Martin suffered a flat right rear tire on lap 16 bringing out the final caution of the event keeping him from a possible second win in a row after winning on opening day a week ago. Fifield held on the rest of the way for his second career pro stock feature win at Fonda over Gates, Stone, Rob Yetman, and Thompson.
Stone had the outside groove working for him and kept his momentum up every lap as we battled for the lead, Fifield said. I have to thank Danny Camara for helping me get this car fixed after last week.
With the feature win Fifield also collected a $200 bonus put up by legendary photographer John Grady.
Jeremy Cramer led the IMCA feature at the start with Kevin Buff second and Danny Ody third after starting eighth. Ody took over the second spot from Buff on lap four and two laps later Ody took over the lead on the outside of turn two.
The only caution of the event came out on lap nine for Jim Cramer who came to a stop on the backstretch. Under caution, Jeremy Cramer came to a stop in turn one and was also out of the event at that point.
Ody stretched out his advantage after the restart and went on to win the event by a straightaway over defending track champion Danny Ballard, Buff, Jeff Jones, and Aaron Jacobs. For Ody it was his seventh career IMCA feature win at Fonda.
We are focused on the title this year, Ody said in victory lane. We are very serious about it as we have a new car, new motor, and a new sponsor in Spray Nine.
It took three tries to get the caution plagued street stock feature underway with Luke Horning in the lead and Dave Horning Jr. in the second spot when the caution came out on lap three. On the restart, Horning Jr. was the new leader with his father Dave Horning Sr. in the second spot on lap six after starting 15th.
Horning Jr. lost the handle on his car in turn four on lap 11 allowing his father to get by for the lead. Horning Jr. actually came in contact with the front stretch wall but was able to continue on in the second position.
Horning Sr. went on to the 13th street stock feature win of his career at Fonda over Horning Jr., Jeff Crosier, Neil Cosselman, and Rob VanAernam.
Duke McSpirit actually finished the event in the fourth position but was penalized after he jumped four cars on one of the restarts and was put back two positions for each of those cars putting him back to the 12th spot.
Were starting out the season pretty good, defending champion Horning Sr. said in victory lane. I have to say Im sorry to Duke McSpirit as I got squeezed up into him at one point in the feature event.
The 20-lap 360 Sprint Open began with Jeff VanDusen in the early lead followed by Rick Wilson. On lap six, Wilson took over the lead on a restart with VanDusen and Justin Barger battling side by side for the second spot on lap nine.
Barger took over the second spot on lap 12 with the final caution of the event coming out on lap 13 for Warren Alexson and Bobby Breen who crashed on the back stretch while both were running in the top five.
Wilson was pressured by Barger over the remaining laps and just after the white flag flew Wilson lost the front end of his car in turn two allowing Barger to get by for the lead and the win, the first of his career at Fonda. Wilson, Alain Bergeron, VanDusen, and Nick Fratto completed the top five.
We just came here to have fun today, Barger said. It was a good way to test and tune the car though. He (VanDusen) was getting away from me but I think a lap car blocked him a little bit and I was able to stick it under him for the lead in turn two.
Next week at Fonda a regular show in all divisions is on the racing card along with four cylinders. Starting time will be 6:00 p.m.
I want to make a correction to a mistake that I made in last weeks press release involving street stock driver Duke McSpirit. In the quick results that I sent out I had Luke Horning in the car and also there was a spelling error when the correction was made as I had Dukes last name down as misprint in the release.
For McSpirit the second place finish last week was his best ever at the Fonda Speedway in his 26 years of competition. McSpirit looks to make Fonda his home track for this year and also looks to travel a little bit to some different race tracks. I apologize to Duke and his race team for my mistakes last week.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING 24 total cars heads up start for the feature
HEAT 1 Matt DeLorenzo, Ray Zemken, Elmo Reckner, Tony Pepicelli, Jack Johnson, Dave Lape, Steve Akers, Bobby Vedder
HEAT 2 Dave Camara, Willy Decker, Bobby Varin, Alan Johnson, Erik Nelson, Ryan Odasz, Floyd Billington, Pat Ward
HEAT 3 Ronnie Johnson, Jim Davis, Craig Hanson, John Marsh Sr., Alton Palmer, Donnie Corellis, Dustin Purdy
MODIFIED FEATURE 30-LAPS MATT DELORENZO, Ronnie Johnson, Pat Ward, Bobby Varin, Alan Johnson, Jim Davis, Alton Palmer, Jack Johnson, Floyd Billington, Tony Pepicelli, Willy Decker, Donnie Corellis, Erik Nelson, Dustin Purdy, Elmo Reckner, Craig Hanson, Ray Zemken, Dave Lape, Dan Hartgraves, Bobby Vedder, Dave Camara, Ryan Odasz, Steve Akers, John Marsh Sr.
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING 24 total cars 4 qualify
HEAT 1 David Towns , John McAuliffe, Tony Farone, Danny Varin
HEAT 2 Jeremy Wilder, Mark Kislowski, Alan Barker, Anthony Denny
HEAT 3 John Scarborough, Derrick McGrew, Luke Monroe, Dave Constantino
SPORTSMAN FEATURE 20-LAPS DAVID TOWNS, John McAuliffe, Jeremy Wilder, John Scarborough, Danny Varin, Tony Farone, Alan Barker, Justin House, Dave Constantino, Mark Mortensen, Mark Kislowski, Ricky Quick, Jason Memrick, Vinnie Sanganetti, John Constantino, Luke Monroe, Jim Meka, Robert Perry, Pete Sisler, Chad Edwards, Anthony Denny, Derrick McGrew, Casey Williams
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING 15 total cars 4 qualify
HEAT 1 Nick Stone, Kenny Martin Jr., Roy Fifield, Ed Thompson
HEAT 2 Kenny Gates, Rob Yetman, Phil Pearson, Dean Charbonneau
PRO STOCK FEATURE 20-LAPS ROY FIFIELD, Kenny Gates, Nick Stone, Rob Yetman, Ed Thompson, Jason Brownell, Phil Pearson, Chip Smith, Kenny Martin Jr., Dean Charbonneau, Tony Stone, Norman Lamphear, Ivan Joslin
IMCA QUALIFYING 15 total cars
HEAT 1 Kevin Buff, Danny Ody, Beau Ballard, JoJo Donato, Bob Banks Jr., Carol Parker, Jeff Jones
HEAT 2 Jeremy Cramer, Jim Cramer, Danny Ballard, Bill Casey, Aaron Jacobs, John Rohacevich, Dan Clemens, Howard Smith
IMCA FEATURE 20-LAPS DANNY ODY, Danny Ballard, Kevin Buff, Jeff Jones, Aaron Jacobs, Beau Ballard, John Rohacevich, JoJo Donato, Carol Parker, Howard Smith, Jeremy Cramer, Dan Clemons, Bill Casey, Jim Cramer
STREET STOCK FEATURE 15-LAPS DAVE HORNING SR., Dave Horning Jr., Jeff Crosier, Neil Cosselman, Rob VanAernam, Don Warner, Eric Sbrega, Dave Cook, Chuck McSpirit, Reuben Kennedy, Rocky Warner, Duke McSpirit, Joe Smith, Cody Bleu, Roger Newkirk Jr., Chris Reckner, Cassidy Wilson, Scott Wells, Warren Pollock, Luke Horning, Dan Pollock, Lee Horning, Randy Moore
360 SPRINT CAR QUALIFYING 27 total cars top three redraw
HEAT 1 Justin Barger, Rick Wilson, Warren Alexson
HEAT 2 Jessica Zemken, Bobby Breen, Jeff VanDusen
HEAT 3 Steve Poirier, Alain Bergeron, Anthony Cain
360 SPRINT CAR FEATURE 20-LAPS JUSTIN BARGER, Rick Wilson, Alain Bergeron, Jeff VanDusen, Nick Fratto, John Smith, John Karklin, Donny Sharp, Jami Russell, Cory Sparks, Warren Alexson, Bobby Breen, Blake Breen, Kevin Glasser, Steve Poirier, Russ Bennett, Michael Parent, Si Allen, Ric Hart, Jessica Zemken, Anthony Cain, Doug Emery, Butchie Irwin, April Wilson
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