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By: Ron Szczerba
FONDA, NY – In Nextel Cup racing they keep track of the lead changes during their events and on Saturday night at Fonda if you did the same thing you would have realized that it was one of the best modified feature events ever run at the Track of Champions.
Four different drivers swapped the lead a total of seven times at the finish line and numerous other times per lap as Bobby Varin won his second modified feature of the season and second in a row at Fonda in the Spraker #1J.
Other drivers fighting for the win during the event included Craig Hanson, Tony Pepicelli, and Dave Lape who was going for his 100th career modified feature win at Fonda.
“I was really pulling for Dave to get win number 100,” Varin said in victory lane. “He is a fierce competitor and a legend at the Fonda Speedway. The caution with five laps to go really hurt him and really benefited me.”
Other winners on Powerhouse Motorsports Night at the Track of Champions were John Scarborough (sportsman), Kenny Gates (pro stock), Jeremy Cramer (IMCA), and Rocky Warner (street stock). The exciting racing program was completed by 10:00 p.m.
Lape was the leader at the drop of the green flag from his outside pole starting position with Erik Nelson in second. Jack Johnson had an early exit from the event as he stopped at the entrance of pit road on lap two bringing out the caution. On the restart, Hanson and Jim Davis were second and third with Hanson catching Lape and pressuring him for the lead on lap two.
Using the inside groove in turn four, Hanson pulled a slide job on Lape to take over the lead on lap three but Lape came right back to retake the position on lap eight as his car was working real well on the outside. While Lape and Hanson were running side by side for the lead, Pepicelli and Jim Davis were doing the same thing only for the third position.
When Ryan Odasz came to a stop at the pit entrance on lap 10 it brought out another caution closing up the field. On the restart coming out of turn four, Hanson tried another slide job on Lape in turn four and took the lead after making contact with Lape on the front stretch with Lape making slight contact with the wall.
On lap 13, Hanson pitted with a flat right rear tire, probably caused by the contact that he made with Lape a few laps earlier. He continued on at the rear of the field. That handed the lead back to Lape who was really on his game and was running one of the best races that he has in a couple of years.
Pepicelli challenged Lape for the lead on lap 14 and took the spot on the inside of turn four but the battle was far from over as Lape got alongside Pepicelli for the lead at the halfway point with Pepicelli holding on to it for a few more laps after a side by side battle.
On lap 19, Lape used the outside groove on the back stretch to retake the lead from Pepicelli with one final caution coming out with five laps to go in the 30-lap event with Varin now in the second spot after starting 11th.
In other forms of sports they have a saying “that is the reason they play the game”. And in racing the saying is “the race isn’t over until the checkered flag waves”. With Varin now in the second spot the large crowd knew that with five laps to go the race was far from over and all were on the edge of their seats to see if Lape could take career win #100.
On the restart, Varin took the lead coming out of turn four as he found some of announcer Mike Mallett’s favorite “magic moisture” and led the rest of the way for his second consecutive win and 30th of his career at Fonda. Matt DeLorenzo, Lape, Dave Camara, and Ronnie Johnson completed the top five.
“That was one of the toughest races that I have ever won,” Varin said.
The 20-lap sportsman feature began with Vinnie Sanganetti and Ricky Quick sharing the front row with Sanganetti taking the early lead. An early yellow on lap three slowed the field when Mark Mortensen came to a stop in turn three. Under caution, David Towns also pitted and returned to the rear of the field.
Quick took over the lead on the outside of turn four on lap four while behind him John McAuliffe, Danny Varin, Dave Constantino, and Justin House were running four wide to get into the top five with House being on the outside of the other three cars as he tried to make his way to the front.
Derrick McGrew took over the second spot on lap five after starting sixth with House up to the third spot on lap six after starting 10th. On lap eight, House got too high in turn four and came in contact with the wall losing a spot in the process as he continued on. Towns was making his way back up to the front after having problems early in the event as he got by three cars on the outside of turns three and four on lap 12 putting him back in the top 10.
Scarborough started the event in the fifth spot and when the caution came out on lap 15 he was sitting in the third spot. When Towns brought out the caution again on lap 16 after he made contact with the wall in turns one and two, Scarborough had a chance to make his move on the restart.
When the green flag flew for the restart on the back stretch, Scarborough got by both McGrew and Quick for the lead in turn four and led the rest of the way for his first win of 2007 and the fourth of his career in the sportsman division at Fonda. McGrew, McAuliffe, Quick, and Varin completed the top five.
“I was working the bottom groove while everyone else was racing the outside line on the track,” Scarborough said. “The yellow fell my way and when everyone else went back to the outside on that restart it left a highway opened on the bottom for me to get by them. I am happy about the win but my program is not really together so far this year, not in championship form. We need to start doing our homework in the shop and that will start tomorrow.”
The win was also worth an extra $300 to Scarborough as a long time supporter of racing Dairy Frost in Vail Mills put up the bonus money.
One of the best races of the evening was the pro stock feature with Chip Smith in the lead at the start from his outside pole starting position. Rob Yetman and Kenny Martin Jr. continued their season long battle racing side by side for the second spot on lap six with Yetman able to hold on to the spot at that point.
Gates started the event in the fourth spot and by lap eight he was racing three wide with Martin and last weeks winner Nick Stone for the third position which Gates took at that point. On lap 10, Gates was the new second place car after getting by Yetman with Smith out to a straightaway lead at that point.
Stone and Martin took turns spinning out in turn one on lap 11 bringing out the caution twice before another lap was completed. Both drivers were driving hard into turn one trying to advance their positions and spun themselves out trying to stay off of the cars that they were trying to pass. Both were able to continue at the rear of the field.
Smith and Gates were racing side by side for the lead for many laps, Smith high wide and handsome on the outside and Gates running down as low as he could without hitting the wall on the inside of the turns. With two laps to go, the top two were a straightaway ahead of the third place running car of Roy Fifield and were going to decide the winner of the event on their own without interference from anyone else.
Coming out of turn four on the final lap, starter Denny Tilison had the checkered flag in hand while Smith and Gates were side by side for the lead and the win. At the line it was Gates who took his first win of the season and the 34th of his career in the pro stock division at Fonda. Smith, Fifield, Yetman, and Ivan Joslin completed the top five.
“I just kept telling myself easy, smooth, easy smooth,” Gates said in victory lane. “Then I said to myself it is really slick out here and I really have to peddle it. Chip (Smith) ran a great race but this is a special win for me as I have been looking forward to getting here to victory lane this year. I lost my father last November, I learned everything from him and he helped me with everything on this car. This win is for you dad.”
Aaron Jacobs started the 20-lap IMCA feature from the fourth position but got by Jeff Jones, Bob Banks Jr., and Ken VanWert for the lead at the drop of the green flag. Last weeks winner Jeremy Cramer also made a big move on lap one from his sixth place starting position as he sat in the second position when lap one was completed.
When Bill Casey stopped on the back stretch on lap seven to bring out the caution it put Cramer right on Jacob’s rear bumper and on the restart Cramer was the new leader and he led the remaining laps on his way to an easy win followed by Jacobs, Kevin Buff, Danny Ballard, and Danny Ody.
For Cramer it was his second win of the season (second in a row) and the sixth of his career in the IMCA division at Fonda. “Winning is the greatest feeling,” Cramer said in victory lane. “That is the plan for this year though, to win.”
The caution plagued street stock feature began with Dan Pollock as the early leader until lap three when Cassidy Wilson took over the point on the outside of turn four after a side by side battle with Pollock. After starting 14th, Rocky Warner made his way up to the second spot by lap four and immediately started to pressure Wilson for the lead.
Dave Horning Jr. made his way by Warner briefly on lap seven before Warner got by both Horning Jr. and Wilson to take the lead on the inside of turn two. Horning got by Wilson for the second spot on lap seven and challenged Warner for the lead as a side by side battle ensued on lap eight.
Warner was able to hold on to the lead through three more restarts on his way to the victory after a total of seven caution flags slowed the 15-lap event. For Warner it was his first win of the season and the 16th of his career in the street stock division at Fonda.
“When I was racing Cassidy (Wilson) I tried to get by him on the bottom without any success,” Warner said after the victory. “After that I learned that there was absolutely nothing on the bottom and had to move up to the top to stay ahead of everyone for the win.”
Next week at Fonda a regular show in all divisions is on the racing card which will be sponsored by Palmer’s Service Center and Clifford Hay Trucking. Starting time will be 6:00 p.m.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 25 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Craig Hanson, Matt DeLorenzo, Mike Fusco, Ryan Odasz
HEAT 2 – Jim Davis, Erik Nelson, Ray Zemken, Bobby Varin
HEAT 3 – Dave Lape, Jack Johnson, John Marsh Sr., Tony Pepicelli
POWERHOUSE MOTORSPORTS MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-LAPS – BOBBY VARIN, Matt DeLorenzo, Dave Lape, Dave Camara, Ronnie Johnson, Tony Pepicelli, Jim Davis, John Marsh Sr., Elmo Reckner, Craig Hanson, Dustin Purdy, Bobby Vedder, Brett Graham, Ed Harris, Harry Shaffer, Donnie Corellis, Mike Fusco, Alton Palmer, Butchie Irwin, Erik Nelson, Dan Hartgraves, Ed Pieniazek, Ryan Odasz, Ray Zemken, Jack Johnson
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 21 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – John Scarborough, David Towns , Jeremy Cramer, Danny Varin
HEAT 2 – Vinnie Sanganetti, Derrick McGrew, Justin House, Dave Constantino
HEAT 3 – John McAuliffe, Ricky Quick, Robert Perry, Mark Mortensen
POWERHOUSE MOTORSPORTS SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20-LAPS – JOHN SCARBOROUGH, Derrick McGrew, John McAuliffe, Ricky Quick, Danny Varin, Luke Monroe, Justin House, Tony Farone, Mark Kislowski, Jeremy Wilder, Chad Edwards, Mark Mortensen, Robert Perry, Jason Memrick, Dave Constantino, Anthony Denny, Pete Sisler, Vinnie Sanganetti, John Constantino, David Towns
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 16 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Chip Smith, Ivan Joslin, Nick Stone, Rob Yetman
HEAT 2 – Jim Burton, Kenny Gates, Roy Fifield, Kenny Martin Jr.
POWERHOUSE MOTORSPORTS PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – KENNY GATES, Chip Smith, Roy Fifield, Rob Yetman, Ivan Joslin, Kenny Martin Jr., Nick Stone, Phil Pearson, Pete Broderson, Ed Thompson, Chucky Dumblewski, Shane Henderson, John Johnson or Norman Lamphear who are both listed as drivers of the car #3D, Jason Brownell, Jim Burton, Tony Stone
IMCA QUALIFYING – 15 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Jeff Jones, Danny Ody, Bob Banks Jr., Kevin Buff
HEAT 2 – Jeremy Cramer, Danny Ballard, Ken VanWert, Aaron Jacobs
POWERHOUSE MOTORSPORTS IMCA FEATURE – 20-LAPS – JEREMY CRAMER, Aaron Jacobs, Kevin Buff, Danny Ballard, Danny Ody, Bob Banks Jr., John Rohacevich, Beau Ballard, JoJo Donato, Ken VanWert, Jeff Jones, Howard Smith, George Proctor III, Dan Clemens, Bill Casey
POWERHOUSE MOTORSPORTS STREET STOCK FEATURE – 15-LAPS – ROCKY WARNER, Dave Horning Jr., Rob VanAernam, Chuck McSpirit, Dave Bayes, Neil Cosselman, Don Warner, Dave Horning Sr., Dan Pollock, Roger Newkirk Jr., Joe Smith, Eric Sbrega, A.J. Horning, John Babcock, Chris Reckner, Cassidy Wilson, Jeff Crosier, Duke McSpirit, Luke Horning, Randy Moore, Jack Hamm, Cliff Haslun, Dave Cook
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