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By: Ron Szczerba
FONDA, NY – So far the 2007 season has been one to remember for Matt DeLorenzo who has gone to victory lane a total of four times at the Fonda Speedway. Last Saturday DeLorenzo scored his third win in a row with another commanding performance at the Track of Champions.
“This is pretty cool,” DeLorenzo said in victory lane. “Early on I didn’t think I had anything for anyone. Dave (Camara) was running real well along with Bobby (Varin) and I was just trying different lanes to find something that worked.”
Other winners on Morris Ford Mercury/JRP Construction Night were John McAuliffe (sportsman), Nick Stone (pro stock), Danny Ballard (IMCA), Rocky Warner and Dave Horning Jr. (street stock), Rob Yetman (Bev Caputo Memorial Dash for Cash), and Phil Claussen (Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club).
It took two tries to get the 30-lap modified feature underway when Dustin Purdy and Butchie Irwin came together when the initial green flag flew resulting in Purdy coming to a stop in turn two and bringing out the caution before any laps were completed. On the original restart, Mike Fusco got the lead with Ray Zemken second and Camara third.
Just outside the top 10 on lap four, Varin and DeLorenzo were battling side by side while Camara was advancing his way to the front, getting by Zemken for the second position. On lap seven, Fusco held a straightaway lead with the yellow flag coming out and erasing the big advantage shortly afterwards when Alton Palmer slowed in turn two.
On the restart the starter felt that Fusco had jumped the start so the caution flew again with a multi car crash resulting in turn four with one car ending up on its side. No injuries were reported in the accident.
Fusco was warned about jumping the restart and when the green flag flew again something happened to Fusco’s car as he slowed at the pit entrance in turn three and drove directly into the pit area handing the lead over to Camara.
Varin got by Donnie Corellis on lap 10 for the third position while back further in the pack Ronnie Johnson and DeLorenzo were coming to the front together after starting ninth and 12th respectively. Varin was the new second place car on lap 12 after getting by Zemken while DeLorenzo worked his way around both Johnson and Corellis into the fourth position.
DeLorenzo got by Zemken for the third position on lap 13 while Camara was cruising out to a straightaway lead. DeLorenzo made his way by Varin for the second spot on lap 19 and started reeling in the leader. With five laps to go DeLorenzo was right on Camara’s rear bumper and got the lead for good on the inside of turn four.
When the checkered flag waved it was DeLorenzo by a straightaway over Camara, Varin, Ronnie Johnson, Zemken, Jack Johnson, Dave Lape, Ryan Odasz, Corellis, and Tony Pepicelli. For Corellis it was his second top 10 finish in a row in his first season at Fonda.
“I found something on the bottom of turn two and that is where I was able to do a lot of passing,” DeLorenzo said. “It is also great to have Kevin Gleason (president of BBL Companies who is DeLorenzo’s sponsor) here with us tonight.”
Jim Meka led at the start of the sportsman feature from the pole with Dave Constantino in second by the time lap one was completed. On lap three, Constantino was the new leader with his teammate Derrick McGrew second and Mark Mortensen third.
Danny Varin moved from eighth to fourth in one great move on the backstretch on lap two but one lap later he came to a stop in turn two bringing out the caution. He was able to pit and return to the race at the rear of the field. After falling back to the eighth spot in the field, Mortensen made a quick move around four cars to get back up into the fourth position on the restart with McAuliffe now in the fifth position after starting 11th.
The yellow flag was out again on lap 10 when Tony Farone made hard contact with the wall on the inside of the frontstretch and suffered major damage to his racecar. Farone was not injured in the single car crash. McGrew was the new leader of the event on the restart after getting by Constantino on the outside in turn three with last weeks winner David Towns now third after starting ninth.
McGrew got hooked to the rear bumper of a lap car on lap 14 but when the yellow flag came out for Vinnie Sanganetti it saved McGrew as he was able to get his car unhooked and was able to maintain his position at the front of the field. On the restart, McAuliffe took over the third position after getting by both Mortensen and Towns with Constantino just ahead.
The final yellow of the event came out on lap 15 when defending track champion John Scarborough’s car went up in smoke coming out of turn four. Just after the yellow came out, Constantino also went up in smoke heading into turn one, ending his fine run and handing the second spot over to Towns. Towns led briefly on the restart but McGrew was able to get back by him on the outside of turn three to retain the lead before another lap was completed.
With two laps to go in the event, McAuliffe got by Towns for the second spot and when the white flag came out he began pressuring McGrew for the win. With McGrew running the high side of the speedway it opened up the bottom groove for McAuliffe which he used to get under McGrew coming out of turn four to take the win by a mere 0.029 sec.
For McAuliffe it was his second win of the season and the 30th of his career in the sportsman division at Fonda. McGrew, Towns, Mortensen, and Mark Kislowski completed the top five.
“I didn’t think that I had a top five car tonight,” McAuliffe said in victory lane. “I got some damage done to the front end of the car in the earlier wrecks so I dialed in all of the front brake that I could in the car and hoped for the best. I have to thank my crew for this win as we blew the motor in the car last week and they worked all week to get another motor in the car.”
Ivan Joslin led lap one of the pro stock feature with Rob Yetman second and last weeks winner Nick Stone third. On lap two, Yetman was the new leader with Stone also getting by Joslin for the second spot. Chip Smith and Kenny Martin Jr. were battling for the third spot on lap seven while Yetman and Stone were side by side for the lead which Stone eventually got after a pass on the outside of the backstretch.
Martin took over the second spot from Yetman on lap eight while Stone was already out to a straightaway lead. From that point on in the event, Stone maintained the huge lead that he had built up while there was some great racing going on behind him for the second through sixth positions between Martin, Yetman, Smith, Kenny Gates, and Roy Fifield.
Those five drivers battled right to the checkered flag with Stone taking the back to back win, his third win of the season and the 18th of his career at Fonda in the pro stock division. Martin, Gates, Smith, and Yetman completed the top five.
“I was a little surprised because I got out front pretty quick,” Stone said. “As soon as I got to the outside I knew that I would be okay because there was nobody else running up there.”
Beau Ballard and Bob Banks Jr. swapped the lead twice on lap one of the IMCA feature with Ballard leading when the lap counter clicked off the first lap. Kevin Buff made a spectacular move from fifth to second on lap two with Danny Ody third after starting sixth.
Jeremy Cramer and Danny Ballard made a sandwich out of Banks on lap five to get into the top five with Danny Ballard getting by Ody for the third position one lap later. When Beau Ballard suffered a flat left rear tire on lap seven it brought out the caution flag and handed the lead over to Buff. Beau Ballard pitted to change the tire and rejoined the field at the rear.
Danny Ballard was the new leader of the event on lap eight with Buff and Cramer in the top three. Buff and Cramer raced side by side for the second spot on lap 13 with Buff able to keep the position while Ody snuck by Cramer for the third position. Danny Ballard was pulling away from the rest of the field until lap 18 when the caution was out again for a three car crash in turn three.
Under the caution Ody was forced from the event with a broken front end and on the restart it was Danny Ballard all the way as he went on to the back to back win for his second win of the season and the 18th of his career in the IMCA division at Fonda. Cramer, Buff, Aaron Jacobs, and Banks completed the top five.
“There are a lot of good cars running here this year and the competition is tough,” Ballard said in victory lane. “Really I was worried more about my son and what happened to him during the race. On that last restart I didn’t know who it was behind me but I knew that I had to go when the green flag came out.”
The street stock “A” feature began with Dave Cook leading at the drop of the green flag. By the time lap one was completed, Chris Reckner was the leader with Dave Horning Sr. in the second spot on lap two after starting fifth. On the inside of the backstretch on lap three, Horning was the new leader with Rocky Warner now second and John Babcock third.
On the outside of turn two on lap eight, Warner took over the lead on the outside of turn two and never looked back as he went on to his third win of the season and the 18th of his career at Fonda. Babcock, Horning Sr., Jeff Crosier, and Rob VanAernam completed the top five. Crosier was disqualified in post race tech moving VanAernam up to fourth with Dan Pollock finishing fifth.
Duke McSpirit led lap one of the street stock “B” feature before problems put him off of the track on lap two with Neil Cosselman the new leader. McSpirit was able to pit and return at the rear of the field. The yellow came out on lap two when Roger Newkirk Jr. got turned around by another car on the frontstretch. Newkirk was also able to pit and rejoin the field with Dave Bayes and Dave Horning Jr. also pitting under yellow and returning to the rear after damage in the wreck.
By lap four, Horning Jr. had made his way back up to the second position with Reuben Kennedy Jr. in third after starting seventh. On lap five, Horning Jr. was the new leader with Kennedy also getting by Cosselman for the second spot. Kennedy led lap 10 at the line but going into turn two Horning retook the position and went on to the win followed by Kennedy, Brian Cosselman, Joe Smith, Newkirk completed the top five.
Rob Yetman was the winner of the 9th Annual Bev Caputo Memorial Dash for Cash followed by Rocky Warner, Chucky Dumblewski, and Shane Henderson.
Phil Claussen was the winner of the Midstate Vintage Stock Car Club feature event followed by Frank Blanchard in a look alike Lou Lazzaro #4 car.
Next week at Fonda a regular show in all divisions is on the racing card along with the 4-cylinders. Fonda Speedway announcer Mike Mallett will also play his own version of musical tires when he picks 12 children from the grandstands who will have a chance at winning autographed tires from the drivers in the pit area. Starting time will be 6:00 p.m.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 27 total cars – 6 qualify – 4 handicapped
HEAT 1 – Ray Zemken, John Marsh, Ronnie Johnson, Elmo Reckner, Ryan Odasz, Tony Pepicelli
HEAT 2 – Dave Camara, Bobby Varin, Jack Johnson, Jim Davis, Paul Cirincione, Harry Shaffer
HEAT 3 – Mike Fusco, Donnie Corellis, Matt DeLorenzo, Erik Nelson, Dave Lape, Craig Hanson
MORRIS FORD MERCURY/JRP CONSTRUCTION MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-LAPS – MATT DELORENZO, Dave Camara, Bobby Varin, Ronnie Johnson, Ray Zemken, Jack Johnson, Dave Lape, Ryan Odasz, Donnie Corellis, Tony Pepicelli, Jim Davis, Dustin Purdy, Paul Cirincione, Alton Palmer, Brett Graham, Harry Shaffer, Dan Hartgraves, Craig Hanson, Mike Fusco, Erik Nelson, Elmo Reckner, John Marsh, Steve Akers, Bobby Vedder, Ed Pieniazek, Butchie Irwin
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 22 total cars – 6 qualify
HEAT 1 – Jim Meka, Mark Mortensen, Dave Constantino, Danny Varin, David Towns, John McAuliffe
HEAT 2 – Jeremy Wilder, John Scarborough, Jason Memrick, Vinnie Sanganetti, Tony Farone, Derrick McGrew
MORRIS FORD MERCURY/JRP CONSTRUCTION SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20-LAPS – JOHN MCAULIFFE, Derrick McGrew, David Towns, Mark Mortensen, Mark Kislowski, Robert Perry, Jason Memrick, Luke Monroe, Joe Williams, Ricky Quick, Chad Edwards, Jim Meka, Vinnie Sanganetti, Danny Varin, Bill Wilder, John Constantino, Steve Richardson, Antony Denny, Dave Constantino, John Scarborough, Jeremy Wilder, Tony Farone
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 16 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Kenny Martin Jr., Kenny Gates, Ivan Joslin, Chip Smith
HEAT 2 – Nick Stone, Phil Pearson, Rob Yetman, Roy Fifield
MORRIS FORD MERCURY/JRP CONSTRUCTION PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – NICK STONE, Kenny Martin Jr., Kenny Gates, Chip Smith, Rob Yetman, Roy Fifield, Chucky Dumblewski, Phil Pearson, Ivan Joslin, Rod Slater, Jason Brownell, Shane Henderson, Tony Stone, Rocky Warner, Bill Dona
IMCA QUALIFYING – 13 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Danny Ballard, Bob Banks Jr., Danny Ody, Aaron Jacobs, JoJo Donato
HEAT 2 – Kevin Buff, Jeremy Cramer, Dan Clemens, Beau Ballard, Jay Fitzgerald
MORRIS FORD MERCURY/JRP CONSTRUCTION IMCA FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DANNY BALLARD, Jeremy Cramer, Kevin Buff, Aaron Jacobs, Bob Banks Jr., JoJo Donato, Beau Ballard, Bill Casey, Dan Clemens, Howard Smith, Danny Ody, Jay Fitzgerald, George Proctor III
MORRIS FORD MERCURY/JRP CONSTRUCTION STREET STOCK “A” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – ROCKY WARNER, John Babcock, Dave Horning Sr., Rob VanAernam, Dan Pollock, Eric Sbrega, Cody Bleau, Dave Cook, Chris Reckner, Cassidy Wilson, George Green, Steve Cosselman, Jeff Crosier
MORRIS FORD MERCURY/JRP CONSTRUCTION STREET STOCK “B” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – DAVE HORNING JR., Reuben Kennedy, Brian Cosselman, Joe Smith, Roger Newkirk Jr., Duke McSpirit, Neil Cosselman, Chris Fifield, Luke Horning, Chuck McSpirit, Pete Jeske, Dave Bayes, Justin Knight
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