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FONDA, NY – Last Saturday evening at the Fonda Speedway, Craig Hanson made a command performance in the modified feature as he went on to his second career win at the Track of Champions. The win came in a brand new Teo car that he started out the 2007 season with; with his last win t Fonda coming almost two years ago on July 30, 2005.
“It feels real good to be here,” Hanson said in victory lane. “I knew that the car was going good but you never know who is behind you or how close they are to you. We had a backup motor in the car tonight and it ran great”
Other winners on Valley Rec Polaris, Reality Check, and the United States Air Force Night were Dave Constantino (sportsman), Chip Smith (pro stock), Jim Cramer (IMCA), Rocky Warner and Dave Horning Sr. (street stock). For Cramer and Constantino it was their first career victories at the Track of Champions.
During intermission, Fonda Speedway announcer Mike Mallett played a little game of “Musical Tires” with 10 children from the grandstand. The game was Mike’s idea of “Musical Chairs”; only instead of chairs, racecar tires were used. The game was played on victory lane and the children were all winners as each of them got not only a Fonda Speedway t-shirt but along with that they also got one of the used racecar tires which were all autographed by the different drivers who donated them.
After finishing third in the second qualifying heat, Hanson started the event from the outside of the third row with John Marsh taking the lead at the drop of the green flag. Marsh and Erik Nelson were side by side at the line to complete lap one and on the inside of the backstretch on lap two Nelson took over the lead.
When the yellow flag came out on lap two for Donnie Corellis who got out of shape in turn four and suffered damage to the left rear of his car, Hanson was already in the third position. On the restart, Hanson swung around the outside of Nelson in turn three to take the lead while Dave Camara, defending track champion and last weeks winner Bobby Varin, Dave Lape, and Jim Davis were racing four wide in turns three and four.
When Mike Fusco spun in turn one it brought out the caution flag again before any more laps were completed. Ryan Odasz and Camara both got by Marsh for the third and fourth positions once the race was restarted and on lap five Odasz was the new second place car after getting by Nelson.
Varin was also on the move at that point in the event as he got by both Davis and Marsh for the fifth position on lap seven as Hanson was cruising out to a straightaway advantage. After starting the event in the 26th position in a backup car after crashing his primary car in his heat race, Matt DeLorenzo moved into the top 10 on lap 10 just as Camara got by Odasz for the second position.
Varin also got by Odasz for the third position at that point and with Hanson out to a half track lead the race was for second between Camara and Varin. On lap 22, Varin got by Camara in turn three but coming out of turn four before the lap was completed Camara fought back to retake the position.
Varin eventually got by Camara for the second position but without any more cautions during the event Hanson went on to an easy win over Varin, Camara, Odasz, and Davis.
“I just tried to stay smooth during the race and to be careful getting around the laps cars who didn’t want to move over,” Hanson said.
It took three tries to get the sportsman feature underway with Vinnie Sanganetti the leader at the completion of lap one. Dave Constantino fell back early from his third place starting position but by lap two he was back up front in the second spot after getting by two cars with a quick move in turn three with Danny Varin now in the third position.
On lap five the third of five caution flags flew when Pete Sisler slowed on the frontstretch. On the restart the yellow was out again as David Towns spun on the frontstretch after contact in the rear from another car which in turn collected the cars of Anthony Denny and Mark Kislowski who hit the turn one wall hard. Both drivers were okay but were done for the evening.
There were only 14 cars left on the track at that point after 22 started the event with Joe Williams going from 10th to fifth on the restart as Constantino pulled away to a straightaway lead by lap eight. One final yellow came out on lap 10 when John Constantino and Bill Wilder were involved in a crash in turn two. Point leader John McAuliffe also came to a stop on the infield on the backstretch and was done evening at that point.
The race went caution free from that point on with Dave Constantino pulling away to a comfortable lead while Derrick McGrew was making his way to the front. McGrew got by Luke Monroe for the third position on lap 11 and two laps later was in the second position after getting by Varin. At that point Dave Constantino was out to a straightaway lead which McGrew was never able to close the gap on before the checkered flag flew.
For Dave Constantino it was his first career sportsman feature win at Fonda with his teammate and car owner McGrew in second followed by Varin, Williams, and David Towns . Dave Constantino had a scare in post race inspection however as he just barely made weight before coming to victory lane.
“I waited to get across the scales and it was close,” he said. “I have been waiting a long time for this. This is a new motor in this car after blowing the other one two weeks ago.”
Constantino also thought of and thanked a great friend in victory lane.
“I know that Maynard (Forrette) is looking down on me and I have to thank him along with Marilyn (Buanno), my parents, and Derrick (McGrew) my car owner.”
Ivan Joslin led the pro stock feature at the drop of the green flag from his pole position start while Roy Fifield, Smith, and Phil Pearson were racing three wide for the second position. Smith took the second spot at the completion of lap one with the leader just a short distance ahead.
On lap two in turn four, Smith made a move on the inside of Joslin and made contact with the leader but both were able to straighten their cars and continue with Smith the new leader as lap two was completed. Fifield took over the second spot on lap three after getting by Joslin with Kenny Martin Jr. following him through for the third spot.
Martin continued his march to the front as he took over the second position from Fifield one lap later but that was as high as he would get as he fell back in the field from that point on. On lap seven Nick Stone went between Kenny Gates and Joslin for the fourth position on lap six just as Fifield was getting by Martin for the second spot.
At the halfway point in the event Smith held a half straightaway lead while Fifield and Stone were racing hard for the second position. With two laps to go Fifield and Stone were on Smith’s rear bumper with the lap car of Shane Henderson right in the middle of the race track with one lap remaining.
Smith got by Henderson safely and took the win, the second of his career at Fonda and the first of the season over Stone who snuck by Fifield for the second position on the final lap, Fifield, Gates, and Martin.
“We have been working really hard for this win all season long,” Smith said in victory lane. “There is a lot of tough competition here at Fonda and I knew that the top of the track was good and that I had to get up there as soon as possible.”
One week ago a possible first career win for Jim Cramer was taken away by a lap car but this week it was a different story for the Voorheesville, NY resident. After winning the second IMCA heat race Cramer started on the front row and took the lead at the drop of the green with Bob Banks Jr. in the second spot.
Aaron Jacobs started the event in the sixth position and by the completion of lap one he was already up to third. One lap later Jacobs got by Banks for the second position while Jim Cramer’s brother Jeremy moved up to the third position after starting seventh. Jim Cramer and Jacobs were a straightaway ahead of Jeremy Cramer at the halfway point of the 20-lap event and with no caution flags during the event it made for a two car race for the win.
On the final lap there were lap cars in front of the leader but unlike last week Jim Cramer got by them safely for his first career win over Jacobs, last weeks winner and Jim’s brother Jeremy Cramer, Kevin Buff, and Danny Ody. After the checkered flag flew, Jim Cramer and a lap car got together putting Cramer into the turn one wall but he was still able to drive the car to victory lane.
“I really don’t like lap cars,” Jim Cramer said in victory lane. “But the car can be fixed, I can fix anything. I have to thank my father, my uncle, my brother, and my girlfriend for all of this.”
The street stock “a” feature began with Luke Horning as the early leader after a one lap side by side battle with Chris Reckner. Rocky Warner started the event in the 11th position and by lap four he was already up to the second position. On the outside of the backstretch on lap five, Warner was the new leader and by lap eight he was out to a straightaway lead.
Last weeks feature winner Duke McSpirit and Dave Horning Jr. were racing just inside the top five on lap nine as they both got by Chris Fifield for the third and fourth positions. The race between McSpirit and Horning was the one to watch from that point on as Warner cruised out to a big lead.
The caution flag was out with one lap to go giving McSpirit and Horning one last shot at the leader but Warner was just too strong as he went on to his 20th career win at Fonda and his fifth of the season over Horning, McSpirit, Fifield, and Neil Cosselman.
“The track was slick tonight and even though it looked like an easy win it really wasn’t,” Warner said in victory lane.
Chuck McSpirit led at the drop of the green in the street stock “b” feature with Joe Smith in the second position. Dave Horning Sr. was the new second place car on lap two after starting eighth with the one and only caution of the event coming out on lap four when John Babcock came to a stop on the backstretch.
On the restart, Horning was the new leader with Cassidy Wilson in the second spot after also getting by McSpirit. Wilson stayed with Horning over the remaining laps but could never get by turning the focus of the race to the battle for the third position between Jeff Crosier and Reuben Kennedy who raced side by side for the spot for many laps. At the drop of the checkered flag, Horning took his 15th career feature win and his third of the season over Wilson , Crosier, Kennedy, and McSpirit.
“It is nice to be back here in victory lane,” Horning said. “We have been having some trouble with the car and some bad luck too but hopefully we can turn it around after this win.”
Next week at Fonda a regular show in all divisions is on the racing card along with a giant fireworks display. Staring time will be 6:00 p.m.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 28 total cars – 6 qualify – 4 handicapped
HEAT 1 – Ryan Odasz, Dave Lape, Ray Zemken, Dave Camara, Jim Davis, Josh Pieniazek
HEAT 2 – Bobby Varin, Butchie Irwin, Craig Hanson, Erik Nelson, Elmo Reckner, Alton Palmer
HEAT 3 – John Marsh, Jack Johnson, Donnie Corellis, Steve Akers, Harry Shaffer, Paul Cirincione
VALLEY REC POLARIS/REALITY CHECK/UNITED STATES AIR FORCE MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-LAPS – CRAIG HANSON, Bobby Varin, Dave Camara, Ryan Odasz, Jim Davis, Matt DeLorenzo, Jack Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Erik Nelson, Josh Pieniazek, Alton Palmer, Ray Zemken, John Marsh, Mike Fusco, Steve Akers, Tony Pepicelli, Butchie Irwin, Harry Shaffer, Paul Cirincione, Elmo Reckner, Brett Graham, Ed Harris, Stewart Friesen, Dave Lape, Donnie Corellis
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 22 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Jeremy Wilder, Dave Constantino, Ricky Quick, Danny Varin
HEAT 2 – John McAuliffe, Vinnie Sanganetti, Luke Monroe, Robert Perry
HEAT 3 – David Towns , Joe Williams, Derrick McGrew , Chad Edwards
VALLEY REC POLARIS/REALITY CHECK/UNITED STATES AIR FORCE SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DAVE CONSTANTINO, Derrick McGrew, Danny Varin, Joe Williams, David Towns, Luke Monroe, Jeremy Wilder, Robert Perry, Chad Edwards, Vinnie Sanganetti, John Constantino, Tony Farone, Bill Wilder, Mark Mortensen, John McAuliffe, Ricky Quick, Mark Kislowski, Anthony Denny, Pete Sisler, Jason Memrick, Jim Meka, Wayne Gage
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 15 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Nick Stone, Roy Fifield, Kenny Gates, Ivan Joslin
HEAT 2 – Chip Smith, Kenny Martin Jr., Rob Yetman, Phil Pearson
VALLEY REC POLARIS/REALITY CHECK/UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – CHIP SMITH, Nick Stone, Roy Fifield, Kenny Gates, Kenny Martin Jr., Rob Yetman, Ivan Joslin, Jim Burton, Chucky Dumblewski, Phil Pearson, Dean Charbonneau, Jason Brownell, Shane Henderson, Tony Stone
IMCA QUALIFYING – 12 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Aaron Jacobs, George Proctor III, Bob Banks Jr., Jeremy Cramer, Beau Ballard
HEAT 2 – Jim Cramer, Kevin Buff, Danny Ballard, JoJo Donato, Danny Ody
VALLEY REC POLARIS/REALITY CHECK/UNITED STATES AIR FORCE IMCA FEATURE – 20-LAPS – JIM CRAMER, Aaron Jacobs, Jeremy Cramer, Kevin Buff, Danny Ody, Bob Banks Jr., Danny Ballard, George Proctor III, Beau Ballard, JoJo Donato, Bill Casey, Howard Smith
VALLEY REC POLARIS/REALITY CHECK/UNITED STATES AIR FORCE STREET STOCK “A” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – ROCKY WARNER, Dave Horning Jr., Duke McSpirit, Chris Fifield, Neil Cosselman, Cody Bleau, Luke Horning, Chris Reckner, Dan Pollock, Darren Wells
VALLEY REC POLARIS/REALITY CHECK/UNITED STATES AIR FORCE STREET STOCK “B” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – DAVE HORNING SR., Cassidy Wilson, Jeff Crosier, Reuben Kennedy, Chuck McSpirit, John Babcock, Joe Smith, Brian Haas, Eric Sbrega, Randy Moore, Warren Pollock
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