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By: Ron Szczerba
FONDA, NY – Two weeks ago in a heat race crash at Fonda; Matt DeLorenzo lost the chassis that took him to four wins at the Track of Champions up to that point in the season. He salvaged a sixth place finish in the feature that night in his Albany Saratoga car and the week following that, Matt, his brother Mike, their father Tom, and the crew put together a new chassis to use at Fonda.
DeLorenzo debuted the car a week ago at Fonda and took the new car to a win in the modified feature. He followed that up Saturday evening with a back to back win in a car that looks to be just as dominant as the one he lost two weeks ago. The win for DeLorenzo was his sixth of the season at Fonda and the 10th of his career at the Track of Champions.
“This is just unbelievable,” DeLorenzo said after celebrating the win on the roof of his car. “My brother has a great setup in this car and my crew and sponsors are the ones that make me shine out on the racetrack with all of their hard work.”
Other winners at Fonda on Saturday included David Towns (sportsman), Nick Stone (pro stock), Danny Ballard (IMCA), John Babcock (street stock), and Danny Ody who won the 100th overall feature event of his career in the Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club feature.
Robert King started the modified feature on the pole position and took the lead at the drop of the green flag with outside pole starter Donnie Corellis in tow. The first of only two caution flags in the event came out on lap two when Elmo Reckner got into the turn one wall. Reckner continued on and drove his car into the pit area.
On the restart, King and Corellis ran side by side with Corellis taking the lead at the completion of lap three as the two crossed the finish line nose to nose. After starting 10th, Dave Lape who is looking for career win #100 at Fonda took over the fourth position from Erik Nelson on lap five and three laps later Lape was second after getting by Ryan Odasz who was in the Chet’s Floor Covering #14R this week.
Lap after lap, Lape would try to duck under Corellis for the lead in the turns only to have Corellis keep his momentum up on the outside to maintain the lead. While Corellis and Lape were waging a whale of a battle for the lead, Odasz was in the third position just waiting for a mistake by one of the top two while DeLorenzo made his way into the top five on lap 10 after starting 11th.
One by one DeLorenzo was passing cars on the low side of the speedway, getting by both Odasz and Lape by lap 16. On the inside of the backstretch on lap 17, DeLorenzo got by Corellis for the lead and never looked back as he went on to yet another win.
The red flag was out on lap 19 when Tony Pepicelli hit the wall in turn one and rode the wall for awhile until the front end caught in the track and launched him in the air with the car actually facing straight up at one point. The car came to rest on the driver side and although Pepicelli was done for the night he was not injured.
Corellis and Lape ran side by side for many laps until lap 23 when Lape got by Corellis for the second spot as DeLorenzo was out to a straightaway lead at that point. With five laps to go, Corellis got high in turn one and touched the wall, losing six spots in the process. Even though DeLorenzo was in lap traffic over the final three laps Lape couldn’t close the gap as DeLorenzo went on for the win.
Lape, Odasz, Ronnie Johnson who started 17th, and defending track champion Bobby Varin who started last in a back-up car completed the top five.
“After lap 15 this car was on rails,” DeLorenzo said. “It is such a confidence booster for me to race against guys like Dave Lape and others here at Fonda.”
Bill Wilder took the lead in the sportsman feature from his front row starting position with Mark Kislowski in tow. John McAuliffe and Ricky Quick raced side by side for many laps as they swapped the third position many times until Quick took the spot for good on lap four. One lap later, Quick got by Mark Kislowski for the second spot with a debris caution slowing the field on lap six.
On the restart, Quick was the new leader as he, McAuliffe, and David Towns were running three wide with McAuliffe coming from fourth to second in the process. Towns started the event in the 12th position and just before the halfway point he got by McAuliffe for the second position.
When Quick bobbled on the backstretch and got out of the groove on lap 10, Towns was the new leader with the final caution of the event coming out on lap 18 for Wilder who spun in turn two. Coming around the track just after the caution was thrown, Towns couldn’t see the stopped car of Wider in turn two and made contact with the car causing some damage to the right side of his car.
On the restart, McAuliffe ducked under Towns coming out of turn four and tried to clear the leader with the two making slight contact on the front straightaway. Both were able to continue with Towns pulling away from that point on as he went on to his sixth win of the season and the 22nd of his career at Fonda. Kislowski, McAuliffe, Luke Monroe, and Robert Perry completed the top five.
“I would have been better if I hadn’t made contact with the stopped car in turn two with two laps to go,” Towns said as he described the race in victory lane. “I think that something is bent on the car because after we got going again all that it wanted to do was push. I was just lucky to finish. The competition is so tough here and my crew and sponsors are what winning is all about.”
The 2ND Annual Hondo Classic in honor of the late Hondo Carpenter began with Phil Pearson in the lead followed by Kenny Martin Jr. On the low side in turn four on lap three, Martin was the new leader with Stone now third after starting seventh. The first of only two yellow flags during the event came out shortly afterwards for Shane Henderson who stalled his car in turn one after doing a 360 degree spin in turn four.
On the restart, Pearson got alongside Martin to try and retake the lead but it was to no avail as Martin maintained the top spot. Rob Yetman started the event in the ninth position and was quick from the start as he got by Stone for the third position by lap five. One lap later Yetman was in the second position as he got by Pearson for the spot with Nick Stone also getting by Pearson for third.
On lap eight, Martin and Yetman were racing side by side for the lead coming out of turn four with the two cars making contact on the front stretch. Both drivers straightened their cars and continued on with Yetman losing a lot of ground to the leader in the process. At the halfway point in the event, Stone got by Yetman for the second spot with Martin out to a half straightaway lead.
Lap after lap Stone closed the gap on the leader and on lap 13 he was right on the rear bumper of Martin as Stone was peddling his way around the outside of the speedway while Martin was hugging the bottom line. At the finish line to complete lap 18, Stone was a nose ahead of Martin with the two remaining side by side for the next lap.
Stone finally cleared the leader with one lap to go and went on to the special win, his fourth of the season and the 19th of his career at Fonda. Martin, Yetman, Kenny Gates, and Roy Fifield completed the top five.
In victory lane Stone described his feelings on winning the special event.
“I wanted to win this more than anything,” Stone said. “My car was perfect but I really didn’t know whether or not I was going to be able to get by Kenny. The lap cars came into play for us.”
“With guys like Nick behind you, you never know what is going to happen,” Martin said as he described the race. “I taught this kid (Stone) a thing or two and I think that I may have taught him too much. We have been fighting this car for the last few weeks but we weren’t racing for the money tonight, we were racing for the memories.”
“Nick likes to run up top,” Yetman said. “I was doing everything that I could and we are starting to figure things out here at Fonda. With a little more tweaking I think that maybe we can get to victory lane again.”
“Great job guys,” Hondo Classic coordinator Kelley Keefe said as she paid out some of the bonus money to the top three in victory lane. “Hondo is definitely looking down and smiling on us.”
George Proctor and Bob Banks Jr. battled side by side during lap one of the IMCA feature with Banks leading when the first lap was completed. At times during the first couple of laps in the event, cars were racing four wide in the top five for position.
By lap two after starting eighth, defending track champion Danny Ballard was in the second position and on lap three he nipped Banks at the line for the lead. Danny Ody started the event in the fifth position and on lap six he got by Banks for the second position. The first of two caution flags in the event came out on lap eight when “Krash” Mender spun his car in turn four.
On the restart coming out of turn four, Ody swung around the outside of Ballard for the lead with Aaron Jacobs now third after starting seventh. On lap 11, Ody got out of the groove in turn three and lost the lead and many positions in the process as Ballard took over the lead for the final time.
Ballard went on to his third win of the season and the 19th of his career at Fonda followed by Jeremy Cramer, Kevin Buff, Jacobs, and Jim Cramer.
“I was just trying to run a steady line and stay consistent during the event,” Ballard said in victory lane. “I went to the top at one point during the event but then came back down to the inside once I got the lead.”
Brian Haas led at the drop of the green flag in the street stock feature until he spun his car in turn four while leading handing the lead over to Dan Pollock. On lap two, Chris Reckner took over the point with a pass on the inside of turn four as John Babcock took over the second position after starting ninth as he also got by Pollock.
On the inside of turn three on lap four, Babcock was the new leader with the caution coming out on lap 11 for point leader Dave Horning Jr. who came to a stop on the back stretch with a flat left rear tire. He pitted and continued at the rear of the field.
Two consecutive cautions came out on lap 12 with the final one coming out when Neil Cosselman and Reckner made contact on the front stretch resulting in Reckner spinning and collecting two other cars. One of the cars was Duke McSpirit who rode the wall in turn one and had significant damage done to his car. McSpirit was not injured in the accident.
Rocky Warner took over the second position with two laps to go after starting 21st but Babcock maintained the lead and went on for his third win of the season and the 25th of his career at Fonda. Warner, Luke Horning, Dave Horning Sr., and Chuck McSpirit completed the top five.
“After that wreck in turn one it ruined my line on the track as there was some moisture put down by the cars involved,” Babcock said. “We have been having mechanical problems the last few weeks it is great to get this win. I want to dedicate this win to Mary Smith and her family and also to Hondo Carpenter.”
Danny Ody led the last six laps of the Northeastern Vintage Dirt Modified Racing Club feature for his 100th overall career feature win. The win came in the John Flach owned #77 with Mike Gray, Raymond See, Mike Brown, and Pete Gardner completing the top five.
“Within the last three or four years I have won in so many different divisions that I have lost track of it,” Ody said in victory lane. “This vintage car is a lot of fun to drive and I have to thank John Flach for calling me about driving this car earlier this week as Butchie Irwin was unable to make it tonight. In this vintage car you can feel the true spirit of the track and racing here at Fonda.”
During his career Ody has run in just about every division that has ever run at the Fonda Speedway. He currently has a total of seven wins in the IMCA division along with three in the pro stock division at the Track of Champions. He also has a point championship back in 1981 in the pro stock division which back then was known as the street stock division.
Next week at Fonda a regular show in all divisions is on the racing card along with the 4-cylinder division. The 6th Annual Jack Lockhart Memorial Dash for Cash will also be run for non-winners in the sportsman division. Starting time will be 6:00 p.m.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 27 total cars – 6 qualify – 4 handicapped
HEAT 1 – Ryan Odasz, Dave Lape, Robert King, Alton Palmer, Steve Akers, Craig Hanson
HEAT 2 – Donnie Corellis, Erik Nelson, Matt DeLorenzo, Dan Hartgraves, Josh Pieniazek, Ronnie Johnson
HEAT 3 – Ray Zemken, Elmo Reckner, Bobby Varin, Tony Pepicelli, Dave Camara, Brett Graham
MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-LAPS – MATT DELORENZO, Dave Lape, Ryan Odasz, Ronnie Johnson, Bobby Varin, Alton Palmer, Dave Camara, Robert King, Jim Davis, Craig Hanson, Donnie Corellis, Mike Fusco, Josh Pieniazek, Erik Nelson, Steve Akers, Elmo Reckner, Ray Zemken, Brian Purdy, Harry Shaffer, Ron George, Brett Graham, Todd Morey, Tony Pepicelli, Jack Johnson, John Marsh, Paul Cirincione
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 17 total cars – 6 qualify
HEAT 1 – Mark Kislowski, John McAuliffe, Derrick McGrew, Vinnie Sanganetti, Jeremy Wilder, John Constantino
HEAT 2 – Bill Wilder, Ricky Quick, Tony Farone, David Towns, Robert Perry, Luke Monroe
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DAVID TOWNS, Mark Kislowski, John McAuliffe, Luke Monroe, Robert Perry, Derrick McGrew, Danny Varin, Ricky Quick, Mark Mortensen, Jason Memrick, Dave Constantino, Tony Farone, Steve Vrooman, Jeremy Wilder, Vinnie Sanganetti, Bill Wilder, John Constantino
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 18 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Nick Stone, Jason Brownell, Rob Yetman, Roy Fifield, Ivan Joslin
HEAT 2 – Chip Smith, Jim Burton, Kenny Martin Jr., Kenny Gates, Phil Pearson
PRO STOCK FEATURE – THE 2ND ANNUAL HONDO CLASSIC – 20-LAPS – NICK STONE, Kenny Martin Jr., Rob Yetman, Kenny Gates, Roy Fifield, Chip Smith, Chucky Dumblewski, Ivan Joslin, Phil Pearson, Dean Charbonneau, Shane Henderson, John Roese, Tony Stone, Rod Slater, Jason Brownell, Frank Twing Jr., Bill Dona
IMCA QUALIFYING – 16 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Bob Banks Jr., Jeremy Cramer, Kevin Buff, George Proctor III
HEAT 2 – Danny Ballard, Beau Ballard, Danny Ody, Aaron Jacobs
IMCA FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DANNY BALLARD, Jeremy Cramer, Kevin Buff, Aaron Jacobs, Jim Cramer, JoJo Donato, Bob Banks Jr., Howard Smith, Danny Ody, Jeff Townsend, Carol Parker, Krash Mender, Beau Ballard, George Proctor III, Eric Stumpf, Bill Casey
STREET STOCK FEATURE – 15-LAPS – JOHN BABCOCK, Rocky Warner, Luke Horning, Dave Horning Sr., Chuck McSpirit, Dave Horning Jr., Eric Sbrega, Jeff Crosier, Cody Bleau, Reuben Kennedy, Chris Fifield, Chris Reckner, Neil Cosselman, Cassidy Wilson, Duke McSpirit, Rob VanAernam, Joe Smith, Randy Moore, Dan Pollock, George Green, Brian Haas
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