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By: Ron Szczerba
FONDA , NY On Sunday afternoon, daytime track conditions caused a game of strategy to be played out by the drivers in the Modified feature event at the Fonda Speedway. In the end, Brett Hearn survived where many others didnt as he went on to his 22nd career feature win at the Track of Champions. Hearn led wire to wire on the way to the win after starting on the pole position by the luck of the draw in the Steve Hastings/Joe Knoth owned Smith Brothers sponsored #74. It was the first win at Fonda for Hearn since 4/12/03.
I spent most of the race trying to conserve my tires, Hearn said in victory lane after the win. The car handled awesome and it was great to get a win for this team because this is the car that I normally drive at Orange County and they dont get to travel too often.
The Dart Dirt Race of Champions (RoC) Modified Tour feature win was worth $7,500 to Hearn but was plagued by 13 yellow flags mainly for flat tires.
Hearn led at the start of the 100-lap event with A.J. Romano second and Dave Camara third. Tim Fuller started the event in the seventh position and was one of the only cars to try passing cars on the outside of the speedway as he moved up to the fourth position by lap four.
Marc Johnson took over the fifth position from Ancel Collins on lap 14 just before Jack Johnson retired from the event after slowing on the back stretch. On the restart, last weeks winner Ryan Odasz and Ray Zemken were caught up in an accordion style accident as the leaders led the field to a very slow restart coming out of turn two causing many cars to make contact with each other. Both Odasz and Zemken were able to pit and continue at the rear of the field.
On the restart, 2007 overall Modified Track Champion Matt DeLorenzo went from eighth to sixth but when he slid up high out of the groove in turn three he lost many positions putting him out of the top 10 in the rundown. On lap 36, Camara suffered a flat left rear tire taking him out of contention for the win.
Bobby Varin started the event in the 16th position and by lap 40 he was already up to the fifth position behind Hearn, Romano, Fuller, and Marc Johnson. On a restart after a caution, Varin got by Marc Johnson and also tried to get by Fuller for the third spot but after contact was made between the two cars Fuller was able to hold on to the position. After the contact was made between Varin and Fuller, Brian Weaver was able to get by both Marc Johnson and Varin to take over the fourth position.
Under caution while running third, Fuller suffered a flat left rear tire which started a series of flat tires that were suffered by different drivers including Jim Davis, Todd Morey, Ancel Collins, Ray Zemken, and Odasz. After a restart with about 20-laps to go, Hearn pulled away only to have Collins blow his right rear tire right in front of the leader. Fortunately Hearn got by safely to maintain the lead.
One final caution came out on lap 96 when Morey slowed on the front stretch but nothing was going to keep Hearn from the victory on this day as he went on to the win over Romano, Weaver, Varin, and Stewart Friesen.
All of the yellow flags actually worked to my advantage because it kept me from getting into lap traffic, Hearn said. I was really paying attention to the car staying underneath me because of the tire situation and I knew that it was okay because it did. Under caution A.J. (Romano) came up alongside of me and I signaled him that his tires were okay and he returned the favor to me signaling that mine were okay as well.
Bill Lake owns everything that you see here and I have to thank him for that, Romano said. Finishing second to Brett is pretty much a win but I have to thank Bill, my crew, and my family for allowing me to do this. I was just setting my own pace out there as I was worried about my right rear tire. With no pressure from behind I just ran it out but during the last five laps I was a little nervous about my tires lasting until the end.
Well definitely take a third out of this, Weaver said. To finish behind Hearn and A.J. is a good day for us.
The 40-lap Dart Dirt Race of Champions (RoC) Sportsman Tour feature event began with Alan Barker the leader from his pole position start. By the time lap one was completed, John Scarborough was the new leader after ducking under Barker on the inside of turn four.
2007 Fonda Speedway Sportsman Track Champion David Towns started the event in the 10th position and by lap eight he was already up to the fourth spot. Another driver on the move was John McAuliffe who started 22nd and was up to the sixth spot at that point in the event.
Scarborough held a straightaway lead on lap 15 while Towns was pressuring Danny Varin for the third position with Dave Constantino in second. When Constantino drifted high in turn four on lap 18, Varin and Towns both got by for the second and third positions while McAuliffe retired from the event at that point after a great run from the rear. When Scarborough got screwed up by a lap car on lap 23, Towns got by both Varin and Scarborough for the lead in the event.
Scarborough 's great run came to an end on lap 26 when his motor went up in smoke bringing out another caution flag. On lap 32 Varin was pressuring Towns for the lead but slid up high in turn four allowing Towns to get away. Flat tires came into play at this point in the event with Varin the first to get a flat right rear tire while running second on lap 33 and two laps later Towns also retired with a flat right rear tire while leading the event.
Steve Vrooman inherited the lead at that point but it was short lived as Mark Kislowski took over the lead on lap 36 when Vrooman slid up high in turn four. From that point on Kislowski went on to the back to back win after winning last Sunday. For Kislowski it was his second win of 2007 and the fourth of his career in the Sportsman division at Fonda.
The leaders just kept falling out, Kislowski said in victory lane. I was trying to keep the car underneath me and in the end it all worked out. My right front tire feathered out but it survived. It has been a long year and it was great to end it on a high note. It was a decent year but the results were not what we wanted.
Vrooman slipped up on the restart and I was able to get by him for the second spot, second place finisher Jason Memrick said after one of if not the best finishes of his career at Fonda.
I was trying to conserve tires and fuel and just stayed on the bottom of the track, third place finisher Larry Wight said. I got some advice from my teammates Billy Decker and Pat Ward and they told me to stay on the bottom because if I slipped up high I was going to get freight trained.
The 2007 season is now completed at the Track of Champions and you can keep up to date on dates for the banquet and also plans for the 2008 season by going to the Fonda Speedway website at www.fondaspeedway.com
MODIFIED QUALIFYING 35 total cars 5 qualify 3 redraw
HEAT 1 Dave Camara, Tim Fuller, Ancel Collins, Willy Decker, Mitch Gibbs
HEAT 2 Pat Ward, A.J. Romano, Dustin Delaney, Brian Weaver, Josh Pieniazek
HEAT 3 Stewart Friesen, Brett Hearn, Robert King, Ronnie Johnson, Todd Morey
HEAT 4 Marc Johnson, Jack Johnson, Matt DeLorenzo, Bobby Varin, Ryan Odasz
MODIFIED CONSOLATIONS 2 qualify
CONSI 1 Ray Zemken, Ted Lamb
CONSI 2 Brett Graham, Billy Decker
MCDONALDS DART DIRT RACE OF CHAMPIONS (ROC) MODIFIED TOUR FEATURE 100-LAPS BRETT HEARN, A.J. Romano, Brian Weaver, Bobby Varin, Stewart Friesen, Pat Ward, Mitch Gibbs, Marc Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Matt DeLorenzo, Ted Lamb, Willy Decker, Ancel Collins, Todd Morey, Brett Graham, Josh Pieniazek, Ryan Odasz, Jim Davis, Ray Zemken, Tim Fuller, Dan Hartgraves, Dave Camara, Robert King, Dustin Delaney, Jack Johnson, Billy Decker
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING 24 total cars all qualify 4 redraw
HEAT 1 Danny Varin, Luke Munroe, Steve Vrooman, Jason Memrick, Mike Loney, Jack Miller, Joey Colsten, John McAuliffe
HEAT 2 Mark Kislowski, John Scarborough , David Towns, Derrick McGrew, Casey Williams, Dan Creeden, Larry Wight, Jeremy Wilder
HEAT 3 Alan Barker, D.T. Pickard, Bill Wilder, Dave Constantino, Jim Meka, Sparky Lowe, Pete Sisler, Angela Hoard
MCDONALDS DART DIRT RACE OF CHAMPIONS (ROC) SPORTSMAN TOUR FEATURE 40-LAPS MARK KISLOWSKI, Jason Memrick, Larry Wight, Alan Barker, Steve Vrooman, Dave Constantino, Sparky Lowe, Bill Wilder, Jack Miller, Dan Creeden, Casey Williams, Pete Sisler, Danny Varin, Mike Loney, Joey Colsten, D.T. Pickard, Luke Munroe, David Towns, Jeremy Wilder, John Scarborough , Jim Meka, John McAuliffe, Angela Hoard, Derrick McGrew
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