Last week I posted what I considered to
be the ten best racers you would expect to
see (or compete against) at Fonda Speedway
on any Saturday night during the sixties.
I’m sure other people that were on the scene
at the time would have a favorite that they
feel should be on the list, but that’s how I
saw it then, and still do now.
The racers below were no slouches (in
most cases), but were in my mind the
supporting cast to Corey, Wimble, Shoemaker,
Lazzaro, and Company. Fonda usually drew
thirty to forty stock cars weekly, and some
of the usual supporting cast are below, the
remainder (those that I have photos of) will
be posted next week.
Howie Westervelt, 1 feature win. Don't let
that shy look fool you. (Check out the fan
count in the stands behind Howie)
George Welch, A promising racing carrer was
ended when George was killed while flagging
at Menands
Chuck Mahoney with Al Kotary's 188. Al's
brother Cliff told me a lot of storys about
this man.
Donny Wayman, 5 feature wins. Donny and I
were lined up on the dragstrip for our heat
race and sitting on the front of our cars
watching the ongoing heat race zoom by in
front of us. Cars sideways sliding through
between one and two, exhausts red hot
singing their seven thousand rpm song (well
maybe 6000). Donny says, "Jesus Otto, do we
go that fast"
Tom Kotary, 3 feature wins. Here with Hal
Kempney's 113.
Robby Kotary, 2 feature wins. Here with Ward
Petit's pink 148
Jean Guy Chartrand. Guy made the trip from
Montreal every Saturday night.
Paul Marshall, 1 feature win. I did a dumb
thing that nearly cost Paul that feature
win. HE TOLD ME ABOUT IT AFTER THE RACE !
Lee Millington, 1 feature win. Here with a
car Lee and Bob Whitbeck put together.
Pepper Eastman, a friend from the Brookfield
days, was fataly injured at Fonda 8/14/1965.
Dave Lape, arrived on the Fonda scene in the
mid sixties, is still racing and has over
100 feature wins.
George Baumgartner. Pretty slick pants ya
got there Baumy. I think thats Henry
Caputo's 11.
Dick Clark. Later Dick teamed up with Ron
Hedger's brother Ray and went asphalt
racing.
Dutch Reed.
Most of the photos are courtesy of Jo Towns
It’s six pm at Fonda on a warm June
Saturday night in the early sixties, and the
grandstand is nearly full already. The pits
are located in the infield and are three
quarters full. That was part of the charm,
as fans could watch what was going on with
their favorites, and some fans would bring
binoculars to watch the pit action up close.
Watching what was going on in the pits was a
favorite pre-race activity for most fans.
At about six thirty the stands come alive
when Pete Corey’s black Whitbeck number 22
comes into sight on the Fultonville Bridge.
Pete would be serenaded with boos from first
sight of the #22, and the booing would
continue for the longest time. The Fonda
fans weren’t afraid to show their emotion. I
remember sitting in my car, stopped in line
in front of the grandstand while the track
was being cleared from a feature race wreck.
The fans got excited about something (after
the wreck some fan favorite had to line-up
in the rear, or, was put back into the
position he had before the wreck), whatever
it was, a large number of fans didn't like
the decision and the beer cans began to fall
like rain.
Let me warn you about the infield food.
It's AWFULL.
The maintenance crew is out on the track
with all their vehicles converting the
surface from wet to greasy. The stock cars
take over at the greasy point and run the
track in to when the surface finally gets
tacky, and then hot laps begin. Usually a
fifteen to twenty minute process. A large
number of fans anticipate (usually young
male fans) the start of hot laps and begin
to gather down by the first turn. When hot
laps begin fans with This vantage point will
watch their heroes blast into turn one
completely sideways, rear wheels showering
the adoring fans with shards of track
surface clay (some of today’s Fonda drivers
will recall the experience of being there
and watching that spectacle).
At the completion of hot laps the drivers
meeting is held, the heat line-up is on the
board at the judge’s stand, and the first
heat cars are being lined up on the drag
strip. The evenings racing will consist of
three or four heat races depending on the
car count, a consolation race, and a twenty
five-lap feature. That’s all, no support
classes, except once a year Earl Halaquist
and his URC sprint car friends would put on
their show along with the stock car program.
I always thought the guys that drove sprint
cars were a little nutty, no roll bar
protection, some with no seat belts. Not for
me thanks, I had two little girls home that
needed a daddy.
Races start at eight, and are usually
over by eleven thirty. After the race is
over the fans flood across the track to get
autographs, talk with their hero’s, and just
take in the whole scene, with the smell of
still hot race cars adding to the
atmosphere.
After the races are over and the
autographs have been signed, it's time to
head for the judges stand and the pay off.
This is a fun time, listening to Pete, Shoe,
Rene, Tom Kotary and others tell war stories
while the cash is being counted upstairs.
(I’ve got a bunch of those stories for a
later edition). For example: Most stories
are funny, this was not. Rene Charland told
about being in a burning racecar and his
escape from being burned to death. Rene told
us all what to do in that predictiment. "NO
MATTER WHAT, keep COOL and be very
DELIBERATE in getting the seatbelts
unfastened and off, and hold your breath so
as to not breath fire in". "And then get the
hell outa there the best way you can". Rene
said his goggles melted it was so hot (he
has the burn scar on the side of his face
and hands for proof).
The races are over for another week, the
night is still warm, and someone said the
firefly’s came out after dark and enjoyed
the show.
See ya next week with more of the
supporting cast.
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