By: Ron Szczerba
FONDA, NY – The New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) will hold their annual Safety Night at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway this Saturday, June 11. On that evening the first NYSSCA member to cross the finish line in each of the five regular division feature events will receive $75 while the second NYSSCA member to cross the finish line will receive $50 and the Wildcard winner will receive $50. All winners will also be awarded a NYSSCA hat.
To become a new member of the NYSSCA organization or to renew a current membership you can see Fonda Speedway NYSSCA representative Bonnie Mortensen who will be going through the pit area to sign up new members this Saturday, June 11 before the racing action begins. The cost of a NYSSCA membership is $25 per year.
Prior to Opening Ceremonies this Saturday on victory lane, the NYSSCA organization will also hand out four different awards to five different drivers. Rocky Warner and Ronnie Johnson will receive the 2021 NYSSCA Outstanding Performance Award as the first ever Modified division co-champions in the 70-year history of the Fonda Speedway where there has been twenty-six different championship winning drivers through the years.
Along with his co-championship in 2021, Johnson has two other Modified Track Championships at Fonda back in 2011 and 2016. Warner has one other Modified title back in 2019 to go along with four consecutive Track Championships in the Crate 602 Sportsman division in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Warner also has one Pro Stock Track Championship in 2011 and two more titles in the Street Stock division back in 2005 as a co-champion and his own title in 2007.
Also winning a 2021 NYSSCA Outstanding Performance Award will be Jessica Friesen who was the first woman to ever win a Modified feature in the history of the “Track of Champions” after her win on July 10, 2021. Friesen has competed in the Sportsman division at Fonda during her career along with Sprint cars where she has one victory at Fonda in a 360-Sprint car back on 4/29/2006 before moving up to the Modified division.
NYSSCA will also hand out two 2021 Dedication to Racing Awards to Craig Hanson and Cliff Haslun.
Hanson not only runs the family business Hanson Paving but also runs the grader and does track prep at Fonda during the week and on race nights, races his self-owned Hanson Paving sponsored #20C Modified, and assists as a Short Track Super Series Official when time allows. Hanson has a career total of eight Modified wins at Fonda during his career in eight winning seasons, the first one coming on 7/30/2005 and his last one this year on 5/14/2022 in a division he still currently competes in.
Whether it was in his self-owned #13 Street Stock or the Dennis Joslin owned Pro Stock car back in 2021, Cliff Haslun has always been a driver who does what he can with what he has. Making a lot of parts for the race car himself and getting to the track in any way possible, Haslun has always been there to compete making him a great candidate for the 2021 NYSSCA Dedication to Racing Award. Halsun has a total of five Street Stock victories at Fonda during his career.
For more information about the New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) you can go to their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/
