DELORENZO WINS FIRST OF THE SEASON AT FONDA
If you were to say that Matt DeLorenzo has had a disappointing season at Fonda this year you wouldn’t be stretching the truth very far. Saturday afternoon was a different story however as DeLorenzo was the winner of the 50-lap 358-modified event at the Fonda Speedway. The win was worth $3,000 to the DeLorenzo Racing Team.
It was the third career modified victory at Fonda for DeLorenzo who won two features last season running a small block modified against the big blocks. DeLorenzo was also the 358-modified champion at Fonda in 2004.
Other winners on Morris Ford & Mercury and Coors Light Night at Fonda were David Towns (sportsman), George Catanzano (IMCA), and Dave Horning Jr. (street stock).
“The track was a lot of fun today,” DeLorenzo said in victory lane. “I was running the bottom of the track and it was taking rubber so if I stayed there I knew that I would be alright. I sure am happy to be here in victory lane.”
With DeLorenzo running the bottom groove on the speedway it left the top groove open for someone to challenge him for the win. And challenge him is exactly what Ronnie Johnson, Bobby Varin, and Jack Johnson did before the checkered flag flew.
Ronnie Johnson was the leader at the drop of the green flag from his outside pole starting spot with DeLorenzo second after starting third. On lap two, Ronnie Johnson and DeLorenzo were side by side for the lead which DeLorenzo took coming out of turn four. One lap later Ronnie returned the favor, getting the lead on the same spot on the speedway in turn four as these two drivers put on a great race for the fans.
DeLorenzo wasn’t going to be denied the lead on lap four however as grabbed the spot and started to pull away. In the meantime, Varin was pressuring Ronnie Johnson for the second spot on lap 12 as DeLorenzo was now out to a straightaway lead. Varin was the new second place car on lap 16 after he slid the John Bakuzonis owned No. 00 by Ronnie Johnson coming out of turn four.
Varin cut into DeLorenzo’s lead quickly as the two were nose to tail on lap 23 with Varin running the extreme outside of the speedway as DeLorenzo hugged the bottom of the track. Coming out of turn four on lap 24, Varin made a three wide move around both the lap car of Ted Lamb and DeLorenzo to take the lead. Two yellows slowed the field on laps 28 and 30 as Ancel Collins and A.J. Romano retired from the event.
Varin stuck to the high line on the restart with DeLorenzo, Jack Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, and Ray Zemken rounding out the top five. Varin was so high at times that it looked as though he was going to hit the wall coming out of turn four. That is exactly what happened on lap 31 as Varin hit the wall going into turn four with both the front and the back of the car but continued on with DeLorenzo sliding by for the lead at that point.
Jack Johnson also got by Varin for the second spot at that time with DeLorenzo having trouble getting by the lap car of Paul Cirincione. After following Cirincione for a while DeLorenzo knew that he had to get by as Jack Johnson was closing in on the leader in lap traffic. DeLorenzo finally bumped the rear bumper of Cirincione’s car letting him know that the leader was behind him and he needed to move or get out of the way. DeLorenzo got by safely and kept everyone else behind him over the remaining few laps to take the win.
“I saw Bobby alongside of me a couple of times and I was just hoping that the top groove would go away on him,” DeLorenzo said. “I had to bump a couple of lap cars to let them know that I was in back of them but it is great to be back here in victory lane again. I have to thank my family and my sponsor BBL Construction because they have been with me since I started racing in 1999.”
Jack Johnson finished second followed by Ronnie Johnson, Willy Decker, and Ron Holmes. Holmes, Zemken, and Varin were three wide coming out of turn four on the final lap battling for a top five finish with Holmes getting the fifth spot by a nose over the other two competitors.
“I really didn’t have anything for either Matt or Bobby,” Jack Johnson said after the race. “My only hope was that maybe they would get together at some point and I could sneak by. I was at Rolling Wheels last Sunday and it was so dusty that you couldn’t see to race. Fonda definitely has the best daytime racing going.”
By the luck of the draw David Towns started the 40-lap Race of Champions (RoC) sportsman feature from the pole position and took the lead at the drop of the green flag. Michael Ballestero didn’t run the entire season at Fonda in 2005 but ran the last few races of the season and he was in the second spot as lap one was completed after starting fifth. Ballestero closed in quickly on Towns with the first yellow of the event coming out on lap seven for RoC sportsman point leader Kyle Weiss who crashed into the turn one wall. He was uninjured but was done for the day.
On the restart, Towns held the lead with Ballestero and 2005 track champion John McAuliffe in tow. McAuliffe’s run came to an end on lap 10 as he went to the pits with mechanical problems. Mark Mortensen and Tim Dwyer were now the third and fourth place cars after starting in the 14th and 16th positions respectively. On lap 18 Mortensen began to pressure Ballestero for the second spot as Towns was out to a straightaway lead. When Mortensen slid up high on the speedway on lap 19 he lost ground to Ballestero with Dave Constantino now pressuring him for the third spot after getting by Dwyer.
Shaun Walker was making a late race move to the front over the final few laps after falling back early from his third place starting position. On lap 31, Walker made a three wide move around both Constantino and Mortensen to get the third spot with the final yellow of the event coming out on lap 33 when Pat O’Hanlon had a flat right rear tire. Nobody was going to beat Towns on this day however as he went on to his fifth win of the season and 11th of his career in the sportsman division at Fonda. The victory was worth $1,000 to Towns with Ballestero, Walker, Josh Hohenforst, and Dwyer completing the top five.
The 30-lap IMCA Nationals event was led at the start by Kevin Buff with an early yellow coming out at the completion of lap one when Bryan Evender got into the wall in turn four. On the restart, 2005 track champion George Catanzano was the new leader with Jeff Jones now second after starting fourth. Danny Ody took over the third spot on lap five after starting eighth with another yellow out on lap eight when Evender was in the wall again, this time in turn two.
The top five when the race resumed were Catanzano, Jones, Ody, Jeremy Cramer, and Dale Caswell who started the feature in the 21st position. Caswell took over the fourth position from Cramer on lap 10 but Caswell’s great run came to an end on lap 23 when he pitted with mechanical problems. Danny Ballard was driving his back-up car in the feature event and took over the fifth spot when Caswell dropped out. Catanzano went on to the $750 win over Jones, Ody, Ballard, and Cramer. Catanzano took a Polish Victory Lap around the track after the win and in victory lane dedicated the win, the 2005 season, and his 2005 track championship to Steve Bidwell. For Catanzano it was his eighth win of the season and 35th of his IMCA career at Fonda.
Dave Horning Jr. was the early leader of the 20-lap $650 street stock feature after starting on the pole. Rocky Warner and Dan Hartgraves were racing side by side for the second spot early on with Hartgraves finally taking the position after a two lap battle. Ron Hawker made it a three car battle for the second spot on lap nine as he battled three wide with Hartgraves and Warner and at the halfway point it was Horning Jr., Warner, Hartgraves, Oldorf, and Hawker in the top five.
Dave Horning Sr. stared the event in the 10th spot and by lap 17 he was up to third as Warner dropped out of the event at that point. Horning Sr. took over the second spot from Hartgraves on lap 18 with the yellow coming out shortly afterwards for Phil Pearson who spun for the second time in the event. Horning Jr. kept his father behind him for the remaining two laps and went on to his fourth win of the season and 46th of his career at Fonda. Horning Sr., Oldorf, Hawker, and Hartgraves completed the top five.
During intermission Program Dynamics President Steve Barrick presented the Most Popular Driver Awards for 2005. Program Dynamics is the publisher of the Fonda Flyer program and the Most Popular Driver Awards were determined by voting from the spectators at the Fonda Speedway. Most Popular Drivers for the 2005 season were Jack Johnson (Modified), Mark Kislowski (sportsman), the late Hondo Carpenter (pro stock), George Catanzano (IMCA), and Dave Horning Jr. (street stock).
358-MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 31 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Matt DeLorenzo, Ray Zemken, Gus Schmidt, Jerry Pennock Jr., Josh Pieniazek
HEAT 2 – Ronnie Johnson, A.J. Romano, Tim Clemons, Erik Nelson, Paul Cirincione
HEAT 3 – Bobby Varin, Jack Johnson, Ron Holmes, Rich Ricci Jr., Willy Decker
MODIFIED CONSOLATION – 9 qualify – Bob Henry Jr., Ancel Collins, Todd Morey, Ted Lamb, Adam Roberts, Don Ronca, Mitch Gibbs, Erik Mack, Mike Prentice
MORRIS FORD & MERCURY/COORS LIGHT 358-MODIFIED FEATURE – 50-LAPS – MATT DELORENZO, Jack Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Willy Decker, Ron Holmes, Ray Zemken, Bobby Varin, Tim Clemons, Mitch Gibbs, Jerry Pennock Jr., Bob Henry Jr., Rich Ricci Jr., Josh Pieniazek, Gus Schmidt, Ted Lamb, Todd Morey, Erik Nelson, Paul Cirincione, Don Ronca, Erik Mack, A.J. Romano, Ancel Collins, Adam Roberts, Mike Prentice
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 32 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Drew Fallis, Dan Creeden, Jason Hamilton, Howard Jarvis, Dusty Jagger
HEAT 2 – David Towns, John Scarborough, Josh Hohenforst, Mark Mortensen, Pat O’Hanlon
HEAT 3 – Shaun Walker, Michel Ballestero, Dave Constantino, Arnie Slade, Ricky Quick
HEAT 4 – John McAuliffe, Mark Kislowski, Kyle Weiss, Tim Dwyer, Jeff Geiges
SPORTSMAN CONSOLATION – 4 qualify – Derrick McGrew, Justin House, Robert Perry, Jamie Yannone
MORRIS FORD & MERCURY/COORS LIGHT SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 40-LAPS – DAVID TOWNS, Michael Ballestero, Shaun Walker, Josh Hohenforst, Tim Dwyer, John Scarborough, Justin House, Dave Constantino, Dan Creeden, Robert Perry, Mark Mortensen, Jeff Geiges, Jamie Yannone, Jason Hamilton, Arnie Slade, Ricky Quick, Andy Miller, Pat O’Hanlon, Mark Kislowski, Howard Jarvis, Derrick McGrew, Dusty Jagger, Craig Whitmoyer, John McAuliffe, Kyle Weiss
IMCA QUALIFYING – 30 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Eric Stumpf, John Bailey, Jeremy Cramer, Tom Eiklor, Bob Banks Jr.
HEAT 2 – George Catanzano, Aaron Jacobs, Danny Ballard, Dan Wilcox, Kevin Priest
HEAT 3 – Jeff Jones, Kevin Buff, Danny Ody, Rob VanAernam, Mike Stolarsyk
HEAT 4 – Brad Wall, Bryan Evanden, Eric Alger, Bill Anderson, Carol Parker
IMCA CONSOLATION – 4 qualify – Dale Caswell, JoJo Donato, Leonard West, Rich Townsend
MORRIS FORD & MERCURY/COORS LIGHT IMCA FEATURE – 30-LAPS – GEORGE CATANZANO, Jeff Jones, Danny Ody, Danny Ballard, Jeremy Cramer, Leonard West, Brad Wall, Kevin Priest, Aaron Jacobs, Rich Townsend, JoJo Donato, Dan Wilcox, Rob VanAernam, Eric Alger, Kevin Cook, Carol Parker, Bob Banks Jr., Bill Anderson, Tom Eiklor, John Bailey, Dale Caswell, Bryan Evanden, Kevin Buff, Eric Stumpf
STREET STOCK QUALIFYING – 42 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Dave Horning Jr., Ivan Joslin, Charlie Gilbert, Dave Houser
HEAT 2 – Dan Hartgraves, Ron Hawker, Dave Horning Sr., Cassidy Wilson
HEAT 3 – Phil Norman, Dave Ellis, Pete Broderson, Kevin Winters
HEAT 4 – Rocky Warner, Dwight Oldorf, Dan Clemens, Don Warner
STREET STOCK CONSOLATIONS – 3 qualify
CONSI 1 – Chuck McSpirit, Bob Palmer, Paul Harding
CONSI 2 – Pete DeFiglio, Jim Monroe, Frank Hyatt
MORRIS FORD & MERCURY/COORS LIGHT STREET STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DAVE HORNING JR., Dave Horning Sr., Dwight Oldorf, Ron Hawker, Dan Hartgraves, Don Warner, Cassidy Wilson, Pete DeFiglio, Dan Clemens, Phil Norman, Ivan Joslin, Pete Broderson, Bryan Hawkins, Car #97K, Bob Palmer, Kevin Winters, Phil Pearson, Paul Harding, David Emigh, Dave Houser, Steve Kahler, Rocky Warner, Dave Ellis, Dan Clemens, Charlie Gilbert, Jim Monroe, Chris Fifield