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ODASZ WINS EXCITING MODIFIED FEATURE AT FONDA



Earlier this season Ryan Odasz set a new track record of 18.87 seconds with his No. 88 modified at the Fonda Speedway. Last Saturday night he may have set another record for one of if not the most exciting feature events in the history of the Track of Champions. Odasz started the event in the eighth position, switched grooves on the track from the top to the bottom with only two laps remaining, and got by the leader on the final lap to take his third career win at Fonda and his first win of 2005.

After his win Odasz had something to say to the fans in the grandstands. “If fans aren’t coming to Fonda to watch racing they should be because they are missing some of the most exciting, side by side racing in the area,” Odasz told announcer Kim Hart in victory lane. “I have to thank my wife and my crew. My wife and I own this car and we have a great crew but we are racing with no sponsorship on the car. We are just doing the best that we can with what we have.”

Other winners on Nortrac Motorsports Polaris & Snow Angels Kennels Night at Fonda were Mark Mortensen (sportsman), Hondo Carpenter (pro stock), Danny Ballard (IMCA), Dave Horning Sr. and Rocky Warner (street stock). Not only was the air temperature hot last Saturday night but the racing action was hot and heavy in all divisions.

After having a miserable season thus far at Fonda, Alton Palmer started on the outside pole and took the lead at the drop of the green flag. An early yellow slowed the field when Jack Johnson backed into the turn three wall at the completion of lap one. He was able to continue. Bobby Vedder took the lead on the restart but racing under green only lasted a short time before a multi car pile-up in turn one brought out another caution on the restart.

Tony Pepicelli got out of shape in turn one in a big bunch of cars and slid sideways before recovering and moving on. Many other cars piled in with a lot of damage being done to many of them. Involved were defending track champion Dave Lape, Dave Camara, Bobby Varin, Jack and Ronnie Johnson, and a few others. Only Pepicelli, Jerry Pennock Jr. and Floyd Billington were unable to continue.

On the restart, Palmer led the event for the second time with Varin already up to second on lap four after getting by Vedder. At that point Palmer was a straightaway ahead but Varin cut into his lead by lap nine. Varin was trying so hard to catch the leader that he got out of shape in turn four and got the car sideways. Fortunately he was able to save the car and kept hunting down the leader. Varin used the inside lane on lap 14 to take over the lead, a lead that he would hold onto until the final lap.

Meanwhile Jim Davis was quickly coming to the front after starting 12th, getting by Palmer for the second spot on lap 15. Davis pressured Varin a few laps later but when he slipped up high on the backstretch into the loose stuff he lost ground on the leader and let Varin pull away. Davis slid up the same way a couple of more times during crucial points in the event allowing Varin to get away when it looked as though Davis might have something for the leader.

Into the picture comes Odasz who switched lanes on the track to the bottom groove and found that groove to his liking. Odasz got by Davis for the second spot on lap 28 and got alongside Varin on the final lap. Coming out of turn four to the checkered flag, Odasz was the winner at the finish line by 0.077 sec. over Varin, Davis, Lape, and DeLorenzo. While Odasz was in victory lane, Varin and Davis both drove by to congratulate the winner, a classy move at the completion of a great race.

Mark Kislowski was the early leader of the sportsman feature from his outside pole position start with Tony Farone second after starting fourth. Farone took over the lead on lap four with a move on the inside of the leader in turn four. A yellow flag on lap seven slowed the field and it took two restarts to get the race going again but when it did Farone continued to be strong on the point.

Mark Mortensen started the event in the third spot but fell back early on before recovering and making his way into the top three by lap eight. At the halfway point in the event Mortensen got by John Scarborough for the second position with David Towns and John McAuliffe following him through for the third and fourth positions.

On lap 14 Farone and Mortensen were side by side for the lead with Mortensen getting the lead on the outside of turn four one lap later. Mortensen was strong on the outside groove which is where he stayed as he went on to the win followed by Towns, Farone, McAuliffe, and Scarborough. For Mortensen it was his second career sportsman feature win at Fonda and his first win of 2005.

Checkers the Clown threw the green flag to start the pro stock feature which was led by Chip Smith at the start. Roy Fifield took over the lead on lap three after starting fourth with Hondo Carpenter second after a restart on lap four. Carpenter used the inside groove in turn one to get the lead from Fifield on lap five with Kenny Gates also getting by Fifield for the second spot.

On lap seven Steve Welch rode the backstretch wall in a single car crash bringing out the yellow and on the restart Justin Forsthoffer blew his motor coming down the frontstretch. Forsthoffer slid in his own oil and rode the wall in turns one and two before flipping the car at the access road that goes out of the speedway in turn two. Both Welch and Forsthoffer were uninjured.

Gates was the new leader of the event on the restart but Carpenter wasn’t done yet. On lap 10, Carpenter took the lead on the inside of turn four and went on for the win followed by Gates, Nick Stone, Butchie Irwin, and Fifield. For Carpenter it was his fourth career pro stock win at Fonda and his second win of 2005.

Kenn VanWert was the first to lead the IMCA feature but when lap one was completed it was Eric Stumpf who had the lead. Jeff Jones came up from his seventh place starting spot to take over the lead on lap four after a side by side battle with Stumpf. George Catanzano started the event in the 10th spot and moved into the second spot on lap seven after getting by Steve Vrooman.

Catanzano hit the wall coming out of turn four with the right side of his car on lap 14 and lost ground on the leader with the yellow flag out on lap 16 for Stumpf who spun in turn three. Catanzano jumped the restart and was penalized two positions back to fourth with Danny Ballard now second with three laps to go. Ballard took over the lead on lap 17 and held it to the end for his 10th career IMCA win at Fonda and third win of 2005. Jones, Catanzano, Steve Vrooman, and Danny Ody rounded out the top five.

Luke Horning led the street stock “a” feature for the first seven laps before Dave Horning Sr. took over the lead on the inside of the frontstretch on lap eight. Horning Sr. held on to the lead for the remainder of the event taking his third career street stock win at Fonda and first win of 2005 over Ivan Joslin, Luke Horning, Sam Surnear, and Reuben Kennedy.

Dan Pollock was the first of three drivers to lead the street stock “b” feature with Pete Broderson taking over the lead on lap three. Rocky Warner started the event in the fifth spot and on lap seven he was in the second position. On lap eight, Warner was the new leader after taking the lead on the outside in turn four. Warner went on to his ninth career street stock win at Fonda and third win of 2005 over Phil Pearson, Broderson, Dan Hartgraves, and Don Warner.

Next week at Fonda a regular show in all divisions is on the racing card which will begin at the special starting time of 5:00 p.m. Morris Ford Mercury & Snapple will sponsor the evening’s activities. Also on the schedule will be a Salute to Local Heroes, a tribute to honor Steve Bidwell, Bob VanAernam, and Skip Pabis for their accomplishments in racing.

In other news, Lance Dewease and Fred Rahmer are the first two drivers who have entered the 410 Sprint Open which will be run at Fonda on Thursday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. Nextel Cup star Kenny Schrader will also drive one of Danny Ballard’s cars in the IMCA division that evening. Billy Pauch is the first entry for the Race of Champions Modified Tour event to be run at Fonda on Wednesday, July 27 at 7:00 p.m.

MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 29 total cars – 6 qualify – 4 handicapped

HEAT 1 – Jeff Holt, Mike Fusco, Matt DeLorenzo, Ronnie Johnson, Craig Hanson, Todd Morey

HEAT 2 – Tony Pepicelli, Jim Davis, Ryan Odasz, Bobby Varin, John Marsh Sr., Floyd Billington

HEAT 3 – Jack Johnson, Dave Camara, Alton Palmer, Bobby Vedder, Erik Mack, Jerry Pennock Jr.

MODIFIED CONSOLATION – 6 qualify – Dave Lape, Steve Akers, Ancel Collins, Tim Clemons, Billy Osta, Josh Pieniazek

NORTRAC MOTORSPORTS POLARIS/SNOW ANGELS KENNELS MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-LAPS – RYAN ODASZ, Bobby Varin, Jim Davis, Dave Lape, Matt DeLorenzo, Mike Fusco, Craig Hanson, Dave Camara, Alton Palmer, Billy Osta, Ray Zemken, Jeff Holt, Bobby Vedder, Josh Pieniazek, Ancel Collins, Todd Morey, Ronnie Johnson, Tim Clemons, Jack Johnson, John Marsh Jr., John Marsh Sr. Tony Pepicelli, Erik Mack, Jerry Pennock Jr., Steve Akers, Floyd Billington

SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 24 total cars – 4 qualify

HEAT 1 – Jeremiah Munson, David Towns, Luke Monroe, Erik Nelson

HEAT 2 – Tony Farone, Mark Mortensen, Drew Fallis, Robert Perry

HEAT 3 – Mark Kislowski, John Scarborough, Elmo Reckner, John McAuliffe

NORTRAC MOTORSPORTS POLARIS/SNOW ANGELS KENNELS SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20-LAPS – MARK MORTENSEN, David Towns, Tony Farone, John McAuliffe, John Scarborough, Elmo Reckner, Josh Hohenforst, Drew Fallis, Jeremiah Munson, Robert Perry, Justin House, Mark Kislowski, Ricky Quick, Neil Erickson, Dave Constantino, John Constantino, Vinny Sanganetti, Randy Meka, Keith Nichols, Erik Nelson, Randall Salisbury, Luke Monroe, Pete Sisler, Jim Meka

PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 16 total cars – 5 qualify – qualifying was actually held on 6/18/05 before rain started and cancelled the program

HEAT 1 – Lori Cary, Chip Smith, Kenny Gates, Luke Klob, Hondo Carpenter

HEAT 2 – Roy Fifield, Nick Stone, Chucky Dumblewski, Butchie Irwin, Steve Welch

NORTRAC MOTORSPORTS POLARIS/SNOW ANGELS KENNELS PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – HONDO CARPENTER, Kenny Gates, Nick Stone, Butchie Irwin, Roy Fifield, Lori Cary, Chip Smith, Wayne Patrick, Chucky Dumblewski, Scott Liese, Robert Langevin, Rod Slater, Justin Forsthoffer, Steve Welch, Dan Rickard, Randy Cannell, Luke Klob

IMCA QUALIFYING – 16 total cars – 5 qualify

HEAT 1 – Kenn VanWert, George Catanzano, Danny Ballard, Jim Roberts, Aaron Jacobs

HEAT 2 – Jeff Jones, Eric Stumpf, Steve Vrooman, JoJo Donato, Jeremy Cramer

NORTRAC MOTORSPORTS POLARIS/SNOW ANGELS KENNELS IMCA FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DANNY BALLARD, Jeff Jones, George Catanzano, Steve Vrooman, Danny Ody, Aaron Jacobs, JoJo Donato, Jeremy Cramer, Rob VanAernam, Jim Roberts, Carol Parker, Kenn VanWert, Malcum Warner, Eric Stumpf, Phil Balmen

NORTRAC MOTORSPORTS POLARIS/SNOW ANGELS KENNELS STREET STOCK “A” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – DAVE HORNING SR., Ivan Joslin, Luke Horning, Sam Surnear, Reuben Kennedy, John Quintana, Cassidy Wilson, Chris Fifield, D.T. Pickard, Joe Smith

NORTRAC MOTORSPORTS POLARIS/SNOW ANGELS KENNELS STREET STOCK “B” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – ROCKY WARNER, Phil Pearson, Pete Broderson, Dan Hartgraves, Don Warner, John Bradt, Jeff Crosier, Howard Smith, Neil Cosselman, John Babcock, Dave Horning Jr., Dan Pollock