JOHNSON WINS 358-MODIFIED SERIES EVENT AT FONDA
Alan Johnson survived a fierce battle with Pat Ward last Saturday evening to win the Turning Stone Casino 358-Modified Super DIRT Series event at Fonda. For Johnson it was his fourth series win of the season as he also took over the point lead in the series by three points over Ward with one race remaining. It was a great day of racing in all divisions on Farrell Oil-Kendall Oil/Schwan’s Night.
“Pat has been beating us right along lately but tonight I was lucky to start ahead of him,” Johnson said in victory lane. “I just stayed low when the top groove got slick and now it all comes down to the final point race next week. The luck of the draw will probably decide the championship unless it comes down to the driver who has problems.”
By the luck of the draw Johnson started the feature on the front row and took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Richie Pratt, Jr. second. An early yellow slowed the field on lap two and on the restart Pratt was the new leader. Another yellow was thrown on lap four when rain started to fall. After an hour rain delay the race resumed with Johnson taking the lead back on the restart with A.J. Romano now third behind Johnson and Pratt.
Before lap five was completed, Romano split Pratt and Johnson down the middle to take the lead in his brothers former #31 car. Pratt fell out of the top five briefly as Bobby Varin and Andy Bachetti were racing to the front. Bachetti was side by side with Johnson for the second spot on lap eleven but Johnson was strong to the challenge and kept the position.
Ward was the point leader coming into the night and started the event in the eighth spot. On lap twelve Ward was up to the fifth position after getting by Ronnie Johnson with Romano out to a big lead at that point. When Romano got into lap traffic on lap seventeen, Johnson closed in on the leader using the low side of the speedway while Romano stuck to the high groove.
A caution flag slowed the field on lap twenty-nine and on the restart Johnson was the new leader with Ward now up to the third spot. One lap later, Ward got by Romano for the second spot as Romano suddenly slowed with a flat right rear tire ending his night on lap thirty-six bringing out another caution.
Pratt got his car back to the front towards the end of the event as he was racing side by side with Varin for the third spot which he eventually took over with ten laps to go. At that point Johnson was pulling away from the field but when he caught the rear of the field and started lapping cars Ward was able to close in. Ward was just about to try the outside groove around Johnson in turn four with four laps to go when the lap car of Jeff Isabel spun right in front of the leaders. All got by safely as the yellow flew again.
On the restart, Ward didn’t let Johnson get away as he pressured him in every turn for the lead over the remaining laps. When Ward got out of the high groove and tried the low line in turn two, he got a little out of shape allowing Johnson to get away and go on to the win followed by Ward, Pratt, Johnson, and Stewart Friesen who had to restart in the rear after pitting on lap four.
“It was a very exciting race and I gave it all that I had,” Ward said. “The top groove where I was running wasn’t as good as the bottom where Alan was but it was a good race. The point battle has gone back and forth between us all summer long and now it all comes down to one final race. I really need to learn how to draw for starting positions.”
2004 Fonda Speedway Sportsman Track Champion John McAuliffe started on the front row in the 30-lap Sportsman feature and took the lead at the drop of the green with Adam Ferri in tow. Bobby Hackel and Jeremiah Munson raced side by side for the fourth position early in the race with Jessica Zemken ahead in the third spot. Munson got the best of Hackel on lap five for the fourth spot and two laps later he also got by Zemken for the third position.
At that point McAuliffe was already in lap traffic allowing Ferri to close in on the leader. The yellow flag flew on lap fourteen when Ryan Larkin spun in turn two. Munson unfortunately drove into Larkin’s front end as he didn’t see the stopped car in the turn ending his evening while in the third position. All drivers were uninjured. On the restart a wild crash ensued in turn four with three cars involved including Bobby Hackel who flipped over the concrete wall in the turn. The red flag was thrown while the cars were cleaned up with no injuries to any drivers in the crash.
Ferri was forced to pit under the yellow flag period with a flat right rear tire and restarted at the rear of the field. McAuliffe led on the restart with Scott George getting by David Towns for the second spot with Zemken now third. McAuliffe pulled away to a big lead which he would maintain until the end as he went on to his fifth win of the season followed by George, Towns, Zemken, and Drew Fallis.
The winner of the 25-lap Pro Stock feature wasn’t decided until the final lap with nine lead changes by four drivers keeping the fans on the edge of their seats. Dean Charbonneau was the leader at the drop of the green flag but coming out of turn four he got out of shape and slid sideways in front of the field. 2004 track champion Kenny Gates was involved but was able to pit and return to restart the feature at the rear of the field.
Lori Cary was the leader as lap one was completed but lost it on the restart to Rob Langevin on the backstretch.
Langevin was using the high groove on the speedway while Cary was down low and she retook the lead for one lap on lap five before Langevin got back by her on the next lap. Bill Lobdell made it a three way battle for the lead on lap six getting by Cary for the second spot two laps later. Cary fell back to the fourth spot on lap fourteen when Frank Twing got by her but one lap later she was second again after getting by both Twing and Lobdell in a close, tight battle.
Cary continued her march to the front and got by Langevin to lead two laps before Langevin retook the point on lap eighteen with Robbie Speed joining in the race for the lead at that stage of the race. With two laps to go in the event, Speed was the new leader but coming out of turn four to the checkered flag Langevin was able to get by for his first career win at Fonda followed by Speed, Lobdell, Cary, and Gates.
Myron DeYoung and Randy Hall started the special 30-lap IMCA East National event on the front row with DeYoung taking the lead at the drop of the green flag. The yellow was out before any laps were completed in the feature event with an original restart taking place. DeYoung was the leader when the race was restarted but it was George Catanzano who was on the move from his eighth place starting position.
Catanzano took over the second spot as lap two was completed and gave the leader a little bump in the rear going down into turn one on lap three. Catanzano was the new leader on that very lap, getting the spot from DeYoung in turn three. From that point on Catanzano was on cruise control, surviving five more caution flags before the checkered flag came out.
Behind the leader 2004 track champion Danny Ballard, Danny Ody, Dale Caswell, and Steve Bidwell fought tooth and nail for the second spot running two and three wide at times. Ballard took over the second position for good on lap eight with Ody and Caswell still racing close for the third spot.
Lap traffic came into play with ten laps to go but Catanzano would not be denied as he went on to the $2,000 win followed by Ballard, Caswell, Bidwell, and Ody. Catanzano also won over $600 in lap money after leading most of the event.
Phil Pearson, Dwight Oldorf, and Dave Horning Jr. took turns leading the first five laps of the 20-lap Street Stock Open while Rocky Warner made his way to the front from his fourteenth place starting position. Warner took over the lead on lap six and held it until lap eleven when Oldorf retook the position. Warner was forced to the rear of the field at one point in the event as was Horning and it was a show in itself watching them come back to the front.
Come to the front was just what Warner did as he was the new leader with one lap to go after getting by Oldorf but Oldorf wasn’t about to be denied as the two cars ran side by side for the entire final lap. Coming out of turn four to the checkered flag, the two drivers were rubbing and bouncing off of each other with both cars getting out of shape on the frontstretch. Oldorf was quicker in correcting his slide sideways and took the win by less than a car length over Warner, Chuck McSpirit, D.T. Pickard, and Pete DeFiglio.
358-MODIFIED TIME TRIALS – 48 total cars took time – BRETT HEARN 19.407 sec 92.750 MPH, Billy Decker 19.520, A.J. Romano 19.539, Ronnie Johnson 19.698, Stewart Friesen 19.829, Bobby Varin 19.861, Pete Bicknell 19.863, Matt DeLorenzo 19.895, Andy Bachetti 20.001, Richie Pratt, Jr. 20.080, Alan Johnson 20.104, Willy Decker 20.109, Todd Burley 20.226, Pat Ward 20.237, Don Mattison 20.268, Dale Planck 20.297, Bobby Vedder 20.203, Bobby Hackel 20.405, Ron Holmes 20.509, Don Ackner 20.547 (time disallowed due to use of illegal tire compound), Kayle Robidoux 20.630, Ryan Phelps 20.661, Keith Flach 20.764, Josh Pieniazek 20.792, Ancel Collins 20.824, Paul Cirincione 20.829, Jeff Isabel 20.859, Jim Davis 20.911, Tim Clemons 20.960, Elmo Reckner 20.994, John Kollar 21.067, Ray Zemken 21.130, Ken Aanonsen 21.150, Chic Chandler 21.171, Ken McGuire 21.284, Ron Proctor 21.330, Craig Hanson 21.384, Jack Swinton 21.411, Mike Ward 21.429, John McAuliffe 21.443, Mike Dillenbeck 21.544, Neal Erickson 21.544, David Peek 21.550, Ed Pieniazek, Jr. 21.833, Brian Whittemore 21.874, Alan Houghtaling 22.616, D.J. McNabb 23.654, Darral Hulbert 23.788 – four drivers had no time including Ray Bliss, Drew Fallis, Kory Gurney, and Mike Fusco
MODIFIED HEAT RACES – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – A.J. Romano, Matt DeLorenzo, Todd Burley, Bobby Hackel
HEAT 2 – Ronnie Johnson, Pete Bicknell, Andy Bachetti, Ron Holmes
HEAT 3 – Stewart Friesen, Richie Pratt, Jr., Kayle Robidoux, Josh Pienaizek
HEAT 4 – Bobby Varin, Alan Johnson, Dale Planck, Ryan Phelps
HEAT 5 – Pat Ward, Willy Decker, Jim Davis, Keith Flach
MODIFIED CONSOLATIONS – 2 qualify
CONSI 1 – Tim Clemons, Jeff Isabel
CONSI 2 – Bobby Vedder, Don Mattison
CONSI 3 – Ray Zemken, Don Ackner
FARRELL OIL-KENDALL OIL/SCHWANS 358-MODIFIED FEATURE – 50-LAPS – ALAN JOHNSON, Pat Ward, Richie Pratt, Jr., Ronnie Johnson, Stewart Friesen, Brett Hearn, Bobby Varin, Todd Burley, Pete Bicknell, Willy Decker, Dale Planck, Ron Holmes, Kayle Robidoux, Tim Clemons, Josh Pieniazek, Ryan Phelps, Bobby Vedder, Don Mattison, Chic Chandler, Jeff Isabel, Andy Bachetti, A.J. Romano, Don Ackner, Jim Davis, Ray Zemken, Craig Hanson, Bobby Hackel, Keith Flach, Elmo Reckner, Billy Decker, Ray Bliss, Matt DeLorenzo
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 46 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – David Towns, Jeremiah Munson, Josh Hohenforst, Robert Perry, Jim Becker
HEAT 2 – John McAuliffe, Paul Carey, Kevin Wills, Adam Ferri, Clayton Brewer
HEAT 3 – Bobby Hackel, Jessica Zemken, Scott George, Eldon Payne, John Scarborough
HEAT 4 – Boyd MacTavish, Russ Hefti, Frank Harper, Keith Flach, Drew Fallis
SPORTSMAN CONSOLATIONS – 2 qualify
CONSI 1 – Mike Button, Elmo Reckner
CONSI 2 – Ryan Larkin, Kenny Stafford
FARRELL OIL-KENDALL OIL/SCHWANS SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 30-LAPS – JOHN MCAULIFFE, Scott George, David Towns, Jessica Zemken, Drew Fallis, Josh Hohenforst, Russ Hefti, Paul Carey, Rob Ledingham, Elmo Reckner, Mike Button, Boyd MacTavish, Chad Phelps, Keith Flach, Bob Henry, Jr., Robert Perry, Kenny Stafford, Kevin Wills, Adam Ferri, Kevin Bates, Mark Mortensen, Kyle Inman, Eldon Payne, Clayton Brewer, Frank Harper, John Scarborough, Jim Becker, Jeremiah Munson, Bobby Hackel, Ryan Larkin, Erik Nelson, Chris Garrity
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 33 total cars – 6 qualify
HEAT 1 – Rob Langevin, Lori Cary, Bill Lobdell, Frank Twing, Rod Slater, Chucky Dumblewski
HEAT 2 – Butchie Irwin, Jim Cronk, Roger Chrysler, Dean Charbonneau, Scott Liese, Mark Lighthall
HEAT 3 – Erik Yager, Jim Duncan, Robbie Speed, Hondo Carpenter, Kenny Gates, Bob VanAernam
PRO STOCK CONSI – 6 qualify – Kevin Ward, Rick Fosby, Jimmy Eaton, Bill Lobdell, Adam Haas, Scott Beals
FARRELL OIL-KENDALL OIL/SCHWANS PRO STOCK FEATURE – 25-LAPS – ROB LANGEVIN, Robbie Speed, Bill Lobdell, Lori Cary, Kenny Gates, Roger Chrysler, Hondo Carpenter, Jim Duncan, Dean Charbonneau, Chucky Dumblewski, Adam Haas, Jimmy Eaton, Mark Lighthall, Erik Yager, Scott Liese, Rick Fosby, Scott Beals, Bob VanAernam, Frank Twing, Ed Thompson, Rod Slater, Kevin Ward, Butchie Irwin, Jim Cronk
IMCA QUALIFYING – 34 total cars – 4 qualify
HEAT 1 – Sean Lias, Myron DeYoung, Bob Banks, JoJo Donato
HEAT 2 – Danny Ballard, Steve Vrooman, Danny Ody, Rob VanAernam
HEAT 3 – Skip Pabis, John DeYoung, Randy Hall, Carol Parker
HEAT 4 – George Catanzano, Steve Bidwell, Dale Caswell John Hill
IMCA CONSOLATIONS – 4 qualify
CONSI 1 – Kenny Gates, Aaron Jacobs, Phil Balmer, Jeremy Cramer
CONSI 2 – Mike Smith, Dennis Vroman, Richard Townsend, Lyle Smith
FARRELL OIL-KENDALL OIL/SCHWANS IMCA FEATURE – 30-LAPS – GEORGE CATANZANO, Danny Ballard, Dale Caswell, Steve Bidwell, Danny Ody, Skip Pabis, Aaron Jacobs, Kenny Gates, Rob VanAernam, JoJo Donato, Bob Banks, Phil Balmer, Dennis Vroman, Lyle Smith, Steve Vrooman, Carol Parker, Jeremy Cramer, Mike Smith, John Hill, Richard Townsend, John DeYoung, Myron DeYoung, Sean Lias, Randy Hall
STREET STOCK QUALIFYING – 39 total cars – 6 qualify
HEAT 1 – Dave Horning, Jr., Bill Duprey, Al Relyea, Justin Knight, Merv Blackwall, Paul Harding
HEAT 2 – Rocky Warner, Dan Hartgraves, Pete Broderson, Ed Hatch, David Emigh, John Palmer
HEAT 3 – Chuck McSpirit, Phil Pearson, Jeff Crosier, Dwight Oldorf, D.T. Pickard, Sam Surnear
STREET STOCK CONSOLATIONS – 5 qualify
CONSI 1 – Dan Pollack, Mike Jeske, Neil Cosselman, Sparky King, Paul Handlowich
CONSI 2 – Pete DeFiglio, Eric Sbrega, Dan Clemens, Pat Cram, Ivan Joslin
FARRELL OIL-KENDALL OIL/SCHWANS STREET STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DWIGHT OLDORF, Rocky Warner, Chuck McSpirit, D.T. Pickard, Pete DeFiglio, Al Relyea, Phil Pearson, Dave Horning, Jr., Merv Blackwall, Sam Surnear, Sparky King, Ed Hatch, Dan Pollack, Pat Cram, John Palmer, Eric Sbrega, Neal Cosselman, Ivan Joslin, Dan Clemens, Paul Harding, Pete Broderson, Justin Knight, David Emigh, Bill Duprey, Paul Handlowich, Mike Jeske, Jeff Crosier, Dan Hartgraves