MODIFIED ROOKIE WINS AT FONDA
FONDA, NY After spending three seasons in the Sportsman division, Billy Osta decided to move up to the Modified division in 2004 with big block power under the hood of his #22B. The move paid off for the young Rotterdam resident as he stood in victory lane at Fonda last evening after winning his first career feature as a Modified rookie on PCE Plumbing & CW Builders Night.
Ironically two young men who are the same age stood in victory lane at the end of the night as both Osta and Mark Mortensen who won the Sportsman feature are both nineteen years of age.
After doing donuts in the infield to celebrate, Osta stood proudly on victory lane. This is unbelievable, he said. It is awesome. I was fast right out of the box so I kept going, hit my marks, and ended up here. It was far from an easy win for Osta as he had to hold off a Hall of Fame veteran for the win.
Ken Aanonsen and Osta brought the field down to the green flag with an early yellow being thrown before lap one was completed. As the cars entered turn two, Ray Zemken got crossed up in the turn sliding sideways in front of the rest of the field. Ten cars ended up being involved including last weeks feature winner Bobby Varin, Alton Palmer, and Mike Romano who was making his first start of the season. Both of them along with many others were done for the night but fortunately nobody was injured.
On the restart, Osta was again the leader with Ken Aanonsen in tow. Back in the field, last years Modified Track Champion Dave Lape was coming to the front quickly, sitting in the seventh position after starting twelfth. The next two laps saw Lape get by both Ryan Odasz and Ronnie Holmes for fifth using both the high and low grooves on the track to get by. Robert King was just ahead of Lape in the fourth position and was running well keeping Lape at bay behind him for many laps.
On lap nine, Lape got by King for the fourth spot with lap traffic now coming into play for the leader. Osta looked like a veteran getting through the lap traffic with Aanonsen, Ronnie Johnson, Lape, and King completing the top five. Lape got by both Johnson and Aanonsen with ten laps remaining in the event and from that point on it was the battle of the cars numbered twenty-two.
Osta was still passing lap cars at will in his #22B while Lape slowly closed in, in his #22. With eight laps to go, Lape was right on the rear bumper of the leader with Osta quicker on the straight-aways while Lape was faster in the turns. Osta never slipped up and went on for his first win ever at the Track of Champions.
I never really thought about winning this year in a Modified, Osta said. I was always hoping to get a win in the Sportsman division the last three years but it never came. I have to thank my mother and father, Alton Palmer and his crew, all of my crew and sponsors for getting me here tonight.
2004 DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee Lape was second followed by Johnson, Aanonsen, and King. Lape will be inducted into the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame on Sunday, May 30 in Weedsport, NY.
The 25-lap URC Sprint Car feature began with a four wide salute to the fans parade lap and when the green flag flew for the feature event it was Ed Aikin the early leader followed by Pete Green. Green got alongside of the leader coming out of turn four on lap three and at the line took the lead from Aikin.
Brian Seidel started the event in the eighth spot and quickly moved to the front, running in the fourth spot on lap four. Josh Weller and Seidel both got by Aikin on lap six for the second and third positions with Seidel getting by Weller for second on lap eight. On the same lap, Seidel ducked under Green for the lead in turn four.
The caution flag flew with two laps to go in the event closing up the field and giving Green and Curt Michael one last shot. Michael had worked his way up to third after starting back in the eleventh position but Seidel pulled away on the restart and went on to the win over Green, Michael, Cliff Brian, and Kevin Welsh.
I have to thank Jack Johnson for helping me get this win, Seidel said in victory lane. I talked to him earlier this year and asked him about the track conditions at Fonda. I asked him if the track would take rubber and he told me that it would. We went by what he told us and pretty much had an experimental setup in this car tonight.
John Johnson and Mark Mortensen started the Sportsman feature from the front row with Johnson taking the early lead. Before the first lap was completed, Mortensen took over the top spot with Joe Williams and Jeremiah Munson making their way to the front early on. The caution flag flew on lap six for Williams who climbed the backstretch wall and ended up with a flat right front tire. Williams pitted and continued on in the event.
It took three restarts to get the feature going again with Elmo Reckner and Mortensen swapping the lead on two of those restarts. The third of those cautions was thrown for Reckner who had jumped the restart and when order was finally restored Mortensen took the lead as the green was thrown again. Mortensen held on despite heavy lap traffic with five laps to go and went on to his first career win at Fonda followed by Reckner, Bobby Hackel, Munson, and David Towns.
In victory lane Mortensen had this to say about his win. Its about time. The outside was good tonight and that is where I ran for most of the feature.
Rod Slater and Chuck McSpirit started the Pro Stock feature on the front row with Slater taking the early lead. Luke Klob took over the third spot early on and immediately began to pressure the top two of Joey Duncan and Slater. Klob was the new leader when the lap counter clicked on lap three as he got around both Duncan and Slater on the outside of turns three and four.
Kenny Gates started in the seventh spot and by lap five he was already third. Gates got by Duncan for second two laps later and quickly caught the leader. On lap eight, Gates was the new leader after a side by side battle with Klob. Gates went on to his second win of 2004 followed by last weeks winner Mark Lighthall, Rob Noviczski, Steve Welch, and Nick Stone.
Dan Clemens led the caution filled Street Stock A feature at the start until lap four when D.T. Pickard took over the lead. Dave Horning, Jr. started the event in the tenth spot and moved quickly to the front with all of the yellow flags closing up the field many times. Horning, Jr. took over the lead on lap six and went on to his first win of 2004 followed by Clemens, Pete Broderson, Ivan Joslin, and Howie Clark.
Paul Hughes led early on in the Street Stock B feature with an early yellow coming out before lap one was completed. The yellow was for last years Street Stock Track Champion Bob VanAernam who came to a stop on the backstretch. VanAernam pitted and restarted in the rear of the field. On the restart, Jeff Crosier was the new leader while VanAernam started his march back to the front.
This event was also caution filled and on a lap six restart VanAernam was already up to second. When something broke on the leaders car with two laps to go in the event, VanAernam was the new leader as he went from worse to first in twelve laps for his third win of the season. Phil Pearson, Dan Hartgraves, Guy Klob, and Don Warner completed the top five.
Next week at Fonda a regular show is on the racing card in all divisions starting at 6:00 p.m.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING 34 total cars 5 qualify
HEAT 1 Robert King, Matt DeLorenzo, Derrick McGrew, Alton Palmer, Mike Romano
HEAT 2 Erik Gall, A.J. Romano, Ray Zemken, Craig Hanson, John Marsh, Sr.
HEAT 3 Ronnie Johnson, Ken Aanonsen, Dave Lape, Bobby Varin, Ken Hanson
HEAT 4 Billy Osta, Ryan Odasz, Ronnie Holmes, Jeff Trombley, Jack Johnson
MODIFIED CONSOLATIONS 2 qualify
CONSI 1 Tony Pepicelli, Josh Pieniazek
CONSI 2 Mike Fusco, Bobby Vedder
PCE PLUMBING & CW BUILDERS MODIFIED FEATURE 30-LAPS BILLY OSTA, Dave Lape, Ronnie Johnson, Ken Aanonsen, Robert King, Ryan Odasz, Jeff Trombley, Matt DeLorenzo, A.J. Romano, Jack Johnson, Ronnie Holmes, Jim Davis, Mike Fusco, Derrick McGrew, Ken Hanson, Tony Pepicelli, Don Mattison, Ray Zemken, John Marsh, Sr., Steve Akers, Josh Pieniazek, Chic Chandler, Craig Hanson, Erik Gall, Alton Palmer, Bobby Varin, Mike Romano, Bobby Vedder
URC SPRINT CAR QUALIFYING 27 total cars 6 qualify
HEAT 1 Josh Weller, Curt Michael, Bill Brian, Justin Collett, Jason Clauss, Dave Ely
HEAT 2 Kevin Welsh, Chris Coyle, Dave Gable, Dave McGough, Junior Martin, Mike Haggenbottom
HEAT 3 Pete Green, Cliff Brian, Ed Aikin, Brian Seidel, Kramer Williamson, Sean Michael
URC SPRINT CAR B-MAIN 6 qualify Scott Pursell, Randy West, Tim Hogue, Warren Alexson, Mike Stoer, Mike Kostic
PCE PLUMBING & CW BUILDERS URC SPRINT FEATURE 25-LAPS BRIAN SEIDEL, Pete Green, Curt Michael, Cliff Brian, Kevin Welsh, Sean Michael, Dave Ely, Dave McGough, Ed Aikin, Kramer Williamson, Bill Brian, Mike Haggenbottom, Tim Hogue, Chris Coyle, Randy West, Dave Gable, Jason Clauss, Scott Pursell, Mike Kostic, Warren Alexson, Junior Martin, Mike Stoer, Josh Weller, Justin Collett
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING 28 total cars 5 qualify
HEAT 1 Joe Williams, Jeremiah Munson, Jim Burton, John Johnson, Keith Flach
HEAT 2 John McAuliffe, David Towns, Mike Ketchum, Mark Mortensen, Mark Kislowski
HEAT 3 Drew Fallis, Elmo Reckner, Bobby Hackel, Tony Farone, Michael Ballestero
SPORTSMAN CONSOLATION 9 qualify Tim Clemons, Jr., Pat OHanlon, Keith Nichols, Erik Nelson, Randy Meka, John Constantino, Josh Hohenforst, Pete Sisler, Ricky Quick
PCE PLUMBING & CW BUILDERS SPORTSMAN FEATURE 20-LAPS MARK MORTENSEN, Elmo Reckner, Bobby Hackel, Jeremiah Munson, David Towns, Michael Ballestero, John McAuliffe, Drew Fallis, Tony Farone, Mike Ketchum, Jim Burton, Joe Williams, John Johnson, Keith Flach, Tim Clemons, Jr., Pat OHanlon, Erik Nelson, Josh Hohenforst, Randy Meka, John Constantino, Mark Kislowski, Keith Nichols, Ricky Quick, Pete Sisler
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING 18 total cars 6 qualify
HEAT 1 Butchie Irwin, Mark Lighthall, Rob Noviczski, Rod Slater, Joey Duncan, Nick Stone
HEAT 2 Luke Klob, Steve Welch, Kenny Gates, Chuck McSpirit, Rob VanAernam, Hondo Carpenter
PCE PLUMBING & CW BUILDERS PRO STOCK FEATURE 20 LAPS KENNY GATES, Mark Lighthall, Rob Noviczski, Steve Welch, Nick Stone, Luke Klob, Butchie Irwin, Chucky Dumblewski, Kevin Ward, Hondo Carpenter, Chuck McSpirit, Rod Slater, Wayne Patrick, Chip Smith, Joey Duncan, Bill Dona, Rob VanAernam
PCE PLUMBING & CW BUILDERS STREET STOCK A FEATURE 12-LAPS DAVE HORNING, JR., Dan Clemens, Pete Broderson, Ivan Joslin, Howie Clark, Jon Quintana, Cassidy Wilson, Mike Budka, Jr., Philip Tenerowicz, Matt Grenier, D.T. Pickard, Ulysses Taylor, Michael Burton, Tim Veeder, Paul Chichester
PCE PLUMBING & CW BUILDERS STREET STOCK B FEATURE 12-LAPS BOB VANAERNAM, Phil Pearson, Dan Hartgraves, Guy Klob, Don Warner, John Bradt, Paul Hughes, Howard Smith, Neil Cosselman, Brian Cosselman, Jeff Crosier, Dwight Oldorf, Rocky Warner, Frank Guiffre, John Babcock, Luke Horning, Joe Smith