VARIN TAKES NEW CAR TO VICTORY LANE AT FONDA
After missing the first race of the season due to not having a motor ready for the race car, Bobby Varin came to Fonda with a vengeance fighting his way into the top five in points coming into last evening. On Rite Aid Night at the Track of Champions, Varin raced to the win in a game of what he called “Cat & Mouse” with last years point champion Dave Lape. All in all the fans were treated to great racing in all divisions with two first time winners in victory lane at the end of the night.
“He slid up in front of me to take the lead with one lap to go and forced me to check up,” Varin said in victory lane. “Turnabout is fair play so I returned the favor and did a slide job on him forcing him to back off and I went on to the win. I knew that he was right there for the last half of the race but he is a great driver and he raced me clean.”
The wild 30-lap Modified feature began with Modified rookie Billy Osta taking the lead from his outside pole starting spot. Ryan Odasz who has had nothing but bad luck so far this season moved into the second spot at the completion of lap one after starting fourth.
Varin who was a rocket ship at the last event held at Fonda two weeks ago was a rocket ship again as he got by Odasz for the second spot on lap one after starting tenth. An early yellow was out at that point and on the restart Varin was the new leader. Back further in the field, Jack Johnson and Lape were making their way to the front racing for position just out of the top five. Lape broke into the top five first getting by Odasz for fourth on lap five.
The top three were a straightaway ahead at that point as Varin was setting a torrid pace but it didn’t take Lape too long to close in. When Osta slid up high on the back stretch on lap thirteen, Jeff Trombley and Lape were both able to get by for the second and third positions. Trombley got alongside of Varin for the lead coming out of turn four on lap fourteen but Varin squeezed Trombley between himself and the wall forcing Trombley to back off as Varin held onto the lead.
Lape got by Trombley for second on lap sixteen after slight contact was made between the two cars in turn four with the red flag coming out at that point. During the red flag period, both Varin and Trombley got out of their cars to check them over as Trombley was fighting a slight overheating problem. Trombley was able to continue on to the finish.
On the restart, Varin pulled away from Lape but the Andy’s Speed Shop #22 closed back in with ten laps to go. On lap twenty-nine the lap car of Craig Hanson slid up high on the backstretch right in front of Varin causing the leader to check up allowing Lape to get a run on him. In turn four, Lape and Varin swapped the lead with Varin coming out on top when the checkered flag flew. Lape was second followed by Trombley, A.J. Romano, and Jack Johnson.
Varin was running a Rite Aid sticker on his roof in a one race sponsorship deal with Rite Aid and he praised their loyalty to the sport of racing in victory lane. “I won on Rite Aid Night last year and I have to thank them,” he said in victory lane. “I appreciate their support and it was great to get this new Teo car into victory lane tonight.”
The Sportsman feature was just as wild as the Modified feature was with Drew Fallis leading at the start from his second row starting position. After starting fifth, Michael Ballestero moved into second on lap two with Fallis already a straightaway ahead. Ballestero closed in on the leader on the next lap and took the lead on lap four on the outside of turn four. Fallis wasn’t about to give up though as he raced side by side with Ballestero as they swapped the lead many times for the next two laps.
Ballestero finally got the lead for good by the lap seven mark of the event when the first of two caution flags came out. On the restart, David Towns raced by Fallis for the second spot and caught up to the leader on lap thirteen. Three laps later Ballestero was in lap traffic allowing Towns to get alongside him and a lap car in a bonsai move in turn three but Ballestero was able to hold the lead at that point. Towns made a move stick on the outside of turn four to take the lead from Ballestero on lap eighteen.
The final caution of the race came out on lap nineteen and on the restart Ballestero did a little bump and run on Towns to take over the lead briefly on the back stretch. Towns came back to retake the lead in turn four and went onto his first career win in the Sportsman division at Fonda. Tony Farone finished second followed by Elmo Reckner, John McAuliffe, and Jeremiah Munson.
Butchie Irwin was the first to lead the Pro Stock feature at the drop of the green flag followed closely by Mark Lighthall who started sixth. Steve Welch started the feature in the ninth position but moved quickly to the front taking a position per lap starting on lap four. By lap ten he was in the third spot and closing in on the top two of Irwin and Lighthall.
Kenny Gates got by both Welch and Lighthall for the second spot after moving up to the outside groove where nobody else was running. With five laps to go in the event, Gates got alongside of Irwin for the lead coming out of turn four but Irwin blocked the move and made contact with Gates sending Gates up in the turn four wall. Gates pitted and returned but was never a factor during the remainder of the event.
A new challenger came into play with two laps to go as Hondo Carpenter copied Gates’ move to the outside groove getting past Lighthall for second and pressuring the leader as the top eight cars were all together in one pack. On the last lap coming out of turn four, Carpenter got alongside of Irwin for the lead but Irwin shut the door again just as he did to Gates almost forcing Carpenter into the wall.
Instead in a twist of fate Irwin was the one who ended up in the frontstretch wall as Lighthall got by for the lead and the win. Welch, Nick Stone, Kevin Ward, and Carpenter completed the top five. For Lighthall it was his first career Pro Stock win at Fonda.
Jeff Davis led at the start of the IMCA feature from his third place starting spot after a one lap side by side battle with Steve Vrooman. Davis was strong on the lead early on in the event continuously keeping Vrooman at bay as the two raced close for the lead. Only one caution flag slowed the event on lap eleven and on the restart George Catanzano was up to the third spot after starting tenth.
When Davis slid up high on the backstretch on lap thirteen, Catanzano was the new leader with Steve Bidwell getting by both Vrooman and Davis for second. With two laps to go, Bidwell closed in on Catanzano but at the checkered flag it was Catanzano going on to his third win of the season followed by Bidwell, Vrooman, Danny Ody, and Danny Ballard.
Ivan Joslin and Howie Clark shared the lead on lap one of the Street Stock “A” feature with Clark taking the spot as lap one was completed. Joe Smith took over the lead on the inside of turn two on lap five after starting eighth but Smith’s lead was short lived as Dan Hartgraves took over the lead on lap six.
Hartgraves survived a challenge from Don Warner and went on for the win despite smoke coming from his car as the checkered flag flew. In post race inspection, Hartgraves was disqualified for illegal valve covers and illegal aluminum pulleys on the motor handing the win over to Warner who was followed by Rocky Warner, Mike Budka, Jr., Smith, and Clark.
The caution flag flew three times in the 12-lap Street Stock “B” feature with Duke McSpirit and Steve Cosselman taking turns leading lap one. Last years Street Stock track champion Bob VanAernam started the event in the sixth spot but was already challenging for the lead at the completion of lap one. VanAernam took over the lead on lap two and went on to his second win of the season followed by Phil Pearson, Dwight Oldorf, John Bradt, and Frank Guiffre.
Next week Fonda Speedway will celebrate the Memorial Day weekend with the URC Sprint cars along with Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, and Street Stocks. Starting time will be 6:00 p.m.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 33 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Billy Osta, Jeff Trombley, Dave Lape, Ronnie Johnson, Chic Chandler
HEAT 2 – Erik Gall, Jim Davis, Tony Pepicelli, Bobby Vedder, Derrick McGrew
HEAT 3 – Bobby Varin, Jack Johnson, Ken Aanonsen, Kenny Hanson, Mike Fusco
HEAT 4 – Alton Palmer, Ryan Odasz, A.J. Romano, John Marsh, Sr., Don Mattison
MODIFIED CONSOLATIONS – 3 qualify
CONSI 1 – Matt DeLorenzo, Jerry Pennock, Jr., Craig Hanson
CONSI 2 – Robert King, Jeremy Matthies, Josh Pieniazek
RITE AID MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-LAPS – BOBBY VARIN, Dave Lape, Jeff Trombley, A.J. Romano, Jack Johnson, Alton Palmer, Bobby Vedder, Jim Davis, Ryan Odasz, Mike Fusco, Kenny Hanson, Jerry Pennock, Jr., Erik Gall, Derrick McGrew, Steve Akers, Chic Chandler, Don Mattison, Craig Hanson, Jeremy Matthies, Josh Pieniazek, Kory Gurney, Billy Osta, Tony Pepicelli, Ronnie Johnson, Keith Shoemaker, Ken Aanonsen
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 27 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Tony Farone, Drew Fallis, Jessica Zemken, Elmo Reckner, Joe Williams
HEAT 2 – Michael Ballestero, Bobby Hackel, Robert Perry, Josh Hohenforst, Erik Nelson
HEAT 3 – John McAuliffe, David Towns, T.J. Clemons, Jeremiah Munson, Mark Kislowski
RITE AID SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20-LAPS – DAVID TOWNS, Tony Farone, Elmo Reckner, John McAuliffe, Jeremiah Munson, Bobby Hackel, Joe Williams, Robert Perry, Jim Burton, Mark Mortensen, John Johnson, Keith Flach, Tom LaPlante, Mark Kislowski, Josh Hohenforst, John Cefala, Michael Ballestero, Pete Sisler, John Constantino, T.J. Clemons, Keith Nichols, Drew Fallis, Pat O’Hanlon, Erik Nelson, Bubba Barber, Jim Meka, Jessica Zemken
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 16 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Butchie Irwin, Mark Lighthall, Rod Slater, Nick Stone, Hondo Carpenter
HEAT 2 – Luke Klob, Rob Noviczski, Kenny Gates, Chuck McSpirit, Steve Welch
RITE AID PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – MARK LIGHTHALL, Steve Welch, Nick Stone, Kevin Ward, Hondo Carpenter, Butchie Irwin, Rob Noviczski, Luke Klob, Wayne Patrick, Joe Duncan, Chuck McSpirit, Jeff Crosier, Rod Slater, Kenny Gates, Chip Smith, Jason Brownell
IMCA QUALIFYING – 21 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Danny Ody, Steve Bidwell, Kurt Olsen, Shawn Simmons, Tom Funk
HEAT 2 – Jeff Davis, Danny Ballard, George Catanzano, Steve Vrooman, JoJo Donato
RITE AID IMCA FEATURE – 20-LAPS – GEORGE CATANZANO, Steve Bidwell, Steve Vrooman, Danny Ody, Danny Ballard, Kurt Olsen, Jeff Davis, Shawn Simmons, Tom Funk, Aaron Jacobs, Darcy Volans, Eric Stumpf, Hondo Carpenter, Rob VanAernam, Bob Wilkie, JoJo Donato, Chris Reckner, Carol Parker, Skip Pabis
RITE AID STREET STOCK “A” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – DON WARNER, Rocky Warner, Mike Budka, Jr., Joe Smith, Howie Clark, Dave Horning, Jr., Ulysses Taylor, Howard Smith, Dan Pollock, Ivan Joslin, Cassidy Wilson, Dan Clemens, Waren Pollock, Dan Hartgraves
RITE AID STREET STOCK “B” FEATURE – 12-LAPS – BOB VANAERNAM, Phil Pearson, Dwight Oldorf, John Bradt, Frank Guiffre, John Babcock, Steve Cosselman, Neil Cosselman, Brian Cosselman, Duke McSpirit, Guy Klob, Ron Tollner, Luke Horning, Paul Hughes, Jeff Crosier