DELORENZO WINS FONDA REGULAR SEASON OPENER
In 1999, Matt DeLorenzo began his stock car racing career in the sportsman division at Fonda Speedway. In early August of that season he won the first sportsman feature of his career before moving to the big block Modifieds the next season. DeLorenzo then scored his first career modified win at the Track of Champions in 2000 only to be disqualified for being underweight. In Fonda Speedways 2004 regular season opener on Saturday, April 17 he won again and this time there was nothing illegal about his race car.
When Matt DeLorenzo towed into the pit area at the Fonda Speedway Saturday afternoon he had no idea who the sponsor of the racing program was for the day. Ironically after winning the thirty lap modified feature with small block power under the hood he found out that the sponsor of the day was Polaris who presented him with a snowmobile jacket for winning the feature. So by now you are probably asking what this all means. Well as it turns out DeLorenzo also races snowmobiles and he is a factory driver for Polaris snowmobiles.
I had no idea that they were sponsoring the racing program today, DeLorenzo said in victory lane. My father came home from his vacation in North Carolina early just to see me race today and I have to thank him, my brother Mike, and my family for all of their support.
Ronnie Johnson started on the pole in the heads up start feature and immediately took the lead when the green flag was thrown to start the event. Johnson was out for a Sunday drive early as he pulled out to a straightaway lead by lap four. Two laps later he was in lap traffic with A.J. Romano, Alton Palmer, Dave Lape, and John Marsh, Jr. in tow.
On lap nine the first yellow flag of the event was out for Canadian driver Mario Clair who hit the wall in turn one. Clair was uninjured in the crash but was done for the day with heavy damage to his modified.
On the restart, Lape got by both Palmer and Romano for the second spot and set his sights on the leader. DeLorenzo started the event in the eighth position and after another caution on lap thirteen he got by Palmer for the fourth spot as the yellow was thrown again. This yellow was thrown by starter Bobby Watson who then warned Johnson about his last restart when he fired before the cone in turn three which is the designated restart point on the track.
The next restart was clean and green as Lape ducked under Johnson for the lead in turn four. Johnson was able to hold off Lape that time but the race was far from over. Lape stayed within striking distance of the leader until he hit the berm in turn four and lost ground to Johnson with DeLorenzo now third and closing in on the top two.
Jeff Trombley won consolation number two and started the feature event in the seventeenth spot. On lap twenty-three, Trombley was fourth and pressuring DeLorenzo for third. Trombley got alongside DeLorenzo twice coming out of turn four with the two cars making slight contact each time as DeLorenzo shut the door both times.
DeLorenzo and Trombley both got by Lape for the second and third positions on lap twenty five with the leader just ahead. Using the inside groove in turn two on lap twenty-eight, DeLorenzo took over the lead with the final caution of the event coming out for Marsh, Jr. who flipped in turn four. He was uninjured in the accident.
On the restart, DeLorenzo pulled away and went on to his first career modified win at Fonda as Johnson and Trombley raced close for second. Johnson ended up second followed by Trombley, Lape, and Romano.
My car was just great today and so was the race track, DeLorenzo said. I also want to thank the race fans for coming out today because you are all number one.
David Towns and Michael Ballestero started the sportsman feature on the front row with Ballestero taking the lead at the drop of the green flag. Jeremiah Munson started the event in the third position and moved into second after getting by Towns on lap four. Towns brought out the yellow flag on lap eight when he came to a stop in turn two bunching up the field.
On the restart, Munson got by Ballestero in turn four but his lead was short lived as Ballestero got back by on a restart one lap later with John McAuliffe now in the second position after also getting by Munson. On lap twelve McAuliffe got alongside Ballestero and the two raced side by side for the lead but Ballestero held on to the lead at that point.
Munson got back by McAuliffe for the second position with five laps to go as Bobby Hackel also got by for third. Munson made one last run at the leader as he raced alongside of Ballestero in turn one with only one lap remaining in the event but Ballestero was up to the challenge and went on to the win followed by Munson, Hackel, McAuliffe, and Reckner.
Steve Welch started the pro stock feature on the pole and immediately took the lead at the drop of the green flag. When Welch got out wide in turn three before the first lap was completed, Butchie Irwin got by for the lead. Kenny Gates started the event in the fourth spot and got by Irwin for the lead on lap three in between turns one and two.
Nick Stone fell back to the seventh position after starting fifth but started to make his way back up to the front on lap eight when he got by both Rob Noviczski and Mark Lighthall for the fifth spot. Stone was the only driver who was using the outside groove and was passing cars at will as he got by Kevin Ward, Irwin, and Welch into the second spot by lap eleven.
Two laps later Stone made his move around the outside of Gates for the lead and held off a late race challenge by Ward to take home the victory, the third of his career in the pro stock division. Ward, Gates, Irwin, and Lighthall completed the top five.
Bob VanAernam started his defense of the 2003 street stock track title by taking the early lead in the first of two street stock feature events. Jeff Crosier took over the second spot on lap three and pressured the leader for the remainder of the event as the two raced side by side at times during different stages of the race. VanAernam held on for the win followed by Crosier, Luke Horning, Rocky Warner, and Steve Cosselman.
The second street stock feature began with D.T. Pickard the early leader with Phil Pearson in second. Pearson was the new leader when lap five was completed after getting by Pickard in turn three and he cruised on to an easy win, the first of his career. Ron Tollner finished second followed by Paul Hughes, Ed Bradt, and Dwight Oldorf.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING 32 total cars 4 qualify
HEAT 1 A.J. Romano, John Marsh, Jr., Josh Pieniazek, Billy Osta
HEAT 2 Ronnie Johnson, Mario Clair, Matt DeLorenzo, Chic Chandler
HEAT 3 Alton Palmer, Jack Johnson, Dave Lape, Tony Pepicelli
MODIFIED CONSOLATIONS 5 qualify
CONSI 1 Ray Zemken, Don Mattison, Steve Akers, Jim Davis, Chris Kokosa
CONSI 2 Jeff Trombley, Ken Hanson, Jerry Pennock, Jr., Erik Gall, Joe Geniti
POLARIS MODIFIED FEATURE 30-LAPS MATT DELORENZO, Ronnie Johnson, Jeff Trombley, Dave Lape, A.J. Romano, Tony Pepicelli, Alton Palmer, Jack Johnson, Ronnie Holmes, Bobby Vedder, Josh Pieniazek, Jim Davis, Don Mattison, Ken Hanson, Craig Hanson, Billy Osta, Bobby Varin, Erik Gall, Chic Chandler, Jerry Pennock, Jr., Steve Akers, Ray Zemken, John Marsh, Jr., Joe Geniti, Harry Shaffer, Mario Clair
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING 28 total cars 5 qualify
HEAT 1 David Towns, Bobby Hackel, Tony Farone, Jim Burton, Joe Williams
HEAT 2 Michael Ballestero, Elmo Reckner, Drew Fallis, John Scarborough, Erik Nelson
HEAT 3 Jeremiah Munson, Keith Flach, Tim Mayne, Mike Ketchum, Pete Sisler
POLARIS SPORTSMAN FEATURE 20-LAPS MICHAEL BALLESTERO, Jeremiah Munson, Bobby Hackel, John McAuliffe, Elmo Reckner, Tony Farone, John Scarborough, Drew Fallis, Joe Williams, John Johnson, Chris Garrity, Mark Kislowski, Erik Nelson, Pete Sisler, Jim Meka, John Constantino, Josh Hohenforst, Ricky Quick, Tom LaPlante, Tim Mayne, Mike Ketchum, Keith Flach, Jim Burton, Mark Mortensen, David Towns, Pat OHanlon, Bubba Barber, Dave Colwell
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING 19 total cars 5 qualify
HEAT 1 Steve Welch, Kevin Ward, Nick Stone, Rob VanAernam, Rob Noviczski
HEAT 2 Butchie Irwin, Kenny Gates, Steve Burega, Wayne Patrick, Jerry Pepper
POLARIS PRO STOCK FEATURE 20-LAPS NICK STONE, Kevin Ward, Kenny Gates, Butchie Irwin, Mark Lighthall, Rob Noviczski, Hondo Carpenter, Jerry Pepper, Steve Welch, Wayne Patrick, Steve Burega, Rob VanAernam, Jason Brownell, Joey Duncan, Chip Smith, Chuck McSpirit, Luke Klob, Rod Slater, Roger Keeny
POLARIS STREET STOCK FEATURE #1 12-LAPS BOB VANAERNAM, Jeff Crosier, Luke Horning, Rocky Warner, Steve Cosselman, Frank Guiffre, Guy Klob, John Babcock, Howard Smith, John Bradt, Neil Cosselman, Don Warner, Mike Budka, Jr., Dan Clemens, Joe Smith, Brian Cosselman
POLARIS STREET STOCK FEATURE #2 12-LAPS PHIL PEARSON, Ron Tollner, Paul Hughes, Ed Bradt, Dwight Oldorf, Mike Burdo, John Quintana, Howie Clark, Duke McSpirit, Cassidy Wilson, Sam Surnear, Ulysses Taylor, Tim Veeder, D.T. Pickard, Ivan Joslin, Dan Hartgraves