A VERY SPECIAL WIN FOR ALTON PALMER
Last October at Super DIRT Week in Syracuse, Alton Palmer was involved in a scary wreck with some serious injuries incurred. Some people may have thought that he wouldn’t race again but he never had any doubts that he would. When he got home from Syracuse, new cars were ordered from Bobby Hearn at Teo and he began planning for the 2002 racing season.
Last night at the Fonda Speedway, he won the Modified feature in convincing fashion making the comeback from his crash and his injuries complete. "That accident happened in October, this is April and we are starting all over again," he said in victory lane. "My crew has been working on this car as I take care of my business, I tell them what I want, they give it to me, and I can’t thank them enough."
The evening started out on a scary note in Modified warm-ups when the throttle stuck on the #12A of Jack Johnson as he was coming down the backstretch. He ended up hitting the concrete barrier just to the right of where the cars come out of the pit area in turn four. When he hit he wall with the right side of the car it ended up on its side for a minute only to come down before flipping completely over. The impact of the crash put the right front tire back to the firewall and bent the top of the seat forward. The main driver’s compartment was still intact and Johnson wasn’t injured. He ended up racing in his son Ronnie’s #7 for the remainder of the night.
Amsterdam, NY driver Mike Fusco took the lead at the drop of the green flag for the Modified feature with an early caution out after Bobby Varin and Mike Romano came together resulting in Romano hitting the wall in turn three. Romano was done for the evening and on the restart Fusco continued to lead, pulling out to a half straightaway advantage on lap two.
Jack Johnson and last weeks winner Jeff Trombley were coming up through the pack after starting in the back of the pack as the yellow came out again. Johnson was in his son Ronnie’s car after crashing his own number 12A in warm-ups. Tony Pepicelli was third on this restart with Fusco and Ken Hanson just ahead of him. Ronnie Holmes was third on lap six after getting by Hanson with Alton Palmer following Holmes through.
Palmer got by Holmes for the third position on lap eleven while the leader Fusco and Pepicelli were a straightaway ahead of him. Lap cars came into play on lap sixteen as Palmer caught up to Pepicelli and got by for second on the next lap when Pepicelli was caught behind a lap car.
Next up for Palmer was the leader Fusco who he got by on the outside in turn two. Palmer used the outside groove to get to the front and that never changed once he got the lead as he used the same groove to stretch out his lead to a full straightaway with five laps to go.
One final caution slowed the field on lap twenty-nine setting up a one lap dash for the win. On the restart a car came to a stop in turn one setting up another restart and giving Fusco one final chance.
Palmer pulled away on the restart and picked up a very special win after what he has been through since last October. Completing the top ten were Fusco, Holmes, A.J. Romano, Pepicelli, Trombley, Craig Criscone, Floyd Billington, Randy Snyder, and Jerry Pennock, Jr.
Bobby Hackel was the early leader in the Sportsman feature but that was only for a short period of time as Drew Fallis took over the lead in turn two on the first lap. Ryan Odasz took over second on lap three from Fallis who was also passed by Hackel for the third spot.
Odasz was the new leader after a restart on lap eight with Jim Davis now second. Odasz was a straightaway ahead of Davis by lap ten but that was when lap cars came into play. Odasz was slowed by a lap car allowing Davis to get by for the lead on lap thirteen. Two laps later another caution was out for a pileup in turn three.
On this restart, Davis maintained the lead with Odasz a close second. Tony Farone flipped in turn one on lap sixteen bringing out yet another caution. He was uninjured. As Davis continued to lead, Odasz slipped up high on the backstretch losing ground to the leader and allowing Davis to get away for the win followed by Odasz, Hackel, Mike Ballestero, Fallis, Kenny Martin, John McAuliffe, Jason Otty, Elmo Reckner, and Ray Zemken.
The Pro Stock feature began with Steve Vrooman in the number one position followed by Steve Cosselman. Jeff Patrick started the event in the third position and got by Cosselman for second as the lap counter clicked off the first lap. Rob VanAernam who moved up to the Pro Stock division this year got alongside Cosselman for third with the two running side by side for a couple of laps before VanAernam finally took over the position.
Bobby Gile and Butchie Irwin also got by Cosselman before Cosselman retired from the event on lap six. Vrooman held a straightaway lead on lap nine, in lap traffic, as the yellow came out for a spin on the front stretch. On lap eleven, Vrooman bobbled in turn two allowing Patrick to get by for the lead.
On lap thirteen, VanAernam spun in turn two ending a good run for him. The accident also involved Jim Normoyle and Kenny Gates among others. Nobody was injured and all were able to continue. Rob Noviczski and Chris Morris were pressuring Nick Stone for the sixth position with Noviczski getting by while Morris battled with Stone for the remainder of the event.
Patrick celebrated his birthday with the win, the first of his career. Vrooman, Irwin, Noviczski, Gile, Morris, Stone, Scott Govertson, last week’s winner Jay Resch, and Hondo Carpenter completed the top ten.
The IMCA’s were in action for the first time in 2002 with young gun Joe Williams taking the lead at the drop of the green flag with Willy Reed in tow. Williams held a half straightaway lead on lap six with the first yellow of the event coming out as last year’s champion Steve Bidwell came in contact with the front stretch wall. Bidwell was uninjured but was done for the night.
Mike Bungay got the lead from Williams in turn four on a lap nine restart only to have Williams come right back and retake the lead on the next lap in nearly the same spot on the track. Keith Ackerknecht took over third on lap ten but four laps later he and Bungay came together allowing Dan Ballard to get by both o them for the second position. On the next lap, Ackerknecht retired from the event while running in the top five.
Williams led the remaining laps for his first win of the 2002 season and was followed by Ballard, Steve Hough, Bungay, Jim Rajczi, Kevin Buff, Dennis Vroman, Darcy Volans, Fred Proctor, and Jason Miller.
Donnie Oldick was the leader at the drop of the green in the Street Stock "A" feature and held that position until lap four when Jeff Davis took over the position which he held for the remainder of the twelve lap feature event. Dave Horning, Jr., Randy Moore, John Babcock, Kenny Barth, Don Warner, Oldick, Paul Hughes, Joe Smith, and Brian Stangle completed the top ten.
The Street Stock "B" feature started with Jeff Crosier as the leader of the event. Shawn Simmons took the lead away on lap two using the outside groove in turn two to get by. On a restart after a yellow flag on lap four, Jo Jo Donato was the new leader but that only lasted one lap as Bob VanAernam got by on the inside in turn three for the number one spot which he would hold for the remainder of the event. Ron Tollner finished second after starting thirteenth and was followed by Donato, Crosier, Carol Parker, John Johnson, Wayne Gaige, Jim Colson, Mike Budka, Jr., and Shawn Laport.
Next Saturday, May 4, a regular show takes to the Track of Champions along with the Northeast Sprint Car Association Super Sprints (formerly the ELS Sprints) with a 6:00 p.m. starting time.
MODIFIED FEATURE – 30 LAPS – ALTON PALMER, Mike Fusco, Ronnie Holmes, A.J. Romano, Tony Pepicelli, Jeff Trombley, Craig Criscone, Floyd Billington, Randy Snyder, Jerry Pennock Jr, Bobby Vedder, Ken Hanson, John Bellinger, Paul Cirincione III, Ron Proctor, Chris Kokosa, Eric Gall, Jack Gentile, Bobby Varin, Dave Lape, Jack Johnson, John Marsh Jr, Chic Chandler, Bob Sitterly, Billy Gray, Craig Hanson, Mike Romano
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20 LAPS – JIM DAVIS, Ryan Odasz, Bobby Hackel, Mike Ballestero, Drew Fallis, Kenny Martin, John McAuliffe, Jason Otty, Elmo Reckner, Ray Zemken, John LeClair, Mike Frasier, Billy Osta, Tim Clemons, Joe Geniti, Robert Perry, Steve Akers, John Constantino, Kevin Crave, Jessica Zemken, Jeff Jones, Steve Jaseboski, Tony Farone, Jeremiah Munson, Jeff Holt, Jim Burton, Doug Hutchison, Steve Bidwell
PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20 laps – JEFF PATRICK, Steve Vrooman, Butchie Irwin, Rob Noviczski, Bobby Gile, Chris Morris, Nick Stone, Scott Govertson, Jay Resch, Hondo Carpenter, Phlan Hart, Mark Lighthall, Jonah Rule, Jim Normoyle, Kenny Gates, Dave Bayes, Jay Ingersoll, Dan Rickard, Bernie Companion, Brent Hallenbeck, Jason Pieniazek, Rob VanAernam, Steve Cosselman
STREET STOCK "A" FEATURE – JEFF DAVIS, Dave Horning Jr, Randy Moore, John Babcock, Kenny Barth, Don Warner, Donnie Oldick, Paul Hughes, Joe Smith, Brian Stangle, Mike Burdo, Hank Morin, Dave Horning Sr, Luke Horning, Mike Walters, Rich Narkins
STREET STOCK "B" FEATURE – BOB VANAERNAM, Ron Tollner, Jo Jo Donato, Jeff Crosier, Carol Parker, John Johnson, Wayne Gaige, Jim Colson, Mike Budka Jr, Shawn Laport, Buck Gasner, Shawn Simmons, Ray Hall Jr, Ed Bradt, Scott Wells, Jamie Tesiero, Rich Walters
IMCA FEATURE – JOE WILLIAMS, Danny Ballard, Steve Hough, Mike Bungay, Jim Rajczi, Kevin Buff, Dennis Vroman, Darcy Volans, Fred Proctor, Jason Miller, Keith Ackerknecht, Danny Ody, Willy Reed, Steve Bidwell, Joe Hallenbeck