JOHNSON WINS FEATURE #139 AT FONDA
Saturday evening was a very special night for fourteen blind drivers as they had the chance of a lifetime to race a car around the Track of Champions in the Eye Rock 500. A coach driver was riding in the passenger seat of the cars and they were made up of regular drivers from Fonda Speedway in all of the different divisions that run there on a regular basis. The race was a charity event with all proceeds going to Camp Abilities, a summer sports camp for blind and deaf blind children.
It was also a special night for a veteran of the historic race track. Two weeks ago at Fonda Speedway, a crash into the wall between turns three and four in the warm-up session totaled the #12A of Jack Johnson. Luckily Jack was uninjured. Last week he came out with a brand new car and then last night he got that new car into victory lane for his first win of 2002 in front of a capacity crowd on Goin Mobile, Nextel Communications Night.
I would like to thank Frank Witz the owner of the 12A for being patient after wrecking a good racecar a couple of weeks ago, Jack said in victory lane. A good starting position helped tonight, this feels good.
Chris Kokosa and Craig Hanson were one, two at the start of the Modified feature event. Kokosa led by a half straightaway on lap four as Jack Johnson got up to third after starting sixth. The Romano brothers Mike and A.J. came up through the pack together, battling for the eighth spot side by side on lap ten.
Kokosa continued to lead at the halfway point with lap cars coming into play at that time. Johnson got by Bob Sitterly for second on lap eighteen as a lap car slowed Sitterly down in turn two. The one and only yellow flag of the event came out on lap twenty-two and that proved to be Kokosas downfall.
On the restart in turn three, Johnson got alongside Kokosa, took over the lead and immediately stretched it out making it a race for second from that point on. Jack won by a straightaway at the checkered flag followed by Kokosa, Randy Snyder, Mike Romano, and Sitterly.
Jeff Jones started on the pole and when the green flag came out for the Sportsman feature he was in the number one position. Drew Fallis was second and pressuring Jones for the lead as Kenny Martin made his way up to third.
Fallis would stick his nose under Jones in turn two on almost every lap but each time Jones held on to the number one position. Martin began pressuring Fallis for second with six laps to go allowing Jones to get some breathing room.
Martin and Jeff Holt battled for the number three position the rest of the way, swapping the position back and forth. One yellow slowed the event on lap seventeen but nobody could slow down Jeff Jones as he went on for the win. Fallis, Martin, Holt, and Joe Geniti completed the top five.
Joe Mottoshiski led the Pro Stock feature from his pole position start as the green flag flew. Hondo Carpenter got by Scott Govertson and Bobby Gile for second on lap two and one lap later took over the lead with an outside pass in turn two.
Govertson and Kenny Gates were second and third when the yellow came out on lap eight closing up the field. Carpenter slid up high in turn four allowing Gates to get by for the lead. Chris Morris and last weeks winner Butchie Irwin were following each other to the front, sitting second and third on lap thirteen after they both got by Carpenter.
Irwin got by Morris on lap seventeen but ran out of laps to do anything with the leader as Gates went on to the win followed by Irwin, Govertsen, Morris, and Gile. Skip Pabis started on the front row and was the leader at the drop of the green flag in the IMCA feature. Willy Reed took over second on lap three getting by Dennis Vroman while early season winner Joe Williams made his way to the front.
Williams was fourth on lap five and got the lead on a lap seven restart after the race was stopped by a yellow flag for Keith Ackerknecht in turn two. Williams was using the outside groove on the speedway which allowed Steve Hough to get alongside of him on the inside of turn three to take over the lead on lap twelve.
Williams pressured the leader the rest of the way but Hough kept the top spot to the checkered flag for his second win in a row. Williams, Reed, Dan Ballard, and Jim Rajczi completed the top five.
Rocky Warner was the early leader in the very competitive Street Stock A feature. On lap two, John Johnson took over the top spot only to have Jeff Davis get by him on a lap three restart to take the lead after starting nineteenth. Ray Hall, Jr. was the next and final leader of the fifteen lap event as he got by Davis on the inside in turn three and went on to his second win of the 2002 season. Johnson, Ron Tollner, Kenny Barth, and Scott Wells completed the top five.
Mike Burdo started the Street Stock B feature in the lead but that didnt last too long as on lap two John Babcock was the new race leader. Randy Moore and last weeks winner Shawn Simmons made their way to the front quickly as they were sitting second and third at the lap three point of the event. Moore got by Babcock for the lead on lap five and held it for the remainder of the event. He was followed by Babcock, Bob VanAernam, Simmons, and Jeff Crosier.
The Eye Rock 500 was definitely an event to remember. Steve Labonte will remember it for a long time as he was the winner of the event with coach driver Bobby Hackel in the passenger seat. But the smile on the faces of all of the drivers at the end of the event was probably the highlight of the evening as win or lose they all had a smile on their faces from ear to ear.
Next week at Fonda will be a regular show in all divisions along with a four cylinder Enduro on Andys Service & Speed Shop Night. Racing will begin at 6:00 p.m.
MODIFIED FEATURE 30 laps JACK JOHNSON, Chris Kokosa, Randy Snyder, Mike Romano, Bob Sitterly, Tony Pepicelli, Jeff Trombley, Craig Hanson, A.J. Romano, Ronnie Holmes, Alton Palmer, Bobby Varin, Jerry Pennock, Jr., Craig Criscone, Kenny Hanson, Billy Gray, Floyd Billington, Chic Chandler, Ron Proctor, Ancel Collins, Bobby Vedder, Paul Cirincione III, Jim Lavalla, Mike Fusco
SPORTSMAN FEATURE 20 laps JEFF JONES, Drew Fallis, Kenny Martin, Jeff Holt, Joe Geniti, Ray Zemken, Billy Osta, Ryan Odasz, John McAuliffe, Jeremiah Munson, John LeClair, Tim Clemons, Jim Davis, Robert Perry, Mike Frasier, Steve Akers, Jessica Zemken, Mike Ketchum, Josh Pieniazek, Jim Burton, John Constantino, Bobby Hackel, Elmo Reckner, Mike Ballestero
PRO STOCK FEATURE 20 laps KENNY GATES, Butchie Irwin, Scott Govertsen, Chris Morris, Bobby Gile, Hondo Carpenter, Steve Vrooman, Mark Lighthall, Jay Resch, Jeff Patrick, Jerry Pepper, Jim Normoyle, Joe Mottoshiski, Frank Early, Jr., Rob Noviczski, Jason Pieniazek, Nick Stone, Phlan Hart, Brent Hallenbeck, Dan Rickard, Tom LaPlante
IMCA FEATURE 20 laps STEVE HOUGH, Joe Williams, Willy Reed, Danny Ballard, Jim Rajczi, Skip Pabis, Steve Bidwell, Kevin Buff, Darcy Volans, Joe Hallenbeck, Dennis Vroman, Fred Proctor, Curt Olsen, Keith Ackerknecht, Todd Goldstein, Tom Costanza
STREET STOCK A FEATURE 15 laps RAY HALL, JR., John Johnson, Ron Tollner, Kenny Barth, Scott Wells, Carol Parker, Jeff Davis, Paul Hughes, Ed Bradt, Sandy Ferrara, Luke Horning, Rocky Warner, Neil Cosselman, Jim Colsen, Buck Gasner Dennis Wilson, Don Warner, Shawn Laport, Jo Jo Donato, Ron Cumming, Jason Samrov
STREET STOCK B FEATURE 15 laps RANDY MOORE, John Babcock, Bob VanAernam, Shawn Simmons, Jeff Crosier, Dave Horning, Jr., Mike Budka, Jr., Mike Burdo, Bill Karp, Jason Labombard, Brian French, Dave Horning, Sr., Joe Smith, Rich Walters, Brandon Lehr, Donnie Oldick, Wayne Gaige, Chris McMurray, Jamie Tesiero, Howard Smith
EYE ROCK 500 STEVE LABONTE, Mike Corso, Mark Evans, Norm Nilsen, Ray Heydet, Barbara Becker, Marty Kelly, Brent Flagler, Glen Rivers, Jerry Ingram, Russ Adams, Eric Columb, Wes Atkins, Amanda Massaro, Dawn Kwiatkoske, Scott Flaska