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VARIN WINS A WILD, CAUTION FILLED MODIFIED EVENT
The Modified feature at the Fonda Speedway last night had something for everyone as it featured eight caution flags; side by side racing between a father and son duo and others, and contact on a pass for the lead and the win. On the down side there were only eleven cars left on the track after the feature event was completed but fortunately nobody was injured in ay of the crashes on the speedway.
When all was said and done, Bobby Varin took his forth win of the season at the Track of Champions on WBUG Night. I had a lot of momentum with nowhere to go, Varin said as he explained his pass for the lead and the win. This was fun tonight, the fans came to see a show, and tonight we put one on for them.
Erik Gall led the early laps of the Modified feature with Ronnie Johnson moving into the second position on lap two after getting by Bob Sitterly and John Marsh, Sr. Ronnie started the event in the eighth position. On lap three on the inside of turn four, Johnson was the new leader as Mike Romano and Jeff Trombley also got by Gall for the second and third positions respectively. A yellow flag slowed the field on lap six with a lead change coming up on the restart.
Romano took over the lead as his car was running strong on the inside of the speedway while Johnson used the outside groove to his liking. Dave Lape was also very quick out on the speedway getting by Marsh, Sr. for the fourth position on lap six after starting ninth. Four more yellows flew over the next three laps with only fourteen cars left running on the speedway at that point out of the twenty-six cars that started the event.
When the race was restarted, Romano was still the leader with Trombley second and the father and son duo of Jack and Ronnie Johnson battling and swapping the third spot on lap ten. Jack eventually took over the position on lap eleven as Romano held a straightaway lead over Trombley.
Also running side by side for the fifth position were Lape and Bobby Varin with Varin eventually getting by Lape and Ronnie Johnson for the fourth position with ten laps to go. But Varin was saving his best moves for last. One more yellow slowed the field on lap twenty-eight when Trombley got into the back of Jack Johnson in turn four as the two drivers raced hard for the third position, causing Jack to spin and bring out the yellow. Varin was now second as the caution set up a short dash for the feature win.
Contact was made in turn four as Romano and Varin came down for the white flag. Varin dove to the inside of Romano and bumped him with Romano ending up going towards the outside of the speedway as Varin went on to his fourth win of the season. Romano recovered for second followed by Ronnie Johnson, Lape, and Sitterly.
Elmo Reckner led the first three turns of the first lap of the Sportsman feature until Drew Fallis took over the advantage in turn four. An early yellow slowed the field on lap two as John McAuliffe and Ray Zemken got together on the backstretch. That was only the start of those two drivers coming together during the event.
Bobby Hackel took over the second position on lap six and had a strong run going along with Jim Davis and Tim Clemons who were making their way up through the field after starting eleventh and nineteenth respectively. Hackels good run came to an end on lap eight after his car caught the berm in turn four causing it to turn right into the front stretch wall. Hackel was not injured but was done for the night.
Davis was the new leader on the restart but the yellow was out again shortly afterwards for a flip in between turns one and two by Jeff Holt. Holt was not injured in the wreck. As Davis held a straightaway advantage on lap twelve, Clemons continued his march to the front sitting in the third position on lap sixteen after getting by Ryan Odasz for the spot.
One more yellow came out with four laps to go and this is when McAuliffe and Zemken continued their contact on the racetrack. It led to Zemken going around the speedway and driving his car into side of the #23 of McAuliffe in turn three as the race was under yellow.
As Davis continued to lead the race by a comfortable margin over Fallis the race was now for the third position between Odasz and Clemons who ran side by side for most of the remaining laps. Davis went on for the win followed by Fallis, Odasz, Clemons, and Billy Osta.
Thanks to his friends from the Mayfield Volunteer Fire Department who were helping him with his racecar in the pits at Fonda, Phlan Hart was able to lead the first lap of the Pro Stock feature event. On lap two, Jim Normoyle was the new leader as Joe Mottoshiski was now second and pressuring Normoyle for the lead. Lap six saw Normoyle and Mottoshiski side by side battling for the lead but Normoyle fought off the challenge and hung on to he lead.
Kenny Gates and Butchie Irwin were sitting third and fourth at this point but both drivers got by Mottoshiski for the second and third positions on lap twelve. Gates was the new leader on lap fifteen but it was short-lived as Irwin was next to lead on lap seventeen after taking the lead with a move on the outside in turn four.
Chris Morris made a late race charge to the front sitting in the third position with three laps to go after starting eleventh. Irwin wasnt to be denied on this night taking the win followed by Gates, Morris, Jay Resch, and Hart.
In the last few weeks Danny Ody has had a very strong racecar in the IMCA division. Last night was no different as he took the lead when the green flag flew in the IMCA feature event. George Catanzano started sixth on the grid but was sitting in the fourth position as lap two was completed. On the next circuit, Catanzano got by Curt Olsen and Skip Pabis for second.
On lap five on the inside of turn four, Catanzano was the new leader after a one lap side by side battle with Ody. The lead for Catanzano only lasted two laps as smoke began pouring out of his car handing the lead back to Ody with the yellow coming out. Steve Bidwell took over the second position on the restart after getting by three cars but it was Steve Hough who was making his way to the front at this point.
Hough made his way up to second with three laps to go after getting by Bidwell for the spot. Hough pressured the leader and made contact with Ody with only a few laps remaining in the event, causing Ody to get sideways in turn one. Ody recovered to straighten the car up and kept the lead as Hough and Bidwell who was also involved were the big losers in that exchange falling back in the field.
Ody went on to his first ever IMCA feature win at Fonda followed by Olsen, Joe Hallenbeck, Pabis, and Danny Ballard.
The first of three Street Stock features saw three different drivers lead the first lap of the event. Jamie Tesiero, Chris McMurray, and Roger Keeny all took turns leading lap one but it was Jeff Crosier who led lap two. Dave Horning, Jr. was second on lap two and two laps after that Horning, Jr. was the new leader. Horning, Jr. went on for the win followed by Jo Jo Donato, Crosier, Rocky Warner, and Paul Hughes.
Ron Tollner was the early leader of the Street Stock B event but when he and John Johnson came together on the front stretch going into turn one on lap five it was Tollner who spun and hit the inside wall in turn one. Shawn Simmons made his way through the crash and into the lead. Simmons led the remaining laps to get the win followed by Johnson, Dave Horning, Sr., Steve Cosselman, and Lori Cary.
The Street Stock C event saw a great race between Jeff Davis and John Babcock. It was Joe Smith who was the early leader in the event with Davis next to lead on lap two. Babcock took over the second position shortly afterwards and immediately pressured the leader. Babcock was the new leader on lap five with Davis sticking close to his rear bumper for the remainder of the event. Babcock won the event by a close margin over Davis, Carol Parker, Buck Gasner, and Wayne Gaige.
Kenny Hallenbeck was the four cylinder Demolition Derby winner.
Next week at Fonda Speedway a regular show in all divisions plus a Ladies Racing League event will be held with a starting time of 6:00 p.m. BBL will sponsor the nights activities with a 358-Modified qualifying spot for Syracuse also on the line.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING 27 total cars 5 qualify
HEAT 1 Alton Palmer, A.J. Romano, Ken Hanson, John Marsh, Sr., Craig Criscone
HEAT 2 Bobby Varin, Bob Sitterly, Tony Pepicelli, Ronnie Johnson, Ron Proctor
HEAT 3 Mike Romano, Dave Lape, Jeff Trombley, Jack Johnson, Erik Gall
MODIFIED FEATURE 30 laps BOBBY VARIN, Mike Romano, Ronnie Johnson, Dave Lape, Bob Sitterly, Tony Pepicelli, Harry Shaffer, Jeff Trombley, Troy VanAllen, John Marsh, Sr., Jack Johnson, Craig Criscone, John Marsh, Jr., Alton Palmer, Joe Geniti, Bobby Vedder, Chic Chandler, Ken Hanson, Wayne Figler, Bob Enright, Todd Morey, Erik Gall, A.J. Romano, Craig Hanson, Ronnie Holmes, Jim Lavalla
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING 32 total cars 6 qualify
HEAT 1 Jim Davis, Steve Akers, Bobby Hackel, Drew Fallis, Billy Osta, Allen Powell
HEAT 2 John McAuliffe, Jeremiah Munson, Jessica Zemken, Mike Ketchum, Jeff Holt, Kenny Martin
HEAT 3 Ryan Odasz, Michael Ballestero, Elmo Reckner, Ray Zemken, John LeClair, John Scarborough
CONSOLATION 6 qualify Tim Clemons, Robert Perry, Joe Rando, Josh Pieniazek, Jeff Jones, Jim Burton
SPORTSMAN FEATURE 20 laps JIM DAVIS, Drew Fallis, Ryan Odasz, Tim Clemons, Billy Osta, Jeremiah Munson, Josh Pieniazek, John LeClair, Kenny Martin, Jeff Jones, John Scarborough, Allen Powell, Jr., John Constantino, Joe Rando, Jim Burton, Elmo Reckner, Robert Perry, Al Williams, Ray Zemken, John McAuliffe, Jessica Zemken, Kory Gurney, Jeff Holt, Tim Mayne, Bobby Hackel, Michael Ballestero
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING 23 total cars 6 qualify
HEAT 1 Joe Mottoshiski, Mark Lighthall, Scott Govertsen, Jeff Patrick, Bobby Gile, Jerry Pepper
HEAT 2 Jim Normoyle, Kenny Gates, Chris Morris, Jay Resch, Rob Noviczski, Phlan Hart
PRO STOCK FEATURE 20 laps BUTCHIE IRWIN, Kenny Gates, Chris Morris, Jay Resch, Phlan Hart, Bobby Gile, Nick Stone, Scott Govertsen, Rob Noviczski, Mark Lighthall, Mark Sullivan, Jeff Patrick, Rob VanAernam, Jay Ingersoll, Erik Nelson, Joe Humet, Jerry Pepper, Randy Cannell, Dan Rickard, Jim Normoyle, Joe Mottoshiski, Erik Yager
IMCA QUALIFYING 18 total cars 5 qualify
HEAT 1 George Catanzano, Skip Pabis, Joe Hallenbeck, Dennis Vroman, Jim Rajczi
HEAT 2 Steve Bidwell, Danny Ody, Curt Olsen, Kevin Ward, Jason Miller
IMCA FEATURE 20 laps DANNY ODY, Curt Olsen, Joe Hallenbeck, Skip Pabis, Danny Ballard, Keith Ackerknecht, Steve Bidwell, Jim Rajczi, Kevin Ward, Dennis Vroman, Kevin Buff, Billy Ward, Bob Wilkie, Jason Miller, Steve Hough, George Catanzano, Aaron Jacobs
STREET STOCK A 10 laps DAVE HORNING, JR., Jo Jo Donato, Jeff Crosier, Rocky Warner, Paul Hughes, Bob VanAernam, Jim Colson, Roger Keeny, Sandy Ferrara, Don Warner, Chris McMurray, Joe Duncan, Jamie Tesiero
STREET STOCK B 10 laps SHAWN SIMMONS, John Johnson, Dave Horning, Sr., Steve Cosselman, Lori Cary, Brandon Lehr, Pete Sisler, Thom Schmidtmann, Justin Labombard, Mike Burton, Justin Knight, Jason Samrov, Ron Tollner, Randy Moore
STREET STOCK C 10 laps JOHN BABCOCK, Jeff Davis, Carol Parker, Buck Gasner, Wayne Gaige, Denver Wilson, Howard Smith, Donnie Oldick, Neil Cosselman, Joe Smith, Ed Bradt, Brian Stangle, John Ketchum, Mike Walters