A.J. ROMANO WINS A WILD MODIFIED FEATURE AT FONDA
At Fonda Speedway last night seven cautions slowed the Modified feature as five different drivers took turns leading the event. It almost seemed as though it was a race that nobody wanted to win. Of course that is just a figure of speech as every driver wants to win every race that they enter.
A.J. Romano led the most important lap, the last one as he went on to his second win of the 2002 season. “What a professional and a great race car driver Jack Johnson is, he had this race under control tonight until an unfortunate circumstance took him out of it,” A.J. said in victory lane. “That was a good hard race that was run clean and I had a lot of fun racing in it. I want to thank my pit crew and everyone who helped me get ready for this feature after damaging the car during the heat race earlier in the evening.”
Ronnie Holmes rocketed out to the early lead in the Modified feature with two and three wide racing action all through the field. Jeff Trombley and Mike Romano made their way into the top ten on lap four as Trombley raced hard on the outside of the speedway with the first of many yellows in the event coming out.
The yellow was out again on the restart for Mike Romano and Alton Palmer who spun into the infield on the backstretch as Ron Proctor was the new leader. Mike Romano and Palmer were done for the night. On this restart, Holmes retook the lead as Jack Johnson moved into second after getting by Proctor. Johnson was the new leader on lap eleven after slipping by Holmes with a slide job in turn four.
Trombley and Tony Pepicelli were swapping the third position at this point with Trombley eventually getting the spot. Dave Lape has been running great the past few weeks after getting through all of the bad luck and mechanical breakdowns and last night was no exception. Lape was in the top five by the halfway point as the yellow came out again for Holmes who shredded a right rear tire right off of the wheel. But Lape wasn’t done yet.
Johnson was a straightaway ahead with ten laps remaining as Varin was second and Lape and A.J. Romano were swapping the third position a few times before A.J. eventually took over when Lape slid up high in turn three. A.J. pressured Varin for second as Johnson was cruising out front until lap traffic came into play.
On lap twenty-three, Johnson tried to get by the lap car of Craig Hanson in turn four but ended up getting hooked to Hanson’s rear bumper. Many cars got by as the two cars remained hooked together going into turn one before shaking the cars apart. That brought out the caution forcing both drivers to the rear of the field. Johnson retired to the pit area before the race was restarted.
Varin inherited the lead with A.J. second and immediately pressuring Varin for the lead. On lap twenty-six, A.J. slid past Varin for the lead on the inside of turn three with Varin’s night coming to an end shortly afterwards with a flat right rear tire. A.J. went on to his second win of the season followed by Lape, Trombley, Pepicelli, and Matt DeLorenzo.
DeLorenzo was the first Small Block across the finish line and therefore won the Syracuse qualifying spot on BBL Night which is the sponsor of his racecar. It was the first appearance for DeLorenzo at Fonda this season and what a great effort for him after he started the feature event in the fifteenth position.
The Sportsman feature was caution filled before one lap of the event was completed as four separate yellow flags flew in the event at the start. After all of that Fonda management had seen enough and a single file restart was ordered. One of the yellow flags was for Michael Ballestero who flipped in turn one. Ballestero was uninjured but was done for the evening. Mike Ketchum was the early leader when the event was finally started with Bobby Hackel a close second. Hackel was the leader of the first lap however after getting by Ketchum in turn two.
Ketchum fell back into the field quickly as Jeremiah Munson, Ryan Odasz, Tim Clemons, and Jim Davis all got by to complete the top five. Odasz cleared Munson for second on lap five and immediately pressured Hackel for the lead. On the inside of turn three on lap seven, Odasz got the job done and passed Hackel for the lead with Munson’s night coming to an end after he slowed in turn four while in the top five.
As Odasz held a straightaway lead at the halfway point, Hackel held on to second with Davis and Clemons racing hard for third. Davis took over the position on lap eleven and set his sights on Hackel and the number two spot. Odasz was so far ahead with five laps remaining that you needed a set of binoculars to see him if you were in the second position as Hackel and Davis put on a side by side battle for second over the final few laps. Odasz went on to his second win of the season followed by Davis, Hackel, Clemons, and Drew Fallis.
Dan Rickard led for the first three turns of the Pro Stock feature but it was Joe Mottoshiski who snuck by in turn four to lead lap one with the yellow coming out just after the first lap was completed. Phlan Hart got by Rob VanAernam and Rickard for second and began to put pressure on Mottoshiski for the lead. On each lap in turn three, Mottoshiski would slide up high on the speedway allowing Hart to get underneath him but each time Mottoshiski was able to hold on to the lead.
Chris Morris and Butchie Irwin started the event in the eleventh and twelfth positions respectively but made their way up to the sixth and seventh spots by lap seven. Morris got by Hart and Irwin for the second position on lap eleven and one lap later blew by Mottoshiski for the lead. Irwin took over the second spot on lap twelve as Hart and Jay Resch got involved with a lap car with Hart spinning in turn two and Resch taking evasive action to miss Hart. That brought out another yellow with Hart and Resch having to restart the event in the rear of the field.
One more yellow slowed the event on lap sixteen as Irwin slowed on the frontstretch while second. Nobody was going to catch Morris on this night as he took the win, his fourth of the season, by a straightaway margin over Jeff Patrick, Kenny Gates, Mottoshiski, and Mark Lighthall.
Willy Reed was the first to lead the IMCA feature event but it didn’t last long as Darcy Volans was the leader as lap one was completed. Steve Bidwell was on the move early after starting sixth, blowing by Skip Pabis and Reed for the third position on lap two.
On the next lap, Bidwell snuck by last week’s winner Danny Ody for second and set his sights on the leader. Bidwell got by Volans for the lead on lap six using the outside groove in turn one to get the job done. The yellow was out on lap seven for Volans who spun on the backstretch while running third.
Joe Williams got by Jim Rajczi and Ody for second on lap eight as Bidwell stretched out his advantage to a full straightaway. The race was now for the second position as Danny Ballard pressured Williams for the second spot over the final two laps. Bidwell went on to his second win of the season followed by Williams, Ballard, Ody, and Rajczi.
The first of three Street Stock features saw Carol Parker and Randy Moore take turns leading lap one of the event. These two drivers raced close, hard, and side by side at times for the lead over the next two laps, swapping the lead until Moore took over the number one position for good on lap three. Moore went on to the win, his fourth of the season followed by Shawn Simmons, Parker, Dave Horning, Sr., and Rocky Warner.
Technical inspectors were checking wheelbase lengths on the Street Stock cars in post race inspection with Moore being disqualified after the event for a short wheelbase handing the win over to Simmons. At the end of the night, Moore’s victory was reinstated moving Simmons back to the second position in the Street Stock “A” feature.
Roger Keeny led the early laps of the Street Stock “B” feature with Dave Horning, Jr. making his way to the front after starting eleventh. When the race was restarted after a yellow flag on lap five, Keeny, Bob VanAernam, and Horning, Jr. raced side by side with Horning, Jr. holding his line on the speedway, taking over the lead, and going on to his sixth win of the season. Keeny held on to the second position until turn four of the final lap when he spun his car around. John Babcock ended up second followed by Brandon Lehr, VanAernam, and Scott Wells.
Wayne Gaige led the first four laps of the Street Stock “C” feature before Jim Colson took over the lead on the inside of turn one on lap five. Jeff Davis started the event in the eleventh position but steadily moved to the front, taking over the second position on lap eight after blasting by Jo Jo Donato. At that point Colson held a big lead but it quickly disappeared as Davis nipped away at his big advantage. On the final lap coming out of turn four, Davis worked his way by Colson and went on to his ninth win of the season followed by Colson, Donato, John Johnson, and Gaige. Gaige was disqualified for a short wheelbase at the completion of the event moving Ricky Quick into the fifth position.
Laurie Fallis was the Ladies Racing League event winner.
Next Saturday the racing events will be sponsored by Labatt’s and will consist of double feature events in the Modified, Sportsman, and Pro Stock divisions to crown Track Champions in those divisions on the “Night of Features”. The IMCA and Street Stocks will also be a part of the racing card with single feature events being run in those divisions.
The top fifteen in points in the Modified, Sportsman, and Pro Stock classes will be guaranteed starters for the features with the remainder of the field being decided by “B” main events in each division. The winner of the first feature event will then pick a number out of a hat to invert the field either four, six, eight, or ten positions for the starting line-up in the second feature event.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 28 total cars – 6 qualify
HEAT 1 – Ronnie Holmes, Alton Palmer, Jeff Trombley, Randy Snyder, Matt DeLorenzo, Bob Sitterly
HEAT 2 – Mike Romano, Tony Pepicelli, Jack Johnson, Ken Hanson, Ron Proctor, Chic Chandler
HEAT 3 – Bobby Varin, Erik Gall, Dave Lape, A.J. Romano, Ronnie Johnson, Ancel Collins
MODIFIED FEATURE – 30 laps – A.J. ROMANO, Dave Lape, Jeff Trombley, Tony Pepicelli, Matt DeLorenzo, Randy Snyder, Erik Gall, Ron Proctor, Ronnie Holmes, Bob Sitterly, Randy Hotaling, Todd Morey, Harry Shaffer, Ancel Collins, Bobby Vedder, Chic Chandler, Ken Hanson, Bobby Varin, Jim Lavalla, Bob Enright, Jack Johnson, Craig Hanson, Troy VanAllen, Ronnie Johnson, Mike Romano, Alton Palmer, Craig Criscone
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 28 total cars – 6 qualify
HEAT 1 – Tim Clemons, Michael Ballestero, Jim Davis, Mike Ketchum, Billy Osta, Elmo Reckner
HEAT 2 – Allen Powell, Jim Burton, Tony Farone, Jeremiah Munson, Drew Fallis, John Constantino
HEAT 3 – Bobby Hackel, Ryan Odasz, Josh Pieniazek, Kevin Crave, Kenny Martin, Jason Otty
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 20 laps – RYAN ODASZ, Jim Davis, Bobby Hackel, Tim Clemons, Drew Fallis, Mike Ketchum, Josh Pieniazek, John LeClair, Kevin Crave, Jeff Jones, Tony Farone, Jessica Zemken, Jason Otty, Jim Burton, John Scarborough, Elmo Reckner, Doug Hutchison, Allen Powell, Kory Gurney, John Constantino, Robert Perry, Jeremiah Munson, Joe Perrotti, Michael Ballestero, Jim Oare, Jr., Billy Osta, Kenny Martin, Shawn Lawyer
PRO STOCK QUALIFYING – 20 total cars – 6 qualify
HEAT 1 – Jeff Patrick, Kenny Gates, Butchie Irwin, Joe Mottoshiski, Phlan Hart, Bobby Gile
HEAT 2 – Mark Lighthall, Chris Morris, Nick Stone, Dan Rickard, Rob VanAernam, Erik Nelson
PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20 laps – CHRIS MORRIS, Jeff Patrick, Kenny Gates, Joe Mottoshiski, Mark Lighthall, Rob Noviczski, Mark Sullivan, Bobby Gile, Nick Stone, Jay Resch, Phlan Hart, Jim Normoyle, Rob VanAernam, Jay Ingersoll, Dan Rickard, Frank Early, Jr., Erik Nelson, Jason Pieniazek, Butchie Irwin, (DNS) Scott Govertsen
IMCA QUALIFYING – 20 total cars – 5 qualify
HEAT 1 – Willy Reed, Steve Bidwell, Joe Hallenbeck, Joe Williams, Skip Pabis
HEAT 2 – Danny Ody, Darcy Volans, Jim Rajczi, Danny Ballard, Steve Hough
IMCA FEATURE – 20 laps – STEVE BIDWELL, Joe Williams, Danny Ballard, Danny Ody, Jim Rajczi, Steve Hough, Fred Proctor, Curt Olsen, Joe Hallenbeck, Kevin Buff, Dennis Vroman, Skip Pabis, Darcy Volans, Pete Knapp, Bob Wilkie, Jason Miller, Willy Reed, George Proctor III, Russ Miller
STREET STOCK “A” – 10 laps – RANDY MOORE, Shawn Simmons, Carol Parker, Dave Horning, Sr., Rocky Warner, Donnie Oldick, Buck Gasner, Joe Smith, Thom Schmidtmann, Jason Samrov, Rich Walters, Howard Smith, Jim Whitiker, Rodney Sweet
STREET STOCK “B” – 10 laps – DAVE HORNING, JR., John Babcock, Brandon Lehr, Bob VanAernam, Scott Wells, Neil Cosselman, Jeff Crosier, Paul Hughes, Chris McMurray, Mike Burton, Roger Keeny, Ellis Shaffer, Ed Bradt, Brian Cosselman
STREET STOCK “C” – 10 laps – JEFF DAVIS, Jim Colson, Jo Jo Donato, John Johnson, Ricky Quick, Denver Wilson, Pete Sisler, Robert Buciglopo, Mike Burdo, Mark Sullivan, Jr., Mike Skinner, John Ketchum, Cory Laport, Ron Tollner, Wayne Gaige
LADIES RACING LEAGUE – LAURIE FALLIS, Billie Jo Skinner, Jan Hunt, Earlene Varin, Sue Morris, Angela Hoard, Katie Becker, Jennifer Hawoy, Kelly Keefe, Shelly Shaman, Kathy Bellen, Tammy Dennison, Jennifer Spraker, Deb Redner, Kelly Ketchum, Stacey Brooker, Sally VanNostrand, Mellisa Perry