HOT RACING ON A COLD NIGHT
FONDA, NY ... A very cold April night produced some of the hottest racing of the season at Fonda Speedway Saturday night, with A.J. Romano and mike Fusco visiting victory lane in the twin modified features.
Romano won his first race in nearly two years in the first feature, which was held over after rained cut short the show on April 28, and Fusco drove to his first career victory in the second 30-lap feature.
Other winners from the held-over event were Ryan Odasz in the sportsman division and Chris Morris in the pro-stock class. aking their way to victory lane, besides Fusco, in the regular portion of the program were John McAuliffe (sportsman), defending track champion Rob Noviczski (pro-stock), George Catanzano (IMCA modifieds) and Rob Van Aernam and Jerry Pepper (street stocks) on Leader Herald Night at the speedway.
The daytime conditions of the first modified event caused a lot of problems early in the race, with three restarts on the second lap that had a big effect on the outcome of the race.
Floyd Billington led the first two laps of the race, but the first yellow flag came out when Tony Pepicelli spun around in the fourth turn and collected Alton, Palmer, who wound up hitting the way.
On the restart, Jumpin Jack Johnson ran into the rear end of Matt DeLorenzo’s car, doing enough front end damage to put Johnson out for the rest of the race. Then, on the next restart, Jerry Pennock Jr. and Jeff Trombley banged together, creating another caution. As the field lined up for the next restart, Dave Lape, who had started 15th, was sitting fifth, and Romano, who started the race in 13th,was sixth.
When the green flag came out again, Frank Hoard took the lead away from Billington and quickly opened up a big lead. Romano got a big jump on the restart, and found himself in fourth after just six laps.
Romano then got past both Ronnie Holmes and Billington to move into second, and he took off after Hoard. Lape then battled Holmes for third, with Lape finally getting the position on lap 11.
The younger of the racing Romano brothers then went by Hoard for the lead on lap 16, and Lape, who had also closed the gap on the leaders, followed him by Hoard into second. Bobby Varin brought out the next caution on lap 18 when his motor let go, and the man everyone was watching by now was Dave Camara, who had worked his way through the pack up to third by that time.
Camara drove by Lape on the restart and began to battle with Romano for the lead. Neither of the two drivers would give an inch, giving the fans in the packed grandstands a real show.
As the leaders came out of the fourth turn to take the white flag, they came upon the lapped car of Randy Snyder. Camara made heavy contact with Snyder’s car and then dove to the inside, staying right on Romano’s rear bumper.
In the second turn, Camara ran into the rear of Romano’s car and for an instant, it looked like Romano was going to spin out. But he quickly got his car straightened out, and held on to get the victory.
Camara was second, with Lape third, Hoard in the fourth spot and Holmes sitting fifth. The second feature was run without a caution and because of the hard conditions from a full night of racing, passing was at a premium. But Fusco made one of the biggest passes of his life, which allowed him to record his first career victory.
Veteran Bob Savoie, driving the Ghetto Racing car, stare on the pole, with Fusco sitting right behind him, and as it turned out, they would be the focus of the entire race.
Savoie kept his car in the lead for the first nine laps, but each time around the track, he drifted a little higher, giving Fusco room on the inside. Fusco then took over the lead on lap 10, and pulled away for a very popular victory, which was enhanced by a roof dance in victory lane.
The closest thing there was to a caution came on the 25th lap, when Jack Johnson’s right rear tire went flat, but he stayed on the outside of the backstretch and pulled into the pits, keeping the green flag out, and allowing Fusco to easily pull away.
Following Fusco and Savoie across the finish line were Floyd Billington, Bob Vedder and Chad Ward. Mike Romano, Ronnie Holmes, Fusco and Savoie won the heats, while Harry Shaffer and Hoard won the two consolation races.
Ryan Odasz looked impressive picking up his first victory on the season in the first sportsman feature, while John McAuliffe beat defending track champion Jimmy Davis to the finish line by a matter of inches in the second feature.
Odasz, who gave a lot of credit for his victory to engine builder Tim Groski in the victory lane ceremony, started fifth in the held over feature and sat behind leader Mike Ketchum and Ray Zemken during the first half of the feature.
Ketchum was still leading the race when the first yellow came out on lap 11, for Steve Akers, who came to a stop in the fourth turn. That yellow was all that Odasz needed, as he took the lead away from Ketchum on the 12th lap.
With Odasz setting the pace, the real battle was for second, where Tim Clemons and bobby Hackel, who had started deep in the pack, were fighting it out. On a restart on the 18th lap, Hackle got a big jump on the outside and got around Clemons for the second spot, but officials later said that Hackel’s move came too early. Even though he finished the race second, behind Odasz, he was penalized six spots and put back to eighth.
That left Jimmy Davis in second, with Clemons third, Tony Farone fourth and Ketchum fifth.
The second event, the last race of the night, was one of the best of the night. Zemken led the first six laps, but Clemons took over the lead on lap seven, and it looked like Clemons and car owner Jake Spraker would be celebrating after the race. Even though McAuliffe was a close second, he couldn’t get around Clemons and Davis had made a nie charge to the front, but it looked like he was going to run out of lap.
But that all changed because of a late restart that bunched everyone up. On the last lap, as the top three cars went down the backstretch, McAuliffe and Davis made a sandwich of Clemons, with one going by on the inside and one going by on the outside.
McAuliffe came out of the fourth turn in the low groove, and Davis was just a little higher.
Then came across the finish line side-by-side, and just inches apart, with McAuliffe getting the victory. Davis may have had the fastest car on the track, but he had to be happy with second.
Clemons came across the finish line third, Mike Ballestero was fourth and Zemken finished fifth.
Mike Ballestero, Clemons, MaAuliffe and Mike Frasier won the heat, and Tony Farone won the consolation.
Chris Morris had the hot setup on a cold night and came away with his first win of the year in the first 20-lap pro-stock race, which was run without a caution. Morris started in the third row, and that proved to be a good place to be, as he was able to keep leader Luke Klob in sight until the field got sorted out, and Morris was able to take the lead on lap six.
Engine wear then became a problem for the leaders. Mark Sullivan, was was running third, dropped out with on lap 15 when his engine began smoking, and Klob had a really god ruined, as he dropped from second to fifth on the last late, when smoke began pouring from his car.
When Morris crossed the finish line, Kenny Gates had gotten up second, with Noviczski third, Jim Normyle fourth and Klob fifth. The second event was full of action right from the drop of the green flag. Hondo Carpenter jumped right out into the lead, but on the next lap, Jay Resch had taken the lead, moving Hondo back to second.
Chuck McSpirit lost a tire on lap six, bringing out a yellow flag, and that helped Noviczski make a big move to the front. He then got the lead on the seventh lap and held off another good run by Jim Normyle to get the victory.
Chris Morris, who had banged up his car during his heat race in the regular program, came from deep in the pack to finish third, with Reset finishing fourth and Carpenter fifth. Normal and Noviczski won the heat races.
Catanzano did heavy damage to his car in an accident during his heat race, and it looked like his streak was going to end at two races, as he started 20th in the 23-car field.
And there were a number of fast cars at the front of thepack. Rookie Keith Ackerknecht, looking as impressive as he did last week, made a great move at the beginning of the race, jumping from fifth to second on the first lap. Then, on the third lap, he got underneath Willie Reed to get the lead.
On lap six, Steve Hough brought out a yellow flag when he slammed into the fourth turn wall after making contact with Steve Bidwell when they were locked into a battle for second place.
The incident didn’t damage Bidwell at all, as he then used the restart to take the lead away from Ackerknecht. Another accident one lap later saw Dan Ballard slam into the front stretch wall after running over a piece of debris on the track, and when the field lined up, the fans were amazed to see Catanzano in third place.
The crew must have dome a spectacular job, as Catanzano then passed both Ackerknecht and Bidwell on the same lap to get the lead on lap 10 of the 15-lap feature.
Catanzano went on to post his third straight win, while Ackerknecht got the No. 2 spot back from Bidwell on the last lap of the race. Bidwell was third, Cory Fachini was fourth and Kevin Priest fifth.
Ballard and Bidwell won the heat races.
There was no lack of action in the street stock features, as Rob Van Aernan and Jerry Pepper got the victories.
In the first feature, Steve Casselman, last week’s winner, had a short night, as lost his right rear tire on the first lap, ending his night.
Then, the father-and-son team of Dave Horning Sr. and Dave Horning Jr. got a little too close for comfort, with Horning Sr. bouncing off the wall as the family members fought for the third position.
The incident didn’t bother the father at all, as he kept chasing race leader Rob Van Aernam, and passed the 71 for the lead with five laps left.
But Van Aernam didn’t give up, and passed Horning on the last lap of the race to get his first victory of the season. Dave Horning Jr. recovered to finish third, behind his father.
In the second race, Shawn LaPorte, who has had bothing but back luck this season, looked like things might finally go his way, as he ran a strong race and set the pace.
But when he got into lapped traffic, Dan Rickard was able to pull right up, and moved into the lead with two laps to go.
Rickard would take the checkered flag, with Pepper second. But Rickard’s car didn’t pass inspection after the race, which gave the victory to Pepper, with Shawn Simmons third and LaPorte third.
Joe Donato proved the final bit of excitement for the night, as he slammed into the wall on the final lap.
First modified feature: A.J. Romano, Dave Camara, Dave Lape, Frank hoard, Ronnie Holmes, Mike Romano, Jeff Trombley, Craig Criscone, Seth Gano, Tony Pepicelli, Dave Towns, Floyd Billington, Bobby Albert, Chad Ward, Ken Hanson, Matt DeLorenzo, Brian Borst, John Marsh, Randy Snyder, Harry Shaffer, Bobby Varin, John Kollar, Alton Palmer, Mike Fusco, Bob Vedder, Jack Johnson, Jerry Pennock Jr.
Second modified feature: Mike Fusco, Bob Savoie, Floyd Billington, Bob Vedder, Char Ward, Brian Borst, Mike Romano, Bobby Varin, Bobby Albert, A.J. Romano, Tony Pepicelli, Jeff Trombley, Ronnie Holmes, Alton Palmer, Craig Criscone, Save Camara, Dave Lape, Seth Gano, Frank Hoard, Ken Hanson, Harry Shaffer, John Marsh, Mike Dillenbeck, Randy Snyder, Jack Johnson, Matt DeLorenzo.
First sportsman feature: Ryan Odasz, Jimmy Davis, Tim Clemons, Tony Farone, Drew Fallis, John McAuliffe, Bobby Hackel, Frank Hoard Jr., Ray Zemken, Bob Perry, Mike Frasier, Joe Rando, Craig Boehler, Jeremiah Munson, Jimmy Burton, Jason Otty, Mike Ballestero, Jessica Zemken, Pat O’Hanlon, Matt Larkin, John Constantino, Steve Jaszeboski, John LeClair, Steve Akers, Tim Mayne, Derek McGrew.
Second sportsman feature: John McAuliffe, Jimmy Davis, Tim Clemons, Mike Ballestero, Ray Zemken, John LeClair, Jeremiah Munson, Drew Fallis, Joe Rando, Frank Hoard Jr., Jimmy Burton, Ryan Odasz, Tony Farone, Mike Ketchum, Bobby Hackel, Mike Frasier, Matt Larkin, Tim Mayne, Steve Jaszeboski, Billy Osta, Pat O’Hanlon, John Constantino, Jessica Zemken, Jason Otty, Tim Mayne, Bob Perry.
First pro-stock feature: Chris Morris, Kenny Gates, Rob Noviczski, Jim Normyle, Luke Klob, Jay Resch, Nick Stone, Dave Bayes, Hondo Carpenter, Kerry Jordan, John Babcock, Brian Jordan, Tom LaPlante, Mark Sullivan, Chuck McSpirit, Scott Govertson, Bubba Tanner.
Second pro-stock feature: Rob Noviczski, Jim Normyle, Chris Morris, Jay Resch, Honda Carpenter, Nick Stone, Dave Bayes, Kerry Jordan, Brian Jordan, John Babcock, Tom LaPlante, Kenny Gates, Mark Sullivan, No. 20, Evan Gahan, Chuck McSpirit. George Catanzano didn’t let a little thing like an accident prevent him from keeping his winning streak alive.
IMCA feature: George Catanzano, Keith Ackerknecht, Steve Bidwell, Cory Fachini, Kevin Priest, Willie Reed, Skip Pabis, No. 23, Travis Stevens, Joe Williams, Aaron Jacobs, Chris Crews, Steve Healey, Dan Ballard, Jimmy Duncan, Kevin Buff, Walter Cook, Lou Gancarz, Steve Hough.
Street Stock A: Rob Van Aernam, Dave Horning Sr., Dave Horning Jr, Jeff Davis, Bob Van Aernam, Buck Gasner, Randy Moore, Jim Olsen, Scott Wells, John Johnson, Rocky Warner, Joe Hallenback, Joe Smith, Rick Yager, Steve Casselman.
Street stock B: Jerry Pepper, Shawn Simmons, Shawn LaPorte, Don Warner, Joe Donato, Wayne Gage, Dave Hewitt, Paul Chichester, Eric Harper, Rod Slater, Luke Horning, Kevin Barth, No. 60.