JUMPIN’ JACK TAKES HIS 138TH VICTORY
Saturday’s Nights action at Fonda Speedway seemed debatable, at the least all day. The inclement weather that rained us out the previous week seemed to return once again. Overcast skies looked as though they where going to open up at any time and put an end to another week of racing. But when it came to line up the haulers and get ready to go around the four turns, the skies cleared and racing action heated up the rest of the night for us dedicated fans. Both the Pro Stock and Modified races kept the fans and race teams on the edge of their seats as both Rob Noviczski, defending track champion of the Pro Stocks, and Jack Johnson, all time feature winner, both crossed the finish line.
The IMCA class saw the return of George Catanzano after his two week penalization for a confrontation in the pits three weeks ago.
Even the Street Stocks heated up the track as they raced their two features, this week breaking up the A and B features with those who have already obtained a trip to victory lane and those still working on a checkered flag victory. Strap on your seat belts and lets take a racing ride back to last Saturday Night, June 2, at The Track of Champions, Fonda Speedway. The Street Stock A and B features took the field in a different way this week when they broke the features out with A having all of the drivers that haven’t had the glory of winners circle as of yet and B, the veteran boys ducking it out once and for all. The was the beginning of the Street Stock Bonus which meant that extra cash was paid to the top 2 drivers in each feature.
STREET STOCK A
The new and controversial front wall going down the front stretch took an early hit in the evening when Doug Hutchinson in the #11 car got caught up in the mud coming out of the fourth turn and hit the wall head on. His car became air born and then landed sideways still on the wall. The retaining wall of tires flew and parts were coming undone on Hutchinson car. Hutchinson went unharmed and the race continued after a few lap caution.
The # 13 driven by Rod Slater took the lead position in lap 6 and he held his position strong as the rest of the field jockeyed for their own place in line. The 21J who had crossed the line in the 5th position found himself disqualified when upon inspection they found that he had an unlocked rear end. STREET STOCK B - The second Street Stock feature found Dave Horning Jr. taking the checkered for his fourth time this year. Starting in the 10th position and behind some of the most talented drivers in this division he barreled his way through the pack and took over the lead position just out of the caution in the 7th lap. The track was still a little slippery and the B feature found a few cautions throughout the race, one of cautions brought the # 156 driven by two time winner so far this season, John Johnson. John was looking good until that time.
With almost every caution we had throughout that race we found Pepper in the middle, in the back of, just causing some good old racing excitement through the turns.
IMCA FEATURE
Since the rain was now well off of our minds and the night warmed up a little, we found the track heating up with racing action as the IMCA class took the field.
Travis Stevens was behind the wheel of the #71 car, he lead the race for the entire 15 lap feature. This being his first win ever at Fonda Speedway, it seemed as though he earned it with great ease.
The racing action for the most part was taking place behind him as this week found us with George Catanzano back in the racing action after his two week penalty was over for an altercation in the pits three weeks ago.
Catanzano was fighting his way to the front of the pack after starting in the 10th position, and for a time it seemed that nothing was going to stop him from taking that checkered flag. Kevin Buff in the #92 was in competition for the second place spot until a caution was brought out on the 10th lap. The restart found the #25 driven by Steve Hough and the Z1 driven by Cantanzano sped by him and put him in the 4th place spot and eventually Buff pulled into the pits due to troubles with his IMCA car.
The race was on with the Stevens, at the front of the pack Hough and Catanzo, closely behind him battling it out for the second place position when the Hough got sent back two spots for jumping on the restart after the caution in the 10th lap that brought him up to second. It then came down to Catanzano in second, who has been setting the track ablaze every week he has been there and Stevens.
When that final lap came and Stevens took his victory, the crowd cheered for this first time winner in the IMCA class.
Stevens attributed his win to the hard work his crew has been putting in on the car and the fact that they finally got it all together to work tonight.
PROSTOCK FEATURE
The ProStocks took the field and ran the smoothest out of all of the races with only one caution in the 17th lap that found the #85 and #28 tangled together in the 2nd turn. The # 28 driven by Jeff Patrick maintained a strong hold on the first place spot for the first half of the race. Right behind him was the #85 driven by Mike Fritz.
Behind Fritz there was a track full of cars that were racing their best to get by him and on to the number one position. Defending Track Champion Rob Noviczski showed the crowd that he could still maneuver his #221 in the same manner he did last year which earned him his title.
Starting in the 7th position, it only took him 4 laps to find himself in the 4th place spot behind the #619 powered by Chris Morris. Noviczski stayed on Morris until he was able to make the pass in the 9th lap to take over the third place spot. Noviczski was then just behind the #7 driven by Jim Normyle and the lead car which was driven by #28 of Jeff Patrick.
In the 11th lap Normyle made his way from the second place spot to take over the lead. Noviczski was right behind him and Patrick quickly found himself in the third place spot. Normyle and Noviczski where battling it out and in the 15th lap Noviczski secured his lead position and Chris Morris in the #619 made his way to second as he passed by Normyle. Normyle secured the third place spot and Hondo Carpenter, who had his first victory win two weeks ago at The Track of Champions was not far behind in the 4th place position.
MODIFIED FEATURE
Now lets talk racing excitement. Lets talk the driver that seems to have the most fans, the most everything when it comes to Fonda Speedway. Jumpin’’ Jack Johnson. The winningest ever driver at this track took his new 12A all the way victory lane on Saturday night. This win is his first since the 1999 season. But lets not forget that the 2000 season found Jack running in the USNA series on a few Saturday nights. So for all us dedicated fans, in Jacks career it did not effect his standings here at Fonda Speedway.
This 2001 year has seemed to be the year that Jack “almost” had the win. After a few weeks of holding the lead position or a couple of laps of the feature or even holding the lead position until the last lap. Then finding that he would end up tangled in a mishap on the track causing him not to finish.
But not that night, Jack got that lucky rabbits foot out of his pocket and brought it victory lane. making this his 138th trip to that checkered board square.
The 12A started in the 7th position and right next to him was Mike Romano. Romano seems to be taking the brunt of the blame for Jacks series of not so good luck this year.
Mike Romano who is the driver of the #97 was second in points in the Modified division in the 2000 season, they two men have seemed to be tangled up race after race so far this season.
It almost seemed like it was going to happen again on this June 2nd race, when the green flag dropped Mike raced hard and fast past Jack and made his way to fourth, leaving far Jack behind.
But it only took a few more laps for Jack to find way past Romano and then securing the 2nd place spot in the 4th lap. Out of the caution on the fifth lap Jack took over the lead from the # 53 driven by Bob Vedder.
Jack Johnson maintained that position throughout the race. The second place car the #07 driven by Alton Palmer was not going to settle for second. Alton drove a hard race and was trying to keep up with race leader Jack Johnson as Jack seemed to take off from the field and put enough space between himself and the second place car.
Alton maintained second until Mike finally caught him and passed in the 16th lap. The tension for the crowd was on as the Mike tried to close in on Jack, by there was no stopping the Orange and Yellow 12A as he sped around the track.
Mike Romano finished in second and Alton Palmer a close third with Bobby Vedder behind in fourth. A night of great racing, a night of heightened excitement with Jack Johnson back in victory lane. Mr. Sunday finally got his Saturday night act down pat in the 20-lap sportsman feature.
Tim Clemons, who can’t be beaten on Sunday nights at Utica-Rome Speedway, put the Jake Spraker-owned car into victory lane for the first time this season It always seems odd when Clemons goes into any kind of slump at Fonda, because he’s been so successful in the sportsman division. Saturday night’s win was his 30th career victory in the class, putting him second to only Alton Palmer, the only other driver at the speedway to win more than 30 sportsman features in his career.
On Saturday night,. Clemons made the win look easy. He started 12th in the field, but quickly worked his way to the front, passing seven cars on the first lap alone. By the fourth lap, he had tooteled into the lead, and once he got out in front, he just left everyone else trailing behind.
Johnny LeClair ran in second for the first half of the race before dropping out with mechanical problems. That put Mike Ballestero into second, but he was also no match for the powerful Clemons-Spraker team, and had to settle for second.
Bobby Hackel, who has become one of the most consistent finishers in the division, came across the finish line third while John McAuliffe finished fourth, after starting deep in the pack. The fifth spot went to Mike Frasier, who had started on the pole.
MODIFIED FINISH: Jack Johnson, Mike Romano, Ronnie Holmes, Alton Palmer, Dave Lape, Jeff Trombley, Bob Veeder, Bobby Varin, Craig Criscone, Floyd Billington, John Marsh, Seth Gano, Don Bellen, Ken Hanson, Rich Pennock, A.J. Romano, Bob Savoie, Tony Pepicelli, Bob Sitterly, Brian Borst, Randy Hotaling, Mike Dillenbeck, Bobby Albert, Matt DeLorenzo, Ansel Collins, Jerry Pennock Jr.
SPORTSMAN: Tim Clemons, Mike Ballestero, Bobby Hackel, John McAuliffe, Mike Frasier, Drew Fallis, Ray Zemken, Jimmy Davis, Jimmy Burton, Tony Farone, Steve Akers, Mike Ketchum, Jason Otty, George Audi Jr., John Constantino, Jeremiah Munson, Bob Perry, Pat O’Hanlon, Johnny LeClair, Josh Pieniazek, Jessica Zemken, Craig Buhler, Fran Greco, Tim Mayne Dennis Pennock.
PRO-STOCKS: Rob Noviczski, Chris Morris, Jim Normyle, Hondo Carptner, Mark Sullivan, Mark Lighthall, Kerry Jordan, Kenny Gates, Tom Laplante, Scot Govertson, Luke Klob, Chuck McSpirit, Wayne Walker, Mike Fritz, Jeff Patrick, Dave Bayes, Nick Stone, Evan Crahan, Mike Havlicek, Brian Jordan.
IMCA MODIFIEDS: Travis Stevens, George Catanzano, Cory Fachini, Steve Hough, Jimmy Duncan, Dan Ballard, Steve Bidwell, Keith Ackerknecht, Kevin Priest, Tim Clemons, Skip Pabis, Pete Knapp, Phil Balmer, Kurt Olson, Jim Rajczi, Steve Healey, Kevin Buff, Joey Williams, Buch Irwin, Willie Reed.
STREET STOCK A: Rod Slater, Dave Hewitt, Shawn Simmons, Shawn Laport, Lori Carey, Cory Laport, Rick Anderson, Joey Hollenback, Luke Horning, Mike Walters, Buck Gasner, Joe Donato, Eric Harper, Ellis Shaffer, Phil DeGouff.
STREET STOCK B: Dave Horning Jr., Jeff Davis, Erik Yager, Dave Horning Sr., Randy Moore, Ken Barth, Bob Van Aernam, Dan Rickard, Rob Avn Aernam, Jerry Pepper, Don Warner, Rocky Warner, John Johnson, Steve Casselman.