Varin Gets Back To Back Wins At Fonda Speedway
June 10, 2000, Fonda, NY- With five laps to go, Bobby Varin of Sharon Springs, NY used the high groove to slip between leader Jerry Pennock, Jr., and the frontstretch wall picking up his second win of the season on Millennium Night at Fonda Speedway, the "Track of Champions" sponsored by the Montgomery County Agricultural Society.
Mike Romano made it a three-peat in the special Fonda 358 Modified Tour. Romano came from thirteenth to take the lead on the final restart and cruised on to the checker.
Jim Davis of Ballston Spa, NY was the sportsman feature winner. Chris Morris of Poestenkill, NY doubled up in the Pro Stocks. The I.M.C.A. winner for the fourth time this season was George Catanzano of Ghent, NY.
Keith Ackerknecht and Dave Horning Jr. both recorded two wins in a row in the Street Stock A & B features, setting up a battle for the $400 bonus in next weeks Street Stock action. Jim's Place in Johnstown, J&J Racing, Ghetto Racing and Craig and Linda Stevens of the Fonda Fairboard is paying the $400 bonus.
Jerry Pennock, Jr., and Tim Clemons sat on the front row of the 25 car modified field. Pennock led at the green with Clemons close behind. Pennock and Clemons put distance between themselves and the rest of the field and looked to be on their way to a first and second place finish.
The only caution of the event came out for the 12H of Randy Hotaling as a loose tire jumped the backstretch guardrail into the Mohawk River.
Varin moved to the high side of Pennock coming out of turn four to take the lead on the restart and continued on to the checker, giving him back to back wins and a comfortable point lead.
Clemons, Dave Lape, Mike Romano and Jerry Pennock, Jr followed Varin to the checker.
Modified heat wins went to Tony Pepicelli, Bob Savoie, Randy Hotaling and Harry Shaffer. Ronnie Holmes won the Modified consi.
The sportsman action began with Frank Greco in the lead as the green flag flew. Greco held the lead until the yellow flag flew for a multi car wreck in turn two.
Mike Fraiser grabbed the lead on the restart and set his sights on a win until lap sixteen when Jim Davis took over the top position continued on for the win.
Sportsman heat winners were Mike Fraiser, Bob Hackel, Tony Ballestero, and Craig Boehler. John Constantino took the consi checker.
Once again the pro stocks gave the fans and action packed 20 laps. Jim Normoyle and Steve Burega for the lead at the green. Normoyle came out on top and held that spot until Jim Burton took over on an early race restart. Burton cruised at the head of the field until lap 15, when Chris Morris put the nose of his No. 619 under Burton in turn two. Burton came back to take the lap at the line.
With only four laps to go Chris Morris moved into the lead and pulled away. Morris recorded his second feature win his first year at the track.
Phlan Hart, Jim Burton and Chris Morris won pro Stock heats.
The special 358 Modified Tour race started 25 cars and Mike Fusco was first to the line when the green flag dropped. Fusco was strong and quickly pulled away from the field. He survived three yellow flags but by lap 20 had Dave Lape breathing down his neck in the Spraker No. 1. Harry Shaffer was having one of his best runs in the No. 1H until the final few laps when the top five changed on every lap.
Mike Romano beat Dave Lape to the green on a restart for second and then chased Fusco until lap 23 when he was able to slip by for the lead.
358 Modified heat winners were Bob Vedder, John Kollar and Alton Palmer. Tim Clemons won the 358 Modified consi.
The I.M.C.A. event was once again the Catanzano-Bidwell show. Mike Bungay brought the field to the green with Catanzano and Bidwell in close pursuit. By a lap four restart Catanzano took the lead followed by Bidwell.
The race for third was between Kevin Priest and Mike Bungay with Bungay getting the spot when Priest spun on the frontstretch with only one lap remaining.
Bidwell, Bungay, Locorini and Jacobs who rounded out the top five followed Catanzano to the checker.
Modified finish (30 laps) 1) BOBBY VARIN, 2) Tim Clemons, 3) Dave Lape, 4) Mike Romano, 5) Jerry Pennock, Jr., 6) Bob Vedder, 7) A. J. Romano, 8) Ron Holmes, 9) Alton Palmer, 10) Bobby Albert, 11) Bob Savoie, 12) Harry Shaffer, 13) David Towns, 14) John Kollar, 15) Matt DeLorenzo, 16) Craig Criscone, 17) Lee Nutting, 18) Frank Hoard, Sr., 19) Rich Pennock, Jr., 20) Brain Gathen, 21) Bob Sitterly, 22) John Marsh, 23) Randy Hotaling, 24) Ken Hanson, 25) Tony Pepicelli.
Sportsman finish (20 laps) 1) JIM DAVIS, 2) Rich Wozniak, 3) Mike Fraiser, 4) Frank Greco, 5) Robert Perry, 6) Joe Rando, 7) Drew Fallis, 8) Ray Zemken, 9) Bobby Hackel, 10) Frank Hoard, Jr., 11) Craig Boehler, 12) Jeff Jones, 13) Mike Ketchum, 14) Tim Mayne, 15) Ryan Odasz, 16) Jeremiah Munson, 17) Paul Cirincione, 18) John Constantino, 19) Dan Trombley, 20) Bill Deerfield, 21) Mike Ballestero, 22) Steve Akers, 23) Tim Sanders, 24) Tony Farone, 25) Joe Geniti, 26) Bob Rees, 27) Jeff Holt, 28) John McAuliffe.
IMCA finish (15 laps) 1) GEORGE CATANZANO, 2) Steve Bidwell, 3) Mike Bungay, 4) Joe Locorini, 5) Aaron Jacobs, 6) Kevin Priest, 7) Bill Ward, Jr., 8) Bud Hernberg, 9) John Conway.
358 Mod finish (25 laps) 1) MIKE ROMANO, 2) Mike Fusco, 3) Dave Lape, 4) Bobby Albert, 5) Alton Palmer, 6) Mike Ballestero, 7) Harry Shaffer, 8) Ron Holmes, 9) Tim Clemons, 10) Jerry Pennock, Jr., 11) David Towns, 12) John Marsh, 13) Ken Hanson, 14) Frank Hoard, Sr., 15) Bob Vedder, 16) Ray Zemken, 17) John Marsh, 18) Ancel Collins, 19) Bob Sawyer, 20) Brian Borst, 21) Dave Sargent, 22) Matt DeLorenzo, 23) Brian Gathen, 24) Bob Savoie.
Pro Stock Finish (20 laps) 1)CHRIS MORRIS, 2) Jim Burton, 3) Rob Noviczski, 4) Jim Normoyle, 5) David Viall, 6) Phlan Hart, 7) Steve Burega, 8) Mark Sullivan, 9) Mike Fritz, 10) Kerry Jordan, 11) Luke Klob, 12) Bryan Jordan, 13) Jim Duncan, 14) Chuck McSpirit, 15) Joe Duncan, 16) Hondo Carpenter, 17) Nick Stone, 18) Mark Lighthall, 19) Steve Welch, 20) Mike Noble, 21) Ken Gates, 22) Jeff Patrick.
Street Stock "A" finish (12 laps) 1) KEITH ACKERKNECHT, 2) Dick Nichols, 3) Dave Bayes, 4) John Babcock, 5) Don Warner, 6) Jim Olson, 7) Mark Saglembini, 8) Joe Moore, 9) Derrick McGraw, 10) Don Oldick, 11) Andrew Snider.
Street Stock "B" finish (12 laps) 1) DAVE HORNING, JR., 2) Dave Hewitt, 3) Ken Barth, 4) Bob VanAernam, 5) Joe Donato, 6) Rob VanAernam, 7) Randy Cannell, 8) Ellis Shaffer, 9) Joe Smith 10) Rocky Warner, 11) Shawn Simmons. Paul Chichester and Guy Klob DQ at post race inspection.