JOHNSON COMPLETES SWEEP AT FONDA FOR A TOTAL OF $15,300
By: Ron Szczerba
FONDA, NY – On Saturday evening Ronnie Johnson won the first leg of the McDonald’s weekend activities as he took home $5000 as the winner of the Big Block/Small Block Challenge Modified feature event.
On Sunday afternoon he came right back to win the second leg which was worth $9500 as he beat Brett Hearn and Dave Camara to the finish line for the victory. Add to that an $800 bonus for a Fonda regular (Johnson) beating and outsider (Hearn) and that all adds up to a total of $15,300 in winnings that Johnson took back with him to Duanesburg, NY this weekend.
“This feels real good but Brett sure did make us work for it and I am whooped right now,” Johnson said in victory lane. “I knew that Brett was back there as he showed me his nose many times during the event.”
Johnson and Camara started the event on the front row with Camara the early race leader at the drop of the green flag. After starting in the 10th position Billy Decker moved up to the sixth spot by lap two with the top three of Camara, Johnson, and Matt DeLorenzo running together for position in lap traffic.
Jeff Trombley was the new third place car on lap 14 after getting by DeLorenzo while Hearn was making his way up from his 12th place starting position. On lap 17, Hearn got by Decker for the sixth position while Camara stretched out his advantage to a half straightaway by lap 20. Hearn continued his march to the front as he got by the cars of Ryan Odasz, DeLorenzo, and Trombley for the third position by lap 36.
Just as Johnson was starting to close in on Camara the first of only two yellow flags in the event came out on lap 39 for 2008 Track Champion Bobby Varin who suffered a right rear flat tire. Varin was able to pit for a tire change and restart at the rear of the field.
On the restart, Johnson got by both Camara and the lap car of Tony Pepicelli for the lead and just before the halfway point he built up a straightaway advantage over Hearn who took over the second position on the restart and Camara who was still in the hunt back in third. The final yellow of the event came out on lap 54 for Mario Clair who came to a stop in turn three.
Johnson pulled away on the restart for a few laps before Hearn was able to close back in on lap 69 as Johnson was caught behind two lap cars who were running side by side in front of him. After clearing the lap cars Johnson pulled away again until lap 74 when Hearn was able to close in and seriously challenge Johnson for the lead.
Going into turn three Johnson used the lap car of A.J. Romano as a pick as he went around the outside of Romano to stay ahead of Hearn. From that point on as the laps clicked off Hearn put a major challenge on Johnson starting when he tried to go between Odasz and Johnson for the lead. Johnson was able to hold on but the two ran side by side for many laps until the end to the delight of the crowd.
Johnson was able to hold off everything that Hearn could throw at him and got a big ovation in victory lane as Hearn heard a chorus of boos from the crowd when he pulled into victory lane as the second place finisher just ahead of Camara. Trombley, and DeLorenzo who was the last car on the lead lap in fifth.
For Johnson it was his fourth win of the season and the 12th of his career at Fonda.
“Last year we burned the tires right off of the car but this year the track was a little bit different so we weren’t worried too much about tires,” Johnson said. “Hearn showed me how to run the bottom of the track and with him around and showing me his nose I had to turn up the wick a little bit.”
“It was an awesome race with RJ,” Hearn said afterwards. “With the track like this you don’t go fast by just pressing on the gas pedal you have to finesse it a little.”
“After the first yellow my car loosened up so I was searching for a line on the track to run after that but I really never found it,” Camara said. “It was good to see RJ win it as a home track driver.”
With his second place finish Hearn unofficially won the Go Green NMX Fonda Thunder Series point title and the $4000 prize to go along with it.
The 30-lap Sportsman feature began with John McAuliffe the early leader with Jeremy Wilder in tow. Mark Mortensen started the event in the eighth position and by the time lap one was completed he has already gotten by three cars into the fifth spot. Mortensen’s march to the front continued as he got by Wilder for the second position on lap six, and by lap 10 he was challenging McAuliffe for the lead.
Going into turn three Mortensen was blocked by the lap car of D.J. Mabb allowing McAuliffe to get away and also allowing Mark Kislowski to get by Mortensen for the third spot. On lap 16 McAuliffe drove off the track on the frontstretch with mechanical problems handing the lead over to Wilder. Mortensen brought out the final caution with one lap to go as his engine expired setting up a one lap dash to the finish between Wilder and Kislowski.
Wilder got away on the start and went on to his second win of the season and the third of his career in the Sportsman division at Fonda over Kislowski, Erik Nelson, Dick Bisson, and Chris Savoie.
MODIFIED QUALIFYING – 36 total cars – 5 qualify – 3 inverted
MCDONALD’S MODIFIED FEATURE – 100-LAPS – RONNIE JOHNSON, Brett Hearn, Dave Camara, Jeff Trombley, Matt DeLorenzo, Billy Decker, Elmo Reckner, Ryan Odasz, Pat Ward, A.J. Romano, Stewart Friesen, Bobby Varin, Tony Pepicelli, Craig Hanson, Floyd Billington, Alan Barker, Todd Morey, Josh Hohenforst, Ancel Collins, Jim Davis, Darwin Greene, John Marsh Sr., Mario Clair, Dave Lape, Erik Nelson, Ted Lamb, Danny Varin, Mike Fusco, Mark Mortensen (DNS), John McAuliffe (DNS)
HEAT 1 – Jim Davis, Ryan Odasz, Ronnie Johnson, Dave Lape, Elmo Reckner
HEAT 2 – Billy Decker, Jeff Trombley, Dave Camara, Tony Pepicelli, Alan Barker
HEAT 3 – Bobby Varin, Pat Ward, Mike Fusco, Ted Lamb, Darwin Greene
HEAT 4 – Brett Hearn, A.J. Romano, Matt DeLorenzo, Craig Hanson, Mario Clair
MODIFIED CONSOLATIONS – 4 qualify
CONSI 1 – Frank Hoard Sr., Todd Morey, Mark Mortensen, John Marsh Sr.
CONSI 2 – Josh Hohenforst, Danny Varin, Stewart Friesen, Ancel Collins
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING – 31 total cars – 6 qualify
MCDONALD’S SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 30-LAPS – JEREMY WILDER, Mark Kislowski, Erik Nelson, Dick Bisson, Chris Savoie, Kolby Schroder, Tony Farone, Mark Mortensen, Neil Erickson, JaMike Sowle, Adam Tranka, Corey Gilligan, Justin Auspelmyer, Howard Gage, Jack Miller, Ryan Stortini, Chuck Allen, Cass Bennett, Danny Varin, Rob Barile, Jason Tomkins, Don Kennedy, D.J. Mabb, C.G. Morey, John McAuliffe, Kyle Armstrong, Jason Memrick, Frank Hoard III, Sparky Lowe (DNS)
EAT 1- Mark Mortensen, Mark Kislowski, Jack Miller, Adam Tranka, Corey Gilligan, Kolby Schroder
HEAT 2 – Danny Varin, Jeremy Wilder, John McAuliffe, JaMike Sowle, Tony Farone, Chris Savoie
HEAT 3 – Neil Erickson, Erik Nelson, Dick Bisson, Cass Bennett, Tony Pepicelli, Rob Barile