11th Annual ‘Hondo Classic’ Scheduled for This Saturday at the ‘Track of Champions’
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY Photos By: HARRY AND JANE CELLA / RACERSGUIDE.COM
FONDA, NY- July 6, 2016- This coming Saturday, July 9 at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway there will be another special racing program sponsored by School House Pools. All divisions will be in action on Saturday with a starting time of 7:30 p.m. The Fonda Speedway Museum will be open from 3:00 p.m. up until race time with this week’s tribute in honor of Jerry Cook.
The pro stock feature event will be a special one as it will honor the late Hondo Carpenter with the running of the 11th annual “Hondo Classic” which will be a 29-lap event with bonuses and lap sponsorship money for every lap of the event. Trophies for the top five finishers will be sponsored by Kelly’s Pharmacy in Greenville and Coxsackie and are being made by Final Reward Trophy.
Previous winners of the “Hondo Classic” include Jim Burton in 2006, Nick Stone in 2007 & 2008, Kenny Gates in 2009, Chip Smith in 2010, Rob Yetman in 2011, Pete Broderson in 2012, Kenny Martin Jr. in 2013, Pete Broderson again in 2014, and Kenny Gates again in 2015.
Below is a column that I did back in July of 2005 in the Schenectady Gazette, a week after the tragedy that took the life of Hondo Carpenter. I thought that it would only be fitting to re-live the story as we celebrate Hondo’s career with the running of the Hondo Classic at the Fonda Speedway this Saturday.
MY LAST INTERVIEW WITH HONDO CARPENTER
By: Ron Szczerba
Last Saturday evening before the racing program began at Fonda I sat on the tailgate of Hondo Carpenter’s truck and we discussed the great 2005 season that he was having up to that point.
On Tuesday morning I got up for work after a long three-day weekend and when I walked by my answering machine the red light was flashing. I pressed the button to get the message that someone had left and it was Fonda Speedway announcer Jim King. On the message Jim said that Hondo had been killed on Monday evening in an ATV accident.
My jaw dropped to the ground. I couldn’t believe that I had just talked to him on Saturday and now he was gone. How things in life can change in only a matter of days. Below is the discussion that Hondo & I had on the tail gate of his pick up truck the week before his fatal accident.
A GREAT 2005 SEASON
Last Saturday on the tailgate of Hondo’s truck he spoke about the 2005 season being his best since moving up to the pro stock division. “It feels real good,” he said. “It took me six years to get two wins out of my old car and I’ve got two wins on a brand new car already in 2005 so it feels good. Winning here at Fonda means a lot to me”
The car that Carpenter was racing this year was a brand new car that he actually had for two years. “I’ve had the car for two years and have been putting it together little by little,” he said. “It is all brand new, it just took me two years to get it together. Once you start racing there is only time to work on one car.”
2005 was Carpenter’s seventh year in the pro stock division and after his two wins this year he said that it was great to hear all of the fans cheering for him. “It is awesome because I guess that I’m still new to this winning thing and they are still cheering for me,” he said. “If I keep it up they will probably start booing me sooner or later.”
Carpenter bought the motor that is in his car for 2005 from Walt Markert and it has been a strong motor ever since he got it. “The motor was built in 1992 by Walt Markert for Mike Budka, Sr.,” he said. “Jack Johnson, C.D. Coville, and Joe Budka all had wins in the past with that motor. I bought the motor used, I’ve had it six years, and I can still put wins on it. I actually loaned it to Kenny Martin and he got his only sportsman feature win with it back in 2002.”
That wasn’t the only time in his racing career that Carpenter has loaned another driver a motor either as he loaned Jim Burton an engine after Burton blew his back in 2000 while racing for a championship.
HONDO’S LAST WIN
Carpenter’s last win at Fonda came on June 25, 2005. It was an exciting event with Hondo getting the lead on lap five followed by Kenny Gates. When a yellow flag came out on lap seven, Gates was the new leader on the restart after Carpenter decided to restart on the inside row allowing Gates to get by on the outside. That was where Fonda Speedway announcer Jim King spoke up and said, “Why would he take the inside line on the restart. That was a dumb move in my opinion.” That comment ended up on the Bobco Video of the race.
Carpenter made King eat his words as he got back by Gates and went on to the win that night but that is where the joking amongst Hondo and Jim would get started. Actually it started a long time ago. Jim and Joy King were close personal friends with Hondo and in the past Jim exchanged some joking words about how Gates would eat Hondo’s lunch. When King went up into the announcers tower last Saturday he found a present that Carpenter had left him. It was a brown bag with the DVD recording of Hondo’s win on June 25 and on the bag was written: “Hondo’s Lunch.”
Carpenter’s passing hit the King’s really hard as both were very close with Hondo. “His death hit us hard,” Jim said. “Joy and I were probably closer to him personally than anybody else.” When Carpenter came out on the racetrack and King would announce his name he would say: “HONDOOOOOOO Carpenter and after that the horn lady would blow her horn. All at the Fonda Speedway will treasure moments like that.
FINAL WORDS
My association with Hondo Carpenter began at the races but continued away from the track a few years ago. When a company that I had worked for, for 15 years moved out of Amsterdam, NY I was left without a job. At the time of his death Carpenter worked as the production supervisor at AFG Glass in Scotia where he had worked for many years. When I needed a job Hondo offered me one and the next thing I knew I was working at AFG Glass. Carpenter gave me a break at the best possible time and I will never forget that.
I will always feel very fortunate to be able to remember my conversation with Hondo on the tailgate of his truck last Saturday night at Fonda, discussing with him what was his best season ever in the pro stock division. His energy and enthusiasm will be missed dearly by all of the people that knew him. The kind, friendly way that he treated and helped his friends, his competitors, and all of the people that knew him should be a lesson to all on how people should be treated and how things should be in life.
On Saturday July 2, 2005 at Fonda Hondo finished third in the pro stock feature event and moved up to third in points. Sadly it was his last race at the Track of Champions, a place that was very special to him. And Hondo Carpenter was very special to all that knew him.
Rest in peace Hondo
