Ronnie Johnson and Kenny Gates Continue Fonda Speedway Dominance in 2016
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By: MATT NOLES / RACERSGUIDE.COM
FONDA, NY- May 22, 2016- During the career of a race car driver they are sometimes fortunate to hit on a magical combination of driver, race car, and car owner that just seems to clique. Ronnie Johnson seems to have hit on that this year with a combination of a 2016 Teo Pro car owned by legendary car owner Jake Spraker and his wife Nancy as Saturday evening at Fonda he won his third victory in a row for the 2016 season which was the 28th of his career at the “Track of Champions”.
Other winners at Fonda on VP Small Engine Fuels Night were Brian Pessolano (sportsman), Brian Calabrese (rookie sportsman), Kenny Gates who also won his third in a row in the pro stock division, and Josh Coonradt who won his fourth in a row in the street stock division.
Tributes were also held at Fonda on Saturday for legendary Fonda Speedway drivers Lou Lazzaro and Kenny Shoemaker. More information about those tributes with short stories about the tribute drivers can be found on the Fonda Speedway website www.fondaspeedway.com
The evening started out with the Northville Falcons Band performing the National Anthem just before the first racing event of the evening. The band was established back in 1939 and was under the direction of Michael Graves on Saturday evening at Fonda.
Vinnie Sanganetti and Justin Boehler started the 35-lap modified feature event on the front row and at the drop of Joe Kriss’ green flag it was Sanganetti who took the early lead. While Sanganetti led the event Boehler dropped back to third as Jessey Mueller took over the second position behind Sanganetti. An early caution was out on lap three followed by a red flag situation on the restart when Brian Gleason’s car ended up on top of Boehler’s car in turn three.
The accident started when Darwin Greene got out of shape on the backstretch and while Greene was able to straighten his car and continue it scattered the field which contributed to the two car wreck involving Gleason and Boehler in turn three. Fortunately both drivers were okay after the wreck but both were done for the night.
Mueller and Greene were side by side for two laps trying to gain the second position but when Greene made contact with the leading car of Sanganetti on lap seven in turn four, Mueller ducked under both of them to take the lead followed in the top five by Greene, Bodie Bellinger, Jeremy Wilder, and 11th place starter Ronnie Johnson.
Mueller held a straightaway advantage on lap 12 as Johnson started to make his move to the front getting by Wilder for the fourth position on lap 13 with Sanganetti driving to the pit area with damage to his car from the incident with Greene ending Sanganetti’s great run. On lap 17 Johnson moved past Bellinger for the third position with the top five at the halfway point consisting of Mueller, Greene, Johnson, Bellinger, and Wilder.
On lap 20 the yellow flag was out again for Bobby Varin who came to a stop just before the tire wall in turn three after possible contact with the car of Danny Johnson as the two were battling for the seventh position. Varin was able to go to the hot pit to check for damage and continue on at the rear of the field. On the restart Ronnie Johnson took the second position away from Greene and on lap 21 he got a great run on the outside of turn three to get the lead away from Mueller.
While Ronnie Johnson pulled away to a straightaway advantage by the lap 28 point in the event positions in the top five continued to change as both Wilder and ninth place starter Danny Johnson moved into the third and fourth spots after both got by Greene for position. Despite lap traffic in front of the leader in the words of legendary Fonda Speedway announcer Jim King “RJ was on the way” to his third consecutive win of the season followed in the top five by Mueller, Wilder, Danny Johnson, and Greene.
In victory lane on Lou Lazzaro tribute night Lou’s daughter Mimi presented Johnson with the winning trophy.
“I didn’t know that the #19 (Mueller) was leading I actually thought that Darwin was leading,” Johnson told Paul Szmal in victory lane. “I had never won two features in a row here at Fonda let alone three in a row. I am in a daze right now.”
In victory lane Johnson also thanked long time sponsors Gary Mickle and Frank Witz for all of their help through the years and currently.
With Saturday evening being the first night of handicapping it was proof of the drivers who have not had such a great start to the 2016 season as they were fortunate enough to start up front as long as they did well in their respective heat race qualifying events. Two such drivers were 2011 602 Sportsman Track Champion Mark Mortensen and Billy Gray who started the 25-lap sportsman feature on the front row after both drivers won their heat race events.
At the drop of the green flag Mortensen took the lead and from that point on it was “yellow fever” as nine caution flags slowed the event. The first of those cautions was on lap two for a three car wreck in between turns one and two and while Mortensen held on to the lead through the early restarts Gray and sixth place starter Brian Pessolano were swapping the second position on each of the restarts once Pessolano moved up front quickly after the green flag flew.
An unnecessary caution flew on lap 12 when the car of Josh DeMagistris was smoking coming down the front straightaway but instead of driving to infield and out of harm’s way to allow the race to continue he continued on slowly around the track until the caution was thrown before driving in to the pit area.
When Rocky Warner brought out the caution by coming to a stop in turn three and then drove away to the pit area on lap 13, track management had seen enough and ordered a single file restart with the top five at the hallway point consisting of leader Mortensen, Pessolano, eighth place starter Chris Schaffer, Gray, and Ray Zemken.
The final restart of the event came on lap 17 when Zemken spun on track and JaMike Sowle made hard contact with Zemken but fortunately both drivers were not injured. Mortensen maintained the lead on the restart but his lap times started to slow as Pessolano started running faster laps than the race leader by lap 19.
On lap 21 when a mechanical issue caused Mortensen to slow in turn three, Pessolano ducked under the leader to take over the lead on the inside of turn three. As it turns out something mechanical in the #1M of Mortensen caused the motor to spit and sputter going down the straightaways which is what happened down the backstretch on lap 21 when Pessolano was able to get by for the lead.
While Pessolano pulled away to the easy win Mortensen nursed his car home to a second place finish and was followed in the top five by 12th place starter Dave Constantino, ninth place starter Chad Edwards, and Gray, The win for Pessolano came in the West End Towing and Repair #24P and was his fourth career win in the division.
When asked by Paul Szmal in victory lane whether he was just laying back or if opportunity presented itself when he took the lead Pessolano said: “Opportunity presented itself”. “The cautions actually helped me out as the car freed up as the fuel burned off.”
Josh Neal led the first six laps of the rookie sportsman feature event while fifth place starter Brian Calabrese moved to the front of the field. Calabrese was second at the completion of lap one and on lap seven on the inside of turn one made his move to get by Neal for the lead.
One yellow flag slowed the field on lap 10 and on the restart Rob Lanfear was the new second place car but had nothing for Calabrese who went on to his first career win at Fonda followed by Lanfear, Neal, David Manchester, and Anthony Alger.
Justin Knight led at the start of the 20-lap pro stock feature event from his outside pole starting position with Todd Hoffman moving up to the third spot on lap one after starting sixth. Hoffman got by pole sitter James Normoyle Jr. on lap two and one lap later made a move on the inside of turns one and two to take the lead away from Knight.
When the first of four caution flags flew on lap six for Normoyle Jr. who spun on to the front stretch infield the top five consisted of Hoffman, Knight, Jay Casey, Chuck Dumblewski, and 11th place starter Kenny Gates. Gates continued his march to the front on the restart as he first moved past Dumblewski for third and then Casey for the second position on lap eight.
At the halfway point of the event Hoffman and Gates were side by side for the lead with Hoffman able to hold on to the spot this time but one lap later on lap 11 Gates got by Hoffman for the lead on the inside of turns three and four. On a lap 14 restart, ninth place starter Luke Horning moved into the top five, taking the third position away from Casey just before Casey spun coming out of turn two to bring out the caution with one lap to go.
A yellow on the restart slowed the event one last time but on the “Delaware” restart Gates maintained his lead and went on to his third consecutive win of the season and the 61st of his career in the division over Horning, Dumblewski, 15th place starter Pete Broderson, and 10th place starter Tom Denton. Ironically both Johnson in the modified feature and Gates in the pro stock feature started the events in the 11th position before winning their feature events.
Hoffman actually finished the feature event in the second position but was disqualified for having illegal valve springs in his motor during post-race inspection.
“This new car is on a rail,” Gates said in victory lane. “The track was a little bit different tonight but this car is flawless and I can put it anywhere I want to on the track. I have never had a start to the season like this.”
Perhaps the most entertaining feature event of the night was the 15-lap street stock feature with four different leaders during the event starting with Joey Wilson who led at the drop of the green flag. Sixth place starter Johnny Young moved up to the second position on lap three while ninth place starter Josh Coonradt moved up to the fourth position by lap five.
Coonradt moved down the middle of both Rob VanAernam and Jerry Cohn for the third position on lap seven and one lap later Coonradt was the new race leader as he ducked under both Young and Wilson in turn four after the top two moved up the track in turn four. Young came right back to lead one lap on lap nine before VanAernam made a three wide move around both Young and Coonradt to lead lap 12.
Shortly after VanAernam took the lead the yellow was out for Wilson who ended up in the turn two wall with a flat tire. On the restart, Coonradt pressured VanAernam for the lead and on lap 13 at the line to complete the lap, Coonradt was the new race leader. From that point on he went on to his fourth consecutive win of the season and the seventh of his career in the division over VanAernam, seventh place starter Dave Horning Sr., Young, and 11th place starter Brian Cosselman.
Next Saturday, May 28 the Fonda Speedway will celebrate the Memorial Day weekend with Military Appreciation Night sponsored by A-Verdi. All active military and Veterans will receive a free grandstand admission with an ID or a DD214. On the racing card will be all regular divisions along with the Patriot Sprint Car Tour. A bagpiper will be on hand as well to honor our soldiers during the Memorial Day intermission. Starting time will be 7:30 p.m.
For more information about the Fonda Speedway you can go to www.fondaspeedway.com Also please visit the Fonda Speedway Museum on race nights from 3:00 p.m. until race time for a chance to win prizes including a grandstand pass to get into the races which is a free giveaway every week!
MODIFIED FEATURE – 35-LAPS – RONNIE JOHNSON, Jessey Mueller, Jeremy Wilder, Danny Johnson, Darwin Greene, Bodie Bellinger, Dominick Buffalino, Craig Hanson, Jeff Trombley, Mark Kislowski, Bobby Varin, Jeff Rockefeller, Shaun Pangman, Josh Hohenforst, Brandon Walters, Scott Huber, Korey Wilder, Ed Harris, Brian Nelson, Alton Palmer, Vinnie Sanganetti, Justin Boehler, Brian Gleason, Shea Montgomery, Pep Corradi (DNS)
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 25-LAPS – BRIAN PESSOLANO, Mark Mortensen, Dave Constantino, Chad Edwards, Billy Gray, Adam McAuliffe, John McAuliffe, Rocky Warner, Ricky Quick, Connor Cleveland, Tony Farone, Jason Greco, Brian Calabrese, Chris Schaffer, Chris Curtis, Tim Hartman Jr., Ray Zemken, JaMike Sowle, Harry Shaffer, Floyd Billington, Josh DeMagistris, Jack Lehner, Nick Scavia, Cody Clark, Doug Hancock, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Ivan Joslin, Aaron Burton
ROOKIE SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 15-LAPS – BRIAN CALABRESE, Rob Lanfear, Josh Neal, David Manchester, Anthony Alger, Mike Block, Travis Billington, Tom Princiotta, Bobby gage, Mike Peek, Kyle Gray (DNS)
PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – KENNY GATES, Luke Horning, Chuck Dumblewski, Pete Broderson, Tom Denton, Jason Casey, Nick Stone, Gus Hollner, James Normoyle Jr., Shane Henderson, A.J. Walters, Jim Morrison, Jay Casey, Deven Camenga, Cassidy Wilson, Randy Cosselman, Jamie Warner, Jim Normoyle, Dennis Joslin, Adam Warner, Justin Knight, Todd Hoffman (DQ)
STREET STOCK FEATURE – 15-LAPS – JOSH COONRADT, Rob VanAernam, Dave Horning Sr., Johnny Young, Brian Cosselman, Bill Yager, Bubby Shaffer, Jim Groncki, Joey Wilson, Jerry Cohn, Jason Samrov (DQ)
