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Johnson Set to Drive Jake Spraker Owned Modified Weekly at Fonda Speedway
Story By: MATT NOLES / RACERSGUIDE.COM Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO
SPRAKERS, NY- January 13, 2016- The wild winds of change continue to blow during the off season in the Capital District of New York as news broke late Tuesday concerning the partnership of long-time car owner Jake Spraker and third generation modified star Ronnie Johnson.
Johnson, the 2011 Fonda Speedway modified track champion, parted ways with Carole and Alton Palmer at the end of the 2015 racing season after a wildly successful partnership that included a track title and numerous victories at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, the Utica-Rome Speedway and Fonda Speedway.
After rumors broke of a possible partnership with Jake Spraker on Tuesday, Johnson confirmed the news with more than a little enthusiasm. “I’m very proud to join Jake and race for him for the 2016 season,” stated Johnson. “I haven’t been this excited about an up and coming race season in I don’t know how long. I’m really looking forward to it and I can’t wait to get going.”
Though Johnson is long on excitement for the coming season opener in April, he’s certainly short on time to get a new team up and running for the long summer months. “We definitely have a lot of hard work in front of us,” Johnson continued. “With all the stuff that’s ordered and coming we definitely have a long winter ahead of us but come race season, we’ll be ready.”
Though Jake Spraker has been fielding Bicknell and Troyer chassis’s for Rocky Warner the past year, Johnson will be back behind the wheel of a TEO Pro Car powered by LJL Kevlar race engines for the 2016 season. “My relationship with Bobby Hearn is more than just on a business level,” explained Johnson. “I’ve always thought the best of his cars and I think they’re the best out there so that’s definitely what we’re going to run.”
The new found relationship between Spraker and Johnson wasn’t a cut and dry business deal by any stretch of the imagination. To be perfectly honest, it was more like the duo were set up on a blind date by mutual friends.
“I ended up calling him in the en
d but Jake and I have a lot of the same friends that were pushing me to give him a call,” continued Johnson. “I had the feeling that I wanted to call Jake and that he wanted me to call him so I did and he was hesitant at first until he realized that I was being serious; the rest just kind of fell into place on its own.”
Spraker, who has been involved in dirt racing in the northeast for longer than he would care to admit, has always been known as an extremely passionate car owner. In a driver the caliber of Ronnie Johnson, he has certainly found a man with equal passion for the sport of dirt racing.
“The proposal that Jake put in front of me knowing what my passion for racing is was just too good to pass up,” stated Johnson enthusiastically. “The equipment that we have coming to go race this up and coming season is unbelievable and I’m all smiles ear to ear right now.”
The 2016 season will find RJ in familiar territory on a weekly basis. “Right now the plan is to run Fonda weekly,” stated Johnson. “Jake has talked to me about running a few specials at Utica-Rome [Speedway in Vernon, New York] and if all goes well and he’s having a good time and winning some races the sky is really the limit at this point.”
Though fans are certainly familiar with the No. 2RJ being on the sides of his modifieds over the past seasons, there will be a small change in the numbers department for the pilot out of Duannesburg, New York.
“Jake and I have already talked about the car number and we came up with something a little different for this season,” Johnson said. “This particular car we decided to number the 1RJ with a little touch of my color orange and a little touch of Jake’s color black. We’re working on the rest of the paint scheme to accommodate the look of his cars and the look of my past cars. The end product will definitely be something really nice.”
With this announcement and the march of time rolling by like an unstoppable army, Ronnie Johnson is certainly breathing a little bit easier now knowing what his plans for the season will be. It’s safe to say that sometimes knowledge is more blissful than not knowing.
“To be perfectly honest this is a big relief because my situation with the Palmer’s was as a silent co-owner in the race team,” Johnson said. “I helped to pay the bills and fund that race team but the situation with Jake is much different in the sense that he’ll be funding the whole thing. I actually feel more relieved right now for obvious reasons.”
With the talent that Johnson has and a fully funded race team backed by Jake Spraker, RJ is certainly living the dream as the season draws near. “I’m the luckiest guy in the world right now,” concluded Johnson. “I have a fantastic wife, a great daughter, a crew that is second-to-none and loyal fans that are all supporting me in my racing endeavors year in and year out. I’m living the dream and I really can’t wait to get the season going.”
Matt Noles is a contributing writer to Racer’s Guide and Speedway Illustrated. He currently resides in Sprakers, New York.
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