Varin Earns Record Tying Win at the ‘Track of Champions’
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY Photos By: DAVE DALESANDRO / RACERSGUIDE.COM
FONDA, NY- June 20, 2016- On Amsterdam Printing & Litho Night at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway, Bobby Varin made it two wins in a row as he captured his second win of the 2016 season in the Dover Brake #00 and the 54th of his career at Fonda which ties him with Kenny Shoemaker for fourth on the all-time win list.
“What an accomplishment,” Varin told Paul Szmal in victory lane after the feature win. “I have a lot of respect for the heroes of the sport like Kenny Shoemaker and I owe this to my crew they are the best.”
Other winners on Saturday included Connor Cleveland (sportsman), Travis Billington (rookie sportsman), Kenny Gates (pro stock), Johnny Young (street stock), and Don Greco (vintage).
There were 150 employees from Amsterdam Printing & Litho on hand at Fonda on Saturday evening including Frank Bucciferro who is the father of one of the employees Mike Bucciferro. At 85 years of age Frank was at the first ever racing event ever held at the Fonda and has been a fan ever since along with his son Mike, his son in law Mike Szala, and his late grandson Dan Szala.
It was also New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Night at Fonda with the top two finishers in each of the feature events getting awards from the organization for their efforts. The top finishing NYSSCA member received $75, a NYSSCA hat, and a NYSSCA yearbook while the second NYSSCA member across the finish line received $25, a NYSSCA hat, and a NYSSCA yearbook.
Winners of those awards were Bobby Varin and Craig Hanson in the modified division, Connor Cleveland and Rocky Warner in the sportsman division, Travis Billington and Mike Block in the rookie sportsman division, Kenny Gates and Jason Casey in the pro stock division, and Jason Samrov and Josh Coonradt in the street stock division.
Promoter Pete Demitraszek’s daughter Charleen started out the racing program by singing the National Anthem and by the time features were on track later in the evening Korey Wilder and Craig Hanson shared the front row to start the 35-lap modified feature event. At the drop of Joe Kriss’ green flag Hanson was the early race leader.
Wilder’s night came to an end five laps in to the event when he slowed on the front stretch while running second to bring out the first caution. The top five on the restart included Hanson, fourth place starter Darwin Greene, sixth place starter Justin Boehler, third place starter Brandon Walter, and 11th place starter Bobby Varin.
On the restart, Varin made it four wide going into turn two with Greene, Boehler, and Walters with Varin getting best of the four cars as he gained the second position in a great on track move.
“The 50J (Boehler) got up into the marbles in between turns one and two and slid up enough for me to go underneath him so I went for it,” Varin said. “It worked out well but it could have very easily went the other way too.”
The next yellow flag was out on lap six for Ronnie Johnson who ended up in the back stretch wall after contact with Danny Johnson. Ronnie was able to drive to the pit area and returned to the rear of the field for the restart. On the restart, Hanson and Varin pulled away from the rest of the field to make it a two car race to the checkered flag.
At the halfway point in the event Hanson, Varin, Greene, ninth place starter Jeremy Wilder, and Danny Johnson completed the top five with Varin now looking for the right line on the track to gain ground on Hanson and battle him for the lead. Using the high side of the speedway, Varin was able to catch Hanson and on lap 21 switched lanes to the inside to get the lead from Hanson in turn four.
Lap cars came in to play with a few laps to go with Varin now switching lanes on the track again to the outside in order to get by the lap traffic. Varin took the checkered flag for his second win of the season and was followed in the top five by Hanson, Wilder, Danny Johnson, and Mark Kislowski.
“I had to manage my tires and keep the car square tonight,” Varin said. “Craig (Hanson) took off at the start and I had to run him down with Justin (Boehler) also running a great race at the start keeping pace with the leader on the top so I knew that I had to clear him in order to have a chance at the win.”
Harry Shaffer led the 25-lap sportsman feature at the drop of the green flag with an early caution out at the completion of lap one for a four car wreck involving Ray Zemken, Tim Hartman Jr., Kurtis Hohensheldt, and John McAuliffe in turn four. Zemken and Hartman Jr. were the only drivers of the four to be able to continue.
Ricky Quick started the event in the sixth position and on lap two took over the second position with fifth place starter Connor Cleveland also getting by Jack Lehner for the third spot. On the outside of turns three and four on lap three, Quick took over the lead after getting by Shaffer and immediately took off to a straightaway lead by lap six.
Another yellow flag was out on lap 11 for a three car wreck in turn one involving Chris Schaffer, Jason Greco, and Hartman Jr. Schaffer’s front end collapsed after contact coming down the front stretch with Dave Constantino and then also with the wall as the car slowed collecting the other cars in the process. All three drivers were done for the evening at that point.
Cleveland took over the second position on the restart and on lap 13 used the same outside grove as Quick did in turns three and four to take over the lead. On the restart eighth place starter Chad Edwards got up to the third position and started battling with Quick for the second spot. On lap 16 Quick and Edwards made contact with Edwards getting a flat right rear tire out of it to bring out another caution flag.
On the restart 11th place starter Rocky Warner gained the second spot after a three wide move to get around both Quick and Nick Scavia who was running a great race in third. The move by Warner for the second position was taken back when the yellow came out before any laps were completed. On this restart 2011 track champion Mark Mortensen who started the event in the 10th position made a great move from the eight spot up to fifth as Warner again took the second spot away from Quick.
Warner never got close to the leader as Cleveland was on his game tonight taking his third career win in the division in the Cleveland Brothers Landscaping #09 over Warner, Scavia with his best career finish, Quick, and Tony Farone who completed the top five.
“The restart going into turn one was key,” Cleveland said in victory lane regarding the restart on lap 11 being a turning point in the event. “The outside on the edge was where I had to be tonight.”
Travis Billington started the 12-lap rookie sportsman feature event from the pole position, took the lead at the drop of the green flag, and never looked back as he led every lap of the event to take home his second win of the season in the division. Brian Calabrese pressured Billington but had to settle for a second place finish at the checkered flag with Mike Block, Dan Boni, and David Manchester completing the top five.
Justin Knight was the early leader in the pro stock feature event with sixth place starter Jason Casey the new second place car at the completion of lap one. Casey was the new race leader on lap four after an inside pass of Knight in turn three and on a lap five restart, Luke Horning made a great move from fifth to second. After starting the feature event in the 11th position, Kenny Gates was in the top five on lap nine and at the halfway point Casey, Horning, A.J. Walters, Tom Denton, and Gates completed the top five.
Horning followed Casey for many laps before getting by for the lead on the outside of turn four on lap 13 with Gates also making his way to the front as he was the new second place car on lap 15 after he also got by Casey for the spot. Using his patented inside move on track, Gates got by Horning for the lead on the inside of turn three and despite two more caution flags was able to take the win, the 62nd of his career which leads the all-time win list at Fonda.
Casey, Denton, Horning, and eighth place starter Jim Normoyle completed the top five in the event.
“I have to try the outside once in a while,” Gates said in victory lane about one of his passes to get to the front. “This car is outstanding, the driver needs to keep up with what the car wants to do.”
Bill Yager led the 12-lap street stock feature event at the drop of the green flag with Johnny Young second after starting fourth. Young got by Yager for the lead on the inside of turns three and four on lap five with sixth place starter Jason Samrov and ninth place starter Josh Coonradt also getting by Yager for the second and third positions.
After Yager spun in turn two to bring out the caution on lap nine, Coonradt was the new second place car on the restart setting up a battle for the win between Young and Coonradt. Coming into turn four on the final lap, Coonradt tried to get alongside of Young who ran Coonradt out to the wall forcing Coonradt to back off to avoid contact with the wall as Young went on to his third career win in the division.
Samrov, who ducked under Coonradt in turn four coming to the checkered flag finished second, followed by Coonradt, Dave Horning Sr., and Jerry Cohn.
Next Saturday, June 25 will be Palmer’s Truck Repair Night with a regular racing program on the racing card beginning at 7:30 p.m. The Vintage race cars will also be on hand along with Police K-9’s. It will also be Dave Lape Tribute Night at the “Track of Champions”. For more information about the Fonda Speedway you can go to their website www.fondaspeedway.com
And don’t forget to visit the Fonda Speedway Museum before the racing program to see a great display of Dave Lape memorabilia from the past including one of the cars that he raced during his career, the #44B which has been fully restored by Lape. The museum is open from 3:00 p.m. up until race time every Saturday evening.
MODIFIED FEATURE – 35-LAPS – BOBBY VARIN, Craig Hanson, Jeremy Wilder, Danny Johnson, Mark Kislowski, Darwin Greene, Ronnie Johnson, Jessey Mueller, Justin Boehler, Brandon Walters, Jeff Rockefeller, Bodie Bellinger, Scott Huber, Ed Harris, Troy Palmer, Korey Wilder, Pep Corradi, Chuck Allen, Mike Ketchum, Vinnie Sanganetti
SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 25-LAPS – CONNOR CLEVELAND, Rocky Warner, Nick Scavia, Ricky Quick, Tony Farone, Mark Mortensen, Harry Shaffer, Cody Clark, Ray Zemken, JaMike Sowle, Dan Santabarbara, Jack Lehner, Brian Pessolano, Aaron Burton, Chad Edwards, Adam McAuliffe, Billy Gray, Dave Constantino, Chris Curtis, David Schilling, Brian Calabrese, Chris Ronca, Chris Schaffer, Jason Greco, Tim Hartman Jr., Kurtis Hohensheldt, John McAuliffe, Doug Hancock (DNS)
ROOKIE SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 12-LAPS – TRAVIS BILLINGTON, Brian Calabrese, Mike Block, Dan Boni, David Manchester, Bobby Gage, Josh Neal, Mike Peek, Kaydon Hohensheldt
PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – KENNY GATES, Jason Casey, Tom Denton, Luke Horning, Jim Normoyle, A.J. Walters, Jay Casey, Shane Henderson, James Normoyle Jr., Justin Knight, Chuck Dumblewski, Todd Hoffman, Randy Cosselman, Deven Camenga, Ivan Joslin, Cassidy Wilson, Malcum Warner, Adam Warner, Jamie Warner, Jim Morrison (DNS)
STREET STOCK FEATURE – 12-LAPS – JOHNNY YOUNG, Jason Samrov, Josh Coonradt, Dave Horning Sr., Jerry Cohn, Jim Groncki, Steve Cosselman, Ellis Shaffer, Bill Yager
VINTAGE FEATURE – 12-LAPS – DON GRECO, Darral Hulbert, Bryon Siefried, Buck Gasner, Link Pettit, John Constantino, Wayne Gage, Charlie Schofred, Doug Mathewson (DNS), Neil Wickland (DNS)
