FONDA SPEEDWAY READY FOR OPENING DAY ON SATURDAY, APRIL 23
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY MEDIA Photos By:DAVE DALESANDRO/ RACERSGUIDE.COM
FONDA, NY – April 21, 2016- After a successful practice session on Saturday, April 16 the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway is set to begin the 2016 racing season this Saturday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. It will be a special weekend in the Mohawk Valley for stock car racing fans as the Glen Ridge Motorsports park is also set to open for the season the night before on Friday, April 22. Both tracks will be managed and promoted under the Demitraszek Enterprises banner by Pete and Matt Demitraszek and their families in 2016.
With that said the 65th season of competition at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds track will begin this Saturday with all divisions in action including the modifieds, sportsman, pro stocks, street stocks, and rookie sportsman. Also in action at Fonda on opening day will be the CRSA Sprint Cars, which always put on a great show on the ½-mile track. Points will also begin in all divisions on Saturday.
Along with all the racing action on Saturday at Fonda, it will also be Jeep Herbert Tribute Night at the “Track of Champions”. Herbert was track champion at Fonda back in 1953 and is currently 16th on the all-time modified win list at the track with a total of 25 career feature victories in nine championship seasons, the first one coming on 7/11/1953 and his last one on 8/10/1963.
Some exciting news was announced this past weekend regarding the Fonda Speedway Museum which will be opened weekly from 3:00 p.m. until race time at 7:30 p.m. Newly inducted Hall of Fame member Dave Lape and his wife Jackie along with some friends were at the museum last Saturday afternoon for the practice session looking around the museum to see what could be done to preserve the long history of the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway.
Dave, Jackie, and their friends have volunteered to help operate the museum this year and plan to honor the long list of tribute drivers that are going to be honored this season by setting up a display of material on the different drivers that will be honored weekly with tributes this season. Through sharing stories at the museum with your friends to looking at all of the memorabilia which will be set up at the museum it will be a great place to gather each week to share memories of racing at the “Track of Champions” both past and present.
Local racing historians Ed & Betty Biittig will also be a big part of the museum this season, just as they have been in the past, with the many items they have in their collection to preserve the local history of stock car racing at Fonda currently being displayed at the museum along with new items, which will be added throughout the 2016-racing season.
Anyone who has anything that they would like to share to help honor Jeep Herbert this Saturday or any of the other drivers who will have tribute races held in their honor this season can drop the items off at the museum any Saturday night during the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. A list of drivers who will have tribute nights held in their honor in 2016 can be found on the Fonda Speedway schedule card, which was given out at the annual car show a few weeks back and will be available weekly at the admission gates at the track.
There have been a total of 33 different winning drivers in a total of 64 opening day events held at Fonda from 1948 through 2015 with the exception of 1949 through 1952 when no events were held at the track.
Leading the way in victories in opening day events at Fonda held over the years is none other than Jumpin’ Jack Johnson who has a total of eight opening day victories in 1972, 1976, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1994. Following close behind with seven opening day wins is Lou Lazzaro who won events in 1963, 1964, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1977, and 1978.
Two drivers have taken home five opening day wins as Dave Lape (1981, 1984, 1989, 1993, and 1995) and Pete Corey (1955, 1956, 1959, 1962, and 1967) both accomplished the feat. Jeff Trombley has four opening day victories in 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002 while Bobby Varin has three in 2001, 2005, and 2010. Jim Luke (1954, 1957), C.D. Coville (1979, 1980), Danny Johnson (1990, 2007), Pat Ward (1996, 2009), and Matt DeLorenzo (2008, 2013) all have two wins apiece.
Drivers who have one victory in opening day events at Fonda are Buddy Shuman (1948), Chuck Kotwica (1953), Irv Taylor (1958), Bill Wimble (1960), Tom Kotary (1961), Ken Shoemaker (1965), Don Wayman (1968), Rene Charland (1970), Maynard Forrette (1973), Dave Pelczar (1974), Pep Pepicelli (1975), Jimmy Horton (1985), Bob McCreadie (1986), Mike Romano (1987), Dave Camara (1998), Brett Hearn (2003), Tim McCreadie (2004), Mitch Gibbs (2006), Ronnie Johnson (2011), Mike Mahaney (2012), Matt Sheppard (2014), and Stewart Friesen (2015).
So grab your family and friends and come and join us at the Fonda Speedway on Saturday evening April 23rd for an awesome night of affordable, family, fun!
More information about the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway is available on their website www.fondaspeedway.com
