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FRIESEN, GIBBONS, & GATES GO BACK TO BACK AT FONDA WITH THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY SERIES VICTORIES

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – The track crew at Fonda Speedway deserves an “A” for effort. They spent considerable time working on the track on Saturday evening resulting in an outer groove for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modified feature for the drivers who had their cars set up correctly. The hard work resulted in Stewart Friesen making a late race pass on Jack Lehner for the F.X. Caprara Car Companies “Thunder on the Thruway Series” Modified victory worth $4,000 to the Sprakers, NY driver.

“That was something right there,” Stewart Friesen said after the win. “Great track prep before the race it gave us just enough there at the top in one and two. Kudos to Craig (Hanson) and Brett for working on it and getting it pretty damn racy there.”

Other winners on Infinity Custom Harvesting Night at the “Track of Champions” were Brendan Gibbons (Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman), Kenny Gates (Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks), Rocco Constantino (Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman), Josh Beals (SOHC) and Kerrie Hollenback (DOHC) in the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders.

For Friesen, Gibbons, and Gates the victories were back to back after winning a week ago at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds.

Opening ceremonies featured a prayer by Pastor Greg Nitz followed by a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem by Kaleigh Araujo! Thanks to the efforts of Julie, Heather, and Rose there were two huge 50/50 prizes handed out after one not being claimed last week. Chris from Central Bridge won $2,684 while last weeks prize of $2,102 was won by Joann from New Windsor. The weekly 50/50 not only benefits fans but also the drivers as half of the money raised goes towards the drivers season long point fund so thanks to the 50/50 girls for all of their efforts.

The 30-lap $4,000 to win Amsterdam Truck Center Modified feature started with JaMike Sowle and Jack Lehner on the front row thanks to the luck of the draw. Sowle was the early race leader for almost the entire first half of the event until lap 12 when outside pole position starter Jack Lehner took over the race lead with a move to the inside of Sowle in turns three and four.

Third place starter Stewart Friesen also got by Sowle for the second position at that point with Lehner in lap traffic on lap 14. At the halfway point of the event, Lehner was the leader followed in the top five by Stewart Friesen, Sowle, fourth place starter Craig Hanson, and fifth place starter Jessica Friesen.

The two drivers who started in row six of the feature, Rocky Warner and Alex Yankowski were on the move during the first half of the event, Warner all the way up to the third position after getting by Hanson for the position on lap 21 while Yankowski was just outside the top five. Back to the front, Stewart Friesen was closing in on Lehner for the lead when the yellow flag came out on lap 24 for Hanson whose car showed signs of smoke in turn four.

The yellow flag flew again on the restart for a three car wreck in turn four resulting in the next attempt at a restart being single file. Lehner led at the drop of the green flag, but it was Stewart Friesen who wasn’t afraid to hang it all out on the outside, going around the outside of Lehner in turn four to take over the lead with five laps to go. Stewart Friesen led the remaining laps in the Halmar #44 for his fourth win and the 92nd of his career at Fonda.

Lehner, Warner, Yankowski, and Jessica Friesen completed the top five.

“I thought when we went single file on the restart that it was game over,” Friesen told Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane. “Jack (Lehner) gave me just enough room outside of him, I love the Nelson’s, they are a great race team, but it didn’t matter tonight we were going after it. Growing up around this sport, I love it to death, I love this track and I’m real lucky to call this place my home.”

“This feels real, real good I’m proud of the whole Halmar Team,” Friesen continued to say. “It’s awesome to be in that company (Fonda All Time Modified Win list where Friesen is now fourth in line with 92 behind Jack Johnson with 149, Lou Lazzaro with 113, and Dave Lape with 99), we’ve raced here a long time now and you never know when a win is gonna be your last.”

The 25-lap Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman feature started with Dylan Madsen leading at the drop of Joe Kriss’ green flag with last weeks winner Brendan Gibbons starting sixth but sitting in the second position by lap four. Madsen continued to lead through a restart on lap four after a caution flag flew with 12th place starter Payton Talbot now in the fourth position.

Madsen was in lap traffic on lap 18 and that turned out to be his downfall at no fault of his own as one lap later he tried to get around the outside of a lap car in turn one. When the lap car slipped up into his lane it allowed Gibbons to get under both of them for the lead going into turn two. The lap car that blocked Madsen’s lane in turn one brought out the caution one lap later as flames appeared underneath of the #6 of Pat Mann.

There were no injuries to Mann after the incident and Gibbons pulled away on the restart to the $1,500 to win F.X. Caprara “Thunder on the Thruway Series” victory, his second of the season in a back to back victory in the Cloud Nine Cannabis #B24 Bicknell car. Talbot, 10th place starter Tanner Warner, 15th place starter Brian Calabrese, and Madsen completed the top five at the checkered flag.

“Dylan (Madsen) put on a hell of a race,” Gibbons said in victory lane. “Lap traffic is what got him. I was just trying to keep the car straight; we kept the same setup it in from last week and this thing was just awesome.”

The $1,000 to win Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock feature began with Kenny Gates starting on the pole position and taking the lead at the drop of the initial green flag. It was a position that he would never give up as he led all 20 laps for the F.X. Caprara Car Companies “Thunder on the Thruway Series” victory. Outside pole position starter AJ Walters ran second to Gates through the halfway point when he started showing signs of smoke and fell out of the event.

Fourth place starter Nick Stone ran second to Gates for the last half of the event but never got close enough to mount a challenge as Gates went on to his third win of the season and the 95th of his career in the division at Fonda in the Upstate Spray Foam/Happy Returns #35 with Stone, Ivan Joslin, Jason Morrison, and Jim Normoyle completing the top five.

“The track was really fast, and it suited me perfect,” Gates said after his victory. “There was a bottom and we’ve got a great setup for it. We were lucky on the redraw and started on the pole, so I knew that if I hit my marks and didn’t screw up it was gonna be tough to get around me.”

Rocco Constatino started on the pole position for the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman event and led every lap of the event in the Ageless Aesthetics #44 DKM car for his second victory of the season and the second of his career at Fonda. Jeff Bobilin, Lance Hill, Timmy Wilmot, and Bobby Rhinehardt completed the top five.

“This feels amazing,” Constantino said after his second career win at Fonda. “I just kept thinking I gotta beat them to turn one on the restarts.”

The Fonda Fair Four Cylinder feature saw Josh Beals (SOHC) winning overall while second place finisher Kerrie Hollenback was awarded the DOHC victory. Ken Hollenback was involved in a wreck in turn one on a restart, flipping his car over but fortunately he was okay after the wreck. Jay Ingersoll, Slappy White, and Len St. Andrews completed the top five in the event.

The win for Beals was the first of his career in the division at Fonda while for Kerrie Hollenback it was his second win of the season and the 43rd of his career in the division at Fonda.

“The past few weeks have been a struggle,” Beals said after his first career win at Fonda. “The car came together tonight and I’m glad to be here having fun with my friends and family.”

“He’s the only one I’ve got,” Kerrie Hollenback said after an emotional win which saw his brother Ken wreck hard during the event. “I just kept going but it was tough not knowing if my brother was okay.”

If you are a race fan that gets to the track early, be sure to check out the Fonda Speedway Museum & Hall of Fame which is located on the Fonda Fairgrounds at the rear of the parking area going down towards turn four. The museum is open from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on race days and admission is free!

All races at Fonda Speedway – will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv) as part of the $150 annual subscription.

Since 1953, the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car racing. Under the management of BD Motorsports Media LLC, the speedway will operate weekly on Saturday nights from April through August plus several special events. Fonda Speedway is located on the Montgomery County Fairgrounds off New York State Thruway Exit No. 28 at 21 S. Bridge Street Fonda, NY 12068.

Fonda Speedway is on the web at www.thefondaspeedway.com. To learn more, call the office at 518.915.4395, like Fonda Speedway on Facebook or follow the speedway on Twitter and Instagram: @thefondaspdwy.

DATE – 7/13/2024 Infinity Custom Harvesting Night

AMSTERDAM TRUCK CENTER MODIFIEDS
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 44-Stewart Friesen[3]; 2. 85-Jack Lehner[2]; 3. 1-Rocky Warner[11]; 4. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[12]; 5. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[5]; 6. 7MM-Michael Maresca[14]; 7. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[6]; 8. 76-Jamike Sowle[1]; 9. 34-Dave Constantino[13]; 10. 93-Ryan Odasz[20]; 11. 21P-Luciano (Pep) Corradi[7]; 12. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[8]; 13. 42-Tucker O'Connor[9]; 14. 24P-Brian Pessolano[10]; 15. 21C-Brian Calabrese[19]; 16. 24-Patrick Dupree[18]; 17. 20C-Craig Hanson[4]; 18. 4-Cody Clark[16]; 19. 21-Gary Edwards III[15]; 20. 66-Don Bellen[17]

26 entries
SWAGGER FACTORY APPAREL CRATE 602 SPORTSMAN
Feature (25 Laps): 1. B24-Brendan Gibbons[6]; 2. 14T-Payton Talbot[12]; 3. 78-Tanner Warner[10]; 4. 21C-Brian Calabrese[15]; 5. 89-Dylan Madsen[2]; 6. 12T-Tyler Peet[18]; 7. 10%-Chad Edwards[13]; 8. 40D-Butchie Irwin[4]; 9. 63-Chip Constantino[14]; 10. 84-Ricky Quick[17]; 11. 7J-Dan Santabarbara[7]; 12. 8-Josh Kane[5]; 13. 25-Stephen Gray[21]; 14. 9K-Blaine Klinger[16]; 15. 14J-Jeremy Tyrrell[20]; 16. 96-Michael McCallion[8]; 17. 2K-Mike Kalkbrenner[1]; 18. 1M-Mark Mortensen[9]; 19. 4-Al McCoy[23]; 20. 12P-Connor Prokop[3]; 21. 6-Pat Mann[24]; 22. 1B-Brett Mortensen[11]; 23. 99-Clyde Peek[22]; 24. 1H-Harry Shaffer[25]; 25. 42H-Kadon Hohensheldt[19]; 26. (DQ) 12B-Tyler Bobar[26]

Greco’s NAPA Hard Charger – Tyler Peet +12

9 entries
LEATHERSTOCKING CREDIT UNION PRO STOCKS
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 35-Ken Gates[1]; 2. 8N-Nick Stone[4]; 3. 49-Ivan Joslin[6]; 4. 715-Jason Morrison[5]; 5. 74N-Jim Normoyle[3]; 6. 13-George Cushman[8]; 7. 75-Gary Silkey[7]; 8. 15M-Mike Hill[9]; 9. 22W-AJ Walters[2]

Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8N-Nick Stone[4]; 2. 35-Ken Gates[5]; 3. 22W-AJ Walters[3]; 4. 74N-Jim Normoyle[7]; 5. 715-Jason Morrison[2]; 6. 49-Ivan Joslin[8]; 7. 75-Gary Silkey[1]; 8. 13-George Cushman[9]; 9. 15M-Mike Hill[6]

$200 Heat Race Bonus from RCK Motorsports - Stone

19 entries
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE FOR AGING LIMITED SPORTSM
Feature (15 Laps): 1. 44-Rocco Constantino[1]; 2. 1B-Jeff Bobilin[2]; 3. 22L-Lance Hill[3]; 4. 14W-Timothy Wilmot[6]; 5. 618-Bobby Rhinehardt[4]; 6. 12AJ-AJ Greco[8]; 7. 797-Corky Warner[7]; 8. 62-Shawn Gibbons[11]; 9. 13J-Jim Mallia[10]; 10. 26B-Maddy Broedel[5]; 11. 32-Steve Wagoner[13]; 12. 216-Phil Arnold[14]; 13. 24-Kirsten Swartz[18]; 14. 11-Josh Persse[12]; 15. 16H-Dylan Hutson[16]; 16. 47-Walter Cook[9]; 17. 57-Ben Balzer[15]; 18. (DNS) 4-Jimmy Beach; 19. (DNS) 44J-Adam Tranka

Greco’s NAPA Hard Charger – Kirsten Swartz +5

14 entries
FONDA FAIR FOUR CYLINDERS
Feature (12 Laps): 1. 223S-Josh Beals[6]; 2. 33D-Kerrie Hollenbeck[5]; 3. 97JD-Jay Ingersoll[11]; 4. 43D-Slappy White[13]; 5. 26D-Len St Andrews[8]; 6. 212S-TJ Marlitt[2]; 7. 54S-Wayne Russell Jr[4]; 8. 42D-Hayleigh Gates[7]; 9. 23TD-Keith Tesiero Jr[14]; 10. 57S-Jeremiah Paro[9]; 11. 29JD-John Ray[10]; 12. 420XS-Tim Warner[1]; 13. 12S-Ken Hollenbeck[12]; 14. K1S-William Liberatore[3]

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