News Director 
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – Guaranteed starting spots are hard to come by for any big racing events, if there are any even available. In 2018, DIRTcar announced earlier this year that six Super DIRTcar Series events held this season would award guaranteed starting positions to the winners of those events in the NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week 200 to be held this October at the Oswego Speedway.
Included in those six events will be a very special one which will be held on Wednesday, August 1 at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway where the winner of the fourth annual Jack Johnson Tribute event, known simply as “the Jack” will be guaranteed the number 12 starting position in the NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week 200 at Oswego this October, symbolic of the historic car number that Johnson used during his racing career.
Also in competition at Fonda on Wednesday, August 1 will be the 13th Annual “Hondo Classic” for the pro stocks and a street stock challenge. It was also recently announced that the Hondo Classic event would be a King of Dirt Pro Stock Series event. Racing action will begin at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, August 1.
Earlier this year DIRTcar made the guaranteed starting spots available for Super DIRT Week official in a press release saying “In order to further honor the career of an outstanding big block modified driver, the Fourth Annual Jack Johnson Tribute race will offer a guaranteed starting position in the big event. Jumpin’ Jack Johnson, an unstoppable force at the Fonda Speedway and on the Super DIRTcar Series circuit for a quarter century, won four Super DIRTcar Series championships between 1978 and 1988, and sits fifth on the All Time Super DIRTcar Series win list with 57 victories.”
Johnson was a two time winner of the Super DIRT Week at Syracuse event back in 1979 and 1984. His victory in 1979 was the first time in the history of the race at that time that a driver from New York State had won the event! He also won three Super DIRTcar Series events at Fonda back in 1976, 1979, and 1980.
In just a few short years, the Jack Johnson Tribute race at Fonda has proven to be one of the most highly sought after victories on the big block modified calendar. With the added prize of a guaranteed starting position in the NAPA Auto Parts Super DIRT Week big block modified finale, spectators at the historic “Track of Champions” will be in for a spectacular show. Previous winners of the event were Stewart Friesen, Matt Sheppard, and Mike Mahaney.
Earlier this year it was also announced that Fonda Speedway would be hosting two Super DIRTcar Series events in 2018, the Jack Johnson Tribute race as stated above, and the second date being Saturday, September 22 as part of the Mohawk Valley Weekend at the “Track of Champions”.
“We’re extremely excited to have another date at Fonda Speedway added to the Super DIRTcar Series schedule” stated Fonda promoter, Pete Demitraszek. “The fact that we were able to add our Jack Johnson tribute to the Super DIRTcar Series schedule makes the event more special.”
Summarizing previously held Super DIRTcar Series events held at Fonda in the past, there were 36 events held with 18 different drivers winning those events led by Brett Hearn who has a total of seven series event wins back in 1986, 1987, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2014. Following behind Hearn in series wins at Fonda is Danny Johnson who has a total of four (1983, 1988, 1992, 1993); Jack Johnson with three (1976, 1979, 1980); Dave Lape (1973, 1991), Lou Lazzaro (1977, 1978), C.D. Coville (1981, 1982), Jimmy Horton (1984, 1996), Doug Hoffman (1989, 1999), Kevin Collins (1990, 1994), and Bobby Varin (1995, 2017) all with two victories apiece followed by Ralph Holmes (1972), Will Cagle (1974), Wayne Reutimann (1975), Bob McCreadie (1985), Alan Johnson (2000), Tim McCreadie (2003), Billy Decker (2015), and Jimmy Phelps (2016) who all have one victory apiece in series events held at Fonda.
13TH ANNUAL HONDO CLASSIC TO BE RUN AT FONDA ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1
On Wednesday, August 1 at the Fonda Speedway the pro stocks will share the racing program with the modifieds and street stocks at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway as they pay tribute to one of their own. The Hondo Classic is named for Hondo Carpenter, a popular competitor in the division who lost his life in an ATV accident on July 4, 2005.
Just recently, it was also announced that the event would be a King of Dirt (KOD) Series event for the pro stocks.
Each year dozens of supporters of this event contribute to the bonus money that is awarded along with the track purse. According to the competitors, the money is always welcome but the big draw to the event is the bragging rights. The First Annual Hondo Classic was won by Jim Burton in 2006. Nick Stone is a four-time winner of the event in 2007, 2008, 2016, & 2017 while Kenny Gates (2009, 2015) and Pete Broderson (2012, 2014) have two wins apiece. Chip Smith (2010), Rob Yetman (2011), and Kenny Martin, Jr (2013) each have one win along with Burton.
Each year, the organizers Kelley & Kaitlyn Keefe are asked when the last Classic will be and they respond with “as long as there is interest from the racers and support from the sponsors, we will keep it going”. “We still miss Hondo every day. He loved the pro stock division and so do we. I guess that means no end is in sight.”
According to event organizer Kelley Keefe, there are a lot of shirts left over from previous years of the Hondo Classic that will be offered for sale for a $5.00 donation with all proceeds being donated to the ALS Foundation in Honor of Jack Johnson.
13TH ANNUAL HONDO CLASSIC PRIZES & BONUSES
Each driver will receive a welcome bag from The Friends of Hondo Memorial Society and their commemorative t-shirt, which has been donated by GFAB Graphix and The Wheel People Show.
Also, each driver attempting to qualify will receive $5 from the Dirt Modified Nostalgia Tour.
Heat Race 1 Winner J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 1 Winner Stone Motorsports $25 Gift Certificate
Heat Race 1 2nd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 1 3rd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Heat Race 2 Winner J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 2 Winner Stone Motorsports $25 Gift Certificate
Heat Race 2 2nd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 2 3rd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Heat Race 3 Winner J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 3 Winner Stone Motorsports $25 Gift Certificate
Heat Race 3 2nd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 3 3rd Place J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
SPECIAL AWARDS
Fastest Lap Ed Lamberton “Wheel People Show” $99.00
1st NYSSCA Member NYSSCA In Memory of Jim Langenback $54.00
2nd NYSSCA Member NYSSCA In Honor of their 50th Anniversary $50.00
3rd NYSSCA Member NYSSCA In Honor of their 50th Anniversary $50.00
Hard Charger Casey Racing $125.00
Hard Charger Frank Veeder In memory of Don Warner $97.00
Hard Charger 315 Routhier Racing In Memory of Jim Langenback $50.00
Hard Luck Melissa Horton Dawson $25.00
Hard Luck Casey Racing $125.00
Hondo’s Lunch – Last Place Finisher Joe Achzet $25.00
FINISHING POSITION BONUSES
Winner Derak & Christine Covey $199.00
Winner Irwin & Sons Farm $125.00
Winner Stone Motorsports $50 Gift Certficate
Winner Joslin Racing $20.00
Winner Bobco Racing Video DVD
Winner Karma Motorsports Magic Hat #9 Beer
2nd Place Bulldog Concrete $99.00
2nd Place Stone Motorsports $25 Gift Certificate
2nd Place Joslin Racing $20.00
2nd Place Karma Motorsports Magic Hat #9 Beer
3rd Place Edwards Food Service In Memory of Charlie Fox $100.00
3rd Place 315 Routhier Racing $50.00
3rd Place Joslin Racing $20.00
4th Place Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $99.00
4th Place Michelle Sweet In Memory of Charlie Fox $25.00
4th Place Joslin Racing $20.00
5th Place Casey Racing $89.00
5th Place Joslin Racing $20.00
6th Place Casey Racing $79.00
6th Place Joslin Racing $20.00
7th Place Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $69.00
7th Place Joslin Racing $20.00
8th Place Endress & Hauser $50.00
8th Place Joslin Racing $20.00
9th Place Stone Motorsports $100.00
9th Place Mike Fritz – The Ranch #85 $50.00
9th Place Joslin Racing $20.00
10th Place Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $49.00
10th Place Joslin Racing $20.00
11th Place Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $39.00
12th Place Morrison Truck & Auto Repair $29.00
13th Place Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $29.00
14th Place Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $29.00
15th Place Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $29.00
16th Place Rocky Warner In Memory of Don “Silver Fox” Warner $40.00
17th Place Bobco Racing Video $9.00
Through Bobco Racing Video $9.00
28th Place Bobco Racing Video $9.00
LAP LEADER BONUSES
Lap 1 Leader Mortensen 1M Racing $20.00
Lap 2 Leader Dave Horning, Jr. & Sr. In Memory of Kim Horning $20.00
Lap 3 Leader Glen Ridge Motorsports Park $25.00
Lap 3 Leader Dave Horning, Jr. & Sr. In Memory of Corey Dutcher $20.00
Lap 4 Leader Bulldog Concrete $50.00
Lap 5 Leader Glen Ridge Motorsports Park $25.00
Lap 6 Leader Glen Ridge Motorsports Park $25.00
Lap 7 Leader Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $29.00
Lap 8 Leader Leeann Achzet In Memory of Fonda HOF Lee Achzet $81.00
Lap 8 2nd Place Leeann Achzet $35.00
Lap 9 Leader J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Lap 10 Leader Truck & Auto Repair $25.00
Lap 11 Leader Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment – 711 Racing $29.00
Lap 12 Leader Bulldog Concrete $50.00
Lap 13 Leader Haslun Racing $50.00
Lap 13 Leader Super Suds Glenville $25.00
Lap 14 Leader Shell Inn, Westerlo Gift Certificate $25.00
Lap 15 Leader Morrison Truck & Auto Repair $25.00
Lap 16 Leader Kelley Keefe In memory of Brian Goss, Sr. $20.00
Lap 17 Leader Dave Horning, Jr. & Sr. $20.00
Lap 18 Leader Morrison Truck & Auto Repair $25.00
Lap 19 Leader Final Reward Trophy $25.00
Lap 19 Leader Tom Czaban $25.00
Lap 20 Leader Super Suds Glenville $25.00
Lap 21 Leader Glen Ridge Motorsports Park $25.00
Lap 22 Leader Mary Panela Berry In Memory of Brian Goss, Jr. & Sr. $20.00
Lap 23 Leader Fox 23 Fast Track Alumni $23.00
Lap 24 Leader Rick LaGrange In Memory of Danny Ody $25.00
Lap 25 Leader Kelley Keefe In memory of Brian Goss, Jr. $20.00
Lap 26 Leader Aaron Burton $26.00
Lap 27 Leader Glen Ridge Motorsports Park $25.00
Lap 28 Leader Casey Racing $30.00
Lap 29 Leader King of Dirt Pro Stock Series $25.00
Lap 29 Leader Shell Inn, Westerlo Gift Certificate $25.00
