News Director 
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – Looking for some excitement this upcoming July 4th weekend? Look no further than the Montgomery County Fairgrounds as the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway will feature two nights of racing excitement this Saturday and Sunday.
Racing on both nights will begin at 7:00 p.m.
On Saturday, July 3 the Recovery Sports Grill will sponsor “Hall of Fame Night” featuring the “It’s Huge” Fuccillo Autoplex of Nelliston Thunder on the Thruway Series “Red, White & Blue” $4,000-to-win Sunoco Modified feature, the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman $1,500 to win feature, the Algonkin Motel Pro Stocks $1,000 to win feature along with all other regular divisions plus the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS).
The MVVDMS will also be celebrating New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Night on Saturday evening with monetary awards given out to the first and second place finishers in each of the MVVDMS feature events.
Stone Motorsports and Online Performance are boosting both the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman and Algonkin Motel Pro Stock payouts this Saturday, July 3 at Fonda Speedway as each heat race winner in both divisions will receive $50 and the top three finishers in both divisions will all receive an extra $100! Visit www.stonemotorsports.com to learn more!
Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum the 2021 Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Ceremony will be held with drivers Phlan Hart, Russ Flint, and David Towns all being inducted along with car owner Bill King and track contributor Chris Fain. The Fifth Annual Bruce Dostal Dedication to the Fonda Speedway Museum Award will also be presented to Adam Fusco. You can see a short bio about each of the inductees by going to the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum Facebook page.
To see a complete list of current members of the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame you can go to the Fonda Speedway website www.fondaspeedway.com and click on the history tab then scroll down to Hall of Fame member list.
Can’t make it to the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame Class of 2021 induction ceremony this Saturday? No worries, we’ve got you covered as there will be coverage of this year’s event starting at 3:00 pm via livestream on the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum Facebook page.
The top five in Thunder on the Thruway Series Modified point standings going into Saturday’s event at Fonda show Stewart Friesen leading the points with 120 followed in the top five by Matt Sheppard (102), Josh Hohenforst (88), Jessica Friesen (84) and David Schilling (78).
The top five in Thunder on the Thruway Series Sportsman point standings going into Saturday’s event at Fonda show Cody Clark leading the points with 100 followed in the top five by Chad Edwards (90), Payton Talbot and Tucker O’Connor tied with 84, Chip Constantino (77), and Mark Mortensen (72).
The top five in Thunder on the Thruway Series Pro Stock point standings going into Saturday’s event at Fonda show Nick Stone leading the points with 120 followed in the top five by Ivan Joslin (104), Kenny Gates (102), Beau Ballard (96) and Devon Camenga (94).
Then on Sunday, July 4 will be Fuccillo Automotive Group Night featuring the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series (STSS) Fueled by Sunoco Modified “Firecracker 50” $10,000 to win event along with the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman $2,000 to win event (show-up points for both divisions) plus a gigantic FIREWORKS EXTRAVAGANZA!
Stewart Friesen will be going for his third consecutive win in the “Firecracker 50” event after winning it in both 2019 and 2020. Friesen took the win in the “Firecracker 50” back in 2019 in dramatic fashion with a pass for the lead in the final turn of the final lap giving him the $10,000 win!
STSS Northern Region Modified point standings going into the “Firecracker 50” event at Fonda show Anthony Perrego leading the way with 262 followed in the top five by Mike Mahaney (261), Matt Sheppard (248), Andy Bachetti (226), and Stewart Friesen (205).
STSS Northern Region Crate 602 Sportsman point standings going into Sunday’s event at Fonda show Joe Bruning leading the way with 100 points followed in the top five by Kyle Rohner (95), Tim Hartman Jr. (90), Payton Talbot (85), and Tyler Johnston (80).
In the history of 50 lap events or longer at Fonda, there have been a total of 68 different winning drivers in a total of 281 modified (both big and small block) feature events from 1953-2020.
They include Lou Lazzaro who leads the way with 32 victories followed by Jack Johnson with 29; Brett Hearn with 21, Dave Lape with 20; Mike Romano and Stewart Friesen with 11; C.D. Coville with 10; Ken Shoemaker and Alan Johnson with nine, Jimmy Horton, Danny Johnson, Doug Hoffman, and Bobby Varin with eight; Steve Danish, and Bill Wimble with six; Pete Corey and Rene Charland with five; Harry Peek, Bob McCreadie, and Pat Ward with four; Jeep Herbert and Matt DeLorenzo with three; Ed Ortiz, Jerry Cook, Will Cagle, Gary Balough,, Charlie Rudolph, Billy Pauch, Kevin Collins, Tim McCreadie, Billy Decker, Matt Sheppard, and Mike Mahaney all with two wins apiece.
Drivers with one feature win in 50-lap events include George Gallup, Jim Luke, Don Hendenberg, Irv Taylor, Cliff Kotary, Tom Kotary, Buck Holliday, Ernie Gahan, Ron Narducci, Jerry Pennock, Lee Millington, Maynard Forrette, Buzzie Reutimann, Ralph Holmes, Dave Pelczar, Dave Buanno, Jim Winks, Wayne Reutimann, Pep Pepicelli, Tom Wilson, Tim Dwyer, Kenny Brightbill, AJ Romano, Jeff Trombley, Steve Paine, Kenny Tremont Jr., Mitch Gibbs, Tony Pepicelli, Bob Savoie, Larry Wight, Craig Hanson, Ronnie Johnson, Jimmy Phelps, Justin Boehler, and Tim Fuller.
Saturday’s event offers points toward both weekly Fonda Speedway racing and the Thunder on the Thruway Series. Sunday offers 25 show-up points for the Fonda Speedway point battle and Short Track Super Series North Region.
Both days count toward the American Racer Cup presented by Sunoco for Modified and Sportsman racers.
