Fonda Speedway Closes April With Regular Racing Program; All Divisions Plus Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Mod Series

Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – After a successful racing program last Sunday to open up the 2022 season with a total of 129 race cars in the pit area, attention now turns to a regular racing program in all regular divisions including the Sunoco Modifieds, the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, the Algonkin Motel Pro Stocks, and the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders this Saturday, April 30.

The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series will also be in action at Fonda on Saturday with a special Don Gras Memorial event honoring a beloved race fan and a true gentleman. MVVDMS cars will be on display at the Fonda Speedway Museum starting at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon!

One year ago this week, a driver won the first Sunoco Modified feature of his career at Fonda in a race car that has played a big part in Fonda Speedway history. First career wins are special moments in a driver’s racing career. But to win in a car that has ties to the history of a racetrack makes it even more special to not only the driver but the race team as well.

That is what took place on Saturday evening May 1, 2021, at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway when Jack Lehner took the iconic family-owned Nelson Motorsports #85 to the FX Caprara Victory Lane after leading all 30-laps of the Sunoco Modified feature event.

“To get a win for me is special,” Lehner said in victory lane. “But to get a win for them (car owners Bill & Erik Nelson) makes it even better. I got my start here at Fonda, so it holds a special place in my heart. I can’t think of a better place to get a win. Erik & Bill put everything into this so I’m happy to get a win for them. There is nothing like getting a win to build your confidence because thinking that you can win and knowing that you can win are two totally different situations.”

Lehner became the 135th different driver in the history of the Fonda Speedway to win in the Modified division in 1381 total racing events (1381 total racing events at the time of last year’s victory).

The Nelson Motorsport’s/Bloomfield’s Florist sponsored #85 has been a part of Fonda Speedway history for many years with both Bill and Erik behind the wheel of the car at Fonda, Erik with a win in the Open Sportsman division back on 7/30/2005. Demetrios Drellos also drove the Nelson Motorsports #85 to victory lane at Fonda for his first career win back on 6/16/2018.

Other winners one year ago this week include Brian Borst (Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman), Nick Stone (Algonkin Motel Pro Stocks), Stephen Gray (Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman), Tyler White (DOHC) and Shawn Hemstreet (SOHC) in the Fonda Fair Cruisers.