Brett Deyo & Staff Getting Set For Busy 2023 At Fonda; Opener, Honoring Jumpin’ Jack, Set For April 22nd
News Director 
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – With the turn of the calendar to 2023, the excitement of the 72nd consecutive season of racing at the Fonda Speedway is in the air with the schedule for 2023 recently released.
This will be the fifth season that Brett Deyo and his staff at BD Motorsports Media LLC have promoted motorsports events at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds track so be sure to mark your calendars now for a huge season at the “Track of Champions”.
WEEKLY DIVISIONS
Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds, Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, Below Zero Ice Cream Pro Stocks, and the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders.
MEMORIAL EVENTS
The 72nd season of racing at Fonda will start on “Opening Night” 2023 Saturday, April 22 with the Jack Johnson Memorial Montgomery County Open featuring the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds with sail panels competing in a 40-lap $12,000 to win event. All other regular divisions will also be in action with points beginning in all classes. Previous winners of Jack Johnson Tribute/Memorial events at Fonda include Mike Mahaney (2012, 2017), Stewart Friesen (2015, 2022), Matt Sheppard (2016), and Rocky Warner (2021).
On Saturday, May 27 the first ever Dave Lape Memorial event will take place with the event also being the first of three “Thunder on the Thruway Series” events at Fonda for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds, the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, and the Below Zero Ice Cream Pro Stocks. All other regular divisions will also be in action along with the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS).
Saturday, July 8 will feature the Eighth Annual “Bill Ag Memorial” Modified Elimination races along with all other regular divisions in action. Previous winners of the event honoring the late Bill Anagnostopoulos include Ronnie Johnson (2016, 2017, 2021), Bobby Varin (2014), Tim Fuller (2018), Stewart Friesen (2019), and Demetrious Drellos (2022).
The 18th Annual “Hondo Classic” honoring the late Hondo Carpenter will be run for the Below Zero Ice Cream Pro Stocks on Saturday, July 22 along with all other regular divisions. Previous winners of the “Hondo Classic” include Nick Stone (2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2020), Kenny Gates (2009, 2015, 2018), Pete Broderson (2012, 2014), Jim Burton (2006), Chip Smith (2010), Rob Yetman (2011), Kenny Martin Jr. (2013), Josh Coonradt (2019), Luke Horning (2021), and Beau Ballard (2022).
The 19th Annual “Earl Halaquist Memorial” Sprint Car event will be held under the Empire Super Sprint (ESS) banner on Saturday, August 5 with all other regular divisions also in action. This event was held at different tracks over the years but the 2023 event will be the 13th time the event was held at Fonda. Previous winners of the “Earl Halaquist Memorial” event include Justin Barger (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011), Danny Varin (2017, 2018, 2022), Chuck Hebing (2006, 2014), Blake Breen (2004), George Suprick (2005), Doug Emery (2009), Jessica Zemken-Friesen (2012), Jeff Cook (2013), Matt Tanner (2015), Steve Poirier (2016), Jordan Poirier (2019), and Paulie Colagiovanni (2021).
SERIES EVENTS
The Short Track Super Series (STSS) will celebrate their 10th Anniversary in 2023 with Bob Hilbert Sportswear as the title sponsor with two series events this season at Fonda. The first will be the $10,000 to win “Firecracker 50” for the STSS Modifieds along with a $2,000 to win 25-lap STSS Crate 602 Sportsman event on Sunday, July 2. The second STSS event at Fonda in 2023 will be the prestigious $53,000 to win “Fonda 200” for the STSS Modifieds along with an event for the STSS Sportsman on Saturday, September 16.
The previous four “Firecracker 50” events for the STSS Modifieds at Fonda have all been won by Stewart Friesen while Friesen also has a victory in in the “Fonda 200” in 2021 while Matt Sheppard was the winner of the 2022 edition of the 200-lap event. In STSS 602 Sportsman competition at Fonda during the last four years, Chad Edwards and Cody Clark both have two wins apiece while Rocky Warner and Tim Hartman Jr. each have one win apiece.
The 2023 “Thunder on the Thruway Series” for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds, the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, and the Below Zero Ice Cream Pro Stocks will have three events at Fonda this season on Saturday May 27, Saturday July 1, and Saturday July 15. The “Thunder on the Thruway Series is a six-race series between Fonda and the “Home of Heroes” Utica Rome Speedway with three events set to be held at Utica Rome on Friday June 16, Thursday June 29, and Saturday August 19.
SPRINT CARS
There will be three different groups of Sprint Cars competing at Fonda this season including the Empire Super Sprints (ESS) on Saturday May 6 and Saturday August 5, the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) on Saturday, May 20, and the CRSA Sprint Cars on Saturday June 3, Saturday July 29, and Friday September 15.
The visit by the ASCoC marks the ninth time in Fonda Speedway history that 410 Sprint Cars have competed at the “Track of Champions”, with each of the previous four events falling under ASCoC sanctioning.
Shane Stewart (7/28/2002 World of Outlaw Gumout Series), Daryn Pitman (7/29/2003 410-Sprint Open), Craig Keel (7/14/2005 410-Sprint Open), and Danny Lasoski (7/18/2006 National Sprint Tour 410-Sprints) won the first four 410-Sprint events ever held at Fonda while the last four events, all sanctioned by the All-Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC), were won by Daryn Pittman (2010), Tim Shaffer (2011 & 2012), and Danny Dietrich (2013).
The Empire Super Sprints (ESS) have competed at Fonda a total of 25 times from 1987 to 2022 with a total of 14 different winning drivers. Local favorite Danny Varin leads the way with six ESS wins at Fonda followed by Justin Barger with five, Lance Yonge and Steve Poirier both with two wins apiece. Ten different drivers have one single ESS feature win at Fonda including John Brutcher, Bobby Parrow, Tom Taber, Craig Lane, Doug Emery, Jessica Zemken-Friesen, Jeff Cook, Chuck Hebing, Stewart Friesen, and Davie Franek.
There are 13 different winning drivers in a total of 27 CRSA Sprint events at Fonda from 2009 to 2022. Mike Kiser leads the way with five feature wins while Danny Varin has four. Josh Pieniazek and Cory Sparks are next with three wins apiece while Kyle Smith, Jeff Trombley, and Jordan Hutton have two wins apiece. Dylan Swiernik, John Matrafailo, Tyler Rice, Jordan Thomas, Brett Jaycox, and Josh Flint complete the list with one win apiece.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Other special events to take note of at Fonda for 2023 include “Dollar Night” with $1 grandstand admission on Saturday May 13, “Twin 20’s” for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds on Saturday June 17, “Fan Appreciation Night” with $5 grandstand admission on Saturday June 24 which includes a pre-race Meet & Greet, “Hall of Fame Night” on Saturday July 1, “Autism Awareness Night” on Saturday July 15, and “Benjamin Moore Paints Championship Night” on Saturday August 12 when all of the 2023 Track Champions in their respective divisions will be crowned.
The “Fonda 200 Weekend” closes out the 2023 season on Thursday September 14 through Saturday September 16 with all regular Fonda Speedway divisions in action during the three-day event.
VINTAGE
For the vintage racing fan there will be five appearances by the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) at Fonda in 2023 on Saturday April 29, Saturday May 27, Saturday June 10, Saturday July 1, and Saturday August 12.
Weekly grandstand admission is $13 (Adults), $11 for Seniors (ages 65-plus) and Kids 11 and under are admitted FREE. There are increases for special events.
Pit admission is $35 (Members) and $40 (Non-Members). Kids (ages 6-12) pay $10 and Children five and under pay $2. Increases for special events are noted on the schedule.
