RPW Column: Friesen Passes DeLorenzo Late To Win On Special Night At Fonda, Honoring Dave Lape

Column By: BOBBY CHALMERS / RPW – FONDA, NY – Saturday night at Fonda Speedway was an event honoring a legendary driver…a true hero to many in the sport.

However, Saturday night’s Modified feature belong to a driver who’s quickly becoming a legend in his own right.

It was the first ever Dave Lape Memorial night at the ‘Track of Champions’ and with several top hitters in the field, all of which could have taken home the marquee event, it was Stewart Friesen who found his way to victory lane.

It was also the 2023 lid-lifter for the Thunder on the Thruway Series. That allowed Friesen to start sixth via the redraw. However, he didn’t stay there for long as the Sprakers, NY driver quickly found his way to the third spot by the third circuit around the historic half-mile.

He then made quick work of second place runner Bobby Hackel and set his sights on defending Modified track champion, Matt DeLorenzo, who had jumped out to the lead from the drop of the green.

As Friesen inched closer, the two would encounter lapped cars and performed surgical precision through the traffic, slicing high and low to keep the fans on their feet for nearly two-thirds of the 30-lap main event.

However, DeLorenzo made one mistake in lane selection all night while trying to hold off Friesen, and with nine to go, it ended up costing him the win as the Halmar #44 went sailing around the outside of the BBL Companies #3D and that was all she wrote as Friesen went on to score his 87th career Modified win at the track.

“I hope Dave (Lape) is smiling down right now,” Friesen said. “He was my hero when I was a little kid. It was so special, growing up out west at Ransomville, when he and his family would come to town, he’d let me sit in his car, let me ride my mini-bike in his trailer and hang out with the guys.”

Chasing down the DeLorenzo was one thing, but being able to pass him was another. Did Friesen find something with his cars’ handling that made it come alive?

“The track was awesome,” he said. “That outside lip was perfect. There was just a little bit left there. I could get to Matt and then I’d mess up or get in dirty air and he’d kind of check out. Then, I’d run back to him.”

That’s when the lap cars became the equalizer.

“I knew lap traffic was going to be our shot,” he said. “For a while there, I was like, man, maybe we’ll cruise around him out of (turn) four and then it started to get thin. We got back up to him in lapped traffic and he chose the bottom.”

That was all it took.

“When he did that, I was able to roll the top in one and two and get clear,” he said. “I knew this car would be great out front in clean air. We set sail but Matty was definitely tough. It was good racing with him and everybody on truly a special night.”

It was the type of connection Friesen had with Lape which made racing with the veteran during the final seasons of his storied career even that more special for Stewart.

“His last couple years, when I was driving for Tadd (Parks), we got to park side-by-side I the pits,” he said. “That was probably some of the best memories I have of Dave and of racing here at Fonda.”

If there was a race this year that Friesen really wanted to win, it may just be the Dave Lape Memorial.

“It’s just super special to get the win on his night,” he said. “We really, really wanted this one hard and this crew really worked hard for it too. It’s so special for me to be in victory lane tonight.”

DeLorenzo had to settle for the runner-up spot with current point leader Demetrios Drellos coming home third. Jack Lehner and Rocky Warner completed the top five.

In Sportsman competition, Peyton Talbot continued his amazing start to the 2023 season at Fonda by taking the lead from Chad Edwards on lap three of the feature event and went on to capture his third win in just four starts.

“This car’s been good so far,” Talbot said. “I thought it was going to be a little sketchy tonight. We made a few adjustments and it worked out pretty good.”

It seemed as though Talbot was able to drive wherever he wanted to go during the course of the 25-lap feature and it paid off with his fourth top five finish in as many starts.

“The top side was pretty good in turns one and two and the bottom was real good in (turns) three and four,” he said. “Overall, the car was pretty good and we’re real happy with it. I can’t thank my team enough.”

During the course of the night, Talbot and his team made adjustments to their #14T Bicknell knowing that track conditions would definitely be different for the feature as oppose to what they were like in his qualifying race.

“After the heat, we made a few changes,” he said. “It was starting to slicken up through the heat and then we were just watching the track. I was debating on whether it was going to rubber up or not.”

Did he make the right choices?

“I think it did in three and four for sure,” he said. “I was kind of skeptical about one and two if it did rubber in. I think it did end up doing it from the center of the corner off but the top was really good. You could hustle on entry (to the corner) so it was definitely a driver’s track for sure.”

Edwards held on to finish in second with Mark Mortensen, Blaine Klinger and invader Joe Toth completing the top five.

John Dumond captured the five-lap Non-Qualifiers event.

In the Pro Stock division, Beau Ballard finally shook the monkey off his back this season and put it all together to capture his first feature event win.

Ballard grabbed the top spot from Kenny Gates at the halfway point of the 20-lap main event and went on to hold off a very hungry Nick Stone for the visit to Checkered Board Square.

“We’ve been struggling here the last few weeks,” Ballard said. “This is a new car and we thought we were on to something the first week. Unfortunately, we’ve just backpedaled from there.”

That didn’t faze the Grand Gorge, NY driver and his team. They went to work to try and rectify the situation, and it looks like their on the right track after Saturday’s performance.

“We spent a lot of time in the garage this week,” he said. “We’ve been making changes and making changes and I think we finally made the right ones. This thing was a rocket tonight.”

Ballard searched around the track for the right line to run and once he hit on it, the #15 was on rails.

“I ran the bottom groove early to get to the lead,” he said. “I wanted to be running the top in (turns) one and two because I was struggling in those corners. I kept bottoming out or something but I passed Mr. On-The-Bottom (Gates) on the bottom. I was like, if he doesn’t move down, I don’t know if we can get there tonight.”

Ballard was able to make the move to grab the top spot and then went on score the well-deserved win.

“Once I got to the lead, I was running the top in one and two and the bottom on the other end,” he said. “(Lead Starter) Joe Kriss was letting me know I was doing all right.”

Then, Nick Stone came chasing Ballard and when the cautions came out, it was a head-to-head dual.

“I didn’t want to see the yellow flags,” he said. “We lined up with Nick but we had a hot rod tonight. Hopefully, it keeps this attitude up because we’d like to be back here more than once this year.”

Even though he beat him, Ballard was quick to thank Stone for the car he had underneath him as well as the advice.

“I have to thank Nick because he builds an awesome race car,” he said. “We talk back and fourth quite a bit about what to do with this thing and it paid off tonight.”

Shane Playford, Luke Horning and Gates finished third through fifth, respectively.

Jonathan Feagles captured his first career Limited Sportsman win at Fonda Speedway by taking the checkered flag over Michael Kalkbrenner, Kyle Dingman, Steve Wagoner and Connor Prokop.

The Hollenback’s, Kenny and Kerrie, were victorious in the two Four-Cylinder divisions while Don Briggs (Antique), John Marks (Mystique), John Roese (Late Model), Malachi Matthews (Sportsman) and Randy Delaney (Modified) were victorious in the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series features.

DAVE LAPE MEMORIAL MODIFIED FEATURE – 30-LAPS – STEWART FRIESEN, Matt DeLorenzo, Demetrios Drellos, Jack Lehner, Rocky Warner, David Schilling, Jessica Friesen, Matt Sheppard, Bobby Hackel IV, Josh Hohenforst, Max McLaughlin, Dave Constantino, Chris Curtis, Ronnie Johnson, Tucker O’Connor, Alex Yankowski, Pep Corradi, Cody Clark, JaMike Sowle, Dace Camara, Bobby Varin, Shawn McPhee, Ron Holmes, Brian Pessolano, Brian Calabrese, Brent Cross, Kurtis Hohensheldt, Daniel Morgiewicz

2nd win of 2023 and the 87th of his career at Fonda for Friesen.
LAP LEADERS – 1-21 DeLorenzo, 22-30 Friesen
HEAT RACE WINNERS – Hackel, Varin, Stewart Freisen

DAVE LAPE MEMORIAL BONUSES 5/27/2023

• $22 from Palmer’s Service Center for drivers who drew the 22nd spot in the initial draw in all divisions – Max McLaughlin (Modified), Jason Greco (602 Crate Sportsman), Shane Playford (Pro Stock).
• $122 Dave Lape’s Ladies 2nd place – Matt DeLorenzo
• $122 Mimi Lazzaro & Sheila Palmer 4th place finisher – Jack Lehner
• $99 Sacandaga Seamless Gutters/Nigel Skottke 7th place finisher – Jessica Friesen
• $122 Riley Mortuary/Pat Riley 8th place finisher – Matt Sheppard
• $250 Fulton County Electric/Jim Senzio 11th place finisher – Max McLaughlin
• $122 Dave Lape’s Ladies 13th place – Chris Curtis
• $122 Dave Lape’s Ladies 22nd place – Shawn McPhee
• $76 Palmer’s Service Center/Alton & Carole Palmer 22nd place finisher – Shawn McPhee
• $122 B & B Dumpster Rentals/Bodie Bellinger Hard Charger – Jessica Friesen +8 15th to 7th.
• $122 Sacandaga Seamless Gutters/Nigel Skottke last car on lead lap – JaMike Sowle

SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 25-LAPS – PEYTON TALBOT, Chad Edwards, Mark Mortensen, Blaine Klinger, Joe Toth, Tanner Warner, Clayton DuMond, Jason Reome, Dylan Eldred, Chip Constantino, Jeremy Tyrrell, Jim Nagle, Stephen Gray, Brendan Gibbons, Michael McCallion, Seth Martin, David Hackett Jr., Josh Kane, Brent Cross, Don Bellen, Harry Shaffer, Brian Calabrese, Jason Greco, Troy Zilles, Aaron Burton, Brett Mortensen, Butchie Irwin

3rd win of 2023 and the 7th of his career for Talbot.
LAP LEADERS – 1-2 Edwards, 3-25 Talbot
HEAT RACE WINNERS – Edwards, Constantino, Talbot, Calabrese
CONSOLATION RACE WINNERS – Kane
DID NOT QUALIFY – John DuMond, Clyde Peek, Kathy Bellen, Zach Dufel, Matt Perry, Lance Hill, Dan Santabarbara
HARD CHARGER AWARD – Nagle 25th to 12th

PRO STOCK FEATURE – 20-LAPS – BEAU BALLARD, Nick Stone, Shane Playford, Luke Horning, Kenny Gates, Caden Dumblewski, Josh Coonradt, Gary Silkey, Ivan Joslin, Jason Morrison, Randy Cosselman, Slater Baker, Kyle Weller, Johnny Holmes, Jim Normoyle, Michael Achzet, Andy Garves (DNS)

1st win of 2023 and the 4th of his career for Ballard.
LAP LEADERS – 1-10 Gates, 11-20 Ballard
HEAT RACE WINNERS – Ballard, Stone

LIMITED SPORTSMAN FEATURE – 15-LAPS – JONATHAN FEAGLES, Michael Kalkbrenner, Kyle Dingman, Steve Wagoner, Connor Prokop, John Anderson, Mike Hill, Gus Kamberelis, Kirsten Swartz, Bobby Rhinehart, Lance Hill, Dylan Huston, Chris Kugler, Lucas Duncan, Jim Mallia, Bob Rowback, Timmy Wilmot, AJ Greco, Zach Welch, Bella Pickard, Ryan Sweet, Brandon Tyler

1st career win for Feagles
LAP LEADERS – 1-15 Feagles
HEAT RACE WINNERS – Feagles, Rhinehart

FOUR CYLINDER FEATURE – 12-LAPS – KEN HOLLENBACK (SOHC), KERRIE HOLLENBACK (DOHC), Keith Tesiero Jr., Len St. Andrews, Chris Duffney Jr., David Peek-Britten, TJ Marlitt, Tim Warner, Wayne Russell Jr., Adam Montville, Todd Morey

3rd win of 2023 and the 88th of his career for Ken Hollenback
3rd win of 2023 and the 37th career win for Kerrie Hollenback
LAP LEADERS – 1-6 Montville, 7-12 Ken Hollenback

NON-QUALIFIERS RACE FOR SWAGGER FACTORY APPAREL CRATE 602 SPORTSMAN CARS – 5-LAPS – JOHN DUMOND

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES (MVVDMS) ANTIQUE FEATURE – DON BRIGGS, Bryan Scofield, Mike Wheeler, John Wood, Cliff Haslun, Jimmy Hyde, Brent Williams, Harley Sheppard, John Orsini, Dustin Chapman, Malcum Warner, Mark Tomek, Tony Kamberelis (DNS), Mike Gray (DNS)

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES (MVVDMS) MYSTIQUE FEATURE – JOHN MARKS, Carl Cram, Harry Baldwin, George Berbench, George Palmer, Mark Anatriello, Dan Karl, Peter Nowicki

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES (MVVDMS) LATE MODEL FEATURE – JOHN ROESE, Chris Cross, Curtis Condon, Ed Docskalik, Will Reed (DQ)

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES (MVVDMS) SPORTSMAN FEATURE – MALACHI MATTHEWS, Mike Francisco, Jimmy Fugel, Merv Blackwell, Jon Trudeau, Nathan McFadden, Frank Brown, Brian Gray, John Constantino

MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES (MVVDMS) MODIFIED FEATURE – RANDY DELANEY, Joe Rando, Jack Miller, Anthony Cardamone, Jon Kulesco, Don Colvin, Darral Hulbert (DNS)