Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – This Saturday, July 8 at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway a special night honoring the late Bill Anagnostopoulos will take place as the current top five in Amsterdam Truck Center Modified points will compete in the “Bill Ag Modified Elimination Races” with a lot of money on the line from various sponsors going to the drivers competing in the event.
Dirt Track Digest will sponsor the evenings racing program. This event is held in honor of the late Bill Anagnostopulos who was the owner of the Winners Circle, which is a restaurant in Fonda, NY that is located just around the corner from the Fonda Speedway.
Bill was a great friend to racing and sponsored many drivers at the speedway through the years and sponsored events at the track as well. On a typical Saturday evening, he would get away from the restaurant to attend the races at Fonda where he had many friends in both the pit area and the grandstands.
All other regular divisions will also be in action on Saturday, July 8 including the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, the Below Zero Ice Cream Pro Stocks, the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, and the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders. A spectacular Fireworks display will take place at dusk and the Fonda Speedway Kids Club will also be holding “Bike Night.”
The 8th Annual “Bill Ag Modified Elimination Race” will feature the top five in Amsterdam Truck Center Modified points as of 7/1/2023 including Matt DeLorenzo, Rocky Warner, Demetrious Drellos, Alex Yankowski, and Jessica Friesen. Drivers in point positions 6-10 Ronnie Johnson, Jack Lehner, Cody Clark, Bobby Hackel IV, and Chris Curtis will run a two lap hot lap session with the driver with the fastest time added to the prestigious event as well.
This will be the 8th Annual “Bill Ag Memorial Elimination Match Races” event run at Fonda with past winners including Bobby Varin in 2014, no event in 2015, Ronnie Johnson in 2016 & 2017, Tim Fuller in 2018, Stewart Friesen in 2019, no event in 2020, Ronnie Johnson again in 2021, and Demetrious Drellos last year in 2022.
Some quotes from the previous winners of the event:
“It feels great to be back here in victory lane at Fonda for the 2022 Bill Ag event,” Demetrious Drellos said in victory lane after the win over Craig Hanson. “Hopefully, we can get another one later on in the regular feature, but it was cool to win $1,000 it was a fun race. After being pushed to victory lane for the ceremonies for the Bill Ag event, Drellos said “I gotta figure out what’s wrong with the car, I think I broke the driveshaft, but I rather it happened now than during the regular feature.”
“What an honor to win this race in Bill’s honor,” Ronnie Johnson said after the 2021 event. “Bill was a great guy, and it shows what he meant to everyone as this event is still being held in his honor and supported by so many people. I found a spot in turn two where I could get a good launch and I knew that if I beat everyone to turn three that I would be okay.”
“This is a very special event honoring Bill from the Winners Circle,” Stewart Friesen said in victory lane after his win in 2019. “This is a cool mid-summer special race that has become a big event so thanks to all the sponsors and the organizers for their efforts.”
“When Josh (Hohenforst) got lane choice for the last race I thought that I was in trouble,” Tim Fuller said after his win in 2018. “I was real concerned because he is fast here at Fonda on a heavy track. This event is a little different, it has a lot of pizzazz, and racing needs more of that.”