Kollar, Trombley, Lucia & The Palmer’s To Be Inducted Into NYSSCA Hall Of Fame Saturday At Fonda

Story By: RON SZCZERBA / NEW YORK STATE STOCK CAR ASSOCIATION – FONDA, NY – At the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum on Saturday, June 8 the New York State Stock Car Association will induct five individuals into the prestigious NYSSCA Hall of Fame. Inductees include John Kollar, Jeff Trombley, Ric Lucia, Alton & Carole Palmer.

The ceremony begins at 3:30 and will be emceed by NYSSCA President Rick Hodge. The event will be held rain or shine, and everyone is welcomed to attend.

JOHN KOLLAR

John Kollar drove the #10% during his racing career, the 10% coming from when he was a kid and they used to sell the little plastic racecars. “We would make a little racetrack in the dirt and race those cars,” Kollar said in a story published in the Redline Magazine back in August of 1998. “My father made up his own design and painted up a car with a #10% on it for my brother and a car with the #4K for me, the #4K stood for the four Kollar’s: me, my mother, my father, and my brother. I liked the 10% better because it was different, and I have used it ever since.”

John still uses the car #10% to this day on a Crate 602 Sportsman car owned by him and driven by Chad Edwards. 2024 is the 57th year that the car #10% has competed at the Fonda Speedway! Kollar started his racing career in 1968 in the Modified division. He admitted that he was never really successful at Fonda until he started running the Bicknell chassis, it was the car that he felt the most comfortable in. He did win three times during his career at Fonda, the first win coming on 7/15/1995 and his last on 8/1/1998. “Being on that win list at Fonda is a privilege in itself,” he said.

When Kollar raced he set a money amount on how much he would spend and that was the end of it, he never cut money out of the rest of his life for racing as it wasn’t his number one priority. When he raced, John was known as the “Racing School Teacher” as he used to teach fifth grade before he retired. “A lot of the kids at school didn’t even know that I raced, I always tried to keep racing as a separate entity from school,” he said. Kollar has a total of eight career wins (three at Fonda, one at Utica Rome (his career first), two at Devils Bowl, and two at Albany Saratoga) during his racing career but he did have a favorite win out of all of them.

That win came in the John Adams owned car out of Glens Falls, NY. Adams was involved in racing for many years but had never won a feature race. That all changed in 1990 at Albany Saratoga with Kollar, who raced for Adams for two years while Adams was in the hospital with cancer, behind the wheel. John won the race and the next day; he brought the trophy to Adams in the hospital and Adams wife then told John that he had given her husband everything that he always wanted out of racing.

JEFF TROMBLEY

Jeff Trombley was a mechanic on the car #63 driven by Tommy Corellis and Kenny Shoemaker when he was young. Jeff started racing in the late 70’s, first in a Go-Kart then in Mini-Stocks where he was associated with Bob Hackel and has a total of eight Mini-Stock feature wins in three years at Albany Saratoga along with a championship in that division there as well back in 1983.

Trombley started racing Modifieds in 1984 with none other than CD Coville as his tutor, his first win at Fonda coming on 4/30/1998 and his last win on 9/19/2014 for a career total of 35, currently placing him 11th on the Fonda Speedway All-Time Modified Win List. He won back to back Track Championships at Fonda back in 2001 and 2002 and also has one career 358-Modified win at Fonda. Other wins in a Modified include six at Albany Saratoga, four at Lebanon Valley, and three at Weedsport.

After finishing up racing a Modified as a regular campaigner, Trombley got the chance to race Warren Alexson’s Sprint car and he had success in the car, chasing the CRSA 305 Sprint Car circuit where he currently has a career total of 13 victories (first and last wins both coming at Utica Rome on 6/18/2017 and 7/15/2022 respectively), tied for second on the CRSA Sprint Car All-Time Win List.

Trombley also has the most ever and most consecutive championships in the CRSA with four total and three consecutive titles coming in 2017, 2018, 2019, & 2021 in statistics compiled by Tom Skibinski according to CRSA director Mike Emhof. “Jeff Trombley has been a huge asset to the CRSA Sprint organization,” Emhof said. “He is a true ambassador of the sport and has the credits to go with it in both Sprint Cars & Modifieds.”

RIC LUCIA

Ric Lucia started going to Fonda Speedway to watch the races with his family back in 1959 and built model cars of many different drivers. He raced himself until he and his wife Laura had kids, running Sprint Cars with one feature win, a third place in points, and a Most Improved Driver Award as one of the highlights in his racing career.

In order to keep himself involved in the sport of racing after he quit driving, Ric decided to place a bid in to run the Fonda Speedway back in 1997 and that was the start of 17 consecutive years of promoting the “Track of Champions”. He started his reign at Fonda by placing brand new bleachers in turn four with blacktop underneath along with a new poured concrete wall and catch fence down the front straightaway. He prided himself in being visible and hands on as a promoter.

Lucia was tough on himself when grading his first year promoting Fonda, giving himself a struggling six. “The reason being is that I think that you have to score your card the hardest,” he told me at the annual awards banquet that year. “In the back of my mind I still think that I could have done more.” Lucia always felt that having fun was the key. He wanted to bring the fun back into racing and have the fans and drivers anticipating going to the races on Saturday nights.

It came together fairly well and by the end of their first year General Manager Marty Beberwyk and starter Bobby Watson summed it up when they said, “we didn’t get everything perfect or do everything right, but we had a lot of fun doing it.” When Ric talked about the highlight of his racing career the one thing that stood out was his son racing Go-Karts. “My son Billy together with Rob Hart built a homemade Go-Kart and won ten races with it,” Lucia summarized. “When he won his first feature with the Go-Kart it meant more to me than my one and only win in a Sprint Car.”

ALTON & CAROLE PALMER

Alton Palmer started going to the races at age 15 and that was when he discovered his desire for racing. He started his racing career at the Fonda Speedway in 1981 in the Late Model division. When the Sportsman division came around, Ron Compani was the promoter at Fonda, and he told Alton about the new Sportsman division that he was going to have at Fonda and that Alton should put a Sportsman car together because he was trying to get cars to race in his new division.

Compani suggested that Palmer put a Sportsman car together because he thought that Alton would be competitive in the new division, and he was right. During his career in a Sportsman car, Palmer collected a total of 56 feature wins at Fonda, which tops the All-Time Win List at the track for that division along with five Track Championships in 1987, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 1999. In 2000, Palmer moved up into the 358-Modified division and one year later raced a Big Block with his first career win coming on 8/8/2001. His last of a total of five wins in the Modified division came back on 5/21/2011.

Through all of his success in racing, including a Sportsman win at the Syracuse Fairgrounds Mile on July 4 of 1999 along with many other wins at tracks besides Fonda, there has been one person who has been with him through the good days in racing along with the bad and that is Alton’s wife Carole. The couple were married 48 years ago on April 17, 1976. Alton raced up until 2016 in the #76 car, with other drivers in cars that they owned not only while Alton was racing but after that and up to this day as well.

Vinny Sanganetti drove a Sportsman car for the Palmer’s for many years while the drivers who drove for them in their Modified was like a whose who of Modified racing. Through the years Dave Lape, Ronnie Johnson, Jack Johnson, Bobby Varin, Jeff Hoetzler, and currently JaMike Sowle drove their racecars among others. Many drivers in the Sportsman and other divisions have also benefitted from Alton & Carole’s Palmer’s Service sponsorship both in the past and currently. Alton & Carole were inducted into the Fonda Speedway Hall of fame back in 2015.

NYSSCA TO PRESENT SPECIAL AWARDS THIS SATURDAY

NYSSCA Night at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway this Saturday, June 8 will have a little more special meaning for many people who will be honored with special awards based on their accomplishments in 2023. Mimi Lazzaro will emcee the special award part of the program with NYSSCA Hall of Fame inductions to follow which will be emceed by NYSSCA President Rick Hodge.

People who will be honored are people in racing who compete along with track employees who work hard at their local tracks to put on a competitive, informative, night of racing at our local racetracks. Special awards will be presented to:

DEDICATION TO RACING JIM LANGANBACK MEMORIAL AWARD – LUKE HORNING

“Cousin” Luke Horning as he is referred to as, used to go to the races with his father as a kid, watching his Uncle Dave race. Luke started running Enduro events back in 2000 and then migrated to the Street Stock class before moving to his current seat in a Pro Stock. 2023 was a career year for Horning in the Pro Stock division, with a total of 22 feature wins including events at the invitational at Charlotte, and a big weekend at Mohawk where he raced back to back nights and won both events. He also won the 2023 Mr. DIRT Pro Stock championship and the 2023 Glen Ridge Championship. “Super DIRT Week at Oswego was one that I definitely wanted but I’m not sure if anything could top the win at Charlotte last fall,” Horning said.

DEDICATION TO RACING IN MEMORY OF HARRY PEEK – LEO MOHRMAN

Leo started helping Dan Streeter with his Street Stock back in 1993, but when Streeter got out of racing, Leo started helping his neighbor Brent Hollenback with his Pro Stock. In 2000, Leo started helping Kenny Gates with his Pro Stock and that is where he still is today. He also helps on the Palmer Racing #76 at both Fonda & Utica Rome when the Pro Stocks aren’t in competition. “All that I can say is that I’m very fortunate to have met Leo through racing as he has become one of my best friends,” Kenny Gates said recently. “He is always there for me helping out with anything on the racecar, whether it is at the track or at the shop there is nothing that he won’t do. I have to thank him for his tireless efforts and I’m glad that he is being recognized for all that he does for racing, I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Leo.

LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION TO RACING – MICHAEL JACKSON

Michael has been around racing since he was nine or ten years old & currently owns Swagger Factory Apparel. Racing has always been a family thing for him, and he has held many hats in the sport including crew member, crew chief, driver, car owner, and sponsor. In 1994 he was the Banner Night winner at Fonda. Michael raced a Street Stock at Fonda in 2002 and then a Rookie Sportsman car at Glen Ridge in 2010. He has victories at Fonda, Accord, and Glen Ridge in the Limited Sportsman division and was the Track Champion at Glen Ridge in the Limited Sportsman division in 2017. He is always the first one to get involved in fundraisers and gives a lot back to the sport.

DEDICATION TO RACING MIKE & BONNIE REUSS

Mike started working with Maynard Forrette in 1976 after going up to Maynard’s garage and Maynard immediately putting him to work. He has been working on racecars ever since. Mike met Chip & Dave Constantino through Maynard and currently helps them out to this day with their racecars at both Fonda & Utica Rome. He also worked with Tony Pepicelli on his racecar along with his wife of 25 years Bonnie Reuss. Bonnie met Terri Mohrman through her sister and rode with Terri at Fonda as a first aid helper to start. Terri talked Bonnie into becoming an EMT and Terri was involved in teaching her EMT class. Bonnie has been with Terri on the Teal Suits Safety Team since 2013.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – CODY CLARK

After capturing a total of 17 feature wins in the Crate 602 Sportsman division at Fonda, Cody Clark got the opportunity of a lifetime when car owner Laudy Hoyenga contacted him about driving his Modified during the 2023 season. Clark made the most of the opportunity with impressive runs in the Modified until a dream came true for him on 7/15/2023 when he brought the Hoyenga #4 to victory lane at the “Track of Champions”. He ended up the 2023 season fifth in the final point standings at Fonda.

DEDICATION TO RACING – NICK SQUIRES

Nick has been around a racetrack since he was a kid. When Matt DeLorenzo took over at Fonda, pit steward Steve Burega got Nick involved at the track by having him stop the race cars coming off the scales and sending them back to the pit area. In 2015, Nick went up to the to the flag stand to flag the Street Stocks. Announcer Jim King didn’t know Nick’s name, so he referred to him as “just plain Nick”! Since then, Nick helps with anything that track management needs at the track. He is currently a member of the Teal Suits Safety Team at local tracks and many tracks on the STSS traveling series.

DEDICATION TO RACING – BRYAN DAVIS

Bryan was introduced into racing by his parents and grew up going to the dirt track races on weekends. His father Greg ran a tow truck at Fonda for 18 years and Bryan rode with him in the tow truck but when Marty Beberwyk needed someone to run the new (at that time) electronic timing system at Fonda, he gave Bryan a job as a scorer in 2004 just before his 16th birthday. Bryan also started racing in 2004, racing a four cylinder at Glen Ridge from 2004-2007 with nine career wins and a Track Championship in 2006. He then moved up to the Sportsman division at Albany Saratoga where he had two career wins and finished second a total of nine times. Bryan quit racing when Albany Saratoga went back to asphalt in 2010. He also worked timing and scoring at Albany Saratoga for 11 years and 2024 is his 21st year working at Fonda.

DEDICATION TO RACING – LEEANN ACHZET

Leeann started scoring in 2015 at Glen Ridge after her brother Joe asked if she wanted a “sucker’s job”. Since then, she has scored at Glen Ridge, Afton, Penn-Can, and currently scores at Fonda, Utica Rome, Brookfield, and the Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club (AMEC Ice Racing). Leean’s father Lee and Uncle Tony Achzet along with Jeff McWalter are all Fonda Speedway Hall of Famers. Her father was a mechanic, her Uncle did the engines, and Jeff was listed as the owner of the #81A that ran in the 80’s with drivers including Kenny Shoemaker, Mike Arminio, and Jimmy Johnson Sr. among others. Leeann’s cousin Rick Achzet was the 1989 and 1990 Fonda Speedway Street Stock Track Champion and Michael Achzet (Rick’s son) now races the #81A Pro Stock with help from Uncle Harold. Leeann has been helping out Kenny Gates since 1998 along with Kenny’s niece Hayleigh since she started racing.