Column: The Sunflower 50: An Event That Ended Up Being A HUGE Success

Column By: RON SZCZERBA / THE SUNFLOWER – HAGAMAN, NY – It is an event that took place the last four years on the final Sunday in the month of August. It is an event that some thought would never succeed, but instead became a huge success thanks to a small group of people who love racing and love to help out local organizations.

It is an event called the Sunflower 50.

The first two years, the event was used as an excuse for local racers and others to get together and race Go-Karts. The last two years the event benefitted two local organizations, the Crossroads Center for Children in 2023 and the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition this year in 2024.

One of the organizers of the event, Johnny DuMond, was actually putting a roof on his house one day years ago when he got a phone call from his good friend Matt Perry who said that he wanted to have a Go-Kart race. Back then four years ago, Johnny, Matt, and Dave Constantino’s son Rocco were the only ones who raced because they never had anyone else to race against.

“Four years ago, Eric Mack was a full time crew chief, so he wasn’t around to race,” DuMond said. “So, it was mainly only Matt and I that raced and we got bored racing each other. Matt’s father, Robert Perry, who owns the High Tower Farm in Broadalbin, NY, made fun of us because we had no friends, so we made a Facebook post and started the Sunflower 50, asking people to come and race with us! The first race, four years ago, we had a total of 22 Go-Karts, and the number increased to over 50 this year in 2024.”

Matt Perry’s mom told Johnny and Matt that they were crazy and that nobody was going to show up for their little Go-Kart race the first year. Then all of a sudden it blew up according to DuMond.

“The first year (2021) we did no money, no nothing,” DuMond said. “The second year we did an entry fee and Mark Mortensen won $250 that year after winning the race. People went crazy over that; they were wrecking each other to try and win the money, with a total of 31 Go-Kart’s racing that year. Eric then suggested to us after the second event that the race should be done for charity, that way we get people to help out and he was right.”

The third annual Sunflower 50 event in 2023 was run for the benefit of the Crossroads Center for Children with a total of 40 Go-Karts competing while this year in 2024 it was run with proceeds going to the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition with a total of 52 Go-Karts in competition. DuMond sold laps for the event while Eric Mack sponsored all of the billboards, which were totally his idea, and that was how all the money was raised the last two years.

“The Crossroads Center for Children benefit was done because of Stew (Modified and NASCAR Truck Series racer Stewart Friesen), whose son Parker attended the school because of his Autism spectrum,” DuMond said. “We wanted a place where we knew where the money was going, and they were super happy with the event and the $10,000 donation. For this year, the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition idea came up and we said lets do it, donating $25,000 to the organization when all was said and done.”

Just as the participation grew for the event so did the media coverage, the first year George Smith from DTD (Dirt Track Digest) came and watched the event and the second year he put it live on DTD and Facebook. Smith then hooked the Sunflower 50 organizers up with Jim the Camera Guy who taped the event and put it out there on You Tube. Marty Kelly III announced the race the first three years and this year veteran announcer Paul Szmal was added to assist Kelly III with the announcing duties.

THE HISTORY OF THE HIGH TOWER FARM SPEEDWAY

The racetrack at the High Tower Farm was always there according to DuMond. When they raced the Sunflower 50 the first year, there were no hay bales around the track to protect the drivers, corn was all there was around the track, which many of the drivers ended up going off the track and witnessing for themselves. The second year sunflowers were planted with hay bales placed around the track to protect the drivers from going into the sunflowers.

“The sunflowers were planted because of Perry’s Sunflower Maze which they have every year at the High Tower Farm that is owned by the Perry family,” DuMond said. “During the month of August, different events are scheduled at the High Tower Farm leading up to the Sunflower 50 on the final weekend in August.”

Many additions were made to spruce up the Sunflower 50 event this year in 2024, including concessions, which were available to everyone along with a huge tent with tables and chairs underneath where people could sit and eat. Bleachers were donated and used around the turns and a cornhole tournament was held, raising funds for the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition, which was won by Tanner Warner with his father Rocky finishing second. Lighting was also added in the turns so that if the event ran later into the night the competitors could see in order to race.

With the event benefitting the Veterans & Community Housing Coalition this year in 2024, all veterans that were in attendance were invited to stand on the infield of the track while the National Anthem was sung.

“It was like a real race track this year,” DuMond said. “It was amazing. The Murphy family, who owns H & M Equipment on Route 30 in Amsterdam live about a mile from High Tower Farm and they did an awesome flyover with their planes. Four year old Adelaide Abeling sang the National Anthem this year, following last year when Rocco Constantino played the National Anthem on the guitar. Every year we are doing something different, we don’t start planning the event until two months in advance.”

THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO PUT THE SUNFLOWER 50 EVENT TOGETHER

Robert and Matt Perry, Eric Mack, Dave and Chip Constantino, and Johnny DuMond all get together and talk about the event and what they are going to do. They are the ones who put it all together with different ideas coming from each of them. To say that they make quite a promotional team would be an understatement.

“We always have a good time,” DuMond said. “This year Eric reached out to Brett Hearn about competing in the event, which he did with one of his throwback paint schemes on his Go-Kart and he has also committed to competing in the Sunflower 50 next year in 2025. Also interested in next years event are the Pauch family, there are a lot of people that want to participate in the race.”

Throwback paint schemes from the past fill a lot of the field for the Sunflower 50. This year Eric Mack did a throwback to Billy Pauch’s #15 car while last year DuMond did a throwback to a car that was owned by his Grandfather. Every year it just gets bigger and bigger and there are always plenty of throwback paint schemes of different drivers at each event through the years.

“The Sunflower 50 is a group effort to plan and put on, it is Robert Perry’s pride and joy,” DuMond said. “He loves the Go-Kart track.”

A LITTLE HISTORY BEHIND PERRY FAMILY RACING

Originally from Connecticut before moving to Broadalbin, NY the Perry Family was and still is a family of racers. Bob Perry’s #74 Asphalt Modified was on display at the Sunflower 50 this year, a race car that he once used to race at Danbury Fair Speedway in Connecticut. The #74 was also carried by Bob Perry’s son Robert when he raced in the Open Sportsman division at the Fonda Speedway, with two career wins under his belt in the division on 7/2/2005 and 8/4/2007. And now Robert’s son Matt still carries the family #74 on his race car, racing in the Crate 602 Sportsman division at Fonda and Utica Rome.

CONCLUSION

Four different Sunflower 50 events, four different winning drivers with the first event in 2021 being won by Dylan Mottoshiski, followed by Mark Mortensen in 2022, Matt Chavis in 2023, and Brett Mortensen, Mark’s brother, winning it this year in 2024. As DuMond stated earlier in the story they don’t start planning the event until two months in advance so who knows what the event organizers will come up with in 2025.

I was in attendance at this year’s event as my stepson Brett Mortensen was the winner of the race and while in victory lane with Brett, Eric Mack came up to me and asked what I thought of the event. I thought that all the bases were covered, there was something for everyone and the event has certainly come a long way since the first race back in 2021.

One thing that I failed to mention in this story was something that Fonda Speedway promoter Ralph Compani used to end the night with at Fonda after the races were completed. He would always play the song New York, New York as the people left the facility. Well guess what, the organizers of the Sunflower 50 decided to play the same song at the conclusion of their event as people were leaving.

“That was Robert (Perry’s) idea,” DuMond said. “He requested that we play it just as a throwback to what Ralph Compani used to do at Fonda so that is what we did.”