Fonda Speedway To Induct Seven Deserving People Into Their Hallowed Hall Of Fame

Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – On Saturday, May 24 at the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum, seven individuals will be inducted into the prestigious Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame.

The event begins at 1:00 p.m. rain or shine at the museum.

Inductees this year include drivers Paul Jensen and Walter “Pepper” Eastman; track officials John Bacon, Orville “Bud” Countryman, and Leslie “Les” Kellerhouse; photographer Bob Lansing; crew member, car owner, motor builder, and tech inspector Mike Ketchum.

Below are bios on the inductees, with information from various sources, in no particular order.

JOHN BACON

Bacon began his racing life in Daytona as a NASCAR carburetor tech inspector. In the late ‘60’s he found his way to the Fonda Speedway after meeting Fonda Management and staff at the NASCAR meetings in Daytona. John’s specialty was inspecting race cars for safety and to be sure all parts were within the rule guidelines, especially the motors.

Fonda needed John and he was happy to find a race home after moving to the Ogdensburg area, travelling to Fonda every week. John had a tough job but approached each situation with fairness as well as kindness and became one of Fonda’s most respected officials. John worked at Fonda Speedway through the late ‘70’s.

ORVILLE “BUD” COUNTRYMAN

Orville Countryman better known as Bud to many people, worked thirty plus years at the Fonda Speedway from the early/mid 50’s up to the late 80’s. During that time span he worked in many different roles, such as track steward, 4th turn flagger and signing drivers in as well as doing the pay outs at the end of the events. Occasionally he would be in victory lane handing out the winner’s trophy.

He especially loved his work during the NASCAR sanctioning days when the greats of Allison and Petty came to race the famed Fonda Speedway. His love for racing was so huge he would work in any position that needed a lending hand, as well traveling to multiple different racetracks such as Victoria, Orange County and Langhorne to work in their pits.

He was one who always had a huge smile on his face and was well known to all who entered the pit gates while he was working at Fonda Speedway.

LESLIE “LES” KELLERHOUSE

Les Kellerhouse was one of Fonda Speedway’s officials /management pioneers at the Track of Champions from 1960 through the early ‘70’s. After moving from his hometown of Grand Gorge to Fonda, Les was introduced to Fonda Speedway by a new friend and neighbor Warren Roosevelt. Roosevelt and his wife Nancy were avid drag racers at Fonda. Another friend and neighbor of Les was race car driver Bruce Dostal who also encouraged Les to come to the speedway.

In 1960 Les began attending events and pretty soon he saw a need of better parking organization, so he started parking cars at the track. Wanting to help wherever needed, his next job became lining up the race cars for heats and features. As he spent time getting to know the racers he became a respected authority by the drivers. He always wore his white official’s uniform and his navy blue baseball cap.

Les became the pit steward and later the chief steward at Fonda. He was also a key Fonda official who attended the NASCAR meetings and training’s held in Daytona each February. Les was a family man who along with his wife Shirley have a son Paul and two daughters Diane and Sandy.

BOB LANSING

Amsterdam, NY native Bob Lansing, was introduced to Fonda Speedway at the age of 10, when a neighbor invited him to come along to the races at Fonda with their family. All it took was that one time and he was hooked for life. Bob lived close to the race teams of the #685 of Doug Tesiero and the #91 of Tommy Douglas. In his teen years Bob found his way to the #26 modified driven by Bucky Tesiero, doing anything he could to help in the shop and at the track.

In the ‘70’s Bob’s association with Keith Tesiero and Buanno’s Transportation exposed him to the NASCAR circuit with the Earl Canavan team. Bob tells how he met his wife to be at Fonda Speedway while wearing a blue tuxedo at the races after being best man at Keith Tesiero’s wedding. As their relationship grew, they worked together to support Keith Tesiero’s modified at the track. When Keith wrecked his car at a race in Canada, Sandy bought Bob a camera, and a new and gratifying aspect of racing life was given to Bob.

Bob has had the honor of having his photo’s in publications by NYSSCA, USNA, Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) racing, local racing publications, and social media as well as the national magazine, Dick Berggren’s Speedway Illustrated. He was also a staff photographer for the Gater Racing News for 30 years.

MIKE KETCHUM

Mike was a fixture at the Fonda Speedway for many years as a crew member, car owner, motor builder, and track tech inspector. In 1985 Mike taught himself how to build race motors and in the mid 80’s he and Steve Clemons built a Street Stock and raced a few seasons. Also, during that time period, Mike began helping as a crew member for Tim Clemons on his Modified team at Fonda.

In 1990, Mike and his brother Joe formed Ketchum Brothers Racing. Along with their driver Tim Clemons and Mike’s self-built motors, the trio went on to win the 1990 Sportsman title at Fonda Speedway. In 1991 and 1992, Mike, Joe and Tim along with Hall of Fame car owner Tom Spencer won two more Fonda Speedway Sportsman titles with many wins along the way. In 1993, Tim Dwyer went on to win the Fonda Sportsman title and the DIRT Sportsman Series title using a Ketchum Racing engine.

Over several decades Mike built many motors for a long list of drivers in several divisions. In the mid 90’s, he worked for Kevin Enders assembling many motors for teams to run at Super Dirt Week. In the 2000’s, Mike’s son Mike started racing in the Sportsman division and the two had many successes at the area speedways including Fonda. In the mid 2000’s, Mike began working with Joe Wilson as a tech guy at Fonda and did so until he was too sick to be at the track.

PAUL JENSEN

Jensen raced at the Fonda Speedway in both the Late Model and 320-Modified divisions with 12 career Late Model wins (sixth on the All-Time Win List) and the 1982 Fonda Speedway Late Model Track Championship. Four career 320-Modified wins at Fonda places Jensen fourth on the 320-Modified All-Time Win List in that division as well.

Jensen, who long-time Utica-Rome Speedway promoter Gene Cole dubbed “the Smoky Yunick of Central New York” for his innovative mechanical skills, enjoyed a 42-year career that saw him garner 13 championships at a half-dozen speedways: Utica-Rome, Fulton, Thunder Mountain, Brookfield, Fonda and Afton.

Along with 135 wins at 10 speedways, topped by his 1993 triumph in Fulton’s Victoria 200, Jensen claimed the Outlaw Circuit championship in 1990 and 1992. Jensen built a reputation as a true gentleman who would help his competition at any time, in any way he could.

Jensen was inducted into the New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Hall of Fame back in 2016.

WALTER “PEPPER” EASTMAN

Walter “Pepper” Eastman out of Madison was a well-known dirt racer at the Western New York tracks before coming to Fonda in the late fifties. He was known especially for wheeling a flashy blue and yellow #181 built by Ray and Ron Hedger. He was fast and became a fan favorite, though he never became a feature winner at Fonda.

Eastman did however win a feature in 1958 at Rochester’s Monroe County Fairgrounds, where he was awarded the Monroe County title the year prior after the point leader, Don Hendenberg, died in a highway crash. Sadly, in 1965 Pepper would himself become Fonda’s fourth fatality, after flipping Bob Zimmerman’s #72 coupe.

The Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame and Museum is open every Fonda race day, normally from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and by special request via appointment.