Fonda Speedway Set To Host “Championship Night” On Saturday Evening
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – It all comes down to this! On Saturday, August 16 a special racing program sponsored by Benjamin Moore Paints will take place at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway called “Championship Night”.
The 2025 Track Champions for the 74th season of competition at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds track will be crowned in all regular divisions this Saturday including the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds, the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, the Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks, the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, and the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders, both single and dual cam.
The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) will be making their third appearance of the 2025 season at the “Track of Champions” and will be crowning five champions this Saturday night August 16. Three features will decide who will be crowned the 2025 MVVDMS champions that will be settled in all five of their divisions.
The five MVVDMS division champions that will be decided this Saturday include the Antique, Mystique, Late Model, Sportsman, and Modified Divisions.
Gates will open at 4:00 p.m. with hot laps at 6:00 p.m. and racing at 7:00 p.m.
The top five drivers going into the final night of points for the 2025 season at Fonda in each of the regular divisions are as follows (current points are in parenthesis which were taken from the My Race Pass website):
AMSTERDAM TRUCK CENTER MODIFIEDS
Alex Yankowski (539), Bobby Hackel IV (521 -18), Jack Lehner (517 -22), Ronnie Johnson (501 -38), and Rocky Warner (477 -62).
In the history of the Fonda Speedway in the Modified division, there have been 28 different championship winning drivers in 73 total championship seasons with the complete list of champions at the bottom of this press release.
SWAGGER FACTORY APPAREL SPORTSMAN
Chad Edwards (515), Tyler Peet (478 -37), Dylan Madsen (454 -61), Tanner Warner (416 -99), and Mark Mortensen (414 -101).
In the history of the Fonda Speedway in the 602 Sportsman division there have been nine championship winning drivers in 16 total championship seasons with the complete list of champions at the bottom of this press release.
LEATHERSTOCKING CREDIT UNION PRO STOCKS
Beau Ballard (511), Ivan Joslin (487 -24), Nick Stone (470 -41), Kenny Gates (449 -62), and Luke Horning (445 -66).
In the history of the Fonda Speedway in the Pro Stock division (ran as the street stock division in 1981-1998, changed to the pro stock division in 1999) there have been 23 different championship winning drivers in 44 total championship seasons with the complete list of champions at the bottom of this press release.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE FOR AGING INC. LIMITED SPORTSMAN
Corky Warner (550), Mason Gray (479 -71), Camron Hotaling (460 -90), Steve Wagoner (442 -108), and Lance Hill (424 -126).
In the history of the Fonda Speedway in the Limited/Rookie Sportsman division (ran as limited sportsman in 2015, 2017-2024 and as rookie sportsman in 2016) there have been 10 championship winning drivers in 10 total championship seasons with the complete list of champions at the bottom of this press release.
FONDA FAIR FOUR CYLINDERS
Jay Ingersoll (DOHC 584), Wayne Russell Jr. (SOHC 522 -62) John Ray (DOHC 464 -120) Len St. Andrews (DOHC 386 -198), and Kerrie Hollenback (DOHC 384 -200).
In the history of the Fonda Speedway in the Four Cylinder division (started naming single and dual cam track champions in 2012, only a single champion declared in 2014 & 2015 for both single and dual cam cars, restarted naming single and dual cam champions again in 2020) there have been six championship winning drivers in 12 total championship seasons with the complete list of champions at the bottom of this press release.
The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) will crown five champions while they also honor two of the series special gentleman, Frank Blanchard & Tex Gorden on what is to be a fun and exciting night.
Bonuses from the North East Stock Car Old Timers (NESCOT) and longtime Fonda Speedway fan Rita Gorman will also be paid out. Cars of the past will be represented in five divisions that will be featured in three thrilling features to determine division champions.
Each division has a close point race going on, with three of the five divisions having three drivers who could possibly be the champion while the other two divisions have two drivers who are tied for first. Championship ceremonies will be held in the pits after the three feature events are completed.
MVVDMS cars will also be on display at the Fonda Speedway Museum starting at 3:00 p.m. along with the Benjamin Moore Paints sponsored #1M Sportsman car of Mark Mortensen. So be sure to come early and see the beautiful cars up close before the racing program begins.
If you are a race fan that gets to the track early, be sure to check out the history of the Fonda Speedway at the Fonda Speedway Museum & Hall of Fame which is located on the Fonda Fairgrounds at the rear of the parking area going down towards turn four. The museum is open from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on race days and admission is free!
Fonda Speedway weekly feature winners, their race teams, and sponsors are invited the following week to display their cars at the museum and watch their feature win on Flo before the races. The victorious car display can begin as early as 3:00, and you are welcome to arrive and stay as late as your schedule allows.
Please message the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame and Museum Facebook page to RSVP or with any questions!
FONDA SPEEDWAY TRACK CHAMPIONS
Below is a history of track champions at Fonda Speedway in all classes that currently compete through the 2024 racing season. The modified list includes two track champions in the same year back when the sportsman (S) and modifieds (M) used to run together for a few seasons.
MODIFIED – 28 different championship-winning drivers in 73 total championship seasons.
Jack Johnson – 1975, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
Dave Lape – 1983, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2003, 2004
Bobby Varin – 2000, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2018
Bill Wimble – 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966 (S), 1967 (M)
Lou Lazzaro – 1964, 1969, 1977, 1978
Harry Peek – 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976
Stewart Friesen – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Steve Danish – 1953, 1954, 1962
Pete Corey – 1957, 1965 (M), 1966 (M)
Mike Romano – 1989, 1990, 1997
Ronnie Johnson – 2011, 2016, 2021 (Tie)
Ken Shoemaker – 1958, 1965 (S)
Maynard Forrette – 1967 (S), 1971
Dave Camara – 1998, 1999
Jeff Trombley – 2001, 2002
Rocky Warner – 2019, 2021 (Tie)
Matt DeLorenzo – 2007, 2022
Buddy Sherman – 1948
Jim Luke – 1955
Don Hendenberg – 1956
Jeep Herbert – 1959
Jerry Cook – 1968
Rene Charland – 1970
Ray Dalmata – 1979
Tim Fuller – 2017
Michael Maresca – 2020
Demetrios Drellos – 2023
Alex Yankowski – 2024
602 SPORTSMAN – nine championship-winning drivers in 16 total championship seasons.
Rocky Warner – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Chad Edwards – 2018, 2020, 2021
Payton Talbot – 2022, 2023, 2024
Jeremiah Munson – 2009
John Scarborough – 2010
Mark Mortensen – 2011
Cody Bleau – 2012
Dave Constantino – 2013
Tim Hartman Jr. – 2019
PRO STOCK – ran as the street stock division in 1981-1998, changed to the pro stock division in 1999, 23 different championship winning drivers in 44 total championship seasons.
Kenny Gates – 2004, Co-Champion 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024
Todd Hoffman – 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
Nick Stone – 2014, 2020, 2021, 2022
Kenny Martin Jr. – 1996, 1997, 2006
Pete Broderson – 2012, 2013, 2015
Lester Dieterle – 1983, 1984
Rick Achzet – 1989, 1990
Eric Arell – 1991, 1992
Rob Noviczski – 2000, 2001
Chris Morris – 2002, 2003
Danny Ody – 1981
David Towns – 1982
George Audi Jr. – 1993
Danny Ballard – 1994
Phlan Hart – 1995
Bryan Peters – 1998
Steve Welch – 1999
Butchie Irwin – 2005
Roy Fifield – 2010
Rob Yetman – Co-Champion 2007
Rocky Warner – 2011
Luke Horning – 2019
Ivan Joslin – 2023
LIMITED/ROOKIE SPORTSMAN – 10 championship winning drivers in 10 total championship seasons – ran as limited sportsman in 2015, 2017-2024 and as rookie sportsman in 2016.
Derrick McGrew, Jr. – 2018
Cory White – 2017
David Manchester Jr. – 2016
Don Folts – 2015
EJ McAuliffe – 2019
Brett Mortensen – 2020
Carter Gibbons – 2021
Zach Dufel – 2022
Kyle Dingman – 2023
AJ Greco – 2024
FOUR CYLINDER – six championship winning driver in 12 total championship seasons, started naming single and dual cam track champions in 2012, only a single champion declared in 2014 & 2015 for both single and dual cam cars, restarted naming single and dual cam champions again in 2020.
Ken Hollenback – 2012 (SOHC), 2013 (SOHC), 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 (SOHC), 2021 (SOHC), 2022 (SOHC), 2023 (SOHC), 2024 (SOHC)
Ben Righi – 2011, 2012 (DOHC)
Kerrie Hollenback – 2013 (DOHC), 2022 (DOHC), 2023 (DOHC)
John Napoli – 2020 (DOHC)
Slappy White – 2021 (DOHC)
Jay Ingersoll – (2024)
