Chasin’ Racin’ – Racing season in full swing

By Mark Kane

Long-time veteran Alan Johnson (14J) made a rare appearance at the Battle of the Bullring 8 at Accord Speedway. (All photos courtesy of Mark Kane)

After a week of rain and more rain, Saturday morning and into the afternoon the Fonda Speedway track crew had their work cut out for them to get the track into race-ready condition.

Well, that they did, and by race time the track was ready to go.

A fine field of cars had assembled for the first of the Thunder on the Thruway Series between Fonda and Utica Rome Speedways. The old infield pits were graced by the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series that truly was a great site to see. It was like time being turned back, the history of dirt racing coming alive with a wide variety of past race cars taking to the historic speedway.

The old grandstand had plenty of fans even with a less-than-optimistic weather report, and they were treated to some very fast laps on a super tacky racing surface from the drop of the first green flag laps up to the finale checker.

Once again the starting lineups were by luck of the draw for the final week as now the speedway will go to its handicap system to set the lineups weekly.

A fine field of Sunoco Modifieds made their way to the pits with Alan Johnson, Stewart Friesen, Matt Sheppard and Tim Fuller returning for their second week with the Ravena Rocket Keith Flach making a rare Saturday night stop at the Track of Champions.

The Fonda Modified field is just getting stronger with the combination of veterans and young talent that weekly are putting on a show for the fans. With the luck of the draw Bobby Varin and David Schilling brought the 29 ground-pounding Sunoco Modifieds to the line, with Varin getting the early lead and quickly pulling away as Stewart Friesen moved into second as the two past champions took command with veteran Alan Johnson holding down third.

The track was in great shape producing some great two- and three-wide racing as Ronnie Johnson, Matt DeLorenzo, Jack Lehner and Matt Sheppard were on the charge after starting mid-pack. It did not take Varin long to get into lap traffic as Friesen was now closing in on the leader and closing fast, grabbing the lead on lap 10. With Friesen out front the racing inside the top five was heating up as Varin, Alan Johnson, Mike Mahaney, Craig Hanson, Ronnie Johnson – who started 13th – and Sheppard were just outside the top five and looking for racing room.

Out front Friesen was pulling away as Hanson who has shown early season speed with great runs and Mahaney raced hard as Hanson worked his way to third. The caution flew on lap 28 as week two winner Rocky Warner went up in smoke down the back stretch and headed pit side.

Once back to green Friesen quickly pulled away from the field as Varin would hold down second with Hanson and Mahaney battling for third with Mahaney getting the spot.

At the checkers it was Friesen in for his 70th Fonda win and the $4,000 paycheck and a lead in the Thunder on the Thruway Series. Rounding out the top five were Varin, Mahaney, Hanson and Ronnie Johnson. Once again 2020 champion Mike Maresca was done early heading to the pits during the feature.

The Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman found Chip Constantino use his upfront starting spot to his advantage, taking command early, a lead he would hold until a late race caution tightened up the field.

On the restart it was Jason Greco who would be the new leader as Tim Hartman Jr. was on the move to the front but ran out of time as Jason Greco can now add his name to the Sportsman win list picking up his first career win. Behind the leaders, after a great battle, were Constantino, Cody Clark, and Tucker O’Connor rounding out the top five. So far during the early part of the season the 602 Sportsman have been highly competitive with great side-by-side racing throughout the field.

Start Nick Stone on the front row on a tacky race track and it might just become a one-horse race, and that is what it was. This new creation of Stone’s was spot-on as he pulled away from the field leaving behind him another great Algonkin Pro Stock battle.

Behind the all-time win leader, Kenny Gates battled hard with Chuck Dumblewski for second. Farther back in the field Josh Coonradt was on a charge to the front. Using his patented low groove, Gates worked the bottom to move to second but had nothing for the high-flying Stone. Teammate to Stone and in a conventional Pro Stock, Ivan Joslin worked his way into the top three with Devon Camenga having another great run up front, and Josh Coonradt rounded out the top five after starting deep in the field of a tough division.

In other racing action Kyle Dingman went green to checker to pick up his first career Limited Sportsman win with a dominating performance, but as they say they run best before they go and that may have been the case as Kyle blew the power plant on the last lap. In the 4 Cyl it was Ken Hollenback and Slappy White picking up wins. In the MVVDMS features John Flach was the Modified winner, Curtis Condon won the Late Models, Stephen Denton was the Sportsman winner and Bryon Scofield won the Antique feature.

On Tuesday, I made my way down to the Short Track Super Series (STSS) “Battle of the Bullring 8” at the Accord Speedway. Last year Accord Speedway was one of the tracks that did not open due to the restrictions. If you have never been to Accord, Bullring fits it perfectly and you have to make the short ride down 209 for an action-packed night.

Anthony Perrego (44) picked up his third Battle of the Bullring win at the Accord Speedway on the night they paid tribute to his dad Tom during the STSS event.

A fine field of 50 sail-paneled STSS Modifieds made their way to the pits from up and down the East Coast as well as Mat Williamson from Canada. This was another of those STSS stacked with talent fields ready to do battle with many past feature winners and champions in the star-studded field. Add to that it was Accord Speedway and I knew I was in for a good night of racing, and that it was.

With 50 cars in the pits and only 27 making the feature the heat races had some good hard short-track racing, hard racing that would take out Stewart Friesen for the rest of the night on the first lap of heat 3 doing heavy damage to the front end of the Halmar 44. Heat wins went to Bobby Hackel, Mat Williamson, Danny Tyler, Anthony Perrego and Shane Jablonka, with Brian Malcolm, Billy Decker and Danny Creeden picking up the three consolation events to set the starting field.

Before the race even got started Andy Bachetti unloaded his backup ride and gave up the outside pole, and Matt Sheppard picked up a ride in the Derrick McGrew Jr. #26 ride as both Bachetti and Sheppard would have a view of the field from the back of the pack.

There was tight heat race action at the Battle of the Bullring, Short Track Super Series event at Accord Speedway with Andy Bachetti (4) and Danny Tyler (97).

At the drop of the green it was Albany Saratoga and Lebanon Valley Speedways’ young gun Bobby Hackel grabbing the early lead. Lap 4 found a multi-car tangle in turn one. Once back to green and the yellow was right back out again for a three-car tangle in turn one. Again the green was out but this time it was Tyler Dipple getting the jump only again to have the yellow back out. So they tried once again, and Dipple will be the new leader with Hackle on his bumper and Danny Tyler looking for racing room as Anthony Perrago was on the move and into the top five. The yellow again was out on lap 8 as Dipple, Hackle, Tyler, Jablonka and Perrago were in the top five. Back to green with Dipple still out front as Scott Ferrier worked past Perrago to take over fifth as Hackle was holding his own in second as a series of yellow flags would keep the racing close.

Back to green once again, and Dipple remained the leader, but behind the leader things were starting to heat up as Mike Mahaney, Mat Williamson and Andy Bachetti were working their way to the front and just outside the top five. Getting in some green flag laps, things were changing fast up front as Dipple continued to lead.

Lap 43 saw the fine ride of Shane Jablonka come to an end after contact with a slower car. Now Dipple had Perrago, Williamson, Ferrier and Bachetti who had driven from the back of the pack to run in the top five. Quickly it was Perrago with the lead with Williamson and Dipple on his rear deck, and the racing behind the leaders found everyone looking for racing room. The final caution would once again tighten up the field with 47 down and three to go. Back to green and Perrago continued to lead as Mike Mahaney put on a late-race charge.

What’s better than winning an STSS event, winning when the race is a tribute to your late father, and that is what Antony Perrago did as he picked up the win. For Perrago it was his third “Battle of the Bullring” win and the most emotional as he held the large check over his head that had a picture of him and his dad Tom who suddenly passed away last fall. Following Perrago to the line were Williamson, Mahaney, Dipple and Scott Ferrier rounding out the top five.

In the 602 Sportsman feature Joey Bruning picked up the win after Kreg Crooker could not make his way through tech. For Bruning it was his first STSS win. Following Bruning to the line were Kyle Rohner, Tim Hartman Jr., Payton Talbot and Tyler Johnston rounded out the top five.

Other racing action found Keith Flach pick up the Modified win at the “Great Race Place” Albany Saratoga Speedway with Anthony Perrago, Larry Wight, Jack Lehner, Demetrios Drellos and Don Ronca rounding out the top five. Other action found Jim Nagle in for the Sportsman win, Chad Jeseo picking off the Pro Stock win and Dylan Madsen was the Limited Sportsman winner.

Last Sunday after getting rained out for the Friday night opener, Utica Rome Speedway turned some laps after losing the three other dates to rain. In the Modifieds it was Rocky Warner in the Simmons 98 that he will have under him at Utica who had fast time in the Modifieds as Matt Janczuk was fastest in the 602 Sportsman. For those who were not aware Utica Rome has been taken over by Brett Deyo and has made the switch to Friday nights in hopes to fool Mother Nature; well, so far that has not worked out as planned.

Rocky Warner (98) set fast time during practice at the Utica Rome Speedway.

At the Valley of Speed, Lebanon Valley, it was Mother Nature in for the win. Well, it looks like the racing season is now into full swing, fans back in the stands, the smell of race fuel in the air, and dust on your fries: there is nothing better.

Please support those who support our teams and speedways, stay safe and get out to your local dirt track and see what all the hype is about.