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By Mark Kane

For Capital Region Independent Media       

It was a different time but the place was the same—the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway.

Over the years there have been some pretty iconic races at the Fonda Speedway and wins on both ends of the spectrum, for some their first and for others a milestone in their racing career.

It was Aug. 11, 2011, and Brett Hearn was chasing 800 wins in his career as he made his way down Riverside Drive to what would become a very special night. With a rain delayed 30-lap Modified feature and the Thunder on the Thruway Series on the card, Brett would pick up win #799 after starting 16th, and beat Alton Palmer by a bumper in the first feature.

Over the years I had seen Brett win his share of races across the Northeast, always a threat—Hearn could win anyplace. On that night Brett would pull off the double, picking up the 60-lap feature and more important WIN #800. Eight hundred wins and still they booed. That night who would have thought Mr. Hearn would have another 100-plus wins in him.

It was Aug. 5, 2017, at Albany Saratoga when again hitting a milestone Brett pulled off win #900 and he still might not be done yet. With 920 wins I think the man might just have another win in him and I hope I am there to witness that one as well.

So where is this all going—how about June 15, 2024. On this night a pair of Modified features, a make-up from April 27 and Thunder on the Thruway Series event, sound familiar? How about a driver also looking for a milestone in his career? The win total may be a bit different but so are their ages, 65-40, but there is one thing for sure—Brett Hearn and Stewart Friesen came out of the same mold just at different times. With his pair of feature wins Stewart Friesen now has 401 wins and I am sure he has a few more left in him as he now aims for 500; only 99 more to go.

Both Hearn and Friesen are winners and damn good at turning left and do it with CLASS. They have learned being a winner is tough and can handle the crowd that has found pleasure in booing them. Like I have said, the louder you boo the more you turn up the wick within and add a little more fuel to the fire to win.

The fans were treated to an action-packed night of racing with double Modified and Pro Stock features along with a regular show for all divisions.

MODIFIEDS

 The Amsterdam Truck Centers Modifieds makeup feature found the Modifieds hitting the track early as Chris Curtis 35 would be the early leader out dragging Stewart Friesen into turn 1 and started to pull away. Out front Curtis was in control as the top side was fast and started to close in on lap traffic as Friesen was closing the gap. 

Behind the leaders Mike Maresca 7MM and Darwin Greene 1G battled for fifth as Bobby Hackel IV and Rocky Warner 1 chased the lead duo. Once in lap traffic Friesen was all over the rear deck of Curtis and worked to the high side, working his way around Curtis and a lap car to be the new leader as Jessica Friesen 1Z was racing hard with Jack Lehner 85 just outside the top 5 as Alex Yankowski 84Y had worked his way to the battle.

Once out front Friesen started to pull away from the field as the caution was out as the fine ride for Curtis would come to an end after making contact with the lap car of Craig Hanson 20C in turn two that would tighten up the field. Once back to green Friesen went right back to the lead and opened up the lead over Maresca, and Hackel IV, as Jessica Friesen and Warner batted for fifth. 

With Lehner and Yankowski looking for racing room, once again bad luck struck the 97 of Hackel IV, who slowed with a flat right rear heading to the pits after a solid run in the top 3.  Hopefully, his luck has to change soon.

Back to green and Friesen would hold on to pick up win #89 at the “Track of Champions” and 400thof his career with Mike Maresca, Rocky Warner, Jessica Friesen and Jack Lehner holding on for a top 5 after a great battle with Friesen and Yankowski. Having another solid run was Tucker O’Connor who worked his way to sixth with a late race charge.

THUNDER ON THE THRUWAY

The Thunder on the Thruway Series Modified feature found another Friesen out front early as Jessica Friesen 1Z by the luck of the draw would fire from the pole and fire she did, like a rocket. Green means go and that is what she did, with her foot to the motor plate, leaving Roger Henion Jr. 19 and Ronnie Johnson 2RJ, who had moved from fifth to third, seeing nothing but the rear deck fade in the distance.

A few weeks back Jessica mentioned the track needed a top side. Careful what you ask for as that is exactly what happened. The top was fast, bad fast, and Jessica was powering into turn 1 and stayed on the gas, not even a burp, just putting on a show on the high side at Fonda Speedway, bringing back memories of a few guys who made their living up there.

As the laps clicked away the lead was getting bigger and soon it was up to a half track as Henion Jr. was battling with RJ, Ronnie Johnson, for second as Stewart Friesen was working his way from his fourth row starting spot to fifth as Mike Maresca and Demetrios Drellos 111 raced inside the top 5. Behind Jessica the race was heating up as Johnson worked around Henion Jr. for second as Stewart Friesen and Demetrios Drellos were racing hard for position as the duo closed and worked their way past Henion Jr.

The 1z was the class of the field, hitting her marks, and had gained a half-track advantage when the caution flew for Brian Calabrese 21C, slowing for a right rear flat. Back to green and Jessica would fire from the top side and powered her way back to the lead, holding off past champions Ronnie Johnson, Stewart Friesen, Demetrios Drellos, and Mike Maresca in top 5 with Hackel IV and Yankowski battling their way to the front just outside the top 5.

A great move found Drellos working his way to the top 3 as things were heating up in the top 5. Working his way to second around Johnson, Drellos was fast, but JZ was in a different zip code. The luck for JZ, Jessica Friesen, ran out at the draw as her huge lead would come to an end as she slowed with mechanical issues on lap 21. There was no way anyone was going to catch JZ on this night but again she was sidelined with power plant issues.

Now it was Drellos, Friesen, Johnson, Maresca and Hackel IV, holding down the top 5. Lap 23 was a repeat of lap 21, but this time it was leader Drellos slowing along with Henion handing the lead over to Stewart Friesen who may not have wanted to be leading after what had happened to the last two leaders. Back to green and Stewart Friesen put the 44 to the lead and had to hold off Mike Maresca and another restart to record Career win #401 and #90 at Fonda with Maresca, Johnson, Hackel IV and Jack Lehner rounding out the top 5.

In other Fonda action, in the 2 Pro Stock Features it was Ivan Joslin and Kenny Gates in for wins with Payton Talbot picking up the 602 Sportsman, AJ Greco picked up the Limited Sportsman with Hayleigh Gates with the 4-Cylinder win, her first.

DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY

It was off to New England’s Fastest Dirt Track, Devils Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vermont, for the Short Track Super Series (STSS) Father’s Day special. For one dad it was just a little more special as Marc Johnson had a smile from ear to ear as he celebrated with his son in victory lane at the “Slate Valley 50.”

This was Marc’s second STSS win after picking up the win at Albany Saratoga in 2018, beating a tough field and defending his home turf. On this day there is no home turf as Devil’s Bowl runs 602 Sportsman Modifieds on a weekly basis as their headline division. The track came up dry and slick with nothing but sun beating down on the surface, but the drivers kept up with the conditions and come feature time it was a great race from second on back.

Following the STSS the past few seasons Marc has been a consistent runner racing with the best the series has to offer and doing it the Marc Johnson way, clean.

With the mountains as a backdrop, the Mighty STSS Modifieds went into four-wide formation to salute the fans, tightening the belts, giving them one last tug to settle in for 50 grinding laps of the STSS Slate Valley 50.

The front row found Hall of Famer Tim Fuller 19 and Marc Johnson 3J leading the field to green, with Fuller grabbing the early lead with Johnson, Adam Pierson 215, Matt Sheppard 9S and David Herbert ONE rounding out the top 5. It did not take Marc Johnson long to flex his muscle as he was putting pressure on Fuller on lap 2 and would be the new leader on lap 3.

After taking the lead, the “Dark Knight” Johnson was the class of the field and started to pull away. With Johnson out front the racing behind the leader found many battles throughout the field especially in the top ten with Jack Lehner 02, Alex Yankowski 84Y, Stewart Friesen 44 and Anthony Perrago 4P.

The first of only two cautions would fly for debris on the front chute bringing the field back to Johnson, who had a considerable lead over Fuller, Sheppard, Pierson and Williamson in the top 5, with some top runners racing hard from 10th to sixth for position. Back to green and Johnson again powered his way to the lead as Fuller had his hands full with Sheppard for second as they battled with Sheppard getting the spot as Williamson and Lehner were on the move into the top 5 with Friesen racing hard just outside the top 5. Working lap traffic Johnson was flawless as the car would go anyplace he put it, high or low, with Sheppard and Williamson having nothing for the leader.

Behind the top 3 the race was heating up as Lehner, Friesen and Perrago, who had battled all race long, were racing hard in lap traffic looking for racing room. The caution would fly for Troy Audet, who slid off the track between 3 and 4 to once again put the field back to Johnson’s rear deck.

When the green came out it was again Johnson right to the front as Sheppard and Williamson battled for second, with Sheppard holding his position. Again the battle was heating up as Lehner and Friesen were able to race their way into the top 5 as the laps clicked away with Pierson and Fuller dropping to inside the top 10.

As the double checker flags flew high in the air it was Marc Johnson in for the win after a dominating $10,000 payday performance aboard the 3J machine. Following Johnson to the line was a distant Sheppard, Williamson and Lehner from 10th, and Friesen from 11th rounding out the top 5.

The 40-lap $2,000-to-win topless Sportsman Modified feature was won by Vince Quenneville Jr. with Fire Swamp, Tim LaDuc, Travis Green, and Bubba McPhee rounding out the top 5.

Well folks, please remember to support the sponsors that help keep the best racing on dirt alive and well.