6/9/2024
Fonda Speedway
PESSOLANO, KALKBRENNER, & CONSTANTINO FIRST TIME WINNERS AT FONDA
By: Ron Szczerba
Fonda, NY – M.W. Roosevelt & Son/Roosevelt’s Towing presented a special racing program on Saturday evening at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway, celebrating a Memorial race for a driver who for most of his career carried them on his racecar as a sponsor. Dave Lape Memorial Night was celebrated with a full grandstand of fans and a full pit area of racecars, with a lot of special moments and memories.
For three different drivers they also celebrated their first career victories at the track Brian Pessolano (Amsterdam Truck Center Modified feature #1), Mike Kalkbrenner (Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman regular scheduled feature), and 13 year old third generation driver Rocco Constantino who celebrated with his family in victory lane after his first career win in the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman.
Other winners on Saturday at Fonda included Demetrios Drellos (Amsterdam Truck Center Modified feature event #2), Clayton DuMond (make-up Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman from 5/25), AJ Greco (make-Up Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman feature from 4/27), Ivan Joslin (Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks), Ken Hollenback (SOHC Fonda Fair Four Cylinder), and Jay Ingersoll (DOHC Fonda Fair Four Cylinder).
The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) was in competition at Fonda as well with winners including Randy Delaney (make-up Modified feature from 4/27) and Jack Miller (regular scheduled Modified feature), Bryon Seyfried (make-up Sportsman feature from 4/27) and Brian Gray (regular scheduled Sportsman feature), Jimmy Fugel (Antique), Frank Hoard (Late Model), and Harry Baldwin (Mystique).
It was New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Night at Fonda as well with monetary awards going out to the top two NYSSCA member finishing drivers in the regular scheduled feature events. Winners for those bonuses were Brian Pessolano ($75) and Jessica Friesen ($50) Modified, Mike Kalkbrenner ($75) and Dylan Madsen ($50) Sportsman, Ivan Joslin ($75) and Devon Camenga ($50) Pro Stocks, Tim Wilmot ($75) and AJ Greco ($50) Limited Sportsman, Jay Ingersoll (DOHC $75) and Ken Hollenback (SOHC $75). Randy Cosselman was awarded the Wild Card of $75.
Earlier in the day at the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame & Museum, NYSSCA also inducted John Kollar, Jeff Trombley, Ric Lucia, Alton & Carole Palmer into their prestigious Hall of Fame. NYSSCA also handed out a number of special awards including:
DEDICATION TO RACING JIM LANGANBACK MEMORIAL AWARD – LUKE HORNING
DEDICATION TO RACING IN MEMORY OF HARRY PEEK – LEO MOHRMAN
LIFETIME CONTRIBUTION TO RACING – MICHAEL JACKSON
DEDICATION TO RACING MIKE & BONNIE REUSS
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – CODY CLARK
DEDICATION TO RACING – NICK SQUIRES
DEDICATION TO RACING – BRYAN DAVIS
DEDICATION TO RACING – LEEANN ACHZET
Opening ceremonies started the racing program with the presentation to Ronnie Johnson of the Dave Lape “Running Against the Wind Award.” The award is based on Bob Seger’s song “Against the Wind” which always exemplified Dave Lape’s racing career to him. He believed it pays tribute to how there are times when you may feel that everything is against you, but you just keep driving. The award recipient represents the against the wind theme. They call Fonda Speedway home, they represent respect, honor, and passion.
Pastor Greg Nitz was next with a prayer followed by the National Anthem from Collette McComb who is an international music artist and school director at CM School of Fine Arts. The $3,627 50/50 was won by Robert from Johnstown.
Twin 22-lap Dave Lape Memorial feature #1 for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds began with Tucker O’Connor on the front row along with Brian Pessolano with O’Connor the early race leader. O’Connor held a straightaway lead by lap 10 and in lap traffic when suddenly he had a mechanical issue and drove to the infield in turn three.
Third place starter Dave Constantino took over the lead after O’Connor’s misfortune at that point but when he slid up high in turns one and two it allowed Pessolano to get under him for the lead on lap 19. Pessolano led the remaining laps for his first career win at Fonda in the Modified division in the Dodson Construction #24P. Jessica Friesen, Roger Henion Jr., Ronnie Johnson, and Rocky Warner completed the top five.
Pessolano does have four career victories in the Crate 602 division at Fonda.
“Brian was one of the hugest Dave Lape fans, he used to come up to the house when he first started and I am so proud of him,” Jackie Lape said as she congratulated Pessolano in victory lane.
“This is crazy to win on this night, Dave Lape was my idol growing up, he was my favorite race car driver,” Pessolano told Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane. “Crazy, ironic isn’t it being my first career Modified win. I think Tucker (O’Connor) had us all covered, but he got out of the rubber down in one and two and I said this is my opportunity and I’ve gotta capitalize on it.”
An invert start of six placed Demetrios Drellos on the pole for the start of the second Dave Lape Memorial Twin 22-lap event with Drellos leading at the drop of Joe Kriss’ green flag and pulling away to a straightaway advantage by lap four and in lap traffic by lap seven. Drellos survived three restarts including one for a wreck involving Michael Maresca, Stewart Friesen, and Jeff Trombley in turn one on lap a lap seven restart.
Maresca and Trombley were done for the evening, but Stewart Friesen went to the hot pit and returned at the rear of the field for the restart. Drellos pulled away on each of the restarts and won the event by a straightaway in the Drellos Motorsports #111 for his fourth career win at Fonda. Rocky Warner finished second followed by Ronnie Johnson, Jessica Friesen, and Dave Constantino.
The make-up feature from 5/25 for the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman began with Clayton DuMond leading at the start from his outside pole starting position. With no laps completed, the red flag was out for Chad Edwards who flipped his car in turn two. Edwards attempted to drive away but the car was too badly damaged to do so but fortunately he wasn’t injured in the wreck.
DuMond led by a straightaway on lap five with the top five at the halfway point consisting of Stephen Gray, Ricky Quick, Tyler Peet, and 14th place starter Payton Talbot. Talbot gained positions up to the second spot, one by one, from laps 18-22 with a late race caution out with two laps to go for Peet who had issues with a broken tube in the rear end on the left side of his racecar. DuMond pulled away on the restart for his third career win in the division with Talbot, Dylan Madsen, Tanner Warner, and Gray completing the top five.
Dylan Madsen started the regularly scheduled Swagger Factory Crate 602 Sportsman feature in the fourth position but made his way by the top three to lead lap one of the feature event with Stephen Gray second after starting second. Madsen pulled away to a big lead at the start, but Gray began to reel him in and challenge for the lead by lap 15. One lap later, Gray took the lead on the inside of turn four with Mike Kalkbrenner also getting by Madsen for the second position.
The yellow flag flew with one lap to go for a wreck just outside of turn four involving Tyler Peet, Payton Talbot, and Clayton DuMond who were all done for the evening at that point. Kalkbrenner pulled away from the second place car of Madsen on the restart and went on to his first career victory at Fonda in the Main Street Auto Repair #2K followed in the top five by Madsen, Gray, Tanner Warner, and Jeremy Tyrrell.
“My car was sticking real well,” Kalkbrenner said in victory lane. “I couldn’t ask for anything better. Steven (Gray) and Dylan (Madsen) slid up there trying to get by lap traffic and it worked out in my favor, my car felt good on the bottom. I figured that I would get my first win in the Limited’s but didn’t expect to win this year in the regular sportsman, but this is a confidence booster through the roof.”
Caden Dumblewski led the first two laps of the Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock feature until lap three when defending division champion Ivan Joslin went three wide around Dumblewski and a lap car in turn four to take over the lead. Joslin led every lap to the checkered flag with seventh place starter Devon Camenga taking the second position at the line when the checkered flag flew. Nick Stone, Luke Horning, and Dumblewski completed the top five.
AJ Greco started the 15-lap make-up feature from 4/27 for the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. on the outside pole and led every lap of the event for his second win of the season and the fourth of his career in the division followed by Josh Coonradt, Ryan Sweet. Jim Malia, and Tim Wilmot.
Third generation driver Rocco Constantino, with only three weeks experience in the Limited Sportsman division, led every lap in the regularly scheduled Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman feature. It wasn’t easy however as he had to survive restarts after two red flags and one yellow flag to take his first career victory. Tim Wilmot, AJ Greco, Corky Warner, and Walter Cook.
“I’ve worked on my dad’s crew at the track and at home,” Constantino told Mimi Lazzaro in victory lane. “Now I’m thinking about how I need a win next week too.”
Ironically, Saturday evening at Fonda there were three generations of Constantino’s competing at the “Track of Champions” including John Constantino (MVVDMS), Dave Constantino (Modified), Chip Constantino (Sportsman), and Rocco Constantino (Limited Sportsman). John and Georgie Constantino (grandparents), Dave (Rocoo’s father), and Chip (Rocco’s uncle) were all able to celebrate with Rocco in victory lane.
The Fonda Fair Four Cylinder features were won by Ken Hollenback (SOHC) and Jay Ingersoll (DOHC) taking the wins in their respective classes with Ingersoll the overall race winner. Hollenback came back after suffering two flat tire on the right side of his car early in the event to take his SOHC class victory.
DATE – 6/8/2024 MW ROOSEVELT & SON/ROOSEVELT’S TOWING DAVE LAPE MEMORIAL NIGHT
AMSTERDAM TRUCK CENTER MODIFIEDS
Twin 22 No. 1 (22 Laps): 1. 24P-Brian Pessolano[2]; 2. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[5]; 3. 19JR-Roger Henion Jr[7]; 4. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[6]; 5. 1-Rocky Warner[9]; 6. 111-Demetrios Drellos[11]; 7. 34-Dave Constantino[3]; 8. 44-Stewart Friesen[14]; 9. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[13]; 10. 35-Chris Curtis[16]; 11. 7MM-Michael Maresca[12]; 12. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[10]; 13. 85-Jack Lehner[8]; 14. 21P-Luciano (Pep) Corradi[4]; 15. 76-Jamike Sowle[18]; 16. 20C-Craig Hanson[20]; 17. 3-Jeff Trombley[21]; 18. 1G-Darwin Greene[19]; 19. 96-Andy Graves[23]; 20. 66-Don Bellen[15]; 21. 21C-Brian Calabrese[17]; 22. 42-Tucker O'Connor[1]; 23. 85R-Jason Reome[24]; 24. 4-Cody Clark[22]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[3]; 2. 24P-Brian Pessolano[2]; 3. 7MM-Michael Maresca[8]; 4. 111-Demetrios Drellos[7]; 5. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[5]; 6. 35-Chris Curtis[6]; 7. 1G-Darwin Greene[4]; 8. 4-Cody Clark[1]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 42-Tucker O'Connor[1]; 2. 34-Dave Constantino[2]; 3. 1-Rocky Warner[6]; 4. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[3]; 5. 44-Stewart Friesen[8]; 6. 21C-Brian Calabrese[5]; 7. 20C-Craig Hanson[4]; 8. 96-Andy Graves[7]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 21P-Luciano (Pep) Corradi[2]; 2. 85-Jack Lehner[5]; 3. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[6]; 4. 19JR-Roger Henion Jr[4]; 5. 66-Don Bellen[1]; 6. 76-Jamike Sowle[3]; 7. 3-Jeff Trombley[7]; 8. 85R-Jason Reome[8]
Twin 22 No. 2 (22 Laps): 1. 111-Demetrios Drellos[1]; 2. 1-Rocky Warner[2]; 3. 2RJ-Ronnie Johnson[3]; 4. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[5]; 5. 34-Dave Constantino[7]; 6. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[9]; 7. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[12]; 8. 19JR-Roger Henion Jr[4]; 9. 44-Stewart Friesen[8]; 10. 21C-Brian Calabrese[21]; 11. 85-Jack Lehner[13]; 12. 76-Jamike Sowle[15]; 13. 21P-Luciano (Pep) Corradi[14]; 14. 24P-Brian Pessolano[6]; 15. 35-Chris Curtis[10]; 16. 1G-Darwin Greene[18]; 17. 85R-Jason Reome[23]; 18. 66-Don Bellen[20]; 19. 96-Andy Graves[19]; 20. 7MM-Michael Maresca[11]; 21. 3-Jeff Trombley[17]; 22. 20C-Craig Hanson[16]; 23. 4-Cody Clark[24]; 24. (DNS) 42-Tucker O'Connor
30 entries
SWAGGER FACTORY APPAREL CRATE 602 SPORTSMAN
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 2K-Mike Kalkbrenner[3]; 2. 89-Dylan Madsen[4]; 3. 25-Stephen Gray[2]; 4. 78-Tanner Warner[7]; 5. 14J-Jeremy Tyrrell[9]; 6. 31J-John DuMond[1]; 7. 8-Josh Kane[11]; 8. 74-Matt Perry[13]; 9. 1M-Mark Mortensen[8]; 10. 7J-Dan Santabarbara[6]; 11. 117N-Butchie Irwin[14]; 12. 84-Ricky Quick[5]; 13. 63-Chip Constantino[15]; 14. 9K-Blaine Klinger[18]; 15. B24-Brendan Gibbons[12]; 16. 10%-Chad Edwards[19]; 17. 42H-Kadon Hohensheldt[26]; 18. 88-Michael Wagner Fitzgerald[24]; 19. 12B-Tyler Bobar[22]; 20. 1H-Harry Shaffer[23]; 21. 314-Clayton DuMond[17]; 22. 1B-Brett Mortensen[16]; 23. 19-Floyd Billington[25]; 24. 14T-Payton Talbot[21]; 25. 12T-Tyler Peet[10]; 26. 12P-Connor Prokop[20]; 27. 99-Clyde Peek[27]
GRECO’S NAPA HARD CHARGER – Kadon Hohensheldt +9
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 1M-Mark Mortensen[4]; 2. 31J-John DuMond[1]; 3. 7J-Dan Santabarbara[3]; 4. 8-Josh Kane[5]; 5. 74-Matt Perry[8]; 6. 1B-Brett Mortensen[6]; 7. 10%-Chad Edwards[9]; 8. 12B-Tyler Bobar[2]; 9. 19-Floyd Billington[10]; 10. 99-Clyde Peek[7]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 89-Dylan Madsen[2]; 2. 14J-Jeremy Tyrrell[4]; 3. 25-Stephen Gray[1]; 4. B24-Brendan Gibbons[6]; 5. 117N-Butchie Irwin[3]; 6. 314-Clayton DuMond[5]; 7. 12P-Connor Prokop[7]; 8. 1H-Harry Shaffer[8]; 9. 21-Destry Scribner[9]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 2K-Mike Kalkbrenner[1]; 2. 84-Ricky Quick[2]; 3. 78-Tanner Warner[3]; 4. 12T-Tyler Peet[4]; 5. 63-Chip Constantino[5]; 6. 9K-Blaine Klinger[6]; 7. 14T-Payton Talbot[7]; 8. 88-Michael Wagner Fitzgerald[9]; 9. 42H-Kadon Hohensheldt[8]
5/25 Makeup Feature (25 Laps): 1. 314-Clayton DuMond[2]; 2. 14T-Payton Talbot[14]; 3. 89-Dylan Madsen[4]; 4. 78-Tanner Warner[11]; 5. 25-Stephen Gray[5]; 6. 84-Ricky Quick[1]; 7. 7J-Dan Santabarbara[3]; 8. 9K-Blaine Klinger[21]; 9. 117N-Butchie Irwin[15]; 10. 1M-Mark Mortensen[18]; 11. 2K-Mike Kalkbrenner[12]; 12. 1B-Brett Mortensen[24]; 13. B24-Brendan Gibbons[20]; 14. 14J-Jeremy Tyrrell[9]; 15. 8-Josh Kane[6]; 16. 1H-Harry Shaffer[25]; 17. 63-Chip Constantino[19]; 18. 31J-John DuMond[8]; 19. 12T-Tyler Peet[7]; 20. 99-Clyde Peek[23]; 21. 74-Matt Perry[16]; 22. 12P-Connor Prokop[13]; 23. 12B-Tyler Bobar[10]; 24. 42H-Kadon Hohensheldt[22]; 25. 10%-Chad Edwards[17]; 26. (DNS) 21E-Gary Edwards III; 27. (DNS) 1D-Kyle Dingman
GRECO’S NAPA HARD CHARGER – Blaine Klinger +13
13 entries
LEATHERSTOCKING CREDIT UNION PRO STOCKS
Feature (20 Laps): 1. 49-Ivan Joslin[3]; 2. 110-Devon Camenga[7]; 3. 8N-Nick Stone[4]; 4. 2H-Luke Horning[5]; 5. 7C-Caden Dumblewski[1]; 6. 75-Gary Silkey[2]; 7. 715-Jason Morrison[9]; 8. 35-Ken Gates[6]; 9. 13-George Cushman[11]; 10. 1D-Nick Santuccione[10]; 11. 80-Dan Krajewski[8]; 12. 44-Ray Richer[13]; 13. 62-Nick Danna[12]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8N-Nick Stone[3]; 2. 110-Devon Camenga[5]; 3. 75-Gary Silkey[2]; 4. 7C-Caden Dumblewski[1]; 5. 715-Jason Morrison[4]; 6. 13-George Cushman[6]; 7. 44-Ray Richer[7]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 49-Ivan Joslin[2]; 2. 35-Ken Gates[4]; 3. 2H-Luke Horning[3]; 4. 80-Dan Krajewski[5]; 5. 1D-Nick Santuccione[1]; 6. 62-Nick Danna[6]
30 entries
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE FOR AGING LIMITED SPORTSMAN
Feature (15 Laps): 1. 44-Rocco Constantino[1]; 2. 14W-Timothy Wilmot[3]; 3. 12AJ-AJ Greco[12]; 4. 797-Corky Warner[7]; 5. 47-Walter Cook[6]; 6. 22L-Lance Hill[15]; 7. 24-Kirsten Swartz[14]; 8. 11B-Jeff Bobilin[20]; 9. 13J-Jim Mallia[13]; 10. 32-Steve Wagoner[22]; 11. 538-Gus Kamburelis[17]; 12. 26B-Maddy Broedel[18]; 13. 11-Josh Persse[16]; 14. 37-Ryan Sweet[9]; 15. 57-Ben Balzer[27]; 16. 4-Zach McSpirit[21]; 17. 2-Brandon Tyler[4]; 18. 216-Phil Arnold[2]; 19. 618-Bobby Rhinehardt[5]; 20. 5C-Randy Cosselman[8]; 21. 62-Shawn Gibbons[11]; 22. 00X-Josh Coonradt[10]; 23. 85R-Bob Rowback[19]; 24. 14-Ginger Billy[23]; 25. 21-Destry Scribner[28]; 26. 16H-Dylan Hutson[26]; 27. (DNS) 0-Kyle Coley; 28. (DNS) 44J-Steve Jones
GRECO’S NAPA HARD CHARGER – Jeff Bobilin +12
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 44-Rocco Constantino[1]; 2. 797-Corky Warner[4]; 3. 12AJ-AJ Greco[8]; 4. 37-Ryan Sweet[5]; 5. 13J-Jim Mallia[2]; 6. 11-Josh Persse[3]; 7. 85R-Bob Rowback[7]; 8. 32-Steve Wagoner[6]; 9. (DNS) 44J-Steve Jones
Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 216-Phil Arnold[1]; 2. 5C-Randy Cosselman[4]; 3. 2-Brandon Tyler[2]; 4. 618-Bobby Rhinehardt[3]; 5. 24-Kirsten Swartz[6]; 6. 538-Gus Kamburelis[7]; 7. 11B-Jeff Bobilin[8]; 8. 14-Ginger Billy[9]; 9. 16H-Dylan Hutson[5]
Heat 3 (6 Laps): 1. 14W-Timothy Wilmot[1]; 2. 62-Shawn Gibbons[7]; 3. 47-Walter Cook[3]; 4. 00X-Josh Coonradt[6]; 5. 22L-Lance Hill[4]; 6. 26B-Maddy Broedel[8]; 7. 4-Zach McSpirit[5]; 8. 0-Kyle Coley[9]; 9. 57-Ben Balzer[2]
4/27 Makeup Feature (15 Laps): 1. 12AJ-AJ Greco[2]; 2. 00X-Josh Coonradt[3]; 3. 37-Ryan Sweet[1]; 4. 13J-Jim Mallia[5]; 5. 14W-Timothy Wilmot[7]; 6. 797-Corky Warner[6]; 7. 22L-Lance Hill[19]; 8. 47-Walter Cook[4]; 9. 216-Phil Arnold[8]; 10. 32-Steve Wagoner[10]; 11. 618-Bobby Rhinehardt[11]; 12. 24-Kirsten Swartz[17]; 13. 11B-Jeff Bobilin[13]; 14. 2-Brandon Tyler[16]; 15. 44-Rocco Constantino[18]; 16. 11-Josh Persse[12]; 17. 57-Ben Balzer[15]; 18. 44JX-Adam Tranka[20]; 19. 16H-Dylan Hutson[9]; 20. (DNS) 87J-Joel Knudsen Jr
GRECO’S NAPA HARD CHARGER – Lance Hill +12
15 entries
FONDA FAIR FOUR CYLINDERS
Feature (12 Laps): 1. 97JD-Jay Ingersoll[9]; 2. 12S-Ken Hollenbeck[10]; 3. 31D-Jeff Connolly[12]; 4. 42D-Hayleigh Gates[3]; 5. 54S-Wayne Russell Jr[8]; 6. K1S-William Liberatore[1]; 7. 212S-TJ Marlitt[4]; 8. 420XS-Tim Warner[2]; 9. 57S-Jeremiah Paro[13]; 10. 37D-Billy Hillman[15]; 11. 26D-Len St Andrews[5]; 12. 7D-Adam Montville[11]; 13. 98S-Stephanie Maille[7]; 14. 33D-Kerrie Hollenbeck[6]; 15. 23S-Lucas Condon[14]
Submitted By: Brett Deyo
