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MCLAUGHLIN, HACKEL, & LEHNER TAKE FONDA 200 QUALIFYING HEAT WINS WHILE GATES TAKES CAREER WIN #98 IN PRO STOCKS

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – On Friday evening at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway, the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds held their qualifying events for the Fonda 200 while the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman held their qualifying events for their Saturday night feature as well.

When the checkered flag flew on the Amsterdam Truck Center STSS Modified qualifying heat races, Max McLaughlin, Bobby Hackel, and Jack Lehner all celebrated their $500 race wins in victory lane while Troy Zilles, Blaine Klinger, and Payton Talbot celebrated their $150 race wins for the STSS Crate 602 Sportsman heat race victories.

Kenny Gates led every lap of the Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock feature for his sixth win of the season and the 98th of his career in the division at Fonda while Bruce Liddle (SOHC) and Jay Ingersoll (DOHC) celebrated feature wins in the Fonda Fair Four Cylinder division.

Before the racing program began, the 2024 Fonda Speedway Track Champions were honored on victory lane. Getting their hardware for the 2024 season were Alex Yankowski (Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds), Payton Talbot (Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman), Kenny Gates (Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks), AJ Greco (Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman), Ken Hollenback (SOHC Fonda Fair Four Cylinder), and Jay Ingersoll (DOHC Fonda Fair Four Cylinder).

TRACK CHAMPIONS THOUGHT DURING THE CHAMPIONSHIP CEREMONY

“It is a big team effort,” Amsterdam Truck Center Modified Track Champion Alex Yankowski said. “A lot of things need to go your way and I’m really proud of the whole effort. Super proud to have reliable equipment that’s what wins championships, so we’ll keep digging at it and try to get better.”

“A lot of it is just seat time, the more seat time you get in a racecar the better you’re gonna be,” Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman Track Champion Payton Talbot said. “We had an up and down year here; we’ve had a good car, and this is huge because there is so much history here. Definitely a cool feeling being our third or fourth year here its really cool, different for sure.”

“We’re pretty good here at Fonda around the bottom, that’s where I’m comfortable, that’s where I set my car up for and it works really well,” Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock Track Champion Kenny Gates said. “A lot of times the guys like to run high, so the bottom is the open lane and that’s where we go. It takes patience to run down there, but when the guys get in the turns a little hot and slide up I just say thank you.”

“All year I talked about that race after the championship,” Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman Track Champion AJ Greco told Mimi Lazzaro during the Championship celebration on victory lane. “The goal was five wins this year, we had a real good year, and it was fun. My dad is my coach through it all and has taught me everything I know. He’s the first one to critique me when I do something wrong, and I wouldn’t be able to do it without him.”

“It was a tough decision to run here at Fonda, but it worked out better for the team and I’m really glad we did it,” DOHC Fonda Fair Four Cylinder Track Champion Jay Ingersoll said. “It’s a dream come true, I dreamed of it as a kid and I’m here.”

Max McLaughlin started on the pole and led every lap of STSS Modified heat race number one, collecting $500 from One Zee Tees.

“A fast car makes a driver look better,” McLaughlin said after his heat race win. “It definitely helps. I’m lucky to have a series of events with the World of Outlaws raining out this weekend to be able to come here and drive a fast race car to compete for $53,000. Yesterday definitely helped getting a lot more track time, I wasn’t very good in hot laps, and it took me about 15 laps in the feature to get comfortable again.”

“It’s just so much different, the Late Model drives off the right front and these cars drive off the right rear, McLaughlin continued to say. I felt like I was gonna flip over on lap one of practice yesterday, but I just really had to get used to the car. Travelling all over the country racing a Late Model I feel has made me a better race car driver.”

Bobby Hackel started on the pole for STSS Modified heat race number two and led every lap as well, collecting $500 from Fastline Performance.

“The track is beautiful tonight,” Hackel said after his heat race win. “Kudos to the track prep guys that got beat up all year, they deserve some credit, they gave us a great track the last two nights so thanks to them for all of their hard work. Speaking of hard work, I really have to thank my guys, when we rolled out of here last night we thought that our Fonda 200 was done after our wreck.”

“Everybody put their nose to the grindstone, we pulled this car out at home, swapped motors, and long story short we made it here just in time today after doing all that. It needs a little bit of work to be as good as last night (Thursday), the car last night was a rocket ship but I’m not gonna complain, I’m sitting in victory lane here between the two Lehner cars. 200 laps is a long race, we’ll go home tonight and work with my partners and I just thank everybody who got me here and supports me.”

Jack Lehner followed suit in STSS Modified heat race number three, started on the pole, led every lap, and collected $500 from Bedell Racing Engines.

“This thing has been really good right off the trailer,” Lehner said after his heat race win. “I actually made my first small adjustment before the heat race; it’s been a great car. We had a tough group there in the heat race with the invert. We didn’t do great in hot laps timing fourth fast, but the invert put us on the pole for the heat race.”

“This is definitely a confidence booster,” Lehner continued to say. “To keep the 9 and the 44 behind us the only bad thing is we have been in clean air the last couple nights, so I’d like to see how we’re gonna be racing in traffic. Definitely a stellar way to start the weekend.”

In STSS Crate 602 Sportsman heat race number one, Troy Zilles started outside pole and led all 12-laps of the event collecting $150 from Parillo Services.

“We’ve got a pretty good piece, so hopefully we can keep it going, this heat race win gives me momentum going into the rest of the weekend.”

Blaine Klinger was the winner of STSS Crate 602 Sportsman heat race number two, starting on the pole, leading every lap, and collecting $150 from Madsen Overhead Doors.

“This year we struggled really bad between Utica and Fonda,” Klinger said. “We found a little something at Fonda at the end of the year, we came here to practice last night, it’s a long drive, but it’s worth it because we dialed the car in because I knew that time trials were gonna be key. I’m just thankful to be here, I’ve never been in victory lane at Fonda, so I guess this kind of counts.”

STSS Crate 602 Sportsman heat race number three saw Josh Coonradt lead from his pole position start until lap six when third place starter Payton Talbot got by for the lead and the win collecting $150 from Ted’s Body Shop.

“This thing was awesome,” Talbot said. “It was a little snug, I tried the top there for a couple of laps and kept with Josh (Coonradt). I figured if I could hit it once real good and at least get to the outside of him I could drive it in harder into turn one and get by him and it panned out for us. This is an awesome opportunity, and I can’t thank Andy Belmont enough.”

2024 Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock Track Champion won heat race number one and drew the outside pole for a starting position for the 20-lap feature event. Luke Horning started the event on the pole and took the early lead after Joe Kriss’ dropped the green flag. Horning held the lead until turn four of the first lap when Gates went around the outside of him and took the lead as lap one was completed.

Third place starter Nick Stone and sixth place starter AJ Walters were next to get by Horning for the second and third positions. At the halfway point in the event, Gates led with Stone, Walters, fifth place starter Ivan Joslin, and eighth place starter Andy Graves in the top five. Only one yellow slowed the event on lap 17 when Joslin suffered mechanical issues and slowed on the frontstretch with a burst of flames coming from underneath the car. Joslin was okay but done for the evening.

Gates led at the drop of the green flag on the single file restart and crossed under the checkered flag first for his sixth win of the 2024 season and the 98th of his career at Fonda. Stone, Walters, Graves, and fourth place starter Chuck McSpirit completed the top five. Gates and Stone were the two heat race winners and each received $125 from Checkered Dreams.

“I don’t ever think they will get me confused with the high side hustler,” Gates said jokingly after the win. “We ran pretty good up there tonight and luckily this car, unlike cars that I have had in the past, is better everywhere. Of course I set it up for the bottom, but there was bite on the top tonight, we just had to go where the bite was and we brought it home.”

“I guess we try for 100 wins now that’s what’s next,” Gates continued to say. “It’s the “Track of Champions” and there is such history here. I know it’s not a Modified, but I run against guys like Nick (Stone) and Luke (Horning) so to be able to compete against those guys and win here means the world to me. I love this track, I love being here, and I love supporting the Fonda Speedway.”

Jordan Ryder led the first three laps of the Fonda Fair Four Cylinder feature until lap four when 2024 Fonda Speedway DOHC Track Champion Jay Ingersoll took the lead away on a restart. Ingersoll led the remaining laps for the overall win in the 15-lap event as a SOHC, his eighth victory of the 2024 season and the ninth of his career at Fonda.

Bruce Liddle was the first SOHC car across the finish line in the second position and took the win in that class for his first career win at Fonda in the division. John Napoli, Wayne Russell Jr., and Rudy King Jr. completed the top five.

The single and dual cam winners each received $100 from Team Kar-Fab and $50 each from Swagger Factory Apparel. Team Kar-Fab also gave a $50 bonus to each of the single and dual cam second place finishers.

“Pretty awesome,” Ingersoll said after his win. “The track was amazing so kudos to the track team it was beautiful. I didn’t know where the lap cars were going to go so I was playing it very cautious when I got to them.”

“I didn’t expect this,” Liddle said after his win. “I’ve never been on victory square down here; I’ve tried it a few times but just couldn’t pull it out. Tonight, it worked, and it feels great.

16 Entrees
Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks
Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 35-Ken Gates[2]; 2. 8N-Nick Stone[3]; 3. 22W-AJ Walters[6]; 4. 96-Andy Graves[8]; 5. 57-Chuck McSpirit[4]; 6. 13-George Cushman[7]; 7. 99-Buck Gasner[9]; 8. 413-Tom Dean[11]; 9. 75-Gary Silkey[14]; 10. 28G-Gus Gould[10]; 11. 36-Pete Vila[13]; 12. 62-Nick Danna[15]; 13. 49-Ivan Joslin[5]; 14. 2H-Luke Horning[1]; 15. 101-Ed Kotary[12]; 16. (DNS) 74N-Jim Normoyle

Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 35-Ken Gates[1]; 2. 22W-AJ Walters[3]; 3. 49-Ivan Joslin[4]; 4. 13-George Cushman[2]; 5. 99-Buck Gasner[5]; 6. 413-Tom Dean[7]; 7. 36-Pete Vila[8]; 8. 62-Nick Danna[6]

Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 8N-Nick Stone[5]; 2. 2H-Luke Horning[1]; 3. 57-Chuck McSpirit[2]; 4. 96-Andy Graves[6]; 5. 28G-Gus Gould[7]; 6. 101-Ed Kotary[3]; 7. 75-Gary Silkey[8]; 8. (DNS) 74N-Jim Normoyle

Pro Stock heat race winners received $125 each from Checkered Dreams

33 entries
Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds
Amsterdam Truck Center STSS Modified Qualifier #1 (15 Laps): 1. 85-Max McLaughlin[1]; 2. 93-Danny Varin[2]; 3. 1-Rocky Warner[3]; 4. 20C-Craig Hanson[6]; 5. 35C-Chris Curtis[4]; 6. 76M-Ricky Quick[5]; 7. 21P-Luciano (Pep) Corradi[7]; 8. 24P-Brian Pessolano[8]; 9. 35B-Francois Bellemare[9]; 10. 50-Bill August[10]; 11. 22-Kurtis Hohensheldt[11]

Winner of heat race #1 received $500 from One Zee Tees

Amsterdam Truck Center STSS Modified Qualifier #2 (15 Laps): 1. 97-Bobby Hackel IV[1]; 2. 1D-Tyler Dippel[3]; 3. 84Y-Alex Yankowski[6]; 4. 21C-Brian Calabrese[5]; 5. 28T-Michael Trautschold[2]; 6. 3-Jeff Trombley[8]; 7. 98-Tanner Warner[7]; 8. 42-Tucker O'Connor[10]; 9. 76-Jamike Sowle[9]; 10. 7J-Dan Santabarbara[11]; 11. (DNS) 3W-Mat Williamson

Winner of heat race #2 received $500 from Fastline Performance

Amsterdam Truck Center STSS Modified Qualifier #3 (15 Laps): 1. 02-Jack Lehner[1]; 2. 35M-Mike Mahaney[2]; 3. 9S-Matt Sheppard[4]; 4. 4P-Anthony Perrego[6]; 5. 44-Stewart Friesen[3]; 6. 24-Adam McAuliffe[7]; 7. 71-Eric Mack[8]; 8. 16-Aaron Jacobs[11]; 9. 1Z-Jessica Friesen[5]; 10. (DNS) 27-Jason Reome; 11. (DNS) 9J-Marc Johnson

Winner of heat race #3 received $500 from Bedell Racing Engines

42 entries
Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman
Swagger Factory Apparel STSS 602 Sportsman Qualifier #1 (12 Laps): 1. 14Z-Troy Zilles[2]; 2. 1H-Harry Shaffer[1]; 3. 1B-Brett Mortensen[3]; 4. 21C-Brian Calabrese[4]; 5. 78-Tanner Warner[6]; 6. 10%-Chad Edwards[5]; 7. 27-Michael Ballestero[7]; 8. 12AJ-AJ Greco[9]; 9. 164-Brock Miller[8]; 10. 28D-Dylan Eldred[12]; 11. 24S-Kirsten Swartz[10]; 12. 797-Corky Warner[11]; 13. 2-Brandon Tyler[14]; 14. 99-Clyde Peek[13]

Winner of heat race #1 received $150 from Parillo Services

Swagger Factory Apparel STSS 602 Sportsman Qualifier #2 (12 Laps): 1. 9K-Blaine Klinger[1]; 2. 12T-Tyler Peet[3]; 3. 89-Dylan Madsen[4]; 4. 22H-TIM HARTMAN[5]; 5. 63-Chip Constantino[2]; 6. 117-Butchie Irwin[8]; 7. 55-Jonny Feagles[7]; 8. 14J-Jeremy Tyrrell[14]; 9. 1M-Mark Mortensen[6]; 10. 12-George Schweigart[9]; 11. 71-Steve Cummings[11]; 12. 52-Ron Proctor[13]; 13. 47-Walter Cook[10]; 14. 11-Josh Persse[12]

Winner of heat race #2 received $150 from Madsen Overhead Doors

Swagger Factory Apparel STSS 602 Sportsman Qualifier #3 (12 Laps): 1. 14T-Payton Talbot[3]; 2. 4-Cody Clark[4]; 3. 00X-Josh Coonradt[1]; 4. 25-Stephen Gray[6]; 5. 82H-David Hackett[8]; 6. 31J-John DuMond[2]; 7. 1D-Kyle Dingman[5]; 8. 123-Dale Welty[7]; 9. 1JB-Jeff Bobilin[9]; 10. B62-Brendan Gibbons[10]; 11. 307-Karl Barnes[12]; 12. 6S-John Santolin[13]; 13. 19-Owen Lewis[11]; 14. (DNS) 7J-Dan Santabarbara

Winner of heat race #3 received $150 from Ted’s Body Shop

21 entries
Fonda Fair Four Cylinders
Fonda Fair 4 Cylinder A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 97JD-Jay Ingersoll[6]; 2. 47S-Bruce Liddle[8]; 3. 3D-John Napoli[12]; 4. 54S-Wayne Russell Jr[11]; 5. 666D-Rudy King Jr[18]; 6. 42S-Damian Ward[13]; 7. 11D-Jordan Ryder[2]; 8. K1S-William Liberatore[7]; 9. 42D-Dan Valade[15]; 10. 77S-Jamie Warner[16]; 11. 126D-Nichole Decker[5]; 12. 212S-TJ Marlitt[20]; 13. 509S-Stephen Walters[1]; 14. 38S-Ben Ladd[17]; 15. 777S-Chris Hemstreet[19]; 16. 57S-Jeremiah Paro[4]; 17. 420XS-Dakota Sweet[10]; 18. 98S-Stephanie Maille[21]; 19. 29JD-John Ray[9]; 20. 4S-Todd Morey[14]; 21. (DQ) 7D-Adam Montville[3]

Single & dual cam winners each received $100 each from Team Kar-Fab
Single & dual cam winners each received $50 from Swagger Factory Apparel
Single & dual cam second place finishers each received $50 from Team Kar-Fab

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