Hearn dominates 60-lap special at Fonda

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FONDA - After placing fourth and sixth with the Smith Bros. No. 74 in the NMX Go Green Thunder Series races at Fonda Speedway this year, Brett Hearn made a change.

Tuesday night, Hearn brought the potent No. 4-Star, Delaney Construction small block to the Track of Champions. The choice was a good one as Hearn wrestled the lead away from Dave Camara on a lap-26 restart and pulled away to claim the 60-lap, $6,000-to-win victory. The Sussex, N.J. driver padded his winnings with a $500 bonus for beating the Fonda Speedway regulars.

"We came here with the big block and did OK," Hearn said in Victory Lane. "We decided to come back with the small block this time and it was an awesome race car tonight."

Also picking up victories at the mid-week show were Jeremy Wilder (sportsman open), Justin Barger (ESS sprinters) and Jason Barney (360 open sprints).

Jim Davis and Dave Camara brought the field of 28 modifieds to the green with Davis taking command heading into the first turn with Camara and Bobby Varin in pursuit. Varin clipped the front stretch wall on the second lap and brought out the caution two laps later with a flat tire. He went pit side and returned at the back of the pack.

Davis held his lead over Camara on the restart with Ryan Odasz, Hearn and Matt DeLorenzo making up the top five.

Davis' strong run on the front end was short-lived as a flat tire sent him pit side, giving Camara the lead and moving Hearn into second.

Hearn dove to the inside of Camara on the restart, but Camara came back strong to keep the top spot. He again held off Hearn's challenge on a lap-12 restart, but Hearn found a little extra after a lap-25 caution to take the lead.

"I have to give Brett credit. He slid me up the track a couple of times and held the low side," Camara said. "The way we have been running lately, tonight was definitely a plus."

With an open track, Hearn was able to open a comfortable advantage over Camara and DeLorenzo.

Farther back in the field, Stewart Friesen and Ryan Odasz were locked in a tight battle for the fourth spot, often swapping spots a couple of times each lap.

Hearn was brought back to the field on lap 37 when the caution flew for the final time in the race.

Camara made a run at the leader but could not make the pass as he held off a challenge from DeLorenzo. Pat Ward, Ronnie Johnson and Varin joined Friesen and Odasz's battle for the fourth spot.

"We were good on the restarts, but then the car went away after four or five laps," DeLorenzo said.

With 10 laps to go, Friesen secured the spot with Johnson and Varin slipped past Odasz. Johnson carried his late-race momentum past Friesen as the field took the white flag.

At the checkers, it was Hearn picking up his 23rd career victory at Fonda Speedway, followed by Camara, DeLorenzo, Johnson, and Friesen. Varin recovered from his early race flat to finish sixth with Odasz seventh. Davis fought his way back after making a lap-11 pit stop to finish eighth. Jack Johnson was ninth and Ward completed the top 10.

"I saw there were some tire problems but there was no real pattern to them, so I wasn't too worried," Hearn said. "I was able to conserve my tires some by only using the car hard when I really had to."

JaMike Sowle and Tony Farone brought the 20-lap sportsman open main event to the green flag with Sowle leading the opening lap before the caution flew when John Scarborough spun in turn one, collecting David Towns and sending the pack scrambling for openings. Scarborough continued on, but Towns, the defending division champion and points leader, was done for the night.

Farone took over the lead on the restart, but could not pull away as the caution flew again.

Wilder, who was fourth on the restart, made a bold move, powering his way from fourth to first on the restart.

Midway through the feature, a series of cautions kept the field bunched up behind Wilder.

Wilder withstood the pressure and claimed his first feature win of the season and second of his career. Both victories came in mid-week shows.

"The restarts were making me nervous, especially with the experience John [Scarborough] has," Wilder said. "But the car was really hooked up tonight."

Scarborough crossed the line second with Mark Mortensen third, David Constantino fourth and Mark Kislowski fifth. Luke Munroe, Neil Erikson, Mike Ketchum, Drew Fallis and D.T. Pickard rounded out the top 10.

The mid-week program also featured a pair of sprint car main events.

The Empire Super Sprints were on hand for the running of the 25-lap, $2,000-to-win Earl Halaquist Memorial.

Jessica Zemken showed the field of sprinters the fast way around the speedway for 19 laps before Barger dove to the low side of the speedway, entering turn one on lap 20 to take the lead. Barger held the point over the final five laps to claim his third career sprint car victory at Fonda Speedway and second straight ESS victory at the track.

Zemken finished second followed by Barney, Jeff VanDuesen and Jami Russell. Ryan Bohike, Russ Bennett, Lance Yonge, Michael Parent and Alain Bergeron completed the top 10.

Barney came back in the sprint car nightcap, the 360 open main event that was rained out earlier this year.

Barney took the lead at the drop of the green and led all 20 laps, lapping up to the fourth place car en route to his first career sprint car victory at Fonda.

Barger placed second followed by Doug Emery, Bennett, VanDusen, Parent, Anthony Cain, Warren Alexson, Russell and Kory Gurney.

Racing will return to Fonda Speedway Saturday night with a regular race program of modified, sportsman, pro stock, IMCA and street stock action on tap.

60-lap NMX Go Green Thunder Series

1. BRETT HEARN, 2. Dave Camara, 3. Matt DeLorenzo, 4. Ronnie Johnson, 5. Stewart Friesen, 6. Bobby Varin, 7. Ryan Odasz, 8. Jim Davis, 9. Jack Johnson, 10. Pat Ward, 11. Tony Pepicelli, 12. Dave Lape, 13, Alton Palmer, 14. A.J. Romano, 15. Ray Zemken, 16. Erik Nelson, 17. Josh Hohenforst, 18. Todd Morey, 19. Harry Shaffer, 20. Jamie Christian, 21. Mitch Gibbs, 22. John Marsh, 23. Dustin Delaney, 24. Mario Clair, 25. Danny Varin, 26. Danny Johnson, 27, Craig Hanson, 28. Elmo Reckner.

20 lap Sportsman Open

1. JEREMY WILDER, 2. John Scarborough, 3. Mark Mortensen, 4. David Constantino, 5. Mark Kislowski, 6. Luke Munroe, 7. Neil Erikson, 8. Mike Ketchum, 9. Drew Fallis, 10. D.T. Pickard, 11. Chad Edwards, 12. Sean Gibbons, 13. Mark Bishop, 14. Pep Corradi, 15. Aaron Jacobs, 16. Tom Funk, 17. Don Bellen, 18. 15, 19. Howard Gage, 20. Tony Farone, 21. JaMike Sowle, 22. Jason Memrick, 23. Alex Bell, 24. Chuck Allen, 25. Vinnie Sanganetti, 26. David Towns, 27. John McAuliffe (DNS).

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sppedracer
08-07-08 8:09 PM »Report Abuse	hey did every one enjoy paying for them sprint cars for the 3rd time lol rick u should be ashamed of ur self

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