Auto Racing News - 1 May 2025

Tonight, Utica-Rome Speedway will offer hot dogs for $1 at the "Home of Heroes." Be sure to get your children over to the Kids Club, as they have great giveaways every week. All weekly divisions will be in competition, plus the Slingshots.

Tonight, Albany-Saratoga Speedway will run off the rained-out Modified feature from last week and then go into their regularly scheduled program.

Modified driver Bobby Varin has a special offer for any racers who are looking to pick up some new or used parts at a good price. This Saturday and Sunday, from 12:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m., you can pick through a wide selection of items at Varin Enterprises, located at 212 Stoner Trail Road in Johnstown. Available are race cars, tires, rims, engines, and many more parts. For more information, you can call 518-848-3231.

Coming up this week, Fonda Speedway will host the F.X. Caprara Car Companies-Thunder on the Thruway Series. The Modified, Crate 602 Sportsman, and Pro Stock divisions will run for Thunder points and increased purses. All weekly divisions will be in competition.

Lebanon Valley Speedway is celebrating with a Kentucky Derby theme on Saturday, including a $5,000-to-win Big Block Modified feature. All weekly divisions are on the schedule.

Sunday offers a few different choices. Glen Ridge Motorsports Park had a well-attended practice last Sunday and will open for their 22nd season on Sunday, with all weekly divisions on the program supported by Riley Mortuary.

Also on Sunday, Weedsport Speedway will open for the 2025 season with the Ice Breaker 50 for DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds. The DIRTcar Sportsman Series will race 30 laps for $1,000, and the NY6A Hoosier 600 Sprint Tour will also be on the program. Grandstands open at 4:00 p.m., racing at 6:00 p.m. Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown will open Sunday with DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, DIRT Sportsman, and Street Stocks, presented by Falanga Trucking. Grandstands open at 4:00 p.m., racing at 6:00 p.m.

Brookfield Speedway, located on the Madison County Fairgrounds, continues to make improvements. The corners and backstretch have been widened 12 feet, and many truckloads of fresh clay have been added this week to the surface to help make the racing better for both the racers and fans.

Results from last week start with Stewart Friesen earning his 95th Fonda Speedway Modified division victory on Wednesday night in the Jumpin' Jack Johnson 32-lap, $4,012-to-win Amsterdam Truck Center Modified feature. This was also Friesen's seventh opening night win and third Jack Johnson tribute win. Completing the top three were Matt Sheppard and Anthony Perrego. Marc Johnson received the Palmer's Service Center-Online Performance/Stone Motorsports gift certificate. Nineteen Modifieds were in the feature.

The Pro Stock division feature never disappoints, and that was true again on this night as the full-fendered cars were racing three-wide while competing for positions. In the end, Kenny Gates earned his 99th Fonda feature victory in the 20-lap Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stock feature. Jason Morrison and Cousin Luke Horning filled the podium. There were 14 Pro Stocks for the midweek race.

In the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman division 25-lap feature, Dylan Madsen earned his career-first Fonda win over Brett Mortensen and Chad Edwards. Mortensen received the Palmer's Service Center-Online Performance/Stone Motorsports gift certificate. Edwards earned the Greco's NAPA Hard Charger Award by advancing 8 positions during the feature. Twenty-seven Sportsman started the feature.

On Friday at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series ran a special DiCarlo's Auto Body feature in memory of driver Jason Herrington, who passed away earlier this year. Felix Roy of Quebec scored his career-first Malta victory in the 31-lap 'Flyin' Farmer' feature. Chris Curtis finished second and Mike Coffey Jr. third. In the Saratoga Masonry Pro Stock division, Pete Stefanski won the 25-lap feature, with Kyle Hoard second and Kim Duell third. In the Haun Welding Limited Sportsman 20-lap feature, Gary English earned the win over Mike Block Sr. and Craig Coons. The Cornell's Auto Parts Street Stock division 20-lap feature was won by Mark Burch over Jeff Meltz and Matt Mosher. Unfortunately, the Big Block Modified feature was halted after two laps.

Utica-Rome Speedway was able to get their show in and do it quickly. In the 30-lap 3 Bastards Brewing Modified division feature, Matt Sheppard took the win ahead of Willy Decker and Anthony Perrego. The Taylor’s Trailer Crate 602 Sportsman division 25-lap feature was claimed by Tyler Peet over Payton Talbot and Dave Constantino. The Next Generation GraphiX Pro Stock division 20-lap feature was earned by Cousin Luke Horning over A.J. Walters and George Cushman. The M2 Metal RUSH Late Model Series division 20-lap feature saw a great battle for the lead between Brady Wonderling and Fultonville's A.J. Miller; Wonderling would hold off Miller for the win, with Chad Homan finishing third. The Fastline Performance Limited Sportsman division feature was won by Garrett Chillot, with Jayden Wust and Timmy Wilmot filling the podium. In the JB’s Sewer and Septic 4-Cylinder division feature, Jacob Kimball scored the victory over Steven Burka and Wayne Russell Jr.

Chase Moran of Fultonville finished 17th in the 25-lap URC Winged Sprint feature at Selinsgrove Speedway in Pennsylvania.

The track crew at Fonda Speedway gave it a valiant effort on Saturday in attempting to save the track surface after the overnight rain. Unfortunately, with the added rain that came late afternoon, it was too much, and Fonda would finally throw in the towel around 5:00 p.m.