Auto Racing News - 18 August 2024

 In making your plans for tonight, remember that there is no racing at Utica-Rome Speedway tonight. Dodge City Speedway in Howes Cave will hold the Thunder in the Valley Series race number 4 on Checkers Out Speedway Night and Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Matla will have a $4,000 to win modified feature on John Ray/Dean's Electrical Service Night.

 Fonda Speedway will be on vacation for a few weeks. However, you still will have the opportunity to view all the historic artifacts located inside the Fonda Speedway Museum during the annual Fonda Fair taking place from Wednesday, August 28 until Monday, September 2.  The museum is looking for volunteers to monitor the operation of the museum during the fair. So, if you have some time to offer, reach out to Jackie Lape at 518-496-6926. Volunteers will receive free admission on the day/days that they are overseeing the museum. 

 In results from last week. Wednesday night the Short Track Super Series big block/small block modifieds crossed the border to race at Cornwall Motor Speedway in Long Sault, Ontario, Canada in the Rumble on the Seaway 75. Matt Sheppard would hold off Stewart Friesen to earn the $10,055 and take his second win in a row, with David Hebert completing the podium. Jack Lehner finished 16th. and Alex Yankowski 18th. Cornwall was the 36th. different track that the STSS has competed at. The extra $55 dollars in the winner's purse was to represent the 55th anniversary of Cornwall Motor Speedway. Friesen and Sheppard are now tied again, with each driver having won 46 features with the Short Track Super Series.

 Last Friday was another washout as the Northeast felt the remnants of tropical storm Debby. Luckily, it was not as bad as was originally predicted and Saturday brought sunny skies and pleasant temperatures, allowing the track crew at Fonda Speedway to manicure a raceable surface. On the final points night for 2024 in the Amsterdam Truck Center modified division 30-lap feature JaMike Sowle piloting the Carole and Alton Palmer #76, led all 30 laps in earning his first feature of 2024. Dave Constantino finished second and Jack Lehner finished third respectively. Alex Yankowski finished seventh to clinch the division championship by six points. Alex lives down in Covington Township, Pennsylvania and travels to Utica-Rome Speedway and Fonda every week. Using the Friesen compound in Sprakers as his New York base. Alex is the sixth modified driver to win a championship at the Track of Champions, without capturing a victory in that season. He is also the youngest at age 20.

 Incidentally the Palmer Service Center #76 will be piloted by Billy Pauch Jr. at Super DIRT week at Oswego Speedway in October. Due to work and family commitments JaMike felt that he could not focus the time and effort needed to prepare properly for the big event. 

In the Swagger Factory Apparel crate 602 sportsman division 25-lap feature Chad Edwards took the win over Butchie Irwin and Brett Mortensen, Payton Talbot is the division champion for the third consecutive year. The Leatherstocking Credit Union pro stock division 20-lap feature was won by Nick Stone, over A.J. Walters and Kenny Gates. Kenny Gates is the 2024 division champion. 

In the Montgomery County Office for Aging limited sportsman division 15-lap feature Mason Gray claimed his career first victory followed Kirsten Swartz and Corky Warner. The division champion is A.J. Greco. At age 20. In the Fonda Fair 4-cylinder division 12-lap feature Jay Ingersoll won the dual cam division and Ken Hollenbeck the single cam division.  Ingersoll and Hollenbeck are your 2024 track champions.

 While at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ran the Clean Harbors 250. Stewart Friesen would finish a disappointing 25th.

 Chase Moran of Fultonville won the 25-lap 360-winged sprint car feature at the Freedom Motorsports Park in Delevan, N.Y. which is in the western part of state south of Rochester.

 Glen Ridge regular Andrew Buff of Latham won his career first Fulton

Speedway DIRTcar 358 modified feature.

 Sunday would see the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park host the DIRTcar Sportsman Championship Series. A 40-lap feature would see Gavin Eisele earn the win over Nick Root and Derrick McGrew Jr. In the Callanan Industries DIRTcar 358 modified division Brett Graham scored the victory followed by Tucker O'Connor and C.J. Castelletti. In the only other feature to be completed before the sky opened up and cancelled the evening program. Preston Trautschold earned the win in the 12-lap Northeast Paving & Sealcoat Junior slingshot division with Carson Hamlin and Ayna Sarpiacone finishing second and third respectively. 

Monday was supposed to kick off the Super DIRT Series-SummerFAST at Brewerton Speedway. However, the remnants of Tropical storm Debby hit the western part of the state harder than it did here in the Mohawk Valley. The results left Brewerton with a saturated pit area, parking lot, and a flood infield.

On Tuesday the Land of Legends Raceway in Canandaigua, N.Y. hosted night number two of SummerFAST and Canadian driver Mat Williamson claimed the checkered flag in the 75-lap modified feature, over early race leader Alex Yankowski and Stewart Friesen. Fonda modified driver Jack Lehner finished 19th.