Toby LaGrange's Top 25 Fonda Speedway Drivers, Part 1

Located on the banks of the mighty Mohawk River, Fonda Speedway has seen many stellar drivers come through their gates, enough so to make those gates legendary and the track to earn the nickname “The Track of Champions”. This week will be part one of my top 25 DRIVERS of all time at the Fonda Speedway. Note that I said drivers, that means all drivers, in any division. After each drivers name will be either a list of there on track accomplishments or my personal reason of why they belong there. This addition will feature numbers 11-25, in reverse order.  This list is not meant to slight any particular driver, this is just the list the way I see it.

 

25.) Todd Hoffman- The driver of the K-Auto #8 street stock (pro stock) earns the last spot on my list. Hoffman is the all time pro stock/street stock win leader at the Fonda Speedway with 51.  Along with those wins he earned four straight season point titles from 1985-1988. Todd is easily the most dominating driver that this division has ever seen, for those four years or so sitting in the stands it seemed like he would win every week. Even though he makes this list representing the pro stock/street stocks, he does have one career DIRT Sportsman win to his credit. 

 

24.) Alton Palmer- One of the original Fonda Speedway DIRT Sportsman drivers, the driver of the #76 was also easily the divisions most dominate. Palmer has earned 56 sportsman wins and five track point titles at the Track of Champions.  That win total will most likely never be broken. Currently Alton is a DIRT Modified regular where he has won three times.

 

23.) Irv Taylor- This 10 time Fonda Speedway winner earns number 23 on my list. He is one of the pioneer drivers at Fonda Speedway. Mr. Taylor won his first race in July of 1957 and his final in May of 1970. Irv retired from the sport in 1978. He was inducted into the New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Hall of Fame in 1987. 

 

22.) Dave Camara- This still active driver of the Camara Slate #26 has earned two track titles, in back to back years, 1998 and 1999. In five winning seasons at the Track of Champions Dave has won 17 times (16 mod and one 358). Camara is still active only not at the Fonda Speedway.

 

21.) Sterling “Buck” Holiday- Another pioneer of Fonda Speedway has nine career wins. Buck won his first event in July of 1959 and his final in May of 1964. This St. Lawrence River Valley legend is a member of the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame. 

 

20.) Maynard Forrette- The driver nicknamed “The Cyclone” is a two time Fonda Speedway Modified Champion. This Capitol District racing legend from Amsterdam, NY has nine feature wins at the Track of Champions. One of Maynard’s biggest wins came on July 31, 1971 when he won a 100 lapper over Jack Johnson and Peppy Pepicelli. Mr. Forrette currently is a regular at the Lebanon Valley Speedway.

 

19.) Jimmy Winks- This legendary driver of the #221 owns four career wins at Fonda Speedway, the first coming in 1974 and the final in 1976. Mr. Winks also won a 100 lapper on June 17th, 1975 over Peppy Pepicelli and Tom Corellis.

18.) Ray Dalmata- Haling from my hometown of Gloversville, NY, Ray has earned 17 career modified feature victories at Fonda Speedway along with two 320 modified wins and one track point title. That point title came in 1979 and was unique because he did it with out winning a single feature event, in fact Ray didn’t win his first modified feature event until 1980. Ray is only the second driver in history to win a Fonda Speedway point title with out ever winning a modified feature at the track; the other was the 1956 champion Don Hendenberg. Racin’ Ray was inducted into the NYSSCA Hall of Fame in 2001 and is no longer active. 

 

17.) Dick Schoonover- Best known at Fonda for his runs in a late model where he won four track titles and had a total of 32 wins. Dick also earned the 1983 320 modified title, along the way winning one feature in that division.

 

16.) Ed Pieniazek- Mr. Pieniazek won a total of nine times at the Track of Champions. Eddie won his first race in April of 1968 and his final in June of 1975. He was inducted into the NYSSCA Hall of Fame in 1994.

 

15.) Jeff Trombley- The reigning DIRT Modified Track Champion and winner of the last two makes my list at number 15. This Altamont, NY star has won 26 modified races at Fonda Speedway along with one 358 Modified race. Jeff won his first race in April of 1988 and is still a very strong force at the Montgomery County oval. 

 

14.) Brett Hearn- The “Corporate Jet” from New Jersey is the only driver on my list who has never been a regular at the track, that should say something for his success. Hearn has a total of 20 wins at Fonda Speedway, with the first coming in May of 1985. He ranks 14th on the all time win list ahead of such Fonda Speedway legends as Rene Charland, Ray Dalmata and Maynard Forrette. Brett has won the Fonda 200 more times than anyone else (four times) and has won 16 extra distance events. Hearn also has seven 358 modified wins here, it seems like he dominates every trip he makes to Fonda Speedway. 

 

13.) Jim Luke- Mr. Luke won seven times at Fonda and was the 1955 Track Champion. He won his first race in May of 1954 and his final in June of 1960. Mr. Luke was also the winner of the very first 100 lap race ever to be held at the Fonda Speedway on August 25th, 1956. Another one of Fonda Speedway’s pioneers. 

 

12.) Mike Romano- This Johnstown, NY superstar has three modified and two 320 modified track titles under his belt along with a very impressive win total. Romano has won a total of 71 features at Fonda Speedway, 45 of which are modified wins (placing him 7th on the all time win list), 21 320 modified and five 358 modified wins. Mike has won 14 extra distance races at the Track of Champions along with two Fonda 200 wins. This future Hall of Famer is still active and a very real threat to the 2003 Fonda DIRT Modified Point Title. 

 

11.) Howard “Jeep” Herbert- This late Fonda Speedway legendary pioneer won a total of 25 times and was the 1959 track champion. Jeep won his first race at the track in July of 1953 and his final in August of 1963. Mr. Herbert is a member of the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame and a 1984 inductee into the NYSSCA Hall of Fame. Unfortunately Jeep passed away in November of 2002, he will be missed. 

 

            That concludes numbers 11-25 on my list. Stay tuned as next week I will release my top 10. Keep in mind these are my rankings. Any comments, news or if you have any ranking suggestions feel free to contact me. I can be reached via e-mail at tobylagrange@yahoo.com or AIM me at TbyLa. I hope to hear from all of you.

 

 

 



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