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TRACKS: 'Hot Shoe' hot foots it to first career checkered flag at Fonda

2 July 2000

Fonda NY--Ronnie "Hot Shoe" Holmes of Oneida, NY grabbed the lead on the restart on lap 17 of the modified feature at Fonda on Saturday and continued on to his first ever career win at the "Track of Champions." Holmes was the leader of the Romano car trifecta with A. J. Romano second and Mike Romano third.

"I didn’t know if it would ever come, said Holmes of the win in victory lane. The competition is so tough here. I come every week to get beat to make me better," said Holmes. Holmes is a second generation driver and now winner at Fonda. His father Ralph won the first ever qualifier for the Shaffer 100 at Syracuse in 1972.

Other action sponsored by WBUG Radio saw Tony Farone of Rotterdam Jct, NY as the other first time winner of the night as he picked up the Sportsman feature win. The IMCA Mod feature went to George Catazano of Ghent, NY. Chris Morris of Poestenkill, NY recorded his third win of the season in the Pro Stock main. The Street Stock A & B wins went to Paul Chichester and Dave Horning, Jr.

Mark your calendar for the special show, Friday, July 07, 2000 Race time 7:00 p.m. Fonda 358 Mod Tour, Syracuse Qual., Sportsman. The IMCA modifieds will not run on the 7th as originally planned but will run on July 12th in a 30-lap event paying $300 to win.

Back to the regular race time of 6:00 p.m. Saturday, July 08, 2000 Freihofer Baking Company will sponsor a regular show plus IMCA Modifieds and the first Powder Puff of the season. Also on July 8th the Fonda Futures kids club presents "Christmas in July" to kick off their annual Toys for Tots campaign for the U. S. Marine Corps.

Also on Saturday, July 8th, don’t miss the Tough Car Challenge between Ford, Chevy and Chrysler. Which one blows up first?

Paul Luskin and Harry Shaffer were the leaders when the 24-car field of modifieds took the green. Shaffer quickly took the lead and began to put distance between him and the rest of the field.

By lap three David Towns was chasing Shaffer for the lead. Towns was able to slip by Shaffer and what followed was a side by side battle through turn one and into turn two. Towns was able to out power Shaffer and was in the lead at the line on lap nine.

At the halfway point, the yellow flag flew for John Kollar and Bobby Albert on the backstretch. Last week's winner, Albert went to the pits on the hook. Kollar was able to continue.

This closed up the field and put Ronnie Holmes now second, on the bumper of Towns. This set up a hot battle for the final half of the event. At the line on the restart the two were tire to tire. With the completion of each lap, Towns drifted higher and higher in turn four and on lap 18 Holmes saws his chance to get advantage and take the lead. He took the lead and kept Towns at behind him.

Towns held onto second until four laps remained when A. J. Romano powered by him on the frontstretch as Towns tagged the wall. Mike Romano also grabbed the opportunity and jumped to third. This set up an Andy's Speed Shop battle for the win. It was Holmes who came out on top in Andy Romano's No. 7.

Modified heat winners were Matt DeLorenzo, Harry Shaffer and Bobby Varin. The Consi win went to Jeff Trombley.

The Sportsman feature came to the line with Johnny LeClair in the lead. Tony Farone moved his No. 4U close to LeClair in turn two and seized the moment to take the lead on the backstretch. LeClair regained the lead to record lap three. Farone moved around him once again on the backstretch.

The 20-lap event never saw a yellow flag and Farone ran a smooth line in the front while several battles for positions emerged behind him.

When the checker flag flew Tony Farone was in the lead and he celebrated his first ever win at Fonda Speedway.

Sportsman heat winners were Drew Fallis, Frank Hoard, Jr., Mike Ballestero and Jeff Holt. The Consi wins went to Jeremiah Munson and Rich Wozniak.

The early race action in the Pro Stock main was between the Duncan brothers, Joe and Jim. Joe led at the green and held the lead through the first caution of the event. He lost the lead on the restart to Chris Morris when Morris slipped inside Duncan’s No. 70 as he went high on the frontstretch. Morris walked away from the field and took his third checker of the 2000 season at Fonda.

Pro Stock heat winners were Jim Duncan, Nick Stone, and Chris Morris.

Fourteen IMCA Modifieds came to the green led by Kevin Buff and Jim Rajczi. By the end of four laps the caution flag had flown twice for early race tangles between Belmer and Locorini and then Bill Ward, Jr. who spun in turn two.

When the field finally straightened out to some serious racing Kevin Priest was the leader. Priest held on until the final two laps when Catanzano slipped under him on the frontstretch as Priest drifted high in turn four. Catanzano held on for the win with Priest in hot pursuit.

I.M.C.A. heat winners were George Catanzano and Steve Bidwell

Only one caution flag flew in the Street Stock A main event. Paul Chichester took the lead at the green and held on until the checker, his first of the season.

The Street Stock B feature provided some early evening fireworks for the fans complements of Jerry Pepper and Dick Nichols who brought out the first of two cautions when they came together on the front stretch and ended up on the infield.

The final battle of the race was between Jim Olsen, Guy Klob, and Dave Horning who was victorious at the flag, his fifth of the season.

Modified finish (30 laps) 1. RONNIE HOLMES, 2) A. J. Romano, 3) Mike Romano, 4) David Towns, 5) Matt DeLorenzo, 6) Dave Lape, 7) Bobby Varin, 8) Craig Criscone, 9) Jeff Trombley, 10) John Marsh, 11) Bob Sitterly, 12) Bob Savoie, 13) Harry Shaffer, 14) Bob Vedder, 15) Randy Hotaling, 16) Alton Palmer, 17) Lee Nutting, 18) Jerry Pennock, Jr., 19) Frank Hoard, 20) Rich Mill, 21) Ken Hanson, 22) Paul Luskin, 23) Bobby Albert, 24) John Kollar.

Sportsman finish (20 laps) 1. TONY FARONE, 2) Johnny LeClair, 3) Drew Fallis, 4) Bobby Hackel, 5) John McAuliffer, 6) Jim Davis, 7) Jeff Holt, 8) Frank Hoard, Jr., 9) Mike Ballestero, 10) Mike Fraiser, 11) Ryan Odasz, 12) Rich Wozniak, 13) Ray Zemken, 14) Jeremiah Munson, 15) Tim Mayner, 16) Joe Rando, 17) Frank Greco, 18) Mike Ketchum, 19) Robert Perry, 20) Steve Akers, 21) John Constantino, 22) Nick Nichols, 23) Jessica Zemken, 24) Eddie SanSoucie, 25) Craig Boehler, 26) Bill Deerfield.

Pro Stock finish (20 laps) 1. CHRIS MORRIS, 2) Steve Welch, 3) Rob Noviczski, 4) Nick Stone, 5) Jeff Patrick, 6) Hondo Carpenter, 7) Jim Normoyle, 8) Jim Duncan, 9) Ken Gates, 10) David Viall, 11) Steve Burega, 12) Kerry Jordan, 13) Luke Klob, 14) Joe DeSieno, 15) Jay Resch, 16) Chuck McSpirit, 17) Evan Crahan, 18) Brian Unser, 19) Tom LaPlante, 20) Joe Duncan, 21) Mark Sullivan, 22) Wayne Walker, 23) Steve Skinner, 24) Phlan Hart.

Street Stock A finish (12 laps) 1. PAUL CHICHESTER, 2) Ken Barth, 3) Dave Hewitt, 4) Dave Bayes, 5) Joe Smith, 6) Shaen Simmons, 7) Eric Harper, 8) Don Oldick, 9) Mark Saglimbeni, 10) John Babcock, 11) John Johnson.

Street Stock B finish (12 laps) 1. DAVE HORNING, JR. 2) Dan Rickard, 3) Bob VanAernam, 4) Don Warner, 5) Guy Klob, 6) Scott Wells, 7) Jim Olsen, 8) Dick Nichols, 9) Rob VanAernam, 10) Jerry Pepper.

IMCA Modified finish (15 laps) 1. GEORGE CATANZANO, 2) Kevin Priest, 3) Steve Bidwell, 4) Jim Rajczi, 5) Dan Ballard, 6) George Proctor, 7) Kevin Buff, 8) Mike Bungay, 9) Dan Krajewski, 10) Bill Ward, Jr., 11) Aaron Jacobs, 12) Bud Hernberg, 13) Joe Locorini, 14) Phil Belmer.