There’s No Place Like Home, For Me Or Stewart Friesen

Column By: RAY ROGERS / RPW – FONDA, NY – There is only one place I call home on Saturday nights, the Fonda speedway. So, after two weekends of rainouts, It was nice to be home.

As I was enjoying the pre-race festivities, I had a chance to chat with Tadd Parks, former car owner of Stewart Friesen.

I asked him how the partnership with Stew came about.

“Stew was pretty much done racing and was planning to move back to Canada when I called him,” he said. “We seemed to click right from the start and we began winning after a few years. We seemed to be unstoppable and had a lot of fun.”

I then asked him what his favorite win was.

“The Jack Johnson tribute race was the best,” Parks said. “I have the trophy on my Jack Johnson table along with the wreath from that night in my home. Jack was my favorite driver when I was a kid.”

Tadd has sold off most of his equipment and now enjoys spending weekends with his son Layne restoring classic cars.

Before I knew it the Pro Stocks were rolling on to the racing surface for their heats and those winners were Kenny Gates, Ivan Joslin, Luke Horning. Modified heat winners were Josh Hohenforst and Ronnie Johnson wnth Cody Clark, Mark Mortensen, and the ‘Flying Onion’, Tony Farone, taking the Sportsman qualifiers.

The First feature of the evening was claimed by Rob Vanaernam in the Street Stocks. The Rookie Sportsman feature went to Kathy Bellen.

After an intermission and some track grooming, it was time for the Pro Stocks to take the stage for their feature. Kenny Gates jumped out to an early race lead and took the checkers in this 25-lap event. He was followed by Ivan Joslin, Luke Horning, Jason Casey and AJ Walters.

Josh Hohenforst led the field of 20 Modifieds to the green on Saturday night. After a fantastic 30-lap battle, Stewart Friesen claimed another victory at the Track of Champions. Ronnie Johnson was second followed by Tim Fuller, Danny Varin, Josh Hohenforst.

Rocky Warner continued to dominate the Sportsman field, picking up his third win of the season at Fonda. Mark Mortensen would settle for second with Chad Edwards third, Aaron Burton and Cody Clark rounded out the top five.

I made my way into the pit area after things wrapped up on the speedway and stopped to see Ray Zemken who told me last season he was hanging it up. I asked him what changed.

“Bobby Booth acquired this car during the offseason and asked me to drive so I climbed in,” he said. “I am having fun again. It’s nice to just get in and drive. Bobby gives me what I need to just go out and enjoy the ride.”

Zemken had some mechanical issues during his heat, forcing him to start deep in the field for the feature but moved through the field and finished eleventh.

My final stop of the night was to see Ray’s son-in-law, Stewart Friesen, who had quite the weekend, first racing on NASCAR’s home track in Charlotte NC Friday night in his Halmar Friesen Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck where he finished 23rd. He then rushed home to the ‘Track of Champions’ Saturday to collect another Big Block win at the famed oval.

I asked Stew if there was a big difference between the Truck and his Dirt Modified.

“Not as much as you would think,” he said. “It’s all about the setup. I have great crews who make it easy for me to go from one to the other.”

Friesen plans to race at Fonda every chance he gets this season and still calls it his home.