RPW Exclusive: All Eyes Just Might Be On Fonda Speedway This Coming Season

Column By: RAY ROGERS / RPW – FONDA, NY – Last fall, the announcement that Brett Deyo would be taking over as promoter at the Fonda Speedway sent shock waves through the Northeast Modified world. Last Saturday, Deyo sent tremors through the Northeast once again.

He announced that the Fonda 200 would pay $53,000-to-win.

I stopped by the speedway last November and Brett and his team were already at it preparing for the 2019 season…taking inventory and prepping the concessions for new equipment. The head man also had equipment on site to work on the racing surface in preparation for some new clay to be mixed in.

When I spoke with him that day he was just focused on putting all the pieces in place so that when spring rolled around, everything will be ready to go.

Since then, the Fonda Speedway / Deyo media machine has been cranking out a steady stream of news from “The Track of Champions” on their new facebook page and new website, which is full of information for fans and race teams. There, you’ll find the 2019 schedule that has April 20 set as the date we put the off-season in the rear-view and make Fonda our Saturday night summer home again.

Weekly divisions will be the Modifieds, Sportsman, Pro Stocks, Limited Sportsman, and Street Stocks. Sixteen weeks of regular-season events with great payouts will make for fantastic racing week in and week out…for drivers and fans alike.

The 4-Cylinders make a return to Fonda with eight dates on the schedule. The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series will call the “Track of Champions” home this season with four dates to add some vintage feel to Saturday nights.

Sprint cars return to the speedway on three occasions with the Patriot Sprint Tour (PST) making the first of two stops on May 25th. The CRSA Sprints make a stop on July 27 and the PST return for the Fonda 200 weekend.

The first of two marquee events at the track this season will surely draw some national attention. That’ll be with the Short Track Super Series (STSS) make their first stop ever on Wednesday, July 3rd for the “Firecracker 50.” The event will pay $10,000-to-win for the Modifieds and will be televised later in the year on MAVTV. Also on that night will be a $1,250-to-win STSS Sportsman feature.

After a break for the Fonda Fair, racing returns on September, 14 for a $ 4,000-to-win Modified shootout, plus a full card of racing action.

Then on the weekend of September 28, the return of a classic…one of the Northeast’s most anticipated and prestigious races of the year. The Fonda 200.

What makes the 200 so prestigious? The History. It gives a whole new generation of drivers a chance to add their names to a list of past winners like David Pearson, Richard Petty, Jack Johnson, and Bob McCreadie just to name a few.

Only a handful of active drivers have gone the 100-mile distance at the ‘Track of Champions.’ Add to the Prestige and history the $53,000+ payday for the winner and it’s no wonder why drivers like Stewart Friesen are already excited.

Friesen, taking to social media on January 6th, said “to my friends that might not follow our Modifieds up here in the Northeast…FONDA 200 -$53,000. It’s a good time to be in dirt racing.”

When drivers get excited about a race, the racing gets exciting for everyone involved.

The 200 weekend kicks off on Thursday, September 26 with camper & trailer parking and hot lap sessions for early arrivals. Camping is permitted and encouraged for this weekend.

On Friday, September 27, racing begins with Fonda 200 Modified qualifying, the Patriot Sprint Tour, Pro Stocks ($1,000-to-win), Street Stocks ($500-to-win) and the always-entertaining 4-Cylinders.

Then on Saturday, September 28, the most anticipated race of the year, the return of The Fonda 200. Saturday’s racing action will start off with Modified last chance qualifiers. There will also be a Sportsman event paying $1,500-to-win feature and, of course, the 200.

Can one of the old school drivers like Jimmy Horton (two 200 wins) or Brett Hearn (leads the 200 win list with four) return to Fonda glory or will one of the next generation drivers add their names to the record book. You will just have to be at the track in September to find out.

The Fonda Speedway media staff has done a fantastic job of creating a real buzz around this seasons schedule. Now, it’s up to the fans and race teams to respond. Start planning now to make the Fonda Speedway your Saturday home this race season and visit the speedway website for all the information on 2019 season. Grandstand passes, pit passes, pit licenses and everything you need to know about the coming season.