Another Amazing Hondo Classic In The Books At Fonda; Career First Win For Luke Horning
Story By: RON SZCZERBA / FONDA SPEEDWAY – FONDA, NY – The 16th Annual Hondo Classic was held at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway on Saturday.
The event started out with a four-wide salute on track by the starting field while “Thunderstruck” played over the sound system. Hondo was a very popular driver on track and a friend to many both on and off the track resulting in this race being held in his memory for all these years.
The luck of the draw put Josh Coonradt and Beau Ballard on the front row at the start of the unique 29-lap event with Coonradt taking the early lead with third place starter Kenny Gates getting by Ballard for the second position. Nick Stone started the event in the eighth position and was up to the third position on lap six after getting by Ballard for the position.
Luke Horning started the event in the 12th position but moved quickly to the front, sitting in the fourth position on lap eight. Horning continued his run to the front on lap 12, getting by both a lap car and Coonradt on the outside of turns one and two for the lead. The yellow was out one lap later with Horning choosing the outside for the restart.
Horning maintained the lead on the restart and at the halfway point in the event the top five consisted of Horning, Coonradt, Gates and Stone. Gates was using a line on the speedway that he isn’t normally accustomed to, the outside line, which was where Stone wanted to race but couldn’t as Gates held him at bay for many laps.
With the leaders in lap traffic on lap 22, Stone finally got by Gates for the third position with one final caution coming out on lap 27 for a two-car spin in turn two. Horning held the lead on the restart and went on to his first victory in the Hondo Classic event over Stone who took the second position away from Coonradt on the final lap, Coonradt, Gates, and Ivan Joslin.
In post-race inspection Coonradt was disqualified for being light at the scales resulting in a third-place finish for Gates followed by Joslin and Ballard in the top five.
After doing donuts on the front stretch, Horning drove the West End Towing & Recovery #2H to the Fuccillo Autoplex of Nelliston in Memory of Mike Cole Victory Lane saying, “What a great turnout, there is no other race like this. Lap traffic got me the lead and I thought that it was gonna cost me the race at one point. Great job by everyone putting this event together.”
“I was running third and fourth for a while and seeing the #35 (Gates) running the top surprised me,” Stone said after his second-place finish.
“We worked on this car in order to be able to run the top,” Gates said after his third-place finish. “We have a way to go with it but we’re getting there. This coil car works good up there.”
16TH ANNUAL HONDO CLASSIC FINISH – 29-laps – LUKE HORNING, Nick Stone, Kenny Gates, Ivan Joslin, Beau Ballard, AJ Walters, Tyler Bushey, Shane Playford, Frank Hoard Jr., Jim Normoyle, Chuck Dumblewski, Jay Corbin, Scott Towslee, Andy Graves, John Holmes, Steve Cosselman, Randy Cosselman, Chuck McSpirit, Buck Gasner, Cliff Haslun, Mike Baker, Mike Kalkbrenner, Steve Gates Dean Charbonneau, Bill Knapp, Gary Silkey, Jimmy Eaton DNS, Jason Morrison DNS, Josh Coonradt DQ from third for being light at the scales.
Third win of 2021 for Horning, 24th of his career in the division at Fonda, first win of the Hondo Classic.
LAP LEADERS – 1-11 Coonradt, 12-29 Horning
HEAT RACE WINNERS – Stone, Kenny Gates, Coonradt
16TH ANNUAL HONDO CLASSIC BONUSES
Bonus Position Sponsor Amount
Winner Luke Horning Lightning Pro Lights – Set of Lights and $250.00
Winner Luke Horning Stone Motorsports $99.99
Winner Luke Horning a Friend in Memory of Bob James $50.00
Winner Luke Horning Karma Motorsports #9 Beer
2nd Place Nick Stone Bulldog Concrete $99.00
2nd Place Nick Stone Karma Motorsports #9 Beer
3rd Place Kenny Gates Irwin & Sons Farm $100.00
3rd Place Kenny Gates Karma Motorsports #9 Beer
4th Place Ivan Joslin Irwin & Sons Farm $80.00
5th Place Beau Ballard Camenga Construction $100.00
6th Place AJ Walters Joslin Racing $70.00
7th Place Tyler Bushey Jennifer Prindle $100.00
8th Place Shane Playford Joslin Racing $50.00
9th Place Frank Hoard, Jr. Krosky & Gamache Families in Memory of Bobco $99.99
9th Place Frank Hoard, Jr. Stone Motorsports $29.99 G.C.
10th Place Jim Normoyle Bobco 93 Race Team $93.00
11th Place Chuck Dumblewski Snap On Tools – Chris Morris $40.00
12th Place Jay Corbin The Buckley Family $30.00
13th Place Scott Towslee Matt & Crissy Galusha In Memory of Papa Ray $40.00
13th Place Andy Graves Cliff Haslun $50.00
14th Place Andy Graves Irwin & Sons Farm $20.00
15th Place John Holmes VanWert/Ballard Racing $25.00
16th Place Steve Cosselman In Memory of Bob James $9.00
17th Place Randy Cosselman In Memory of Bob James $9.00
18th Place Chuck McSpirit In Memory of Bob James $9.00
19th Place Buck Gasner In Memory of Bob James $9.00
20th Place Cliff Haslun In Memory of Bob James $9.00
21st Place Mike Baker In Memory of Bob James $9.00
22nd Place Mike Kalkbrenner In Memory of Bob James $9.00
23rd Place Steve Gates In Memory of Bob James $9.00
24th Place Dean Charbonneau In Memory of Bob James $9.00
25th Place Bill Knapp In Memory of Bob James $9.00
26th Place Gary Silkey In Memory of Bob James $9.00
27TH Jimmy Eaton In Memory of Bob James $9.00
28th Place DNS Jason Morrison In Memory of Bob James $9.00
29th Place DQ Josh Coonradt In Memory of Bob James $9.00
Lap 1 Leader Kenny Gates Mortensen 1B & 1M Racing $20.00
Lap 2 Leader Kenny Gates Stone Motorsports $29.99
Lap 3 Leader Kenny Gates Terri & Leo Mohrman & Gates Racing $35.00
Lap 4 Leader Kenny Gates Terri & Leo Mohrman & Gates Racing $35.00
Lap 5 Leader Kenny Gates Bulldog Concrete $50.00
Lap 6 Leader Kenny Gates Terri & Leo Mohrman & Gates Racing $35.00
Lap 7 Leader Kenny Gates Stone Motorsports $29.99
Lap 7 Leader Kenny Gates Stephanie May In Memory of Joe Moore $20.00
Lap 8 Leader Kenny Gates Leeann Achzet In Memory of Fonda HOF Lee Achzet $81.00
Lap 8 Leader Kenny Gates Stone Motorsports $29.99
Lap 8 2nd Place Nick Stone Leeann Achzet $35.00
Lap 9 Leader Kenny Gates J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Lap 9 9th Place Jay Corbin Krosky & Gamache Families in Memory of Bobco $99.00
Lap 10 Leader Kenny Gates The Gentile Family in Memory of Bobby James $20.00
Lap 11 Leader Luke Horning The Friers Family in Memory of Steve Bidwell $61.00
Lap 11 11th Place Gary Silkey The Friers Family in Memory of Steve Bidwell $50.00
Lap 12 Leader Luke Horning Bulldog Concrete $50.00
Lap 13 Leader Luke Horning Cliff Haslun $50.00
Lap 14 Leader Luke Horning Tyler Gillen $30.00
Lap 15 Leader Luke Horning VanWert/Ballard Racing $25.00
Lap 15 15th Andy Graves VanWert/Ballard Racing $25.00
Lap 16 Leader Luke Horning Joslin Racing $20.00
Lap 17 Leader Luke Horning Stephanie May In Memory of Joe Moore $20.00
Lap 18 Leader Luke Horning Joslin Racing $20.00
Lap 18 Leader Luke Horning A Friend in Memory of Bob James $30.00
Lap 18 2nd Place Kenny Gates BOBCO RACINVIDEOS $29.99
Lap 19 Leader Luke Horning BOBCO RACINVIDEOS $49.99
Lap 20 Leader Luke Horning Snap On Tools – Chris Morris $20.00
Lap 21 Leader Luke Horning Joslin Racing $20.00
Lap 22 Leader Luke Horning Snap On Tools – Chris Morris $20.00
Lap 23 Leader Luke Horning Fox 23 Fast Track Alumni $23.00
Lap 24 Leader Luke Horning Rick LaGrange In Memory of Danny Ody $25.00
Lap 24 Leader Luke Horning Rick LaGrange in Memory of Cliff Wright $25.00
Lap 25 Leader Luke Horning Kelley Keefe In memory of Brian Goss, Jr. $20.00
Lap 26 Leader Luke Horning Aaron Burton $26.00
Lap 27 Leader Luke Horning Stone Motorsports $27.99
Lap 28 Leader Luke Horning Ketchum 15 Racing in Memory of Mike Ketchum $20.00
Lap 28 6th Place AJ Walters Out of the Fast Lane and Brady Houser $20.00
Lap 29 Leader Luke Horning Snap On Tools – Chris Morris $20.00
Heat Race 1 Winner Nick Stone J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 1 Winner Nick Stone Stone Motorsports $29.99 G.C.
Heat Race 1 2nd Place Jim Normoyle J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 1 3rd Place Gary Silkey J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Heat Race 2 Winner Kenny Gates J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 2 Winner Kenny Gates Stone Motorsports $29.99 G.C.
Heat Race 2 2nd Place Luke Horning J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 2 3rd Place Shane Playford J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Heat Race 3 Winner Josh Coonradt J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $75.00
Heat Race 3 Winner Josh Coonradt Stone Motorsports $29.99 G.C.
Heat Race 3 2nd Place Ivan Joslin J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $50.00
Heat Race 3 3rd Place Jay Corbin J&J Racing and INOC DataCenters $25.00
Hondo’s Lunch Last Place Finisher Gary Silkey Joe Achzet $25.00
Halfway Bonus Leader of Lap 15 Luke Horning Friends of Hondo Memorial Society $50.00
Pole Sitter Josh Coonradt Krosky & Gamache Families in Memory of Bobco $99.99
Hard Charger Tyler Bushey Krosky & Gamache Families in Memory of Bobco $99.00
Hard Charger Tyler Bushey Joslin Racing $20.00
Hard Luck Jason Morrison Bulldog Concrete $100.00
15th Place Starter Scott Towslee VanWert/Ballard Racing $25.00
Leader of Most Laps Luke Horning Krosky & Gamache Families in Memory of Bobco $99.00
Jim Normoyle New York State Stock Car 9th NYSSCA Member Association $100.00
Winning Pit Crew 2H Race Team Friends of Larry Carpenter Sr. in Memory of Larry $99.99
First car on track for Hot Laps Beau Ballard Cindy LaRoe $30.00
Thanks to Joe Achzet for designing our Commemorative Victory Lane sign
Thanks to Justin Lansing Designs for our T-Shirt design.
Thanks to Scott Govertson of Chatham Clothing Company for printing our shirts and helping with the cost of providing the driver’s with their commemorative shirts.
Trophies were sponsored by Ed Lamberton and made by Final Reward Trophy & Imprintables.
