FONDA, N.Y. – What do a chicken BBQ, a huge raffle with many priceless items up for grabs, Banner Night, and great racing action with a complete racing program completed in just three hours all have in common?
They were all events that happened at Fonda Speedway on Saturday evening as Corr/Pak Merchandising and One Zee Tees presented a special night at the track called “Autism Awareness.”
The total amount raised for the event to benefit the Crossroads Center for Children in Rotterdam, N.Y. was over $15,500. Fonda Speedway management made a generous donation of half of the 50/50 prize money, which totaled $2,712, that was part of the final total as well.
Those involved in the event included Ivan Joslin and his racing team, who had their Autism Awareness paint scheme on their No. 49 Pro Stock, Stewart and Jessica Friesen who had a big part in the event as well as their son Parker attends the Crossroads Center for Children, and all volunteers who donated their time to the event as well.
Korey Wilder and Michael Maresca started Sunoco Modified Twin 20 feature No. 1 on the front row, with Maresca taking the lead at the drop of Joe Kriss’ green flag. After starting in fourth, Dave Constantino got by Wilder for the second position on lap two, with sixth-place starter Josh Hohenforst also getting by Wilder for the third position at that point.
Danny Varin started the event in the 10th position and was making his way to the front on lap four, trying a move down the middle of two cars coming out of turn two. The move backfired, however, when the car on the bottom slid up slightly rubbing tires with Varin, who then got into Wilder and sent both cars spinning on the backstretch.
Point leader Rocky Warner and Stewart Friesen were also involved, but all four cars were able to pit and rejoin the race at the rear of the field.
On the restart, Friesen got by six cars within a lap, but it was called a no-start situation so he had to try it all over again one more time. Maresca chose the outside lane on the restart and powered away at the drop of the green flag, with Friesen sitting in the fourth position on lap 14 after getting by Bobby Varin.
Hohenforst got a bad restart and lost three positions, falling back to sixth before the yellow came out again on lap 15 for Wilder, who was in the turn two wall.
The restart was single file this time, with Maresca continuing to lead while Stewart Friesen got by his wife Jessica on lap 16 for the third position. The top three of Maresca, Constantino, and Stewart Friesen were nose to tail with only two laps to go but at the checkered flag it was Maresca the winner over Friesen.
Costantino finished third after being passed coming out of turn four on the final lap, ahead of Jessica Friesen and Bobby Varin.
The win for Maresca was his first of the season and the second of his career at Fonda in the St. Lawrence Radiology No. 7mm Teo car. His first Fonda win was on Aug. 19, 2017.
“It’s been awhile but it’s pretty cool to win here at Fonda in front of this crowd,” Maresca said in victory lane. “We were tinkering with little things on the car in the Firecracker 50 race here a week ago Wednesday and we found something that worked.”
An invert of eight positions for the second Sunoco Modified Twin 20 event saw Danny Varin and David Schilling on the front row, with Varin the early race leader.
Bobby Varin started the event in the fourth position and got by both Schilling and Craig Hanson for the second spot before an early caution flag came out on lap three.
Schilling and Hanson were waging a tremendous battle for the third position after the restart, with Friesen moving up to join in on the race for the third position on lap 10 after starting seventh.
Danny Varin held a straightaway advantage on lap 13 and was in lap traffic, while Schilling’s great run came to an end on the next lap, as he slowed and drove to the pits while running in the top five.
Friesen moved into the second position with five laps to go, but when Danny Varin put four lap cars between himself and Friesen with only three laps to go, it sealed the win for him in the T-Rex Express No. 93 over Friesen, Bobby Varin, Hanson, and Rocky Warner.
For Danny Varin, it was his second win of the season and the ninth of his career in the division at Fonda.
“I think Brett Deyo needs to do these Twin 20’s more often,” Varin said in victory lane. “This season has seen a lot of hits and misses and it has been a rocky road for this team but thanks to Ed Munger and Dave Cruickshank who support me 100 percent.”
The finishes:
First feature: Michael Maresca, Stewart Friesen, Dave Constantino, Jessica Friesen, Bobby Varin, Craig Hanson, David Schilling, Danny Varin, Rocky Warner, Josh Hohenforst, Pep Corradi, Brian Pessolano, Steve Akers, Vinny Sanganetti, Ed Harris, Korey Wilder, Cody Bleau, Brian Gleason.
Second feature: Danny Varin, Stewart Friesen, Bobby Varin, Craig Hanson, Rocky Warner, Michael Maresca, Brian Gleason, Jessica Friesen, Cody Bleau, Dave Constantino, Josh Hohenforst, Pep Corradi, Korey Wilder, Steve Akers, Ed Harris, Brian Pessolano, David Schilling, Vinny Sanganetti, Scott Huber.