FONDA, N.Y. — Fifteen years or 5,474 days is what it took for Matt Delorenzo to win a second modified championship at Fonda Speedway.
Delorenzo, who previously won the title in 2007, was crowned champion for a second time on Aug. 13.
Delorenzo entered the season with no plans to run Fonda every week, show up until Memorial Day and see what the bird bring home. He started the year by winning on April 30, which ended a 9-year drought of not winning at the track. His next triumph came the very next week and three others, including his 40th career win, followed throughout the season.
With such a good start to the season, Delorenzo’s plans changed.
“It wasn’t planned to run here all year,” Delorenzo said. “We started off so well and ran really well most of the year. Everything going on at home and the personal life it all got worked out.”
This season was the first time Delorenzo won a championship running a big-block engine all year, except for one night.
“It’s my first time winning it with a big block,” he said. “We had to bring the small block out one night this year. I’ve never done that before and when I won the big block title before (in 2007) it was with a small-block motor.”
In his time between championships so much has changed about modified racing and also at Fonda.
“Catching up with the rule changes is a big thing,” Delorenzo explained. “When I ran it, it was basically DIRTcar rules and Hoosier tires. It was tough this year for sure. At Malta (Albany-Saratpga Speedway), I’m on Hoosier and here I’m on American Racers.”
Delorenzo finished third on the final night of the season, winning a close title fight with Ronnie Johnson and Rock Warner.
Before the feature fellow competitor Rocky Warner shook both Ronnie and Matt’s hand and said, “good luck.”
“I haven’t talked to Rocky a lot, maybe just hi in passing,” Delorenzo said. “When it rained last week at Devil’s Bowl (Vermont), I got to talk to him and he’s funny with the way he tells stories. Ronnie also races me with respect and gives me room on the track. I have a lot of respect for both of those guys and they both run me clean, and we can run side by side.”
Despite plenty of changes, Delorenzo is a Fonda champion again — 15 years later.