Recently, Alan McDonald put a fantastic treasure on one of the Fonda Speedways Facebook pages - a 1954 Fonda drivers' points roster. Given how hard it is to sometimes ascertain the names, addresses or other information about stock car drivers from the early eras, something like this is such a great resource. The best is - in later years, Fonda did not always publish everybody inthe dittoed or mimeographed points lists it would staple into its programs. This one shows everyone who scored a point.

Courtesy of Alan McDonald

           I don't know if the list is final, although it is in September; but, it surely does give a rare glimpse back to drivers of many areas and many backgrounds. I will attempt here to look at as many of them as I have the knowledge for. The race for the top spot was about as close as it can get.

Danish Family Photo

Troy Times Record
1954 feature wins for Steve Danish came often.

Troy Times Record

1.
Steve Danish of Cropseyville, shown here with a car from that approximate time, appeared to be winning [or have won] the track title narrowly
over Jim Luke of Utica. Danish fielded his own equipment while Luke [below] was driving for the Burns and Wilson team that year.

Courtesy of Rick Luke

2.

        The next three spots in the top five were separated by about fifty points.

Herbert Family Collection 3. Jeep Herbert, with Bob Mott's potent 3NY was 3rd at 620 points.

Otto Graham Collection Tiger Tom Kotary, with Theron Moore's 112NY was 4th at 608 points. 4.

C.J. Richards Collection Diminutive George Baumgardner [insert], with Spence Parkhurst's 36NY was 5th at 600 points. Spence drove the car himself at least once that year. 5.

Courtesy of the Ed Feuz Collection
This 1954 photo takes in several of the drivers and cars mentioned above. 6, Dusty Smith;  9, Harold Murphy [outside pole]; 144, Fred Gerow:
K9, Ken "Pappy" Delong; Nick Carter and Jerry Bohling [interchangeable numbers 25 and 125].

        A few of the spots in the top 25 are people for whom I have no photo of any kind - or, it is not in the correct car.

Source Unknown George Gallup 6.	Russ Bergh Photo Pete Corey We don't have Corey with the 414. 7.	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Joe Carter 8.	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Earl Maille Henry Caputo 11 9.	Courtesy of Midstate Club Cliff Kotary 10.	Courtesy of Ed Feuz Collection Fred Gerow 11.	Courtesy of Ed Mudd Jim Gerow drove this Clark Bros 45 [shown here with Jim Luke]. Below is Gerow in another car. Source Unknown 12.
Courtesy of Midstate Club Chuck Mahoney 13.	Courtesy of Rick Parry Jerry Bohlinger Different Car 14.	From Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's Hank Schmidt 15.	From Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's Don Hendenberg 16.	From Lew Boyd Collection Hoppy Redner 17.	Courtesy of Rick Parry The Trinkhaus 62 may have looked like this when Don Wayman drove it. 18.	Courtesy of Ed Feuz Collection Ken "Pappy" Delong 19.
Courtesy of Jeff Ackerman Dutch Hoag 20.	Courtesy of Midstate Club Tom Wilson 21.	Courtesy of Ed Feuz Collection Paul Brozyna 22.	Courtesy of Starin Family Jack Harris [listed as driving 3D] with the 550 [listed as driven by Dick Jones]. 23.	McDowell Photo Ladabouche Collection Joe Wunderlich They likely just added a 1 to his 2$ 24.	Courtesy of Otto Graham Al Sanders Different Car  25.	Courtesy of Harold Achzet Red Knoblauch  26.
Courtesy of George Caruso Lee Bliss 27.	Johnny Courtesy of Otto Graham/ F84 From Dan Ody's 8MM Films. Johnny Perry [insert] with brother, Al's F84. 28.	Courtesy of the Ed Feuz Collection  9, Harold Murphy is mostly obscured on the outside here. 29.	Courtesy of Otto Graham Paul Korman \30.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Phil Miller Walt Roberts  31.	From Lori Harris Michaels 3D Jack Harris.  32.	Courtesy of Otto Graham Nick Carter 33.
I have nothing on C2, Bob Croote.  34.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Phil Miller Jim "Trapper" Morris 35.	I have nothing on F7, Rocky Rockefeller.  36.	I have nothing on 157, Red Marx.  37.	Troy Times Record Ed Coon - different car. 38.	Courtesy of Bud Brooks Charlie Morse. 39.	Courtesy of Rick Parry Bob Fiske A different, later car. 40.
Courtesy of Andy Fusco John "Smokey" Stover Different Car from previous year.  41.	ebay "Wimpy" Stover  42.	I have nothing on 44, Mack Warner. 43.	Courtesy of Dan Ody Kenny Gallup In Ernie Elliott's sprinter 100 around 1949.  44.

From the second column:

Courtesy of The Starin Family Bill Schickler This is the Smith brothers' S-5 at Fonda but not likely Schickler driving.  45.	I have nothing on 92, Don Chrysler. 46.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Ken Gypson Jolly Ollie Palmer Different Car 47.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Midstate Club A composite of Dave McCredy's S33 [Grayson Smith inside] and Bernie Ingersoll.  48.	Courtesy of Ron Hoffer Bob Platt Bob Hoffer's X9 - Most Likely Car Used by Platt    49.	Courtesy of Joe Grossetti George Welch Jim Brush's 27  50.	Via Linda J. Staroba The Warren Daniels 7-11 Here in action at Stateline.  51.
I have nothing on 52, Eddie Reynolds. 52.	Both Bob McDowell Photos The car 400 [shown with Huck Spaulding]. Harold McCarty insert.  53.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Ken Gypson Dee Goodermotte  54.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Ken Gypson Stan Curtis' 12, shown here with Jim Morris  55.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of CJ Richards Spence Parkhurst Parkhurst was a major star. It is clear he didn't drive at Fonda much that year.    56.	Photos from The Starin Family Jerry Jerome [insert] with the 105 [Jack Harris inside]. 57.	Romano Family Photo Herb Dunleavey, with the first Joe Romano car. Dunleavy is listed with a different car here.    58.
Courtesy of Dan Ody J. Gessinger [?] Likely, the same car 59.	Courtesy of Jake's Site Bill Blum 60.	I have nothing on 55, DaveWeeden. 61.	I have nothing on 14, Tom Nolan. 62.	Courtesy of Eastern Hot Roddedr Magazine Tony Servo Here, at Pine Bowl with the car 95. 63.	I have nothing on 20, Jack Grippen. 64.	Courtesy of Ed Feuz Collection Bob Ruchsdeschel  Shown above in the 1st Fonda feature 1953. 65.
Courtesy of Ed Feuz Collection Dusty Smith  66.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Phil Miller LaVerne Irving  67.	Photos from The Starin Family and Harold Weaver Stan Bellinger with the 105 [Jack Harris inside].   68.	LeFrancois Photo Courtesy of Jerry King Jack Barney Car From 1952 69.	I have nothing on 414, Joe Krutz. 70.	I have nothing on X, Don Hotaling. 71.	Courtesy of Ken Gypson Lou Hacker  They likely just blocked out one of the zeros.  72.
Courtesy of Doug Fetterley via Rick Parry Keith Gray He is seen here driving the iconic 150 before Larry Nye did. 73.	McDowell Photo Courtesy of Mark LeFrancois Nelson Moore Loomis Bros. car  74.	I have nothing on 22,  Ken Barsdale 75.	Courtesy of Putnam Collection Art Spoore Earlier car, with driver Pete Corey   76.	I have nothing on 17,  Bob Deeman 77.	I have nothing on 17,  Harm Lair. 78.	I have nothing on 9,  Buck Roe 79.
Courtesy of Otto Grham Nick Carter Nick's car and that of Jerry Bohlinger were on the same team, I think.  80.	I have nothing on 90,  Gordon Rossley. 81.	R. Bergh Photo Courtesy of Rick Parry Dick Sweeney Said to be an early Red Knoblauch car, which Sweeney likely would have driven in his one appearance.  82.	I have nothing on 697,  Lou Babarbric. 83.	I have nothing on 22,  Joe Vivian. Might be the same 22 as Ken Barsdale. 84.	8MM Film Capture Courtesy of Bud Brooks Wally LaBelle A major player at tracks likle Fairmont, Warrensburg, and West Glens Falls.  85.	I have nothing on 4,  John Boltzen 86.
		Courtesy of Fonda Book Herm Buttery   87.
	Troy Times Record Wally LaBelle is mentioned with the regulars, but his low points total indicates he seldom raced at Fonda that year. 1954.		Troy Times Record Earl Maille throws a kink in the Danish juggernaut. Finished 9th in points. 1954.		Troy Times Record Jim Luke had a great 1954 season. Finished 2nd in points.
	Troy Times Record Danish identified as leading Fonda attraction. 1954.		Troy Times Record Dashing Jeep and big wrecks. 1954.		Troy Times Record Danish disqualified. 1954.
	Troy Times Record Jeep again; Danish 4th and 2nd. 1954.  A Troy paper will keep close track of its local driver.		Troy Times Record Danish over Jeep again. 1954.		Glens Falls Post Star Jeep featured. A Glens Falls paper will likewise feature its local stars.
	Troy Times Record Danish wins one and loses one. 1954.		Troy Times Record Jeep again. 1954. What's with the "Rome" reference ?		Troy Times Record              Danish again. 1954.

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