A Premier Track in New York. The Emphasis is
from 1953 - earlier 1970's.
Courtesy of Scott Belknap
GUIDE TO THE FONDA SPEEDWAY PAGES
Early Fonda Speedway Sportsman and Modifieds - Up to Around 1959 - This
Page
Fonda Speedway Sportsman and Modifieds Up to Around 1970 -
Click Here
Fonda Speedway Late Model
Division Up to Around 1970 - Click Here
Fonda Speedway Grand National Show Photos - Click Here
The Fonda Speedway
1954 Driver Roster Page - Click Here
Pre- NASCAR Stock Car Years
SCOA
There had not been very much auto racing at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds race track when, in 1947 New York promoter Jack Kochman [known for his auto thrill show] got the idea of tapping into the newly - burgeoning sport of stock car racing. Kochman came up with the Speed Corporation of America with support from some figures from New York City. Kochman's unrealistic plan was to have top modified teams run a weekly circuit wherein they would travel from the home base of Fonda, to venues Lewiston, ME; Allentown, PA; Dover, NJ; Palmyra, NY; and Kingston, RI. To make a long story short, the teams could not keep up with the withering travel and the series fell apart within a number of weeks. The fairgrounds track, which would become Fonda Speedway, was left with some nice facility improvements and not much else.
Earlier NASCAR Stock Car Years
In the part of Vermont where I came from, NASCAR was not sanctioning any tracks. But, when we traveled to either the small Otter Creek Speedway in Vergennes, or if we ventured over to Fonda, I would get to see stars from Fonda Speedway, the track which was arguably the mecca for racing in our region - in the era of the 1960's. Ed Feuz and Jim Gage decided to field stock car races at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds race track.
Photo from the Fonda History Book
In this promotional
photo from the first year, [from left - Walt Roberts, Herb Root, Spence Parkhurst, and Steve Danish pose with their cars to raise area interest in the
new track.
By this time, Roberts, Danish, and Parkhurst had all competed at Vermont tracks
like
Pico Raceway and Stateline Speedway. Root may have, too.
Prior to the 1953 opening of Fonda, races were already being held in a number of New York locations, as well as West Brattleboro, Vermont; Pico Raceway, in Rutland, Vermont; Fairmont Motor Park, in Fair Haven, Vermont, and Mettowee Speedway, a Granville location that was very near Vermont. Pico was seeing the likes of Steve Danish [Cropseyville], Spencer Parkhurst [Saratoga Springs], Walt Roberts [Poughkeepsie ?], Howard "Jeep Herbert [Rotterdam]; Pete Corey [Crescent], "Jollie Ollie" Palmer [Westmere], and a host of other New Yorkers who were looking for places to race in their new, burgeoning sport. Stateline was hosting these runners and more - including George Baumgardner [Saratoga], Joe Wunderlich [West Sand Lake], Link Pettit, and more.
Courtesy of Buid Brooks
New Yorker Walt Roberts,
in a 1952 lineup at Pico Raceway.
Several of the New Yorkers who frequented Pico ended up at Fonda.
It became evident, early on, [even before races commenced] that Fonda was going to be a prima location for New York racing; and the enthusiasm was tangible. Hence, everyone in the region who wanted to be in the ground floor of the operation made a mad dash for the first gatherings at Fonda. Les King, one of the Northeast's premier racing photographers tells how he, Chet Hames [the flagger], and a local announcer named Wildy would make a circuit of local tracks, handling those necessary duties for the various managements.
Feuz Collection Photo A future Whites Beach Speedway promoter. the little - known Bob Ruchdeschal [74] almost won the first feature at Fonda when visibility was so bad the faster cars couldn't make progress. Also seen are Jeep Herbert in a crude version of Bob Mott's 3, Paul Korman in Hal Kempeny's 113, and eventual winner Chuck Kotwicka [2nd car from right] |
Feuz Collection Photo First Fonda feature winner Chuck Kotwicka takes a victory lap as Paul Brozyna [2nd place] demonstrates how hard it became to see where you were going as he heads for the infield pit area or maybe Victory Lane. |
Courtesy of John Grady
Chuck Kotwicka, of
Utica, Fonda's first ever feature winner, is trophied by
co-promoter Ed Fuez, left, and by Sally Whitbeck Gage, wife of co-promoter Jim
Gage.
Racing tends to entwined with families. The Whitbecks - particularly
Bob -
were prominent, especially as car owners and builders.
When the word of Fonda reached them , the trio was ready to jump. Hames and Wildy headed for Fonda and King, for an unknown reason, missed their
departure. Desperate to get the Fonda photographer's stand gig, he began
hitchhiking to Fonda. Just before Les made it to the Montgomery Fairgrounds
location, Russ Bergh, a rival, sought out Gage or Feuz and got the job.
Courtesy of Scott Belknap
Free seats ? Not
really.
There are likely some duplicate photos on this page - it is hard to keep checking back.
Lew Boyd Collection
Spectators sneaking a free look
were one of the banes of Feuz and Gage's existence until one was killed by
debris. Then sight barriers and
a determined security presence kept the
freeloaders off the Route 30A fence thereafter.
Midstate
Club
Photo
No more
sneak peeks.
THE DEATH OF LYNN DELONG'S PICKER SIX
E
Ed Feuz Collection
Co - Promoters Jim Gage [left] and Ed Feuz
clown it up during the first season at Fonda.
George Hunt Collection
Jeep Herbert
and Pete Corey were early Fonda standouts.
After a rough start, with small fields and some track surface issues, the track grew incredibly fast into what came to be known as "The Track of Champions", and deservedly so. And, when some of its great stars would make occasional forays into Vermont to race somewhere and go home with the locals' prize money, it was a treat [at least for the fans]. Steve Danish won one of his last features in Fair Haven; Jerry Townley won one of his only wins in the #108 in Rutland; New Yorker and future Fonda regular Jerry Cook had his car [driven then by Ken Meahl] win one of its first races at Vergennes. These are a few of the stories that furthered the Fonda mystique in Vermont. Ironically, today, Vermonters like Dave Camara and Johnny Scarborough go to Fonda and come back with the prize money - frequently.
Photo from Otto Graham's Site
Jerry Townley, when with
the Thomas Chewins 108, took a fairly easy win at
the Vermont State
Fair track in the early 1960's, beating out a field
of out-gunned locals. At Fonda ? Mostly a field filler.
Bittig Collection
This wonderful shot across
the infield shows the stands in their full glory. Evident in the pits is the 54
of Willie Chest and Johnny Miller's 502.
Courtesy of Scott Belknap
This great shot shows Fonda
regular driver Jeep Herbert coaching Kurt Feuz, son of Fonda's promoter.
MORE EARLIER FONDA STARS AND CARS
Ed Feuz Collection
Bob
Zimmerman leads the Rollie Johnson 77 [probably Ed Pieniazek], Harold Betts
[inside], and Steve Danish.
Courtesy of the Starin Family
Chet flags off a 1950's feature. Jerry
Jerome [far left] leads in the #777 which would become the 550Jr. The second car
may be the Vogel 95 with Shoemaker aboard. The S-55 was
Johnny Perry; the 62 was
Joe Ciganenko in Frank Trinkhaus's entry; the 37 was likely Jeep Herbert; the
32, Paul Brozyna; the 3NY, Pete Corey; and Harold Betts was
in the 40.
Photo Source Unknown
A good part of the Fonda contingent during the Golden Years. I recognize
several: [Bottom row- Doc Blanchard, Unk., Unk., Unk., maybe Howie Westervelt,
George Baumgardner, maybe Jack Roode, Don Wayman, Tom Kotary, and Unk. [Top Row-
Ollie Palmer, Unk. Earl Maille, maybe Geo. Gallup, maybe George Welch, Bill
Wimble, Ken Shoemaker, Steve Danish, Jim Luke, Paul Marshall, Buck Holliday, unk.,
and Lou Lazarro. Probably Corey and Jeep are in there, but I can't see them.
MORE EARLIER FONDA STARS AND CARS
More to Come