Fonda Speedway is a half-mile (0.8 km) dirt oval track located in Fonda, New York. The track hosted NASCAR Cup Series races in 1955 and 1966 to 1968. It is home to the Fonda 200. The track hosts Saturday night races with Modified, Sportsman, Limited Sportsman, Pro Stock, and 4 Cylinder classes (as of 2021).[1]
| Track of Champions[1] | |
|---|---|
| Location | 21 South Bridge Street, Fonda, New York |
| Time zone | UTC−5 / −4 (DST) |
| Coordinates | 42°57′11″N 74°22′17″W / 42.95311°N 74.3713369°W |
| Owner | Montgomery County Agricultural Society |
| Operator | BD Motorsports Media LLC (Brett Deyo) |
| Opened | 1953 |
| Website | thefondaspeedway |
| half mile oval | |
| Surface | dirt |
| Length | 0.5 miles (0.8 km) |
| Race lap record | 17.740[2] (Stewart Friesen, , 2021, Big Block Modified) |
History
editThe track opened in 1953[3] as a half-mile dirt oval which it remains to this date. The track hosted NASCAR Cup Series races in 1955 and 1966 to 1968, two of which were won by Richard Petty, while David Pearson and Junior Johnson won the other two races. The track had an International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) class between 2000 and 2009.[4] It switched to a United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) Modified class for one year in 2010.[4] Brett Deyo took over as track promoter starting in 2019.[1]
Drag Strip
editFrom 1957 til 1968 the track was home to an 1/8 mile drag strip that ran in the middle of the track's infield. Shirley Muldowney debuted on the drag strip.[5] Muldowney described the drag strip: "That strip was deadly, deadly. You would go down the center of that dirt oval and when you would sail off that strip onto the oval, all four wheels would leave the ground."[5]
Notable alumni
edit- Stewart Friesen - 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 track Modified champion[4]
- Shirley Muldowney
- Brett Hearn- Record-holder for most Fonda 200 victories with four, illustrious modified career with over 900 overall wins
NASCAR Cup Series Results
edit| Date | Winner | Manufacturer | Average Speed (mph) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 18, 1955 | Junior Johnson | Oldsmobile | 58.413 |
| July 14, 1966 | David Pearson | Dodge | 61.010 |
| July 13, 1967 | Richard Petty | Plymouth | 65.826 |
| July 11, 1968 | Richard Petty | Plymouth | 64.935 |
reference:[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Fonda Speedway Signs Lease With Brett Deyo, Big Plans Ahead". Speed51. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- ^ "Season Opener at Fonda". dirttrackdigest.tv. April 17, 2021. Event occurs at 20:27. FloRacing.
- ^ "Fonda Speedway - A Premier Track in New York Whose Drivers Often Drove in Vermont". www.catamountstadium.com. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
- ^ a b c "Fonda Speedway Track Champions" (PDF). Fonda Speedway. Retrieved August 29, 2020.
- ^ a b "Fonda Speedway". Hemmings. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
- ^ "NASCAR Race Results". Racing Reference. Retrieved August 29, 2020.