Fonda! I vivdly remember
traveling here for the fist time
as a boy with my high school
shop teacher Dave Allen.
Sitting in the packed
grandstand I was rooting for
the maroon colored car with
the coca-cola stripe, Lou
Lazzaro. I'm not sure why, I
just liked the looks of the car
and I was a bit too nieve to
understand that the crowd
wasn't really chanting "LOU" -
it was actually 'BOO!". No
matter to me as I chewed my
popcorn accented with a littel
clay and gobbling up whatever
inforamtion I could from the
Gater racing pictorial, I was in
heaven sitting there and that
aura of the night never left me.
Eched in my mind forever was
teh trip to the bathroom, as we
walked along the concourse
Maynard Forrette whizzed by
with his gold #99, had to be
going 180...
Later on when my firends and
I had our own means of travel
we would often go to Fonda to
see how the Webb's 'Lumber
Wagon', driven by Dick
Schoonover, would fare. Along
the way we usually had a few
cream ales and alwasy sat in
the 4th corner where the
rowdiest fans congregated. We
reveled in it. Jay Blesser,
Randy Glenski and Schoonie
batled in the late models while
the Romano's, Dalmata's,
Lape, Lou and a host of others
battled in the modifieds. But
the show was Jumpin' Jack
and Super CD. What wars they
waged, fantastic displays of
speed and bravery. As Bill
Wimble said in the Fonda!
book, this is a brave track, one
trip in the loose stuff out of
four will quickly teach you to
respect it. I was looking
forward to our trip.
The weather looked poorly but
hey, it's been known to rain ll
around the track and the races
still go on. Dad and I met up
in Pittsfield and the S33 is
already loaded. Up Route 8 to
20 at Bridgewater it looks
promising.. by the time we get
to Canajoharie not so much.
Pull up over the bridge
crossing the Mohawk river and
there it is, a gem of a track
that time has changed little.
We pull in to unload and find
MVSCC president Frank
Blanchard has brought five (5)
cars! Pete Lazzaro pulls in
behind us with his beautiful
Maroon replica coupe. This car
truly is a nice piece and the
first time we've seen it in the
flesh. Pete related "I got the
chassis from Robin Oltz, he
said it was used as a sign at a
track down south." OK - that
makes it the Pappy Bevins 41
Chevy coupe that was on posts
at the Penn-Can entrance for
years afterit's racing days were
over. Benny Stephens,
amongst others, drove it at the
Can with some success. Pete
used a '37 Ford body and built
the rest, beautiful job and nice
tribute to his dad. Bruce
Dostal has his #69 coupe on
hand, another beautiful piece.
John Walsh also has his
vintage modified on display
and with the S33 that makes
nine. A nice group that
features Blanchards collection:
a Buck Holiday C-38, the #85
sedan, Roy Sheilds #82, a
Corvair bodied #66 and one of
Lou's gremlins. We're chattiing
it up with this lady who
related she started coming to
the track as a babysitter in the
early 1960's who had a three
week waiting list to obtain her
services becasue the kids
getting baby sat always ended
up at the track. "And they
stillocme today" she beamed. A
few sprinkles just as the track
is coming in and we head for
the coupe, it's a deluge now
and the show is called. Load
'er up. On the way home a
nice roast beef sub in West
Winfield at the Pizza shop and
a great piece of pecan pie at
the diner in New Berlin top off
a trip in which Dad and I
chatted the time away. Great
time no matter what the
weather and I'm glad we made
the trip.
Meanwhile in Oswego, other
club members were attending
the event at the Steel Palace,
Alan Weaver sent along these
notes and pictures:
Jeff here are some photo's
from Oswego the big guy by
the #19 and me is Ed
Thompson he finally seen his
old car and was pretty happy.
And yes it was raining
sideways for awhile. John
Clark, John McCullough, Larry
Farrell and Eric Leeson were
there besides Roxanne and I.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Alan.
So, we weren't the only ones
getting wet... Sunday arrived
nice and sunny so I figured I'd
take the 90 out to 'The Cars in
the Park Show' just down the
road in Owego. Good choice,
many an nice streetrod,
hotrod, ratrod and muscle car
in attendance. Caught up with
Midstater Mel Ogden and
looked over his roadster, found
a starter (cheep!) and shot the
breeze with Benny Stephens,
great show and the $8 motor
ran pretty darned good too.
Now I'll let the pictures do the
rest of the talking and beg off
until we get to Utica-Rome on
the 22nd. It's Bill Wimble
night and another one to look
forward to - see you there.
traveling here for the fist time
as a boy with my high school
shop teacher Dave Allen.
Sitting in the packed
grandstand I was rooting for
the maroon colored car with
the coca-cola stripe, Lou
Lazzaro. I'm not sure why, I
just liked the looks of the car
and I was a bit too nieve to
understand that the crowd
wasn't really chanting "LOU" -
it was actually 'BOO!". No
matter to me as I chewed my
popcorn accented with a littel
clay and gobbling up whatever
inforamtion I could from the
Gater racing pictorial, I was in
heaven sitting there and that
aura of the night never left me.
Eched in my mind forever was
teh trip to the bathroom, as we
walked along the concourse
Maynard Forrette whizzed by
with his gold #99, had to be
going 180...
Later on when my firends and
I had our own means of travel
we would often go to Fonda to
see how the Webb's 'Lumber
Wagon', driven by Dick
Schoonover, would fare. Along
the way we usually had a few
cream ales and alwasy sat in
the 4th corner where the
rowdiest fans congregated. We
reveled in it. Jay Blesser,
Randy Glenski and Schoonie
batled in the late models while
the Romano's, Dalmata's,
Lape, Lou and a host of others
battled in the modifieds. But
the show was Jumpin' Jack
and Super CD. What wars they
waged, fantastic displays of
speed and bravery. As Bill
Wimble said in the Fonda!
book, this is a brave track, one
trip in the loose stuff out of
four will quickly teach you to
respect it. I was looking
forward to our trip.
The weather looked poorly but
hey, it's been known to rain ll
around the track and the races
still go on. Dad and I met up
in Pittsfield and the S33 is
already loaded. Up Route 8 to
20 at Bridgewater it looks
promising.. by the time we get
to Canajoharie not so much.
Pull up over the bridge
crossing the Mohawk river and
there it is, a gem of a track
that time has changed little.
We pull in to unload and find
MVSCC president Frank
Blanchard has brought five (5)
cars! Pete Lazzaro pulls in
behind us with his beautiful
Maroon replica coupe. This car
truly is a nice piece and the
first time we've seen it in the
flesh. Pete related "I got the
chassis from Robin Oltz, he
said it was used as a sign at a
track down south." OK - that
makes it the Pappy Bevins 41
Chevy coupe that was on posts
at the Penn-Can entrance for
years afterit's racing days were
over. Benny Stephens,
amongst others, drove it at the
Can with some success. Pete
used a '37 Ford body and built
the rest, beautiful job and nice
tribute to his dad. Bruce
Dostal has his #69 coupe on
hand, another beautiful piece.
John Walsh also has his
vintage modified on display
and with the S33 that makes
nine. A nice group that
features Blanchards collection:
a Buck Holiday C-38, the #85
sedan, Roy Sheilds #82, a
Corvair bodied #66 and one of
Lou's gremlins. We're chattiing
it up with this lady who
related she started coming to
the track as a babysitter in the
early 1960's who had a three
week waiting list to obtain her
services becasue the kids
getting baby sat always ended
up at the track. "And they
stillocme today" she beamed. A
few sprinkles just as the track
is coming in and we head for
the coupe, it's a deluge now
and the show is called. Load
'er up. On the way home a
nice roast beef sub in West
Winfield at the Pizza shop and
a great piece of pecan pie at
the diner in New Berlin top off
a trip in which Dad and I
chatted the time away. Great
time no matter what the
weather and I'm glad we made
the trip.
Meanwhile in Oswego, other
club members were attending
the event at the Steel Palace,
Alan Weaver sent along these
notes and pictures:
Jeff here are some photo's
from Oswego the big guy by
the #19 and me is Ed
Thompson he finally seen his
old car and was pretty happy.
And yes it was raining
sideways for awhile. John
Clark, John McCullough, Larry
Farrell and Eric Leeson were
there besides Roxanne and I.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Alan.
So, we weren't the only ones
getting wet... Sunday arrived
nice and sunny so I figured I'd
take the 90 out to 'The Cars in
the Park Show' just down the
road in Owego. Good choice,
many an nice streetrod,
hotrod, ratrod and muscle car
in attendance. Caught up with
Midstater Mel Ogden and
looked over his roadster, found
a starter (cheep!) and shot the
breeze with Benny Stephens,
great show and the $8 motor
ran pretty darned good too.
Now I'll let the pictures do the
rest of the talking and beg off
until we get to Utica-Rome on
the 22nd. It's Bill Wimble
night and another one to look
forward to - see you there.
Oswego
Owego
