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DAVE LAPE MEMORIAL HIGHLIGHTS THE RACING PROGRAM AT THE FONDA SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY, JUNE 8

By: Ron Szczerba

Fonda, NY – DAVE LAPE

Memorial events are sometimes held on a yearly basis at local speedways, but as sad of a time as it is to hold these events it is also a time to remember those people and how they may have touched or affected your lives. This week is no different as on Saturday, June 8 at the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway, a Dave Lape Memorial event will be held at the track that he called home.

The jam-packed racing program at Fonda on Saturday will be presented by one of Lape’s long-time sponsors M.W. Roosevelt & Son/Roosevelt’s Towing highlighted by the Dave Lape Memorial events for the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds. All other regular divisions will also be in action including the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, the Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks, the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, and the Fonda Fair Four Cylinders.

The Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman and the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman will both compete in double features to make up rain delayed events from May 25 (Crate 602 Sportsman) and April 27 (Limited Sportsman).

In honor of Dave Lape’s legendary car #22, the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds will run Twin 22-lap events paying $2,222 to win each. Other bonuses announced on 6/2 include:

Heat Race Bonuses – Finishing positions 4-9 – $22 each

Double Feature Bonuses – First car on the hook – $122 each feature

Hard Charger – $222 each feature

Finishing Positions 6-10 – $122 each

Last car running under the checkered flag – $122 each

Bonus Sponsors:

“The Crew” – $222

Nigel Stottke – $300

Pat Riley – $500

Jimmy Senzio – $500

Alton & Carole Palmer – $1,000

The feature winners trophy will be a commemorative “Popcorn Machine Trophy.” Dave’s favorite pre-race treat was popcorn and there will be a popcorn giveaway in the pits and in the grandstand while supplies last. There will also be a raffle for a Dave Lape diecast car at the museum and in the grandstand with all of the collected funds going to the Fonda Speedway Museum Memorial fund. The museum was very special to Dave and meant a lot to him. Dave Lape Memorial Night memorabilia will also be available this Saturday as well.

A special award named the “Running Against the Wind Award” will also be given out at the Dave Lape Memorial event this Saturday. Bob Seger’s song “Against the Wind” always exemplified Dave Lape’s racing career to him. He believed it pays tribute to how there are times when you may feel that everything is against you, but you just keep driving.

The award recipient represents the against the wind theme. They call Fonda Speedway home, they represent respect, honor, and passion. The driver may not always be a top finisher, but still makes it happen for their racing team.

A Dave Lape Tribute event was held at Fonda back on 5/29/21 with Stewart Friesen winning both of the Twin 22-lap events. Lape passed away in September of 2022 with the first Dave Lape Memorial event held last year on 5/27/23. That evening, a great friend of the Lape Family won that event as well, none other than Stewart Friesen.

The Dave Lape Memorial event this Saturday, June 8 will definitely be a must see event.

NYSSCA Night

The New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) will present their annual “NYSSCA Night” at the Fonda Speedway this Saturday, June 8 with monetary prizes given away in the first Dave Lape Memorial Twin 22-lap event along with all other regularly scheduled feature events in all divisions (not including the rain delayed features to be run) to the top two NYSSCA members crossing the finish line.

The first NYSSCA member driver crossing the finish line in the Amsterdam Truck Center Modifieds, the Swagger Factory Apparel Crate 602 Sportsman, the Montgomery County Office for Aging Inc. Limited Sportsman, and Leatherstocking Credit Union Pro Stocks will each receive $75 and a NYSSCA hat. The second NYSSCA member driver crossing the finish line in all of the divisions above will receive $50 and a NYSSCA hat.

The first NYSSCA member driver crossing the finish line in the Fonda Fair Four Cylinder feature in both the Dual Cam and Single Cam classes will each receive $75 and a NYSSCA hat. There will also be a Wild Card winner receiving $50 and a NYSSCA hat. All total, the NYSSCA Organization will give away over $1,000 to NYSSCA Members at Fonda on Saturday evening.

If any driver is not already signed up for NYSSCA, they can sign up with Fonda Speedway NYSSCA representative Bonnie Mortensen who will be walking through the pit area before the racing program begins or you can also find her at the trailers of the 1M & 1B of Mark and Brett Mortensen. You must sign up before the qualifying heat races are run to be eligible for monetary prizes from the NYSSCA organization!

SPECIAL NIGHT FOR THE MOHAWK VALLEY VINTAGE DIRT MODIFIED SERIES (MVVDMS)

The Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series will hold a special racing program of their own on Saturday, June 8 with the Dave Lape Memorial, NYSSCA Night, Frank Trinkaus Memorial (Sportsman and Modified make-up features), Northeast Stock Car Old Timers (NESCOT) Bonus, JoeFab Fabrication Bonus (Joe Rando in honor of his hero Dave Lape).

The MVVDMS will run their already set Frank Trinkaus Memorial make up features (Sportsman and Modified) and then continue on with their special Dave Lape Memorial/NYSSCA program. What a way to start off the Dave Lape Memorial event as Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series Drivers will be representing our racing Hero and Legend Dave Lape with cars from his past.

John Orsini’s #22, Joe Rando’s #44B, and Anthony Cardamone’s #22 will have their beautiful cars on display in front of the Fonda Speedway Hall of Fame and Museum on Saturday, one car is actually an original, one car is restored, and one car is a beautifully built replica. How about that for some great memories and history of Dave Lape. So please join the MVVDMS at the Museum and get an up close and personal look at these beautiful pieces of auto racing history of Fonda Speedway great, Dave Lape!

If you are a race fan that gets to the track early, be sure to check out the Fonda Speedway Museum & Hall of Fame which is located on the Fonda Fairgrounds at the rear of the parking area going down towards turn four. The museum is open from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on race days and admission is free!

All races at Fonda Speedway – will be broadcast live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv) as part of the $150 annual subscription.

Since 1953, the “Track of Champions” Fonda Speedway has hosted the best in stock car racing. Under the management of BD Motorsports Media LLC, the speedway will operate weekly on Saturday nights from April through August plus several special events. Fonda Speedway is located on the Montgomery County Fairgrounds off New York State Thruway Exit No. 28 at 21 S. Bridge Street Fonda, NY 12068.

Fonda Speedway is on the web at www.thefondaspeedway.com. To learn more, call the office at 518.915.4395, like Fonda Speedway on Facebook or follow the speedway on Twitter and Instagram: @thefondaspdwy.

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