Trombley Back To Winning Ways At Fonda
Race Report by Steven Ovens – June 6th, 2022 – Fonda Speedway photo –
(SODUS, NY) – It is no secret that Jeff Trombley and Fonda Speedway go together like peanut butter and jelly. Trombley has had a lot of success in both Modifieds and Sprint Cars at the Fonda Fairgrounds facility now operated by the team led by Brett Deyo.
2021 would shut Trombley out of Victory Lane and Trombley was ready to change that in the second round of the 2022 CRSA Sprints tour and second round of the I-90 “Pit Stop” Challenge series. What was a similar factor Saturday night as was in 2021- Hannibal, NY driver Jordan Hutton stood between Trombley and accomplishing that.
Hutton scored his first career CRSA victory in September at Fonda and had luck on his side to draw the pole and lead the field of 23 cars to Joe Kriss’ green flag. 25 cars entered the event on Saturday night with only James Layton and Tyler Emmons not able to start the 20-lap A-Main.
Just as he did six days earlier at Weedsport, Darryl Ruggles snagged the early lead from the outside of the front row to lead Lap 1 over Hutton. Things got off to a rough and tumble start as Cory Sparks, Jerry Sehn and Dana Wagner tangled in Turn 2. Sparks nearly joined the Mohawk River Club but was fortunate to keep the car inside the ballpark, albeit on his side and ending his night.
The race would resume but only complete one more lap before the “Mullet Bullet” Ethan Gray got airborne and did several flips in Turn 1. Gray was ok, but the car will require extensive work and send Gray to a backup mount for next weekend at Outlaw Speedway.
With the race restarted again, Ruggles had the advantage until a slip up in Turn 4 would see Hutton sneak by between the 48jr and the outside retaining wall to lead Lap 3. One lap later Ruggles and Trombley got together exiting Turn 4 with Ruggles slowing with a left rear flat tire which he very well could have been struggling with the lap before. The 2020 CRSA Champion’s night was done with a twentieth-place finish.
With Hutton setting the pace a new car to watch was seen making passes down in the low lane in his march to the front from his ninth starting spot. 2021 Fonda winner Mike Kiser, piloting a backup Trombley ride owned by Warren Alexson, passed both Ronnie Greek and Dalton Herrick for position.
Trombley made a move to the bottom of Turns 1 and 2 as Lap 12 was put on the leaderboard to take the race lead. As Lap 13 clicked off, Rookie of the Year contender Calvin Wheelock spun with Kiser having no place to go and got collected. Both drivers were ok but both of their nights were done. With the restart reverting back to Lap 12, Hutton re-assumed the lead and would bring the field back to green.
Trombley immediately went to the top lane as Hutton tried to protect the bottom and it was yet again the four-time and defending series champion who took the top spot. Behind Trombley, Cherry Valley, NY pilot Chase Moran ran out of methanol down the backstretch with five laps to go. That ended what had been a career run at the time for Moran.
With three laps to go, Massachusetts driver Alex Adamsky backed into the Fonda outside wall and drawing the events final yellow flag. Hard Charger of the race Jeremiah Munson drove from twenty-first starting position to the Top 5 at the point of the final yellow.
Over the final three laps Trombley would pull away and left Hutton, Herrick and Radivoy to battle with slide jobs and big runs aplenty to entertain the fans at the “The Track of Champions.” At Jumpin’ Joe Kriss’ double checkers it was Trombley claiming his twelfth career CRSA win, tying him with CRSA stalwart Jeremy Quick.
“I think experience here at the track helped out a bit,” said Trombley.
“I had a feeling he was going to cover the bottom on that restart so I just went to the top and got a run on him. I love this place, I’ve been racing here a long time and any time you can get a win here- it’s a plus.”
Hutton was looking for two-in-a-row at Fonda with a newer chassis to his team and came up just one spot short.
“We were just a little loose off the corner (Jeff) gave me a run and I gave it all I had there,” said a disappointed, but confident Hutton.
Thomas Radivoy, after struggling with gremlins early in 2022 is finally starting to get things moving in a positive direction and took the last spot on the podium.
“This week we went from the outhouse to the penthouse. Last week (at Weedsport) we didn’t even make the show through the B-Main and here we are sitting on the podium. (I needed) more laps, I’m a little rusty running with these young guys but we will get it. Jeff is the man (here at Fonda).”
The Powertech Powdercoating Hard Charger was Jeremiah Munson gaining sixteen positions. The Maguire Family of Dealerships “Magnificent Move” was Radivoy finishing third. The Midstate Basement Authorities “Out of the Basement” award went to Cory Sparks.
A special thank you goes out to the newest member of the CRSA Sprints team in announcer Brady Houser. Brady did a phenomenal job in a fill-in role this past weekend and CRSA looks forward to more visits from Brady as 2022 rolls on.
The CRSA Sprints now turn their attention to a Friday night tasting in wine country as Tyler Siri’s Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, NY welcomes the tour for just the fifth time in series history and first time in six years. The last two trips to Outlaw for the CRSA Sprints have been claimed by the “Motorized Madman” Darryl Ruggles, who will no doubt be one of the odds on favorites to try and claim his third in a row.
Dalton Herrick also competed in those two events with a pair of sixth place finishes. Current CRSA Sprints vets Thomas Radivoy and Dana Wagner also landed Top 5’s in the most recent Outlaw Speedway event on July 30, 2016.
The CRSA 305 Sprints are powered by Super Gen Products with their Champion Power Equipment located in Newark, NY. Associate sponsors for 2022 include A-Verdi Storage Containers, Midstate Basement Authorities, CNY Farm Supply, the Maguire Family of Dealerships, Powdertech Powdercoating, Pit Stop Convenience Stores, PJC Sprayfoam, Profab Enterprises, Eagle Enterprises, Bonnell’s Rod Shop, DisBatch Brewing Company, Magsarus Ignitions, Hoosier Racing Tire, Insinger Performance with their Stinger Race Fuel, My Race Pass and is owned and operated by Mike Emhof Motorsports.
For more information on the series, results, points and 2022 schedule please visit our website www.crsasprints.com
Please visit the Super Gen Products with Champion Power Equipment CRSA Sprints on Facebook (@CRSAsprints) and on Twitter (@CRSAsprints).
SUPER GEN PRODUCTS CRSA SPRINTS @ FONDA SPEEDWAY OFFICIAL RESULTS- Saturday June 4th, 2022:
A-MAIN RESULTS (20 Laps): 1. 3A-Jeff Trombley[5] $1,000; 2. 66-Jordan Hutton[1]; 3. 1Q-Thomas Radivoy[11]; 4. 29-Dalton Herrick[10]; 5. 51-Jeremiah Munson[21]; 6. 18-Timmy Lotz[14]; 7. 25W-Dana Wagner[18]; 8. J27-John Cunningham[7]; 9. 9K-Kyle Pierce[16]; 10. 410-Jerry Sehn Jr[8]; 11. 28-Ron Greek[4]; 12. 13T-Trevor Years[17]; 13. 22M-Aaron Shelton[20]; 14. (DNF) 88C-Chad Miller[24]; 15. (DNF) 98-Alex Adamsky[15]; 16. (DNF) 41-Chase Moran[6]; 17. (DNF) 3K-Mike Kiser[9]; 18. (DNF) 7W-Calvin Wheelock[22]; 19. (DNF) 3P-Link Pettit[19]; 20. (DNF) 48JR-Darryl Ruggles[2]; 21. (DNF) 112-Mike VanPelt[3]; 22. (DNF) 17E-Ethan Gray[13]; 23. (DNF) 1HD-Cory Sparks[12]; 24. (DNS) 14-James Layton; 25. (DNS) 25H-Tyler Emmons
Powdertech Powdercoating Hard Charger Bonus: Jeremiah Munson +16
Maguire Family of Dealerships “Magnificent Move of the Race”: Thomas Radivoy 1Q
Midstate Basement Authorities “Out of the Basement” Bonus: Cory Sparks 1HD
Heats (8 laps)
#1: 1. 3K-Mike Kiser[6]; 2. 1Q-Thomas Radivoy[1]; 3. 41-Chase Moran[5]; 4. J27-John Cunningham[3]; 5. 17E-Ethan Gray[7]; 6. 9K-Kyle Pierce[8]; 7. 3P-Link Pettit[2]; 8. 7W-Calvin Wheelock[9]; 9. (DNF) 88C-Chad Miller[4]
#2: 1. 1HD-Cory Sparks[1]; 2. 66-Jordan Hutton[8]; 3. 112-Mike VanPelt[4]; 4. 410-Jerry Sehn Jr[3]; 5. 18-Timmy Lotz[6]; 6. 13T-Trevor Years[7]; 7. 22M-Aaron Shelton[5]; 8. (DNF) 14-James Layton[2]
#3: 1. 48JR-Darryl Ruggles[2]; 2. 3A-Jeff Trombley[5]; 3. 29-Dalton Herrick[4]; 4. 28-Ron Greek[1]; 5. 98-Alex Adamsky[8]; 6. 25W-Dana Wagner[7]; 7. 51-Jeremiah Munson[6]; 8. (DNS) 25H-Tyler Emmons