Auto Racing News

By Tom Coughlin

Just in case you were not aware, we lost another local racing family member within the last week. Longtime pro stock driver Jim Normoyle, 62, who drove the no. 74, passed on Thursday, August 14. Tonight, Utica-Rome Speedway is asking fans to wear their brightest yellow, pink, or blue shirts to honor Jim. A celebration of life for Jim will be held on Sunday, August 24, from 12:00 p.m. noon until 4:00 p.m. in Salisbury at the Salisbury Volunteer Fire Department, located at 2549 State Route 29, Salisbury Center, N.Y. 13452. If you would like to leave a message on a tribute wall for Jim, you can visit the site at www.millerplonkafuneralhome.com.

Dodge City Speedway will have a Money Race for the Senior Clone Heavy Class tonight on Chavis Motorsports Night. Next Friday is listed as a regular night for Checkers Out Speedway night. Utica-Rome Speedway will host their Championship Night, with all weekly divisions in action. Please remember those bright-colored shirts to honor Jim Normoyle. Utica-Rome Speedway will next race on Sunday, August 31, when they host the Empire Super Sprints for the Cole Cup, a $10,000-to-win 360 winged sprint car feature. Albany-Saratoga Speedway has a special for the limited sportsman division and pro stock division tonight, and next week is another DiCarlo's Auto Body 358-modified division Shootout. Fonda Speedway is off this week as they prepare for the 184th Fonda Fair.

On Sunday, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park will host the DIRTcar pro stock series in a 30-lap, $1,000-to-win feature. All weekly divisions will be racing on Yurkewecz Auto Crushers Night. Also happening on Sunday is the fifth annual Sunflower 50-Race for a Cause, this year supporting Operations at Ease. Many of your favorite drivers are scheduled to compete in this fun Go-Kart race, surrounded by a field of Sunflowers. Karts will roll in at 1:00 p.m., grandstands open at 3:30 p.m., drivers' meeting at 3:45 p.m., hot laps at 4:00 p.m., opening ceremonies at 5:00 p.m., and heats at 5:30 p.m.

On Friday, September 5, Albany-Saratoga Speedway will host the 4th annual UpState Chevy Dealers Autism Acceptance Race for the pro stock division. To sponsor laps or another part of this great event, please contact Denise Duell. Friday, September 26, is already on the Utica-Rome Speedway calendar as part of the Victoria 200 Weekend. However, the pro stock feature will now be the Jim Normoyle Memorial. Currently, the winner's share of the 47-lap feature is $1,074. I believe that will increase between now and race night, along with some lap money and other bonuses being added. It will be an open tire race, with a draw/redraw format and a minimum of 30 cars to start. For anyone who is interested in supporting this event, please contact Travis Welch.

Friday night was the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series eero 250 race at Richmond Raceway in Virginia. Kaden Honeycutt was driving the Halmar-Friesen no. 52, filling in for injured driver Stewart Friesen of Sprakers. Honeycutt would start the event in the 11th position and end the night with a tenth-place finish.

On the final point-earning night of the 2025 season at Fonda Speedway, Danny Varin claimed the victory in the Amsterdam Truck Center modified 30-lap feature. Rocky Warner finished second, and Alex Yankowski finished third and earned his second in a row Fonda Speedway modified track championship. In the Swagger Factory Apparel crate 602 25-lap feature, Stephen Gray took the win ahead of Mike Kalkbrenner and Ricky Quick. Chad Edwards is the 2025 track champion. In the Leatherstocking Credit Union pro stock division 20-lap feature, Jason Morrison was the winner over Andy Graves and Ivan Joslin. Beau Ballard is the 2025 track champion. In the Montgomery County Office for Aging limited sportsman division 15-lap feature, Mason Gray passed Bobby Rhinehardt on the last lap to steal the win, with Jim Mallia completing the top three. Corky Warner is the 2025 track champion. In the Fonda Fair 4-cylinder division feature, Jay Ingersoll won the dual cam division and Wayne Russell Jr. won the single cam division. Both drivers are the 2025 champions for their respective divisions.

Glen Ridge Motorsports Park only completed their 15-lap All-Star slingshot division feature, won by Justin House, and the Junior division 12-lap feature, won by Preston Trautschold, before they were hit with a rainstorm.

Sunday kicked off the Super DIRTcar Series SummerFast. Peter Britten won the 75-lap feature, earning $7,500. Mat Williamson and Alex Yankowski filled the podium. Other area drivers finished in this order: Mike Mahaney 5th, Anthony Perrego 9th, Jack Lehner 10th, Felix Roy 18th, and making his debut in the Glenn Styres/Jack Lehner no. craZ8, Mad Max McLaughlin finished 21st.

Night number two was at Brewerton Speedway, where Tim Sears Jr. scored the win in the 75-lap feature over Mat Williamson and Jimmy Phelps. Area drivers finished in this order: Anthony Perrego 5th, Alex Yankowski 6th, Jack Lehner 8th, Peter Britten 9th, Mike Mahaney 10th, and Felix Roy 12th. In the DIRTcar pro stock 30-lap feature, Richie Crane made his first visit to Brewerton and came away a winner. Jason Casey, also at the tricky oval for the first time, finished second, with Devon Camenga completing the podium. "Cousin" Luke Horning finished fifth.

Tuesday night was the Land of Legends Raceway in Canandaigua hosting the SDS; unfortunately, due to persistent rain, it was postponed.