| Fallis headed for Dirt Modified Hall of Fame honor When the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series (MVVDMS) rolls into Devil’s Bowl Speedway this Saturday, its promoter, Laurie Fallis, will have a new title added to go along with it — Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame inductee. Fallis will be honored with this year’s Outstanding Woman in Racing Award at the 31st annual Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame ceremonies tonight in the Hall of Fame Museum in Weedsport. Also being inducted this year are drivers Tim Fuller, Danny O’Brien and Bob Cameron, car owner Glenn Hyneman, mechanic Randy Williamson, late Flemington Fair Speedway promoter Paul Kuhl and DIRT Motorsports TV director and cameraman Patrick Donnelly. “Back in the ’90s, when Drew [ex-husband Drew Fallis] raced up there, we went to Weedsport, Canandaigua and Rolling Wheels,” Fallis said. “When I used to go in the Hall of Fame at Weedsport, I never thought I would ever be on the wall for the Northeast Hall of Fame.” Along her road to the Hall of Fame, “Freeda” has been involved in many racing projects, including being a crew member, sportswriter and race car driver and has found her niche as the promoter of the MVVDMS. Being a promoter for the series was not something on which she had planned. “I was going to help out a friend and be the tech inspector,” she said. “After, Buck Gasner was going to be done with it and things happened. I thought I might be able to do it because there were only eight cars at that time and they only had like four races. I thought to myself, ‘I am going to make this bigger.’ That was my goal.” Mission accomplished. The series now draws between 30 and 40 vintage and tribute cars from all around the Northeast competing in five classes in 12 races at eight different tracks. She was also able to secure sponsorship for the events during the season. “I have been around racing for a long time and was able to use those contacts to get sponsorships for the series,” Fallis said. Before hanging up her helmet in 2012, Freeda had success behind the wheel starting out in Powder Puff races before moving into weekly competition in the 4-cylinder mini stock division. At Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, she had 15 wins and won the track championship in 2007 and has 13 wins at Five Mile Point Speedway along with the A League of Their Own (ALOTO) championship. “I don’t miss driving,” she said. “I got into a vintage car last year at Bedford Speedway in Pennsylvania and it was so totally different than a four-cylinder car. I felt very uncomfortable. I was out there but I didn’t want to wreck it.” The Hall of Fame class will also be honored with the running of the Hall of Fame 100 on Sunday. ROSS CHASTAIN JOINS RICHIE EVANS REMEMBERED FIELD NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain will jump behind the wheel of a modified to compete in the Short Track Super Series Richie Evans Remembered race July 20 at Utica-Rome Speedway. The “Melon Man” will run as a teammate to Matt Sheppard in the 61-lap, $6,100-to win main event. It will be the first time for Chastain in a Northeast dirt modified even though he has piloted Super Late Models on dirt. The Chastain-Sheppard connection came through Sheppard’s Hurlock Auto & Speed No. 9s race team via the Delaware-based Givens family, watermelon farmers, growers for Melon 1 and supporters of both Sheppard and Chastain. Chastain will meet fans in the grandstand area from 5-5:30 p.m. to sign autographs alongside Sheppard before heading back to the pit area to compete. “I can’t wait to get to Utica-Rome Speedway to participate in the Richie Evans Remembered 61 event with the STSS Modifieds and Matt Sheppard,” Chastain said. “When the Givens family brought me this opportunity, I had to take advantage of it. Matt runs a first-class program, and I am thankful for the chance to race with some of the best, honoring one of the best, Richie Evans. Although I have never competed in a Northeastern dirt Modified, I am excited to learn and compete before Pocono.” Grandstand admission is $28. Seniors (ages 65 and up) pay $26. Kids 11 and under are free.
JAMES A. ELLIS/FOR THE DAILY GAZETTE Series promoter Laurie Fallis presents the winner’s plaque to Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series Sportsman division winner Malachi Mathews on May 27 at Fonda Speedway. Fallis will be honored with this year’s Outstanding Woman in Racing Award at the 31st annual Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame ceremonies at the Hall of Fame Museum in Weedsport.
James A. Ellis RACING AROUND
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