Great Uncle Leslie Kellerhouse chief steward at Fonda speedway is going in the Fonda Hall of Fame! This man is why we are a family of racers! He started take my dad and cousins to the races Saturday night; Uncle Leslie had to be at the track mid afternoon and would ***ign them to place blankets in the grandstand to hold places for people. My dad building his 64 Chevelle and would go on to build several ch***is Cousin the late Paul Kellerhouse (far right) son of Leslie Kellerhouse who did P.R. for Albany-Saratoga (Malta) speedway and wrote a weekly auto racing column in The Saratogian News paper. Cousin Edward "Doc" Docskalik Cousin Jim "Cod" (Cod is Doc spelled backwards) Docskalik To me He was also the first person from Grand Gorge NY to be involved in the Fonda speedway, eventually there would be many from Grand Gorge to build, work, race at the Fonda Speedway!- The Grand Gorge Gang L-R Ed Harris Gene Brainerd Mike Ciaravino Wink S Hinkley Ed Docskalik Dan Ballard
Write up in RacePro weekly on this years Hall of Fame cl***- https://dirt.raceproweekly.news/2025/05/fonda-speedway-to-induct-seven-deserving-people-into-their-hallowed-hall-of-fame/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKbFctleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF6VEpkWGNtMEsyQjU5ZFdOAR4kVeEunIDdUFReC1wAcCGOkjRPR78rdQJRs84bqWC0YyVzHuZo7N0ZS7I61A_aem_Z62bFFNGEP8SbQ9tlbFfdQ
Another great Uncle Don Weyl (married to Uncle Leslie's eldest sister Areta (Kellerhouse) Weyl) crewed and barn stormed Sam Craft on Sam's A.A.A. Big Car (Champ Car) be for the war. However, he was never involved with racing after the war. He and my great aunt were married in April 1942, and their oldest daughter was born while he was overseas, and chasing Rommel around the desert was more than enough excitement. Sam Carft
Hot Damn the Real Deal racer. Think of what those guys faced by seeking the limits of the car and the track while mixing it up with a varied bunch of intrepid heros. Thank You RJ
Uncle Leslie was chief steward when Rene Charland and Maynard Forette were running Fonda and at the height of their hi-jinks which led to head shaking and mumbling of "Rene and Maynard" from Uncle Leslie. Like the night it was time for warm ups and the drivers where playing with a tennis ball launcher. Rene, Maynard had Don Wayman were the main culprits but there were several others. They were launching them down pit road (the old drag strip) at a upward arc and trying to catch the tennis balls in a garbage can. There was the time Maynard kept jumping the restart by about 100 yards.
Another off track story is at Christmas 1971 Uncle Leslie wanted to go to Daytona for the NASCAR meetings in February He asked my day if he wanted to go, the only hold up would be gas might be almost $ .75 a gallon! Uncle Leslie's family had a camping trailer they tow and would stay in that during speedweeks. Uncle Leslie was on the Fonda School board and had made arrangements for Paul to take his S.A.T.s at Seabreeze High School in Daytona. The the day of the Permatex race dad drove Uncle Leslie to the speedway then took Paul the SeaBreeze high school, waited for him then went back to the speedway for the Permatex race. The also stayed for the 500.
Thank-you, I wish my cousin Paul was still with us he with us, he would have been over the moon! He was very much like his dad, always working two or three job, a joker and loved kids. He invited mom, dad and I to Albany-Saratoga speedway (more commonly known as Matla NY) on a Friday night was still very young maybe 4 or 5. Malta is about an hour and half north and I used to get very car sick, which I did just before we got to the track. Paul met us in the parking lot and walked with us to the pit shack dad carried me across the parking lot. As mom and dad signed in Paul said he would hold me. Paul and his dad loved to play and "roughhouse" with kids, just as dad finished signing in he turned around to see Paul tossing me up to catching me, just as he called out "Paul he was just car sick" Paul tossed me in the air again! No, I didn't get sick on him, but it was darn close he caught and set me back down just in time!
And yet any pictures of work happening in their garage these days the only one really working is Robert’s dad… and Robert doesn’t even get him modern power tools! I’m just saying…
Ha ha, dad can't figure out how to run my camera, I asked him to take a photo of mom and I at the Tulip fest in Albany, he asked "Why am I seeing a reflection of myself?" I told him it was in sleep mode just to push any ****on on it, and it would wake up and then push the big chrome ****on to take a photo, next thing I heard the noise it makes the sound when the on/off ****on is pushed. He finally got it figured out and I got my photo, he's really bad with technology not too long ago he asked me "Is this on Facebook, Google or the Internet?" He likes using a hacksaw to cut so do I, even at work if I am cutting steel I will walk past the Plasma Cutter and grab the Torches.
There are a few photos of me working, I have to get dad set up quickly set get to work so it doesn't go to sleep or aim the camera and set up self-timer.
Staged for the peanut gallery! lol btw when is the car going to hit the track? I’m looking forward to seeing it run. And before you ask, no, I’m not making much headway on the Whatever project. Other projects have moved to the front burner.
The induction Aunt Reba (Uncle Leslie's youngest sister) on the left in green and Diane (Kellerhouse) Tew on the right Uncle Leslie's eldest daughter. The Kellerhouse family Left to Right- Edward "Doc" Docskalik, Diane (Kellerhouse) Tew (standing) and my mom Anita Palmer The Kellerhouses- Uncle Leslie's daughter's Diane (Kellerhouse) Tew and Sandi Walsh Edward "Doc" Docskalik, Myself and my father Willard Palmer
The original 1953 Fonda Speedway sign, which was recently found in a barn that was about to be knocked down. The barn once owned by speedway co-promoter Jim Gauge Sr. Thankfully someone took the time to check inside before knocking it down!
The Jalopy Journal
