Media-2023

July 10 2023

Empire Super Sprints Head West to Freedom & Woodhull

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Delevan, NY) | After a week off following a successful 2023 CNY Speedweek, the Empire Super Sprints are set to continue their 40^th anniversary season this weekend with a pair of events at the Freedom Motorsports Park and Woodhull Raceway on Friday July 14 and Saturday July 15.

Leading the charge into Freedom on Friday is current point leader and defending champion Jordan Poirier. Poirier comes off a strong second place points finish in Speedweek, and already having notched two wins on the season he is looking to add another victory to that total. If he is to do so, however, he will have to beat defending Freedom winner Shawn Donath who currently sits 2^nd in the standings. Donath has been a model of consistency thus far in 2023, with a win, 7 top 5’s and 10 top 10 finishes through 13 races contested.

The following night, the tour will head slightly east to the Woodhull Raceway in Woodhull, NY. This will be the first appearance at the Woodhull Raceway for the Empire Super Sprints since 2008 when Cory Sparks sat in victory lane. Dating back to 1984, there have only been 10 ESS features held at Woodhull, and Sparks happens to be the only former winner currently active in 360 sprint car competition.

The Cobra Coaches Dash Series presenting sponsors for the weekend will be Mary Ennis on Friday at Freedom, and Walker Metalsmith Inc. will present the dash Saturday at Woodhull. Information regarding start times, admission prices and nightly schedules can be found on both tracks’ Facebook and web pages, along with the Empire Super Sprints Facebook page.

For the latest news, information, and schedule updates regarding the Empire Super Sprints be sure to check the series website (www.EmpireSuperSprints.com) and follow along on Facebook (Empire Super Sprints), Twitter (@ESSprints) and Instagram (@empiresupersprints).

The Empire Super Sprints would like to thank the following series sponsors for their continued support: Rifenburg Contracting Corp, PJC Spray Foam, Hoosier Racing Tire, Cobra Coaches, E&V Energy, Fondations 4 Saisons, Pinnacle Investments, LLC, Lacaillade Masonry, Inc., FX Caprara, ASI Racewear, Lanes Yamaha, Ashley Lynn Winery, Bicknell Racing Products, DirtTrackDigest.com and LC Design.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Friday, July 14 – Freedom Motorsports Park – Delevan, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Saturday, July 15 – Woodhull Raceway – Woodhull, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Friday, July 21 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, NY ($2,000 to Win)

July 5 2023

Rain Washes Out Fulton; Colagiovanni Crowned CNY Speedweek Champion

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Fulton, NY) | Due to early evening rain showers and more forecasted as the night went on, Fulton Speedway officials made the difficult decision to cancel the racing action on Saturday July 1, which was scheduled to include the finale of the 2023 Empire Super Sprints CNY Speedweek.

As a result of the cancelation, Paulie Colagiovanni was crowned the 2023 CNY Speedweek champion for the second time since the event’s inception. Consistency was key throughout the week for the Cicero, NY driver, as he didn’t finish outside of the top 5 once en-route to his championship.

His week started off strong with a second place showing at Can-Am on Wednesday, and then stayed within striking distance of point leader Jordan Poirier Thursday at Utica-Rome with a 5^th place finish. Friday night at Brewerton, the stars aligned just right and Colagiovanni was able to win his first event at the track and take the week-long points lead in the process.

Going into Saturdays scheduled finale at Fulton, Colagiovanni had a 35-point lead over Poirier. Mother Nature had other plans, however, and the week-long championship was awarded to Colagiovanni as a result.

“It feels really good to win another Speedweek Championship,” said Colagiovanni. “Part of me wishes we would have been able to race tonight to battle it out with Jordan (Poirier) on the track, but I’m certainly not complaining about the result. We had speed all week, and this is a great way to cap it all off.”

“None of this and the success we have had this year would be possible without my family, crew, and some great sponsors in Stirling Lubricants, Randy’s Racing Filters and Paul Wehnau’s Snap-On Tools. Racing this many nights in a row isn’t easy, and to have the success we have had on top of it is a testament to all of the great people we have in our corner.”

A total of 38 drivers competed in at least one night of the 2023 Empire Super Sprints CNY Speedweek, with Jordan Poirier finishing second in the week-long standings followed by Jason Barney, Shawn Donath, and Matt Tanner.

After a well-deserved off weekend next week, the Empire Super Sprints will roar back into action with a doubleheader weekend on July 14^th and 15^th at the Freedom Motorsports Park in Delevan, NY and the Woodhull Raceway in Woodhull, NY.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Friday, July 14 – Freedom Motorsports Park – Delevan, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Saturday, July 15 – Woodhull Raceway – Woodhull, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Friday, July 21 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Final CNY Speedweek Points:

1 10C Paulie Colagiovanni 343

2 28 Jordan Poirier 308

3 87 Jason Barney 303

4 53 Shawn Donath 273

5 90 Matt Tanner 272

6 01 Danny Varin 267

7 10 Jeff Cook 249

8 7C Dylan Swiernik 240

9 45 Chuck Hebing 229

10 79 Jordan Thomas 202

11 28F Davie Franek 181

12 3 Parker Evans 143

13 17 Sammy Reakes IV 141

14 4P Chase Moran 136

15 10H Kelly Hebing 131

16 36 Logan Crisafulli 130

17 41 Dalton Rombough 129

18 33 Lacey Hanson 118

19 13T Trevor Years 118

20 99L Larry Wight 111

21 22 Jonathan Preston 104

22 23 Tyler Cartier 100

23 13 Keith Granholm 98

24 98 Joe Trenca 88

25 5H Chris Hile 87

26 88C Chad Miller 78

27 56 Billy VanInwegen 77

28 99K Mike Kiser 74

29 5D Jacob Dykstra 74

30 5Z Zack Burd 59

31 9B Bobby Breen 46

32 35 Jared Zimbardi 43

33 11J Chris Jones 39

34 7NY Matt Farnham 37

35 9 Josh Pieniazek 28

36 29 Dalton Herrick 18

37 96X Chad Phelps 18

38 98R Evan Reynolds 0

June 27 2023

Annual ESS CNY Speedweek Kicks Off Wednesday at Can-Am

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (LaFargeville, NY) | Since its inception, the Empire Super Sprints CNY Speedweek has become a must-attend week of sprint car action for fans, drivers and teams alike. This season’s edition will be no exception, as it is shaping up to be one of the best yet.

Kicking off this Wednesday, June 28 at the Can-Am Speedway, the four consecutive nights of action will boast a elevated purse, with each night paying $2,500 to win. Speedweek will move on to the Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, NY on Thursday, Brewerton Speedway Friday and culminate at the Fulton Speedway on Saturday.

A full ESS program consisting of Timed Hot Laps, Heat Races, Dash, B-Main and A-Main will be contested each night. A multitude of marketing partners have jumped on board to support each race night, with the Cobra Coaches Dash Series being presented by Cooks Plumbing, Heating and Hardware (Can-Am), Kinney’s Car Care (Utica-Rome), Design Shop Signs & Graphics (Brewerton) and Dylan Terry Photography (Fulton).

Defending Champion Jordan Poirier leads the charge into this year’s version of ESS Speedweek, having extended his lead to 56 points over Shawn Donath by virtue of his second-place finish last weekend at Cornwall. With his victory at Cornwall, Dylan Swiernik still sits in third place over Jason Barney and Matt Tanner, but he closed the gap between himself and second place Donath significantly.

A handful of invaders are also anticipated to make appearances throughout Speedweek, as the unique format of racing each night at tracks in close proximity to one another makes for a high return on investment for one looking to travel long distances to race.

As always, information for each night of Speedweek regarding gate times and admission prices can be found on each tracks website/Facebook page, along with the Empire Super Sprints Facebook page and website.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Wednesday, June 28 – Can-Am Speedway – LaFargeville, NY ($2,500 to Win CNY Speedweek)

Thursday, June 29 – Utica-Rome Speedway – Vernon, NY ($2,500 to Win CNY Speedweek)

Friday, June 30 – Brewerton Speedway – Brewerton, NY ($2,500 to Win CNY Speedweek)

Saturday, July 1 – Fulton Speedway – Fulton, NY ($2,500 to win CNY Speedweek)

June 20 2023

Empire Super Sprints Set to Head North of the Border for First Time in 2023

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Brockville, ONT) | Coming off one of the most unique events on the Empire Super Sprints 40^th anniversary schedule last weekend at the Evans Mills Raceway Park, the tour will again make another set of unique stops this coming weekend. For the first time since 2019, the ESS tour will cross the border into Canada for two points paying events this Saturday and Sunday, June 24 & 25.

Saturday will see the tour stop at the Brockville Ontario Speedway located in Brockville, Ontario. The last time ESS visited the 3/8-mile oval was in October of 2019, and perennial champion Steve Poirier was victorious. Coincidentally, Poirier also has the most victories at Brockville with four.

Come Sunday, the tour will move further north along the St. Lawrence River to the Cornwall Motor Speedway in Cornwall, Ontario. In an even longer absence, the last time ESS stopped at Cornwall was on June 3, 2018. On that night, Jason Barney was victorious. With one win already in 2023, Barney is hoping to repeat at Cornwall and keep himself in the hunt for season-ending championship.

The Cobra Coaches Dash Series dashes this weekend will be presented by Trick Race Parts on Saturday in Brockville, and West Front Construction Canada, Ltd. On Sunday at Cornwall.

Heading into the weekend, defending champion Jordan Poirier holds the current points lead with 827 over Shawn Donath (796), Dylan Swiernik (709), Jason Barney (702) and Matt Tanner (693).

More information for this weekend’s events including gate times, order of events and admission prices can be found on both Brockville and Cornwall’s Facebook pages and websites, along with on the Empire Super Sprints Facebook page.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Saturday, June 24 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Brockville, ONT ($2,000 to Win)

Sunday, June 25 – Cornwall Motor Speedway – Cornwall, ONT ($2,000 to Win)

Wednesday, June 28 – Can-Am Speedway – LaFargeville, NY ($2,500 to Win CNY Speedweek)

June 14 2023

Mohawk, Evans Mills Up Next for Empire Super Sprints

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Akwesasne, NY) | As the 40^th anniversary tour of the Empire Super Sprints marches on, another doubleheader weekend is on tap – this time with visits to the Mohawk International Raceway on Friday June 16 and the Evans Mills Raceway Park on Saturday June 17.

This Friday’s trip to Mohawk will be the first since 2019, when Davie Franek picked up the victory over Matt Tanner and Kyle Moffit. In 23 ESS events at Mohawk, there have been 14 different winners. Steve Poirier is the winningest driver in ESS competition at the track with 8 victories.

A standard ESS purse of $2,000 to win / $300 to start will be awarded Friday. The Cobra Coaches Dash Series dash will be presented by J&L Detailing.

The following night, the tour moves just south to Evans Mills, NY for the annual Kevin Ward Jr. Memorial Asphalt Spectacular. As the only asphalt track on the schedule, the unique non-points event will again pay tribute to fallen competitor Kevin Ward Jr. with a $4,000 to win main event.

Thus far in 10 stops at Evans Mills Raceway Park, there has not been a repeat winner. In the 2022 running of the Kevin Ward Jr. Memorial, Danny Varin was victorious.

A special tech bulletin for Saturday’s asphalt event can be found on the Empire Super Sprints Facebook page and website. Updated start times and admission prices for this weekends events can be found on both tracks websites (www.mohawkintlraceway.com and www.evansmillsracewaypark.com ) along with both the tracks and the Empire Super Sprints Facebook pages.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Friday June 16 – Mohawk International Raceway – Akwesasne, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Saturday June 17 – Evans Mills Raceway Park – Evans Mills, NY ($3,000 to Win Kevin Ward Jr. Memorial Asphalt Spectacular)

Saturday, June 24 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Brockville, ONT ($2,000 to Win)

June 6 2023

Ron Lux Memorial at Ransomville Up Next for Empire Super Sprints

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Ransomville, NY) | Following a two-race weekend on the eastern-most side of New York state, the Empire Super Sprints will now head to Ransomville Speedway on the far west side of the state for the running of the Ron Lux Memorial this Friday night, June 9.

Ron Lux was a legend in Western NY auto racing that saw success on both dirt and asphalt. Lux was a supermodified champion at the Oswego Speedway, and at the time he raced under multiple pseudonyms as he was also competing with USAC, who did not let their drivers race non-USAC sanctioned events. Other career accomplishments of Lux included an OCFS Eastern States 100 win in a dirt modified and setting fast time in an asphalt modified for the first Race of Champions event in 1965 at Langhorne. His career came to an untimely end in 1966, as Lux succumbed to injuries sustained in a USAC sprint car crash at the age of 28.

A lap sponsorship program for the night is being put together by sprint car historian, former curator of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and member of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Thomas Schmeh. 100% of proceeds will go to drivers. Laps are $20 each and can be purchased by reaching out to Schmeh on Facebook or via email at iowabasedtraveler@yahoo.com.

Current point leader Jordan Poirier will lead the charge into Ransomville, having just taken the lead by virtue of his win last Saturday at the Orange County Fair Speedway. Shawn Donath is currently second in points and early season point leader Danny Varin is in third.

Pit gates for the night’s action will open at 5pm, with grandstands at 6pm and racing starting at 7:15pm. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors (60 +) and Youth aged 12-17. Kids 11 and under are admitted FREE. Pit admission is $35 for members, and $40 for non-members.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Friday, June 9 – Ransomville Speedway – Ransomville, NY ($2,000 to Win Ron Lux Memorial)

Friday June 16 – Mohawk International Raceway – Akwesasne, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Saturday June 17 – Evans Mills Raceway Park – Evans Mills, NY ($3,000 to Win Kevin Ward Jr. Memorial Asphalt Spectacular)

May 24 2023

ESS Heads East to Albany-Saratoga, Orange County this Weekend

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Malta, NY) | After a busy holiday weekend, the Empire Super Sprints are right back in action this Friday and Saturday for another doubleheader weekend – this time at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY on Friday June 2, and the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, NY on Saturday June 3.

There have been 32 events contested in tour history at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway, with the most recent event on July 22, 2022. Defending champion Jordan Poirier was victorious in that visit, as he joined 21 other ESS drivers that have sat in victory lane at the 4/10-mile oval.

Ironically, Poirier was also victorious the last time the tour visited the Orange County Fair Speedway, with that visit being July 9, 2022. In the 40-year history of the Empire Super Sprints, last July’s stop was the first and only at the “House of Power” to date.

Going into the weekend, Danny Varin holds a slim 3-point lead over Poirier in the championship standings with 514 points. While Varin has one victory to his credit and Poirier has yet to sit in victory lane this season, Poirier has shown consistency and is yet to finish outside of the top 10 on any given night.

Opening night winner Jason Barney is currently 3^rd in the championship standings, followed closely by Dylan Swiernik and Shawn Donath to round out the top 5.

This weekends Cobra Coaches Dash Series dashes are sponsored by Snap-On Tools dealer We Know Tools on Friday night at Albany Saratoga, and by former ESS board member and official Dean Reynolds Saturday night at Orange County.

More information for this weekend’s events including gate times, order of events and admission prices can be found on both Albany-Saratoga and Orange County Fair Speedway’s websites, along with their Facebook pages and the Empire Super Sprints Facebook page.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Friday June 2 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Saturday June 3 – Orange County Fair Speedway – Middletown, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Friday, June 9 – Ransomville Speedway – Ransomville, NY ($2,000 to Win Ron Lux Memorial)

May 10 2023

Empire Super Sprints 40^th Anniversary Tour Hits Utica-Rome Friday Night

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Vernon, NY) | For the first time in 2023, the Empire Super Sprints will visit the Utica-Rome Speedway in Vernon, NY on Friday May 12. This Fridays event at the “Home of Heroes” will be the first of three visits for ESS this season.

In the 75 previous events held at Utica-Rome dating back to 1986, 30 different drivers have been victorious at the ½ mile oval. The most recent 5 winners – Danny Varin, Davie Franek, Matt Tanner, Shawn Donath, and Jason Barney – are all currently in the top 10 in ESS points, with both Donath and Barney having already scored wins this season.

After two events so far in 2023, the points battle is already shaping up for the Empire Super Sprints 40^th anniversary tour. Danny Varin holds a slim 8-point lead over last week’s winner Shawn Donath, with defending champion Jordan Poirier sitting 17 more points back in third.

Action for this Friday’s $2,000 to win affair at Utica-Rome is set to get under way with gates opening at 5pm, hot laps at 6:45pm and racing at 7:30pm. Grandstand admission is $22 for Adults, $20 for Seniors (ages 65 and up), with Kids 11 and under admitted FREE. Pit admission is $40 (ages 13 and up), $35 (NASCAR or Utica-Rome Members), $10 Kids (ages 6-12) and $2 for Children ages 5 and under.

A special thank you goes out to Project Support, LLC for sponsoring this weeks dash for cash. If you are unable to make it to the track, you can stream the event live on FloRacing (www.floracing.tv).

For the latest news, information and schedule updates regarding the Empire Super Sprints, be sure to check the series website (www.EmpireSuperSprints.com) and follow along on Facebook (Empire Super Sprints), Twitter (@ESSprints) and Instagram (@empiresupersprints).

The ESS Road Ahead:

Friday, May 12 – Utica-Rome Speedway – Vernon, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Friday, May 26 – Brewerton Speedway – Brewerton, NY ($2,000 to Win Don Gillette Memorial)

Saturday, May 27 – Fulton Speedway – Fulton, NY ($2,000 to Win)

May 6 2023

Empire Super Sprints Invade Fonda Speedway on Saturday May 6

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Fonda, NY) | Just one week after kicking off the 2023 season, the Empire Super Sprints are back in action this coming Saturday at the Fonda Speedway in Fonda, NY.

The 1/2-mile oval dubbed ‘The Track of Champions’ has played host to 25 ESS events since the inaugural visit in 1987, with 14 different drivers visiting victory lane. Danny Varin is the tour’s most recent winner at Fonda, winning all 6 of the tours last 6 visits dating back to August of 2017.

Following a runner-up finish in last week’s season opener at Fulton, Varin is expected to return to Fonda this weekend and see if he can add another tally in the ‘W’ column. In order to do so, he will have to fend off a strong contingent of tour regulars, including Fulton winner, current point leader and multi-time champion Jason Barney; defending champion Jordan Poirier and many more.

Saturday’s event will feature a standard tour purse of $2,000 to win/$300 to start. Gates are scheduled to open at 4pm with hot laps at 6pm and racing set for 7pm. Grandstand admission is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, kids 11 and under free. Pit admission is $35 for members and $40 for non-members, kids ages 6-12 $10 and children 5 and under $2.

The ESS Road Ahead:

Saturday, May 6 – Fonda Speedway – Fonda, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Friday, May 12 – Utica Rome Speedway – Vernon, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Friday, May 26 – Brewerton Speedway – Brewerton, NY ($2,000 to Win Don Gillette Memorial)

April 25 2023

Take 2: ESS Season Opener Set for Fulton Speedway April 28

ESS Sprints Media-2023

By Curtis Berleue (Fulton, NY) | After the postponement of the originally scheduled season opener two weeks ago, the Empire Super Sprints now look to officially kick off their 40 th anniversary season this Friday night, April 28, at the Fulton Speedway in Fulton, NY. As with years past, Fulton is again a major part of the 2023 ESS schedule. This Friday’s event will be the first of 5 trips to the Oswego County facility.

Dubbed the “High Bank Holdup Weekend”, the Empire Super Sprints will continue their traditional role of headlining the Friday night portion of the two-day weekend at the track known for its uncharacteristically high banking. Friday’s card of racing will also include Mod Lites and Hobby Stocks, with hot lap sessions for both Modifieds and Sportsman.

In four trips to the Fulton Speedway last season, a different driver landed in ESS victory lane each visit with Danny Varin, Paulie Colagiovanni, Davie Franek and Larry Wight all picking up wins. Racing action this Friday is scheduled to get underway with pits opening at 4pm, grandstands opening at 5pm, hot laps at 5:45pm and racing to start at 7pm. Adult general admission is set at $25 with 18 years old & under free. Pit admission is set at $35 for ESS/DIRTcar/IMCA members, and $40 for non-members.
For the latest news, information and schedule updates regarding the Empire Super Sprints, be sure to check the series website (www.EmpireSuperSprints.com) and follow along on Facebook (Empire Super Sprints), Twitter (@ESSprints) and Instagram (@empiresupersprints).

The Empire Super Sprints would like to thank the following series sponsors for their continued support:
Rifenburg Contracting Corp, PJC Spray Foam, Hoosier Racing Tire, Cobra Coaches, E&V Energy, Fondations 4 Saisons, Pinnacle Investments, LLC, Lacaillade Masonry, Inc., FX Caprara, ASI Racewear, Lanes Yamaha, Ashley Lynn Winery, Bicknell Racing Products, DirtTrackDigest.com and LC Design.

The ESS Road Ahead:
Friday, April 28 – Fulton Speedway – Fulton, NY ($2,000 to Win)
Saturday, May 6 – Fonda Speedway – Fonda, NY ($2,000 to Win)
Friday, May 12 – Utica Rome Speedway – Vernon, NY ($2,000 to Win)