Results-2018

July 6 2018

The Cobra, Chuck Hebing, Comes Home to Land of Legends Raceway to Win Night Two of Donath MotorWorx CNY Speedweek with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Land Of Legends 7/5/2018

Published July 6, 2018

The Cobra, Chuck Hebing, Comes Home to Land of Legends Raceway to Win Night Two of Donath MotorWorx CNY Speedweek with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

CANANDAIGUA, NY – Chuck Hebing has been the traveling man for much of the early portion of the 2018 racing season. The Ontario, N.Y., driver has been up and down the road with several trips south to Pennsylvania. As of late those trips have ended in unfortunate incidents including a pair of crashes that led to him getting upside down.

On Thursday night Hebing returned to his old stomping ground at the Land of Legends Raceway. It proved to be just what he needed to get things back on track as the veteran driver dominated the 25-lap A-Main for the win. It was his 35th career triumph and his third at his former home track in Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint competition. The feature was presented by NAPA Auto Parts, E & V Energy as well as Mach 1 Chassis.

“At least I didn’t flip,” joked a happy Hebing as he stood on the back of his car holding the checkered flag in victory lane. “That was a good time, good ole fun. It’s good to be back home. I’ve been going down to Pennsylvania and playing on some heavy tracks. I enjoy it but I’ve been busting my butt a little bit too much down there.”

Hebing immediately took the lead at the start from his pole starting position. He rocketed away from the field to open up at a half a straightaway cushion before the first and only stoppage in the race. Parker Evans and Steve Glover got together in turn four necessitating the red flag. Neither driver was injured as Glover continued on.

The double-file restart put Chad Miller next to Hebing for the green. Miller looked for a way by Hebing and as he did he opened the door for Matt Tanner. Tanner rocketed around both Miller and Jason Barney to move into second. From there the chase was on.

Hebing and Tanner pulled away from the competition as the race for third saw Mark Smith take the position on lap 10 after starting in the eighth spot. Smith had his work cut out for him as Hebing and Tanner were nearly a full straightaway in front of him.

At the halfway point it was all Hebing, who was now in traffic, leading Tanner and Smith. They continued in that order with the gap between them shrinking as the lapped cars became thicker in front of the leaders. Hebing kept Tanner at bay using multiple lines to pass the slower cars.

“The last one I was leading here Jason Barney got going on the bottom,” cited Hebing. “When I saw the 87 on the board I knew I better to make sure to test the bottom, make sure I’m looking around and I tried them all. The lapped cars were tough. They are as fast as we are once you get rolling. It was a tough deal.”

Hebing came through traffic unscathed in route to leading all 25-laps for his first series win of the 2018. Tanner, of Stephentown, N.Y., came across the line in the second spot. He tried to catch Hebing to no avail.

“His car was a little better there,” Tanner stated of Hebing. “At the beginning we fell back and I kind of thought we were going to head right to the back there. I didn’t think we were that good. We got the wing back on that restart, got some clean air and kind of saw what Chuck was doing. It was going to be tough to get around him. I followed him there hoping lapped traffic would slow him up enough. I thought a couple times we had him.”

Smith, who now earned the early Speedweek point lead, plateaued once he got into the third position. He was able to move in on Hebing and Tanner but at the end the Sunbury, Pa., driver finished in third.

“We are staying consistent,” mentioned Smith who is driving the Patrick Vigneault owned mount. “I want to win one of these suckers here someday. I finally got a decent starting spot on the outside and that helped me out a little bit. I kind of changed it up and rolled the bottom there and made up some time. Every time I’d catch them I’d have to wait on a lapper. I can’t race where they are. Everybody did a good job. It was a heck of a fun track. I like these slick race tracks.”

Steve Poirier redrew the ninth position for the start of the feature and advanced up to forth with Jason Barney finishing right where he started in fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Joe Trenca, Miller, Night #1 winner Danny Varin, Mike Mahaney and Josh Pieniazek.

A big field of 39 sprints played host to a big crowd despite threatening weather all throughout Omtario County.

Donath MotorWorx CNY Speedweek Night #2

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main Land of Legends Raceway – Chuck Hebing ($2,610),

Matt Tanner ($1,535), Mark Smith ($1,035), Steve Poirier ($725), Jason Barney ($580), Joe Trenca ($495), Chad Miller ($630), Danny Varin ($445), Mike Mahaney ($410), Josh Pieniazek ($400), Matt Billings ($395), Billy VanInwegen ($270), Paulie Colagiovanni ($350), Jonathan Preston ($350), Coleman Gulick ($300), Jeff Cook ($375), Shawn Donath ($550), Scott Holcomb ($350), Ryan Harrison ($475), Jared Zimbardi ($300), Yan Bilodeau ($350), Brett Wright ($400), Dave Axton ($100), Dan Douville ($300), Steve Glover ($300), Parker Evans ($350).

Did Not Qualify – Emily VanInwegen, Derrick Juliano, Sean Durand, Josh Flint, Alysha Bay, Josh Azzi, Paul Kinney, Kelly Hebing, Dann Bennett, Darryl Ruggles, Denny Peebles, Steve Hutchinson Jr., Ryan Susice,

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Colagiovanni, D, Varin, Tanner, Trenca $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Colagiovanni, Smith, Barney, Poirier $25

Power Seal Power Move of the Night – VanInwegen $100

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Hebing $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Hebing $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – VanInwegen (13 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Preston $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Holcomb $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Evans, Bilodeau – $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Barney $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – Billings $35

Robert Finley Sr. Memorial/Cobra Coaches Dash – Donath ($250), Harrison ($175), Wright ($100), Cook ($75)

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Just Missed – Flint, Ruggles $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Hebing, Tanner, Smith $10

Hoosier Tire – Miller $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints are brought to you by: Lucas Oil, Mach 1 Chassis, NAPA Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires, Donath Motorworx, E3 Spark Plugs, Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels, 1000 Islands RV Centre, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, Engler Machine and Tool, Kevin Nouse Design/K1 Racegear, Winters Performance, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Lacaillade Masonry, FX Caprara Ford/Chevy, ASI Racewear and many, many associate sponsors!!

July 5 2018

Danny Varin Kicks Off Donath MotorWorx Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Speedweek with Thrilling Win at Can-Am Speedway

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Can Am 7/4/2018

Published July 5, 2018

Danny Varin Kicks Off Donath MotorWorx Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Speedweek with Thrilling Win at Can-Am Speedway

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

LaFARGEVILLE, NY – Opening night of Donath MotorWorx Central New York Speedweek came down to the final corner of the final lap. The winner wasn’t decided until the three cars vying for the win exited the fourth corner. As the checkered flag flew, Danny Varin was able to cross the line first for the $2,585 victory to kick off his Speedweek title defense.

“It’s a long week,” said Varin about starting his title defense with a win. “It’s going to be a long week. It is a grind. It’s nice to be standing here. We love these Sprint Cars and just the opportunity to drive one is appreciated.”

Varin, Shawn Donath and Mark Smith swapped spots within the top three for the final five laps of the 25-lap kickoff event at Can-Am. Eventually Varin made the winning pass in turns three and four on the last lap to earn the win in the Mach 1 Chassis, NAPA Auto Parts, E & V Energy A-Main event.

“The car was fantastic,” mentioned Varin. “I can’t thank my guys enough. Unfortunately, Dave Cruickshank, my car owner, couldn’t be here tonight because it was a little too hot, but we are going to call him tonight and tell him. My hats off to all the guys we race against. These guys are so good. We got to do our homework if we want to beat them.”

Donath raced out to the point from his pole starting position on the initial start of the race. Donath was shadowed by outside pole sitter Mike Kiser for the first few laps. Kiser secured the lead on lap four on the outside of turns three and four only to have Donath come back by him a lap later on the bottom of turns one and two.

After dispatching of Kiser, Donath tried to run away from the field only to have Varin move into the second spot on lap seven after starting 10th. At this point Donath’s lead was a half straightaway over Varin and the rest of the field.

His lead started to dwindle on lap nine as he encountered the backend of the field. Donath was forced to alter his line allowed Varin to gain ground. Eventually he drew close enough to pull even with Donath for the lead.

Varin dove low in first corner to get under Donath and by the time they raced on the backstretch he had the lead. Varin brought the field to the line on lap 12 as the leader.

A lap later the only red flag of the night was necessary as Dylan Swiernik went end-over-end in turn three. Although it was a nasty tumble, Swiernik was able to walk away from the incident unscathed. At this point the top three were Varin, Donath and Smith. That was how they came back to green when action resumed.

Varin utilized his lane choice to get a strong restart on Donath pulling away slightly by the time the field entered the backstretch. Although had his sights set on Varin, Donath had to contend now with Smith. Smith worked over Donath and eventually went around him to secure second on lap 18.

Business picked up on lap 20 as traffic was an issue for the leader Varin. As Varin searched for the fast line both Smith and Donath closed the gap. Donath found a line around the extreme top on lap 23 allowing him to take the lead off the exit of turn four.

Varin didn’t go away and neither did Smith, they both hung with Donath and were there to pounce when he made a mistake on lap 24. Both Donath and Varin went to the outside and it looked like Smith was going to get the top spot, but he and Varin came to the line together to take the white flag after Donath bobbled.

On the final lap Varin and Smith raced side-by-side with Donath right there in the mix. Smith made one last attempt to get the lead and the win in turns three and four only to have Varin drive back by for the victory.

“The outside just got so far out and I hit it wrong,” stated Varin. “I thought I threw it away, I really did. Donath showed me his nose on the bottom and I couldn’t believe how good it came in. We were able to hit one good lap there and grab back the lead.”

Smith, of Sunbury, Pa., had his shot at the lead. He just wasn’t able to catch the right line at the right time.

“I had a good race and good fun there,” commented Smith. “When he missed the corner down here I tried something in the next corner to make up some time on him and it really killed me. Then they got on me from behind. It was game on from there. I almost had the pair of them down there but I used my tires up. It was a good, fun race. I love this place. It is a really cool race track.”

Donath, coming off a win in the last Empire Super Sprint Event, ended the day third. Although he had a good enough car to win, hopping the cushion on the outside of turns three and four caused him to fall back to third.

“To have shot at it, these guys are both phenomenal so I can’t be any happier with our chassis program or our engine program,” commented Donath. “Right now my guys are all clicking. Everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. All you can do is ask to be in the mix. I hope it was as exciting for the fans as it was for me. That was pretty cool”

Steve Poirier came from 11th to finish in the fourth while Paulie Colagiovanni came home in fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Jonathan Preston, Matt Tanner, the race’s hard charger Coleman Gulick, Jason Barney and Parker Evans.

A field of 36 sprints filled the pits in front of a capacity crowd for rookie promoter Tyler Bartlett.

Donath MotorWorx CNY Speedweek Night #1

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main Can-Am Speedway – Danny Varin ($2,585), Mark Smith ($1,635), Shawn Donath ($1,060), Steve Poirier ($700), Paulie Colagiovanni ($580), Jonathan Preston ($470), Matt Tanner ($430), Coleman Gulick ($470), Jason Barney ($460), Parker Evans ($475), Paul Kinney ($445), Matt Billings ($320), Mike Kiser ($300), Steve Hutchinson ($350), Josh Pieniazek ($300), Denny Peebles ($100), Billy VanInwegen ($350), Dan Douville ($350), Jeff Cook ($300), Kelly Hebing ($300), Dave Axton ($425), Scott Holcomb ($100), Paul Pekkonen ($350), Mike Mahaney ($300), Dylan Swiernik ($300), Tyler Trump ($300).

Did Not Qualify – Ryan Harrison, Emily VanInwegen, Yan Bilodeau, Derrick Juliano, Dalton Herrick, Brett Wright, Chad Miller, Sean Durand, Sam Reakes IV, Josh Flint

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Smith, Varin, Colagiovanni, Barney $25

Power Seal Power Move of the Night – Smith ($100)

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Varin $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Donath $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Gulick (14 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Hutchinson $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – VanInwegen $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Kinney – $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Colagiovanni $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – Kinney $35

Cook’s Plumbing, Heating and Hardware/Cobra Coaches Dash – Axton ($125), Evans ($75), Douville ($50), Pekkonen ($50)

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Just Missed – Harrison $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Varin, Smith, Donath $10

Hoosier Tire – Flint $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints are brought to you by: Lucas Oil, Mach 1 Chassis, NAPA Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires, Donath Motorworx, E3 Spark Plugs, Insinger Performance/Sunoco Race Fuels, 1000 Islands RV Centre, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, Engler Machine and Tool, Kevin Nouse Design/K1 Racegear, Winters Performance, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Lacaillade Masonry, FX Caprara Ford/Chevy, ASI Racewear and many, many associate sponsors!

June 19 2018

Shawn Donath Back in Victory Lane with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Utica-Rome Speedway

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Utica Rome 6/17/2018

Published June 19, 2018

Shawn Donath Back in Victory Lane with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Utica-Rome Speedway

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

VERNON, NY – It’s been over four years since Shawn Donath last visited victory lane with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS). The veteran pilot from South Onondaga, N.Y., has his fair share of just bad luck. That was until this past Sundaywhen the ESS made their first appearance of the 2018 racing season at the Utica-Rome Speedway.

Donath dominated the 25-lap A-Main to score his seventh career feature win with the club and his first since April of 2014. Donath drove to the lead early in the main-event on the outside of the speedway before holding off the challenges of Bryan Howland late to secure the E&V Energy, NAPA Auto Parts, Mach 1 Chassis feature victory.

“It’s huge for everybody that puts so much effort into this whole program,” stated Donath after the win. “We’ve been struggling for a few years. It’s been a huge building project with the chassis deal (Panther Frameworx) and motor deal (Donath MotorWorx). This is huge for my family, my team with everything we are involved in. Happy Father’s Day to my dad, he is a machine. If you guys knew the work he puts in, it’s unbelievable.”

Bobby Varin went off from the pole position with Billy VanInwegen on the outside. The duo battled side-by-side for the first circuit with Varin leading the way. Donath, who started fourth, made his move on the second lap going to the outside of turns one and two to get by Varin for the lead.

Donath set a lightning pace in his brand new chassis No. 53 encountering slower traffic by the eighth circuit. As he paced the field, Bryan Howland put the pressure on Varin for the runner-up position.

They race reached the mid-point with Donath on the point racing in very intense traffic. Howland was in pursuit after disposing of Varin. He was making the most of his cars maneuverability to move around the racing surface.

Seventh place started Matt Tanner entered the fray as he moved into third on lap 15 with one of the fastest cars on the race track. He was gaining on the top two as they negotiated slower cars at the back of the field.

The final five laps of the race saw Donath locked down on the bottom of the speedway with lapped cars racing all around him. This slowed his pace allowing Howland and Tanner to close. Howland got to within in a few car-lengths with two laps remaining.

“I had no idea where they were,” noted Donath of the competition. “I caught the 19 (Paul Kinney) and he was racing me pretty hard. I thought I saw somebody come alongside, I was hoping to not throw it away. The car was good in the black, on the bottom, it didn’t matter. It was on rails. It is the first night in this car and I couldn’t be happier.”

On the final lap of the race Donath stayed on the inside groove while Howland elected to go the top. The pair were close down the backstretch was Howland throwing the Hail Mary in turns three and four. Howland went up the track with Donath turning hard off the bottom to hold him off for the $2,060 win.

Howland, of Union Springs, N.Y., had to settle for second after his late charge. He admitted afterwards he didn’t feel like his car was as good as it needed to be to beat Donath.

“It was hooked up pretty good,” stated Howland about his No. 51. “I think partially I caught up to him (Donath) was because of lapped traffic. I think if he would have cleared it he would have taken off again. His car was really good. Looking at it, it was exactly the way I wanted my car to drive.”

Tanner made the late charge only to come up short in the third position. It was a much needed podium run for the Stephentown, N.Y., driver.

“The track was right in our wheel house tonight,” commented Tanner. “It’s definitely been a struggle the first part of the year here. We’ve been going better the last couple of weeks. If we had a little luck I think we would have had something for these guys. Definitely a good run and something to build on.”

Danny Varin made a late move to get by his father Bobby for the fourth spot forcing Bobby to be happy with fifth.

ESS NOTES – A total of 36 sprints filled the pits on the make up date from the Memorial Day Weekend rain out….The win by Donath makes it eight different winners in nine events for far in 2018…The Lucas Oil ESS Gang will now take two weekends off before it’s the Sixth Annual Donath MotorWorx CNY Speedweek that start on the 4^th of July at Can-Am followed by Land of Legends, Brewerton, Fulton and capping off at Utica-Rome.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main Utica-Rome Speedway – Shawn Donath ($2,060), Bryan Howland ($1,035), Matt Tanner ($860), Danny Varin ($630), Bobby Varin ($630), Billy VanInwegen ($470), Paulie Colagiovanni ($455), Chuck Hebing ($420), Matt Billings ($635), Mike Mahaney ($525), Jonathan Preston ($395), Parker Evans ($370), Dylan Swiernik ($300), Jason Barney ($400), Coleman Gulick ($300), Cory Sparks ($300), Josh Pieniazek ($450), Paul Kinney ($300), Kelly Hebing ($325), Scott Holcomb ($300), Denny Peebles ($300), Mike Kiser ($350), Jeff Cook ($300), Chad Miller ($100), Sam Reakes IV ($350), Dave Axton ($100)

Did Not Qualify – Josh Flint, Pete Richardson, Keith Granholm, Steve Glover, Jeremiah Munson, Emily VanInwegen, Joe August, Tyler Trump, Brett Wright, Dalton Herrick

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Howland, Tanner, K. Hebing, Pieniazek $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – B. Varin, Tanner, Colagiovanni, Billings $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Donath $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – B. Varin $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Barney (10 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Barney $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Pieniazek $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Evans – $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – B. Varin $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – Preston $35

Marty Beberwyck/Ric Lucia/Cobra Coaches Dash – Mahaney ($125), Pieniazek ($75), Kiser ($50), Reakes IV ($50)

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Donath, Howland, Tanner $10

Hoosier Tire – Billings $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

June 11 2018

Coleman Gulick wins Exciting Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint A-Main at Airborne Park Speedway

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Airborne 6/9/2018

Published June 11, 2018

Coleman Gulick wins Exciting Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint A-Main at Airborne Park Speedway

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

PLATTSBURGH, NY – Coleman Gulick has been the model of consistency so far in 2018 with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints. The Binghamton, N.Y., driver has yet to finish outside the top 10 in the first seven events of the season. The one thing he was lacking was a feature victory.

Gulick finally was able to put a win on the 2018 resume on Saturday night at the Airborne Park Speedway as he beat out defending series champion Jason Barney and the club’s all-time winner in Steve Poirier. He earned over $2,050 for his win while adding to his current point lead in overall series points as well as the NAPA Auto Parts US Tour point standings.

“Early I was a little worried because I’m not very good in the slick,” said Gulick. “If you give me a little something to lean on I can put on a show and get a hold of the track better. I can’t thank Todd Berkheimer and my grandpa enough.”

Gulick started outside of Paul Kinney on the front row for the start of the 25-lap feature event. Gulick immediately darted to the top of turns one and two to take command of the feature event.

A torrid pace was set early as Gulick blasted his way around the extreme high lane on the speedway. It only took the Binghamton, N.Y., pilot six laps before he caught the tail of the field.

As he worked traffic, Gulick nearly saw his night come to an end on lap eight. Shawn Donath broke the front end of his ride causing him to slow in turn four. Gulick narrowly avoided contact with Donath’s car as he slammed on the brakes. Donath’s car limped to the infield to bring out the only caution of the race.

“I was on the binders pretty hard and I was just hoping he’d keep his lane and not dart to the bottom or the top,” stated Gulick. “I’m thankfully that he didn’t.”

Gulick got a great restart as did Steve Poirier and Jason Barney. Poirier moved into the runner-up position while Barney advanced from fifth into third on lap nine.

At halfway it was a Gulick encountering traffic a second time while Poirier felt the challenges from Barney for second. Gulick picked his way through traffic with Poirier and Barney closing to his rear bumper as the race reached its final third.

Gulick got held up briefly in slower traffic allowing Poirier to pounce. Poirier took a shot at the lead in turns three and four. Poirier tried to pull off the perfect slide-job only to have Gulick get back around him on the outside.

“Steve showed me a nose there and had my nerves rattled a little bit,” mentioned Gulick. “I had to pick it up a little bit after that.”

Eventually Barney got around Poirier on lap 21 to take over second to allow him to have his chance at Gulick. Gulick was flawless over the final handful of circuits to secure his fourth career series victory.

Barney, of Brewerton, N.Y., got back on track after a rough outing on Friday night at the Mohawk International Raceway with his second place effort. Barney redrew eighth for the start of the feature event. He made great use of the only restart of the race to put himself in a position to challenge for the win but came up a spot short.

“I felt like we had a really good car,” stated Barney. “We settled in as the track got polished off a little bit. That restart helped us a lot. It got us where we wanted to be. We were able to get a few cars. Coleman ran a great race tonight. Steve was right there. I thought it was going to be heck of a battle with the three of us there.”

Poirier ran a consistent race after starting in the fourth position. The St. Mathieu de Beloeil, Que, driver was in the mix and even was able to almost pull off the win but he just couldn’t complete the clean pass for the lead. Ultimately he ended up third.

“I didn’t know if I had enough of a run to slide completely and I didn’t want to screw him up,” commented Poirier about his attempted pass for the lead. “I gave him a little break there. He was really good, but got caught in lapped traffic. I had my shot there. I had some fun racing them. It was a cool race.”

Paulie Colagiovanni worked up from 10th to finish in the fourth position while Mike Mahaney came across the line in the fifth spot. Rounding out the top ten were Kinney, Cory Sparks, Jordan Poirier, Billy Van Inwegen and Alain Bergeron.

A big field of 31 sprints filled the pits on a beautiful night. Next weekend will be a make up date on Sunday, June 17 when the ESS winged machines make a visit to Utica-Rome, the event that was rained out on Memorial Day Weekend.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Coleman Gulick ($2,050), Jason Barney ($1,035), Steve Poirier ($810), Paulie Colagiovanni ($630), Mike Mahaney ($780), Paul Kinney ($520), Cory Sparks ($430), Jordan Poirier ($420), Billy VanInwegen ($410), Alain Bergeron ($400), Brett Wright ($395), Scott Holcomb ($320), Chad Miller ($300), Kelly Hebing ($350), Matt Billings ($150), Matt Tanner ($350), Mike Kiser ($300), Josh Pieniazek ($300), Parker Evans ($325), Dale Gosselin ($300), Denny Peebles ($300), Dalton Herrick ($300), Dave Axton ($100), Shawn Donath ($350), Dan Douville ($300), Josh Flint ($300)

Did Not Qualify – Guilluame Neiderer, Sean Durand, Keith Granholm, Yan Bilodeau, Jeff Cook

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – N/A

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Mahaney, Evans, Barney $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Gulick $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Kinney $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Billings (11 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Hebing $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Tanner $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Donath $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Mahaney $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – Wright $35

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Gulick, Barney, S, Poirier $10

Hoosier Tire – Mahney $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

June 9 2018

Matt Billings Bags First Career Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win on Dirt at Mohawk International Raceway

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Mohawk 6/8/2018

Published June 9, 2018

Matt Billings Bags First Career Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win on Dirt at Mohawk International Raceway

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

AKWESASNE, NY – Matt Billings earned a win with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints last season in a one off pavement event in Quebec. On the dirt side, he had several good runs in his short Sprint Car career but he has never able to crack into victory lane. That was until this past Friday night at the Mohawk International Raceway.

Billings, of Brockville, Ont., had to earn the win after an intense battle with fellow Canadian Jordan Poirier. The duo swapped the lead multiple times with Billings coming out on top at the conclusion of the 25-lap A-Main presented by Mach 1 Chassis. The event was part of the NAPA Auto Parts US Tour as well as the 1000 RV Centre Canadian Invasion Series.

“This thing was good,” stated Billings driving a Mach 1 Chassis. “I guess it all just worked out. I can’t thank Mike (Stelter) enough and everyone that helps out on this thing. This is an opportunity I don’t know how I got it but I want to hold on to it as long as I can. I’m having a blast. Hopefully I can keep running like this.”

Josh Flint and Dan Douville brought the field up to speed from the front row. Douville won the battle into turn one to take the lead. He went right up to the cushion to hold the top spot.

Douville remained on top of the heap as he quickly closed on the tail of the field. Eight laps were complete when Douville was into traffic for the first time. While he tried to navigate traffic, Poirier was searching for an opening.

Billings found his groove and moved into second on lap 10 from fourth, then two laps later he dove low in turns one and two to take the lead. As everyone in the top three tried to work the top, Billings went low. He used the bottom groove to go by Douville, Poirier and Flint.

Just as Douville had to maneuver traffic, Billings had his own issues with the back-end of the field. He bobbled on lap 15 which opened up the lane for Poirier to shoot by him for top spot. Billings checked up for a moment in traffic and that was enough for Poirier.

Now the leader, Poirier also struggled to get by slower cars. His difficulty allowed Billings to stay on his rear bumper. Poirier was never more than a few feet in front of Billings. The duo remained glued together as the race reached its final stages.

Four laps remained when Poirier made a costly mistake. Although it was only a small hiccup it was enough to allow Billings to drive on by on the bottom of turns three and four. Billings would not surrender the lead again as he planted his Mike Stelter owned No. 36 on the bottom.

“I was thinking ‘what an idiot’ when I gave the bottom up,” commented Stelter. “It was so fast there on the bottom. It was just like in the hammer down lane on (Interstate) 81. You get up on the top and it’s like sliding through ice and coming to stop. I’m glad I got back by and made up for my mistake.”

Billings took home the $2,000 win with Poirier crossing the line second. The Quebec driver was very disappointed after the feature as one mistake cost him the victory.

“All I can say is second sucks, but Matt did a hell of a job,” said Poirier. “I gave him the inside and I missed it. At the end he was a lot quicker than me so I wasn’t able to catch him. That was so close.”

Billy VanInwegen got things rolling late allowing him to drive up from 11th to finish in third. The former Modified driver had never raced a Sprint Car at Mohawk prior to Friday night’s feature.

“I tell you one thing I learned running down at the Hard Clay (Orange County Fair Speedway) is how to run around in the rubber,” cited VanInwegen. “You can smell it a mile away. Once it laid rubber, we went with the harder tire and it really came to life. It was a lot of fun to roll around the yuke tires like that and pass a lot of good cars.”

Matt Tanner came from 16th to finish in fourth while multi-time Empire Super Sprint champion and eight-time Mohawk winner Steve Poirier finished in fifth.A field of 31 sprint cars filled the pits of the first of a two-race weekend in Upstate NY

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Matt Billings ($2,085), Jordan Poirier ($1,010), Billy VanInwegen ($810), Matt Tanner ($665), Steve Poirier ($590), Paulie Colagiovanni ($595), Parker Evans ($430), Dan Douville ($420), Coleman Gulick ($435), Dalton Herrick ($400), Chad Miller ($420), Josh Pieniazek ($420), Jeff Cook ($300), Josh Flint ($350), Mike Mahaney ($300), Paul Kinney ($300), Jason Barney ($300), Mike Kiser ($350), Yan Bilodeau ($300), Shawn Donath ($650), Kelly Hebing ($325), Dave Axton ($300), Brett Wright ($300), Denny Peebles ($325)

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Pieniazek, Colagiovanni, S. Poirier $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Miller, Gulick, Billings $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Billings $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Flint $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Colagiovanni (13 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Flint $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Donath $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Colagiovanni – $50

WestFront Construction/Cobra Coaches Dash – Donath ($100), Pieniazek ($75), Kiser ($50), Tanner ($25), Peebles ($25), K. Hebing ($25)

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – S. Poirier $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – Miller $35

Around Town Plumbing & Heating Just Missed – Bergeron $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Billings, J. Poirier, VanInwegen $10

Hoosier Tire – Donath $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

June 5 2018

Jason Barney Edges Coleman Gulick and the Weather to win Lucas Oil ESS Event at Cornwall

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Cornwall 6/3/2018

Published June 5, 2018

Jason Barney Edges Coleman Gulick and the Weather to win Lucas Oil ESS Event at Cornwall

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

CORNWALL, ON – When Jason Barney drew pole and Coleman Gulick drew outside pole it was to be a battle to the finish. Second and first in the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) points, side by side on the quick quarter-mile on Cornwall, Ontario. To throw a monkey wrench in the mix, weather was moving in and no one really knew if the race would go the distance or not.

Add another plot to the drama was a caution on lap 24 make for a one lap, double file restart dash to the finish. With all the scenarios played out it came to that last restart to see who would win the Mach 1 A-Main and take home the most points in the overall championship as well as the 1000 Islands RV Centre Canada Tour.

When the green dropped, Barney immediately got the jump but Gulick did a quick cross over and tried the low side going into one. His move didn’t quite stick and it enabled Barney to go on to ESS win #2 on the year and 18^th overall.

“I knew Coleman was going to be tough, he is just so good and he is real good in traffic,” noted Barney who collected $2,060 for the victory, “The track is tight and I knew slower traffic would figure in. He got by me, I got back by him and it was because of the slower cars.”

When 24 laps played out, the script had to be re-written for one final lap. “I just didn’t know how close he was in the closing laps and then we had the caution so I knew it was going to be tough,” Barney went on, “My car was good on restarts and I hope it was for one last time and I guess it was.”

For Gulick, the runner-up finish was his second in a row and he comes out of the weekend with the overall point lead. “We were close and gave it shot there in the end but just didn’t quite have enough,” Gulick said but overall happy with the weekend, “I just have to thank everyone for giving me a good car, two seconds is a real good weekend and we are getting more consistent. Can’t wait to keep the season going.”

Mike Mahaney finally shook off some bad luck to nip Steve Poirier at the stripe for his first podium finish on the 35^th Anniversary Tour. Behind Poirier was Paulie Colagiovanni.

Rounding out the top ten were Chad Miller, Paul Kinney, Dave Axton, Mitch Brown and Billy VanInwegen.

A big thank you to the Cornwall Speedway staff for doing everything possible to get the show in which included moving up the starting time by 30 minutes. Hard rain fell just about 10 minutes after the A-Main was complete. A total of 31 cars filled the pits on the Sunday night.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Jason Barney ($2,060), Coleman Gulick ($1,135), Mike Mahaney ($885), Steve Poirier ($730), Paulie Colagiovanni ($655), Chad Miller ($570), Paul Kinney ($505), Dave Axton ($495), Mitch Brown ($485), Billy VanInwegen ($475), Dan Douville ($520), Jake Brown ($435), Jordan Poirier ($420), Scott Holcomb ($425), Matt Billings ($365), Kelly Hebing ($360), Matt Tanner ($580), Jeff Cook ($400), Dylan Westbrook ($345), Chris Jones ($340), Dylan Swiernik ($335), Parker Evans ($380), Brett Wright ($175), Shawn Donath ($350), Yan Bilodeau ($325)

Did Not Qualify – Tyler Rand, Guilluame Neiderer, Sean Durand, April Wilson, Paul Pekkonen, Kyle Fraser

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Donath, J. Poirier, S. Poirier $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Colagiovanni, Miller, Tanner $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Gulick $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Barney $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Douville (11 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Holcomb $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Cook $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Evans – $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Colagiovanni $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – Douville $35

Around Town Plumbing & Heating Just Missed – Pekkonen $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Barney, Gulick, Mahaney $10

Hoosier Tire – Tanner $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

June 3 2018

Steve Poirier Thrills Huge Drummondville Crowd with First Lucas Oil ESS Win of the Season

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Drummond 6/2/2018

Published June 3, 2018

Steve Poirier Thrills Huge Drummondville Crowd with First Lucas Oil ESS Win of the Season

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec – For seven-time champion Steve Poirier, his win on Saturday night in front of a sell out crowd at Autodrome Drummond completed his comeback from his injury suffered last September at the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. Taking the lead just shy of halfway and then holding off Coleman Gulick for his 66^th career Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints victory.

The event kicked off both the 1000 Islands RV Centre Canada Tour and also the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Series. The win in the Mach 1 Chassis A-Main for the Saint Mathieu del Beloeil, Quebec native netted him $2,085.

“It feels good to finally win, to win after my injury last year and it’s been two years since we won here,” said Poirier, “The crew gave me a super car tonight, I could run high or low on the track and keep up my momentum.”

When Poirier, who started in eighth, swept past Paul Kinney, Alain Bergeron and Matt Tanner for the lead, a few restarts near the end made it interesting with Coleman Gulick starting along side.

“I still felt starting on the bottom was best for my car. I know Coleman likes the top but I felt if I restarted there it was going against what we were set up to do,” he went on, “So I stayed on the bottom and the car really took off so it was the right decision.”

The Drummond surface turned abrasive for the second half of the race and caught some teams off guard. “I talked to a friend earlier that ran a sportsman and he gave us an idea on what the track was going to do,” Poirier went on about his plan, “So we set up the car for the surface to do that and it did. That car was perfect, it feels good to get back in victory lane.”

For Gulick who started in seventh he did find the highside to his liking and once he also got passed the same three cars his sights were set on Poirier. “Once I got free into second I was hoping I could close in but Steve was fast,” Gulick noted afterwards. “My only chance was to try and get by on the restarts but I just couldn’t get enough of a run on him. I could have tried a slider but it was too risky so I didn’t want to take that chance.”

Gulick though was looking big picture however, “I really do want a win, it’s been a long time but we are also here to try and win a championship and with Jason dropping out it was a good points night for us,” he continued, “It was also good to put together a good night from start to finish.”

For Paul Kinney, another podium finish was still satisfying even after starting on the pole..which by the way isn’t his favorite. “I hate starting on the pole. You are either going to get the win or there’s only one other way to go and that is to fall back which usually happens more,” he said with a laugh, “But still, to finish behind Steve and Coleman is not bad. Anytime you’re on the podium it isn’t a bad night.”

Paul went on, “This is a new car and new motor. We are having some issue getting to motor to take off so I didn’t want to see those cautions there at the end. But, we will have some drinks, some food and on to tomorrow.”

Bergeron capped off a fine evening with a fourth place finish ahead of Tanner. Rounding out the top ten were Jeff Cook, Shawn Donath, Jordan Poirier, Matt Billings and Chad Miller.

A field of 27 sprints were on hand for the first event held in Quebec with the rain out at Granby the night before.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Steve Poirier ($2,085), Coleman Gulick ($1,235), Paul Kinney ($1.085), Alain Bergeron ($880), Matt Tanner ($805), Jeff Cook ($720), Shawn Donath ($655), Jordan Poirier ($670), Matt Billings ($635), Chad Miller ($625), Yan Bilodeau ($720), Parker Evans ($545), Scott Holcomb ($525), Dylan Swiernik ($565), Kelly Hebing ($710), Dale Gosselin ($505), Dan Douville ($525), Billy VanInwegen ($500), Alex Vigneault ($500), Chris Jones ($500), Dave Axton ($500), Jason Barney ($500), Mike Mahaney ($500), Brett Wright ($500)

Did Not Qualify – Tyler Rand, Guilluame Neiderer, Sean Durand

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – S. Poirier, Douville, J. Poirier $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Bergeron, Cook, Tanner $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – S. Poirier $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Kinney $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Bilodeau (8 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Swiernik $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Hebing $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Bilodeau – $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Tanner $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – Bilodeau $35

Around Town Plumbing & Heating Just Missed – Rand $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – S. Poirier, Gulick, Kinney $10

Hoosier Tire – Hebing $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

May 26 2018

Danny Varin Makes Late Race Pass of his Father Bobby to win Lucas Oil ESS Thriller at Fonda

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Fonda 5/26/2018

Published May 26, 2018

Danny Varin Makes Late Race Pass of his Father Bobby to win Lucas Oil ESS Thriller at Fonda

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

FONDA, NY – Last year’s winningest driver on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint (ESS) circuit, Danny Varin needed to lap 24 to wrestle the lead away from his father Bobby Varin and pick up his first victory of the 2018 season. His win came at his hometown track, the Fonda Speedway which hosted the annual Earl Halaquist Memorial.

The driver of the Dover Brake #00 took home $2,160 which also paid points for the NAPA Auto Parts US Tour and was the first event on the E&V Energy I90/I81 Series. The win was his 10^th of his short ESS career and now marks three in a row at the famed track along the Mohawk River.

For the younger Varin, the way the night started he didn’t think holding the checkered flag was an option. Not completing a lap in timed warmups to finishing fourth in his heat which put him in the dash and eventually starting the A-Main in 14^th.

“We just seemed to have a black cloud hanging over us and we can’t seem to shake it,” Varin went on, “We have fast race cars but can’t seem to finish races off. The motor has some problems as we aren’t quite sure what is the issue and it even laid down on the last two laps tonight.”

But, given all the issues at the night’s start, his choosing of lanes and coming through the field was short of amazing, “The top was fast but then it got way out there so I was able to also roll the bottom real well to make some passes,” he continued. “The car really wasn’t that great tonight, it felt like it was going to spin out or it was pushing but we just kept going at it.”

As laps clicked on and lapped traffic was figuring into the outcome. Chuck Hebing who lead from lap 13 was passed by Bobby Varin on lap 20 and then Danny made his move to take the top spot officially on lap 24.

“It took me a while to get a rhythm after a start. I was tracking him (Bobby) down and try to get past but it just wasn’t working,” said the Fonda, NY resident on the pass for the win, “With the top getting so far out so I went to the bottom, hit my marks and I got a couple of good laps to get by.”

Right afterwards Danny was asked if there was a little more motivation to beat his dad and he simply summed it up. “I really don’t care who it is, we are here to win. But it sure was nice to see double zero one-two for Dave (Cruickshank).”

For Bobby, he was mentioning that this might have been one that got away. “I thought I had it, thought I had the car to beat but my engine got up to 270 and I lost power there at the end,” he continued, “So I had to roll out of the throttle and try to let it breathe.

“I could have pushed it hard to the end and we might have gotten the win but we also are a small team with no spares,” said the veteran, “My right rear tire is actually a used tire from Danny with a plug in it! We have some good stuff but we also have to do what we can to make sure we can get to the next race.”

Hebing swept by Josh Pieniazek at the halfway and looked to be well on his way to taking the $500 Triple Crown Bonus for setting fast time and winning his heat. But he told about his car losing some speed at the end.

“My tires started to go away there at the end and we got passed by two guys that just have so many laps here,” said the two-time ESS champ, “I think they knew what to do to make sure they were a little bit stronger there at the end.”

Coleman Gulick used the high outside lane all race to come from 16^th to fourth at the end with Steve Poirier taking fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Paulie Colagiovanni, who earned hard charger honors coming from 22^nd, Pieniazek, Matt Billings, Jeff Cook and Mike Mahaney.

ESS/FONDA NOTES – 36 sprint cars filled the pit area of the first of two stops at the Track of Champions…former promoter Ric Lucia and race director Marty Beberwyck sponsored the dash and raised the purse to $500…ESS’ was to be at the Utica-Rome Speedway on Sunday night but fell victim to rain and will be made up Sunday, June 17^th…Next weekend it’s North of the Border for the first time to Autodome’s Granby and Drummond for two $2,000 to win, $500 to start events withSunday at Cornwall paying $2000 to win and $325 to start.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Danny Varin ($2,160), Bobby Varin ($1,035), Chuck Hebing ($910), Coleman Gulick ($680), Steve Poirier ($580), Paulie Colagiovanni ($520), Josh Pieniazek ($455), Matt Billings ($420), Jeff Cook ($435), Mike Mahaney ($600), Billy VanInwegen ($395), Shawn Donath ($320), Jason Barney ($300), Matt Tanner ($350), Joe Trenca ($325), Jonathan Preston ($300), Jordan Poirier ($350), Brett Wright ($500), Dan Douville ($300), Kelly Hebing ($400), Ryan Harrison ($300), Dalton Herrick ($100), Paul Kinney ($350), Cory Sparks ($300), Tim Schneider Jr., ($100), Dave Axton ($350)

Did Not Qualify – Josh Flint, Denny Peebles, Alex Vigneault, Ryan Linder, Pete Richardson, Keith Granholm, Chad Miller, Scott Holcomb, Steve Glover, Jeremiah Munson

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Mahaney, Pieniazek, B. Varin, C. Hebing $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Trenca, S. Poirier, Cook, C. Hebing $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – C. Hebing $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Kinney $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Colagiovanni (16 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Tanner $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – J. Poirier $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Axton – $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – S. Poirier $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – VanInwegen $35

Marty Beberwyck/Ric Lucia/Cobra Coaches Dash – Mahaney ($200), D. Varin ($150), K. Hebing ($100), Gulick ($50)

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – D. Varin, B. Varin, C. Hebing $10

Hoosier Tire – Wright $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

May 19 2018

Mark Smith Beats Davie Franek to Outlaw Speedway Lucas Oil ESS Triumph

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Outlaw 5/18/2018

Published May 18, 2018

Mark Smith Beats Davie Franek to Outlaw Speedway Lucas Oil ESS Triumph

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

DUNDEE, NY – Mark Smith may have started on the pole in Friday night’s Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint feature at the Outlaw Speedway, but the win wasn’t an easy one for the Sunbury, Pa., driver. Smith was chased throughout the 25-lap feature hard charging Davie Franek.

Smith was in traffic early with Franek never more than a few car lengths back. Ultimately Smith was able to make the right moves at the right time in traffic to pick up his first Empire Super Sprint win of the season in the NAPA Auto Parts Tour of the US A-Main presented by Mach 1 Chassis.

“I hate starting on the pole,” stated Smith in victory lane. “I’d much rather start in the second row because you never know where the track is going to go. Luckily we got in traffic pretty quick there and I was able to move around and figure out where I needed to go. It seemed like I could go pretty much wherever I needed to.”

The race got off to a rocky start as three attempts were needed to get the feature underway. Once it did, Smith blasted to the lead by sliding up in front of outside front row started Dave Axton.

Smith set a blistering pace during the opening laps while Franek was working hard to move forward from his sixth starting position. Smith found his groove on the top side of the racing surface and utilized that throughout the opening circuits.

Six laps were complete when Smith caught the back-side of the field. As he paced the competition, Franek continued moving forward taking over second on lap 10. From there on his focus was Smith who got bottled up in heavier traffic.

Franek rapidly closed in as he planted his ride on the inner portion of the speedway in turns one and two. By halfway he was on the back tail tank of the Smith ride looking for an opening. At one point he pulled even with Smith as they exited the second corner only to have Smith pick up the pace.

“I saw somebody stick it in there,” mentioned Smith. “I didn’t know who it was, but I figured it was somebody behind me. I didn’t know who was second. I was taking my time when I got to traffic. I was only going as fast as I needed to. When we needed to step it up we went faster.”

As the race continued the traffic got heavier forcing Smith to at times change his lane. With Smith moving around, Franek was able to again able to stay close to Smith. He continued making ground on the bottom of turns one and two.

With just five laps remaining Franek was in striking distance of Smith. Feeling the pressure, Smith made a daring three-wide move in traffic to keep Franek at bay.

Smith led the final few laps for the $2,125 victory. It was his 11^th career A-Main triumph with the Empire Super Sprints. Franek, of Wantage, N.J., had no choice but to be happy with the second position.

“That was a tough one to swallow there because I felt like we had a little bit of a better car,” commented Franek. “He did get through lapped traffic better and he’s standing up there and we are here. We’ll go back to the drawing board and be better.”

Jason Barney, the current high point man with the Empire Super Sprints, crossed the line in the third position. Barney advanced from the eighth starting spot for his third podium in as many races to start 2018.

“It’s a great start,” said Barney. “I really hate for the Pennsylvania guys to come up here and beat on us like that. We had a good car. We just missed it a little bit. Those guys were good. It was a stacked field tonight. The race track was a lot of fun and racing in lapped traffic was great. I knew that was our only chance to make up any progress. It didn’t quite go our way, but we are very happy to be here and be top three.”

Jared Zimbardi battled all race long eventually securing the fourth position at the checkered flag with Lucas Wolfe coming home in fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Coleman Gulick, Jeff Cook, Matt Billings, Chuck Hebing and Mike Mahaney.

ESS/OUTLAW NOTES – A big field of 36 cars filled the pit area…After the two tries to get the A-Main started, it did go green to checkered for second non-stop event in a row at Outlaw…Weather claimed the event at Thunder Mountain the next night so the Lucas Oil ESS Gang will celebrate Memorial Weekend with a trip to Fonda on Saturday for the Earl Halaquist Memorial and then on to Utica-Rome the next night.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Mark Smith ($2,125), Davie Franek ($1,010), Jason Barney ($810), Jared Zimbardi ($680), Lucas Wolfe ($580), Coleman Gulick ($695), Jeff Cook ($455), Matt Billings ($420), Chuck Hebing ($485), Mike Mahaney ($400), Billy VanInwegen ($395), Paulie Colagiovanni ($445), Jonathan Preston ($150), Parker Evans ($350), Paul Kinney ($400), Jason Shultz ($300), Tommy Wickham ($300), Matt Tanner ($300), Alain Bergeron ($300), Dave Axton ($300), Chad Miller ($100), Dalton Herrick ($350), Steve Hutchinson ($300), Dan Douville ($300), Joe Trenca ($350), Brett Wright ($350)

Did Not Qualify – Dan Kuhn, Josh Azzi, Emily VanInwegen, Josh Flint, Kelly Hebing, Denny Peebles, Derrick Juliano, Mike Koehler, Tim Schneider Jr., Dave Wickham.

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Gulick, Zimabrdi, Smith, Trenca $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Cook, Zimbardi, Wolfe, Trenca $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Smith $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Smith $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Preston (12 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Evans $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Kinney $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Kinney – $50

Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Wolfe $25

SUNY Canton Smart Finish – VanInwegen $35

The Sign Shop at Kinney’s/Cobra Coaches Dash – Colagiovanni $125, Hebing $75, Wright $50, Herrick $50

Around Town Plumbing & Heating Just Missed – Kuhn $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Smith, Franek, Barney $10

Hoosier Tire – Gulick $200

For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints

April 28 2018

Paul Kinney Wins Exciting Lucas Oil ESS A-Main at Fulton Speedway

ESS SprintsResults-2018

History > Tour Archive > 2018 > 2018 Results Page > Fulton 5/27/2018

Published April 27, 2018

Paul Kinney Wins Exciting Lucas Oil ESS A-Main at Fulton Speedway

By Dean Reynolds
Contact: DeanR@empiresupersprints.com

FULTON, NY – For Durhamville. New York’s Paul Kinney visiting the Victory Lane with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) hasn’t been an unfamiliar site. But, for some odd reason all four of his career wins had been north of the border on Canadian soil.

All that changed on Friday night at the Fulton Speedway when he passed Shawn Donath on lap 11 and held off defending champion Jason Barney to pick up a very popular $2,050 victory in front of many family and friends. His now fifth victory of his career was also a NAPA Auto Parts US Tour event.

“You know I tell everyone that a win is a win, but to win here where many remember me from my modified days does make it more special,” said the happy winner, “We all travel together on ESS and enjoy anytime to can get the checkered flag, but to happen here definitely makes it my favorite.”

Billy VanInwegen and Shawn Donath made up the front row and when the green flag dropped Donath immediately took charge. Kinney started in fourth with his family owned #19K and made it known he would be a challenger for the win right from the start…and in unusual territory.

“I was running unfamiliar territory by being on the top but my car was fast there so I stuck with it,” Paul then told of a lap 10 restart, “I had such a good restart on Shawn and was able to slide up and take his lane and that was key.”

With Kinney now out front, it soon became a race of strategy, nerve-wracking strategy mind you. “When you’re leading it’s so tough to do, when you have Jay (Barney) and Shawn behind you, you keep looking at the scoreboard,” he went on, “Steve (Poirier) is here and you see the 00 (Danny Varin) coming, looking at that thing can be the worst thing you can do!”

Barney was coming from his sixth place starting position, got up to second and then started to chase down Kinney. The excitement peaked on that last lap when Barney showed his nose down low and that made Kinney do a lay change to protect.

“I saw Jason down there and so I had to make the switch, he is just the best and luckily it worked out and got the win,” Kinney then summed up his emotions, “It’s going to be a fun night I can tell you that!”

For Jason Barney, the goal is to repeat his championship and coming off a win at Outlaw mission is well underway. At Fulton he felt he had a chance to pick up another. “I had a real good car but for some reason I just couldn’t get going in restarts, I was giving up some ground so I had to fight to get that back,” the Brewerton, NY resident continued, “Paul and Shawn was setting a real good pace and I just wasn’t good on top so had to keep working.”

As mentioned earlier it came right down to the last lap, “I had a good turns one and two and was able to get alongside of him (Paul) there on the back stretch,” Barney went on, “Paul did a good job, he did what he had to do to win…that’s the way it goes. It’s a long season and we come out first and second, our goal is to show everyone last year wasn’t a fluke so we are happy.”

For Danny Varin, his first ESS start of 2018 came away with a podium finish. “I think we had more under the hood, I just think we ran out of time (starting in 11^th), we needed some clean air,” said the driver of the 00, “The guys ahead of me were taking up the lanes so it was hard for me to find one in hopes to make a pass. I think I had more, just didn’t have the opportunity.”

Donath did take home a fourth place finish after a torrid side by side duel with Kinney for the first half of the race, seven-time ESS champ Steve Poirier rounded out the top five. The next five was 21^st starting Mike Mahaney, 24^th starting Tommy Wickham, who earned the hard charger bonus, Dylan Westbrook, Coleman Gulick and Alex Vigneault

ESS/FULTON NOTES: Despite weather all over the area, the Fulton Speedway pushed on to get the show in with a nice field of 32 sprints in the pits…Parker Evans and Pete Richardson both got upside down but both walked away unharmed…Coleman Gulick was forced to change an engine after the heat events and still brought is #14 home with a top ten…Matt Billings qualified but his car lost power on the white flag lap and didn’t start he A-Main, crew thinks electrical issues…A couple of weekends off before the Lucas Oil Tour goes full bore with two $2,000 to win, $275 to start events at Outlaw Speedway, May 18^th and a return to Thunder Mountain on May 19^th.

Lucas Oil ESS A-Main – Paul Kinney ($2,050), Jason Barney ($1,200), Danny Varin ($825), Shawn Donath ($655), Steve Poirier ($555), Mike Mahaney ($520), Tommy Wickham ($480), Dylan Westbrook ($495), Coleman Gulick ($410), Alex Vigneault ($400), Larry Wight ($545), Sam Reakes IV ($345), Jonathan Preston ($300), Matt Tanner ($365), Dalton Herrick ($310), Kelly Hebing ($280), Denny Peebles ($325), Chad Miller ($275), Billy VanInwegen ($325), Brett Wright ($325), Pete Richardson ($275), Paulie Colagiovanni ($375), Dave Axton ($275).

DNS – Matt Billings

Did Not Qualify – Josh Flint, Jeremiah Munson, Emily VanInwegen, Tim Schneider Jr., Steve Hutchinson Jr., Parker Evans, Derrick Juliano, James Hanson

Lap Leader – Donath 1-10, Kinney 11-25.

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Tanner, Wight, Westbrook, Colagiovanni $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Herrick, Varin, Donath, Reakes IV $25

Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Kinney $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – B. VanInwegen $50

Insinger Performance Hard Charger – Wickham (17 pos), $50

Canadian Sprint Car Nationals 14^th Anniversary – Tanner $50

Fondations 55 Last Car Lead Lap – Peebles $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Mahaney – $50