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Autodrome Drummond Lucas Oil ESS Checkered Flag was Waved over Paulie Colagiovanni for his First win in 2019

Autodrome Drummond Lucas Oil ESS Checkered Flag was Waved over Paulie Colagiovanni for his First win in 2019
Autodrome Drummond Lucas Oil ESS Checkered Flag was Waved over Paulie Colagiovanni for his First win in 2019
Autodrome Drummond Lucas Oil ESS Checkered Flag was Waved over Paulie Colagiovanni for his First win in 2019
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  History   >   Tour Archive   >   2019   >   2019 Results Page   >   Autodrome Drummond 6/1/2019

VL

Published June 3, 2019

By Dean Reynolds

DRUMMONVILLE, PQ – Teenage sensation Paulie Colagiovanni has shown speed over the past few years, he has even graced victory lane in Quebec for his first career Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints win.  For 2019 consistency and a new focus has been showing results and top five finishes.  Saturday night at Autodrome Drummond the progress peaked as he took the $2,085 victory in front of a huge crowd.

Taking the lead on lap seven and surviving a late race restart, his familiar #10 won the Mach 1 Chassis A-Main that also paid points for the Ohsweken Speedway Canada Tour and the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Series.  The trip up north now sees Colagiovanni solidly in third in the overall point standings behind past ESS champions Jason Barney and Chuck Hebing.

“This win feels good.  We have been more consistent this year and Doug Emery has been a big part of that,” he said happily shortly after his win, “The car is set up each race and it’s getting me more confident and more comfortable behind the wheel.”

Going fast has never been an issue with the young chauffeur, but as he said, it’s been the consistency.  The win marks is fifth top five finish of the young season.  While he knows there is a lot of racing left, just being mentioned in the same breath in the names mentioned earlier is humbling. “To be running with those guys and now finishing with them is something that is pretty cool,” Colagiovanni noted. “I know it’s a long season but to have the finishes we have been having gives you confidence.”

New Jersey star Davie Franek drew the pole and lead the first six laps, with the leading duo in heavy traffic early it enabled Colagiovanni to slip by.  Even though the scorecard shows Colagiovanni bringing home the checkered leading every lap from there.  Franek  actually swapped the lead a few times before actual laps were scored at the line while there were also weaving in through the slower cars. 

In the late stages, Jordan Poirier got by Franek which produced and exciting result in front of the hometown crowd.  “I am very happy to get second here at Drummond.  To stand on the podium here in front of fans and friends is special,” noted Poirier, “The car was good and I could run high or low.  I got fortunate there to get second at the end and it made for a good night.”

Franek set fast time in his group, won his heat  and drew the pole.  “We had a real good car right off the trailer but just didn’t get the right break there at the end,” noted the driver who drove seven hours overnight to make his first ever visit to Drummond, “This place and the crowd is just amazing, I heard the stories about Quebec and it’s awesome.  You will definitely see me back here.”

Steve Poirier backed up his runner-up finish the night before at Granby with a fourth followed by Barney.  Rounding out the top ten were Hebing, first year sprint car pilot Bryan Cloutier who was a teammate to Alex Vigneault on this night, Granby winner Billy VanInwegen, Matt Tanner and Vigneault.

A total of 28 cars filled the pit area for the second night in row up in Quebec. 

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Paulie Colagiovanni ($2,085), Jordan Poirier ($1,260), Davie Franek ($1,125), Steve Poirier ($855), Jason Barney ($755), Chuck Hebing ($895), Bryan Cloutier ($655), Billy VanInwegen ($645), Matt Tanner ($660), Alex Vigneault ($625), Jeff Cook ($660), Shawn Donath ($545), Scott Holcomb ($575), Chris Jones ($515), Kyle Moffit ($510), Parker Evans ($505), Dan Douville ($525), Brett Wright ($500), Dale Gosselin ($500), Chad Miller ($500), Matt Hoyt ($500), Dave Axton ($500), Tyler Rand ($500), Dylan Swiernik ($500), Kelly Hebing ($250).

Did Not Qualify – Guilaume Neiderer, Kyle Fraser, Yan Bilodeau.

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Bilodeau, Franek, Colagiovanni $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Tanner, Franek, J.Poirier $25

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Halfway – Colagiovanni $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Franek $50

Fondations 55 Hard Charger – Cook (11 pos.), $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Holcomb $50

Ground Control Last Car Lead Lap – Douville $25

Ground Control 11th Place Finish – Cook – $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Colagiovanni, J. Poirier, Franek $10

Hoosier Tire – Colagiovanni $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, Ground Control Lawn and Snow, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, AroundTown Plumbing & Heating, 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!!

VL

Billy VanInwegen Picks First Career Lucas Oil ESS Victory at Autodrome Granby

Billy VanInwegen Picks First Career Lucas Oil ESS Victory at Autodrome Granby
Billy VanInwegen Picks First Career Lucas Oil ESS Victory at Autodrome Granby
Billy VanInwegen Picks First Career Lucas Oil ESS Victory at Autodrome Granby
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  History   >   Tour Archive   >   2019   >   2019 Results Page   >   Autodrome Granby 5/30/2019

VL

Published June 1, 2019

By Dean Reynolds

GRANBY, PQ – When you talk to Billy VanInwegen about his short Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint (ESS) career he will tell you about the races that got away, the almost wins, the disappointments.  After Friday night at Autodrome Granby, all that talk was put on the shelf…forever.  

Starting in 10th position, VanInwegen took his #56 to the extreme high side of the Granby oval and passed giants among the ESS ranks.  He went around Jason Barney, around Chuck Hebing and then on lap 11 he passed local favorite and many-time ESS champion Steve Poirier to take the lead and never look back.  The win in the Mach 1 Chassis A-Main, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway point event netted him $2,110.

“This just wipes out all those other races that were still bugging me.  Brad (Radivoy) and the gang work so hard and give me a good car, I am just glad I could do my job and reward them with a win,” VanInwegen noted with a smile, “This just hasn’t sunk in and will take a while, to pass the guys that I did.  I am still amazed, they are just so good and you have to be on top of your game to even race with them.”

The win started literally last Sunday night after Utica-Rome.  The team decided to change from the new car/motor combination and switch back to old and trusty.  “We just weren’t good with the new car and we really don’t know why.  It just never felt good and being an 11th place car here is not good,” he continued, “So we decided to change everything back to what we had last year and here we are.”

Chris Jones led the field down to the green but it was Poirier who quickly put his familiar #28FM into the lead.  Usually when Poirier leads at Granby, it’s another victory notched in the belt.  However this night had the VanInwegen twist.

Using that extreme outside, VanInwegen swept around Poirier, knifed through lapped traffic as the final 22 laps went caution free and took home career win #1.

For Poirier, second at Granby, getting passed for the victory would be discouraging but it definitely was not.  “I am just happy to finally finish a race.  Yea I got beat tonight but it was all about finishing and getting some confidence back,” Poirier elaborated, “Even after all these years you think you have all the confidence and you will be comfortable but I wasn’t at the beginning of this year and you do have some doubts.  Yea I was second tonight but I felt good, the car felt good and the crew worked hard.”

During the race Poirier thought he had some chances to catch back up to VanInwegen.  “In lapped traffic sometimes I would get a better lap than him (VanInwegen) and close in.  Then he would get a better lap than me and he would pull ahead again.  He had a really good car and to get his first win I am happy for him.”     

Paulie Colagiovanni continued with his string of top five finishes rounding out the podium at Granby.  He actually though he could have had a better result.  “I don’t know what happened.  On the start I was in the middle of the track and the car just pushed bad,” Paulie went on, “I just saw all the cars go high and low around me and I dropped to ninth or something like that.  It was weird, but the car was good, just got back in the my groove and starting to get back around them.  I just wish I had that early lap back.”

Jordan Poirier with a strong effort to take fourth over Hebing at the finish.  Rounding out the top ten were Barney, Kyle Moffit, Dylan Swiernik, Parker Evans and Matt Tanner (who was the last car on the lead lap).  A total of 28 sprints filled the pits in front of the usual big Granby crowd.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Billy VanInwegen ($2,110), Steve Poirier ($1,235), Paulie Colagiovanni ($1,235), Jordan Poirier ($855), Chuck Hebing ($755), Jason Barney ($695), Kyle Moffit ($655), Dylan Swiernik ($645), Parker Evans ($660), Matt Tanner ($650), Brett Wright ($635), Dale Gosselin ($570), Jeff Cook ($550), Chris Jones ($590), Dave Axton ($560), Dan Douville ($505), Scott Holcomb ($525), Chad Miller ($500), Matt Hoyt ($500), Guillaume Neiderer ($500), Tyler Rand ($500), Bryan Cloutier ($500), Lacey Hanson ($500), Shawn Donath ($500).

Did Not Qualify – Kelly Hebing, Kyle Fraser, Alex Vigneault, Yan Bilodeau.

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Cook, Holcomb, Evans $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Wright, Gosselin, Jones $25

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Halfway – VanInwegen $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Jones $50

Fondations 55 Hard Charger – VanInwegen (9 pos), $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Axton $50

Ground Control Last Car Lead Lap – Tanner $25

Ground Control 11th Place Finish – Wright – $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – VanInwegen, S. Poirier, Colagiovanni $10

Hoosier Tire – Colagiovanni $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, Ground Control Lawn and Snow, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, AroundTown Plumbing & Heating, 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!!

VL

Matt Tanner Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Utica Rome Speedway

Matt Tanner Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Utica Rome Speedway
Matt Tanner Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Utica Rome Speedway
Matt Tanner Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Utica Rome Speedway
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  History   >   Tour Archive   >   2019   >   2019 Results Page   >   Utica Rome 5/26/2019

VL

Published May 27, 2019

By MIKE MALLETT

VERNON, NY – Matt Tanner always looks forward to the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint stops at the Utica-Rome Speedway.  The Stephentown, N.Y., admits that the slick half-mile is his favorite track on the schedule.  He came into Sunday night with three series wins at the facility.  On Sunday night he left with his fourth.

Tanner was methodical in working to the front after starting in the eighth.  Tanner first appeared into the top on lap seven before moving into second on lap eight.  A lap later he was able he able to wrestle the lead away from Chuck Hebing.  They remained the top two with Danny Varin entering the fray late.  At the checkered it was Tanner taking the E&V Energy, NAPA Auto Parts and Mach 1 Chassis A-Main feature win.

By setting fast time in his time trial group, winning his heat and then the A-Main, he won the Wick-edly Sent Triple Crown which was worth $500.

“It’s been a struggle this year,” said Tanner after the win.  “We blew the motor up the first week and bent this car last week.  This is someplace we always circle on the calendar.  We can’t wait to get back here.  Bill and Kim (Shea) do a great job with the place. I wish they’d run Sprint Cars every week.”

Josh Pieniazek shared the front row with Dylan Swiernik for the start of Sunday night’s weekend finale.  Pieniazek won the race off of four at the start to assume command of the opening circuit.  His time at the front lasted just three circuits.

On lap four Shawn Donath went to the extreme outside of the speedway in turns three and four to snag the lead away from Pieniazek.  He rode the top rim of the speedway to keep the lead before the yellow was needed for a car stopping on the speedway on lap six.

Donath was joined by Hebing on the front row for the restart.  Hebing got the better of him in turns one and two to have his opportunity at the top spot.  He worked the high-line as Tanner now entered into the mix.  Tanner found his groove on the very bottom of the track allowing him to quickly close in on Hebing.

Nine laps were complete as Tanner tucked under Hebing in turns three and four.  Tanner couldn’t have gone any lower on the speedway while Hebing was as far around the outside as he could get.  Tanner’s line proved to be the right choice as he beat Hebing to the line.

“You had Chuck out front and any time he’s out there you know he is going to be tough to beat,” stated Tanner.  “I just got a really good restart there and go around Shawn.  I didn’t think I would get around Chuck that quick.  I figured he’d make me work for it.  I found something on the bottom.”

Tanner and Hebing continued to keep up the pace while Varin worked high and low to get to them from the 10th starting position.  They were the top three in the running order when the caution came out on lap 15 for safety as Pieniazek did a complete 360 spin in turns three and four while running in the top 10.

The final green flag run came down to Tanner and Varin.  Tanner got away as Varin worked over Hebing for the runner up spot.  He finally secured with on lap 22.  By that point Tanner had enough of a lead to take him the $2,000 feature win.

Varin came home in second for his second podium finish of the weekend as he always finished second on Friday night at the Brewerton Speedway.

“We had a really great car tonight,” mentioned Varin.  “These are two great drivers, and there are more than two in this group.  These guys are very, very good.  It’s fun to race with them.  We just came up short tonight.”

Hebing held on to finish in third.  All weekend long the veteran driver from Ontario, N.Y., had a strong car early in the feature before losing the handling late in the go. 

“We are really good car early in the race right now, but we have to figure out the laps 10 to 15 when the tires get hot on me,” stated Hebing.  “That’s what happened last night at Fulton also.  The car is fast.  We just have to fine tune it.  Both of these guys are really good here.”

Cory Sparks advanced from 12th to finish in the fourth spot while Paulie Colagiovanni scored another top five run in fifth.  A field of 31 sprints were in the pits on what turned out to be Opening Night for Utica-Rome.

 Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Matt Tanner ($2,810), Danny Varin ($1,085), Chuck Hebing ($835), Cory Sparks ($655), Paulie Colagiovanni ($530), Dylan Swiernik ($470), Shawn Donath ($430), Scott Holcomb ($495), Davie Franek ($435), Larry Wight ($400), Sammy Reakes IV ($485), Billy VanInwegen ($370), Jonathan Preston ($300), Chad Miller ($325), Jason Barney ($300), Jeff Cook ($300), Brett Wright ($125), Dave Axton ($325), Kyle Moffit ($325), Kelly Hebing ($100), Tyler Cartier ($300), Josh Pieniazek ($350), Emily VanInwegen ($300), Bobby Varin ($350), Todd Gracey ($300), Denny Peebles ($300)

Did Not Qualify: Mike Kiser, Pete Richardson, Steve Glover, Paul Pekkonen, Lance Moss

 ESS Bonuses:

Wick-Edly Sent Triple Crown – Tanner $500

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Tanner, Sparks, D. Varin $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Tanner, Franek, C. Hebing $25

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Halfway – Tanner $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Pieniazek $50

Fondations 55 Hard Charger – D. Varin (8 pos), $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – B. Varin $50

Ground Control Last Car Lead Lap – Wright $25

Ground Control 11th Place Finish – Reakes IV – $25

Eric Nichols Allstate/Cobra Coaches Dash – Reakes IV $100, Holcomb $75, VanInwegen $50, Miller $25, Moffit $25, Axton $25

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

Hoosier Tire – Tanner $200 

Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints 2019 Points after Utica-Rome

  1. Jason Barney               515
  2. Chuck Hebing             511
  3. Paulie Colagiovanni    448     
  4. Davie Franek               421
  5. Matt Tanner                 408
  6. Shawn Donath            352
  7. Billy VanInwegen      331
  8. Kyle Moffit                 331
  9. Scott Holcomb            315
  10. Larry Wight                309

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, Ground Control Lawn and Snow, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, AroundTown Plumbing & Heating, 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!!

087A2076

‘Lightning’ Larry Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win as the Skies Light Up at Fulton Speedway

‘Lightning’ Larry Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win as the Skies Light Up at Fulton Speedway
‘Lightning’ Larry Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win as the Skies Light Up at Fulton Speedway
‘Lightning’ Larry Takes Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win as the Skies Light Up at Fulton Speedway
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  History   >   Tour Archive   >   2019   >   2019 Results Page   >   Fulton 5/25/2019

087A2076

Published May 26, 2019

By MIKE MALLETT

FULTON, NY – With threatening weather moving in on the Fulton Speedway as the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint feature took the checkered flag it was only fitting that ‘Lightning’ Larry Wight would find his way to victory lane.  As soon as he exited the race car the rain drops began falling and the sky lit up as he celebrated atop the wing on the front straightaway.

The win is Wight’s second career A-Main triumph at the Fulton Speedway with the Empire Super Sprints.  Last fall he came from rear of the field to win in dramatic fashion.  On this night he started near the front and used his home track knowledge to take the lead and charge away for the $2,085 win.

“This is a real good feeling,” stated Wight after winning the Empire Super Sprint A-Main.  He remained undefeated in feature action so far at Fulton in 2019.  “We just got to keep this rolling.”

Chuck Hebing finally had some luck go his way as he redrew the pole for the start of the 25-lap NAPA Auto Parts, Mach 1 A-Main.  He beat out Jason Barney on the opening lap on the high-side of turns one and two in order to take command of the race.

Hebing was quickly joined on the top by fourth starting Wight.  Wight put his No. 99L up on the cushion to apply pressure to the leader Hebing.  They waged a hard fought battle at the front of the field with Wight working around Hebing on lap six only to have a caution negate the pass.

When the green lights came back on Hebing kept Wight at bay for a lap before the second and final caution of the race was displayed on lap eight.  This time Hebing didn’t get nearly as good of a restart allowing Wight to take a shot on the outside.  Hebing tried to slide up to the top for the block but Wight was already there allowing him to take the lead.

“I was able to stay with him down the frontstretch,” stated Wight of the pass on Hebing.  “I thought he was going to try a little bit more of a slider on me, but he left me enough room.”

Hebing remained close to Wight as the leaders got into traffic for the first time on lap 16.  Wight continued using the high-side hustle that got him to the front while Hebing began searching.  As he searched Wight opened the gap on the field.

The feature reached the final third of the event with three drivers vying for second.  Hebing had it while Barney and Paulie Colagiovanni each looked to take the position from him.  That would happen on lap 18 as Barney took over second before putting his attention on Wight.

Barney was able to make up ground on Wight in the final laps, but it wasn’t enough as Wight went on to win his second consecutive Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Series win at his home track after winning last year’s finale in September.

Barney, of Brewerton, N.Y., continued his strong showing to start 2019 with his third consecutive podium finish.  Barney, a multi-time winner at Fulton in the past got things rolling on the bottom late.  He just ran out of time to get to Wight.

“I thought we were catching him there for a little bit and it was going to fun,” mentioned Barney.  “Lapped cars made it real interesting.  I just got going a little too late.  The guys gave me a great race car.  We’ll keep riding it.”

Colagiovanni rebounded from a tough night on Friday at the Brewerton Speedway to come home in the third spot for his second podium finish of the 2019 season.

“This is the best I think we’ve ever been here setup wise,” cited Colagiovanni.  “I’m happy with our performance.  I had some fun racing with Jason.  He works out of back of our shop now so it’s fun.  He helps me out a lot with car tips, teaches me a lot and is a very good racer.  Hopefully one day I can get him here.”

Matt Tanner drove from the eighth starting spot to cross the line fourth while Hebing faded back in the closing laps to complete the top five.

With weather moving in, the Fulton Speedway stay as full bore in getting the show in. From heats to the completion of the ESS A-Main only took one hour and forty minutes.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Larry Wight ($2,850), Jason Barney ($1,010), Paulie Colagiovanni ($895), Matt Tanner ($630), Chuck Hebing ($605), Kyle Moffit ($470), Shawn Donath ($430), Scott Holcomb ($420), Dave Axton ($610), Todd Gracey ($400), Billy VanInwegen ($385), Tommy Wickham ($320), Jonathan Preston ($325), Brett Wright ($300), Sammy Reakes IV ($350), Dan Douville ($300), Chad Miller ($300), Denny Peebles ($300), Matt Hoyt ($300), Josh Azzi ($300), Tyler Cartier ($300), Kelly Hebing ($300), Emily VanInwegen ($300). DNS – Jeff Cook ($300), Paul Kinney ($300)

 

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Wight, Colagiovanni, Reakes IV $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – C. Hebing, Colagiovanni, Reakes IV $25

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Halfway – Wight $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – C. Hebing $50

Fondations 55 Hard Charger – Axton (8 pos), $50

Ground Control Last Car Lead Lap – Preston $25

Ground Control 11th Place Finish – VanInwegen – $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Wight, Barney, Colagiovanni $10

Hoosier Tire – Axton $200 

VL

Jason Barney Takes Second Straight Victory with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Brewerton

Jason Barney Takes Second Straight Victory with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Brewerton
Jason Barney Takes Second Straight Victory with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Brewerton
Jason Barney Takes Second Straight Victory with Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Win at Brewerton
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  History   >   Tour Archive   >   2019   >   2019 Results Page   >   Brewerton 5/24/2019

VL

Published May 25, 2019

By MIKE MALLETT

BREWERTON, NY – Jason Barney wasn’t the happiest person when the redraw concluded with lining up with the pole position. The local favorite drew the pole last you for a Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint at Brewerton Speedway and ended up not getting the win.

Friday night the pole starting spot payed off for Barney as he went on to win the “Don Gillette Memorial” for his second consecutive series victory. The Brewerton, N.Y., driver fell back to second at the drop of the green flag before running down Dave Axton in traffic to take the lead. He then fended off multiple-time Brewerton winner Danny Varin to take home the checkers in the E&V Energy, NAPA Auto Parts, Mach 1 Chassis and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 25-lap finale.

“I wanted to see the one more than the 12, but I was real nervous,” stated Barney afterwards about drawing the pole. “I was nervous all night. We come here we have a lot of friends and a lot of family. We’ve lost more races here than we’ve won. It is always a place we want to go good at. There are so many good cars here and to get two in a row is amazing. It’s good to be home with all these guys. Glad my friends and family could be here.”

Axton started from the outside of the front row which allowed him to get the jump on Barney at the initial green. He beat Barney to the bottom of turns one and two to secure the top spot with Barney working the high-lane. Axton was able to keep him at bay to lead lap one.

Before a second lap could be scored Kelly Hebing got tangled together with another car sending her off the back straightaway. She took a wild ride which brought out the red flag. Thankfully Hebing walked away uninjured in the incident.

Axton and Barney remained the class of the field on the next restart. Axton again beat Barney into the first corner keeping the lead with his No. 2 firmly planted on the inner loop of the speedway. Barney worked the cushion as he kept pace with Axton.

As the race reached lap 10 Varin inserted himself into the fray at the front of the field making it a three car race for the lead as traffic loomed. Axton stayed true the line on the bottom while Barney and Varin searched for a better line. Barney found it a lap later.

Just as they started to get into traffic Axton dove low in turn one leaving the high lane open for Barney. He was able to pull even with Axton as they raced down the backstretch. He’d complete the pass for the lead through turns three and four on the cushion. Varin followed suit and moved in second moments later.

It was down to Barney and Varin at the front of the field as traffic came into play. Barney was maneuverable enough to go the top or the bottom. He continued to make the necessary moves to keep Varin behind him. Varin had some struggles in traffic which allowed Barney to increase the gap.

“I didn’t know what to do,” mentioned Barney. “Last time we came from 21st to the lead and then had a caution with one to go and Danny passed me. All I kept doing is looking at that flagstand and saying, ‘no cautions, no cautions.’ I would have no idea what lane I would have picked. I was thankful to get through it.”

With Barney and Varin solidly in the top two positions, racing for third picked up as Davie Franek and Larry Wight were busy swapping the position as the field received the five to go signal. Barney was able to maintain the top spot as Varin searched for a faster line.

When the race came to the checkered flag Barney got the win while Varin, of Fonda, N.Y., had to be satisfied with a second place finish.

“There at the end I was really searching,” commented Varin. “I was trying to find something. I was so close to Jason, even if he made a mistake, I was following him on the top and I wouldn’t have been able to get by. I was trying to search and make something that could propel me past him. It didn’t happen tonight.”

Franek, of Wantage, N.J., continued his streak of podium finishes edging by Larry Wight at the end of the race to finish in the third spot.

“This is really good for our team,” stated Franek. “We had a great car. We worked on it all night. We weren’t good in warm-ups and weren’t good in the heat race even though we won that. These guys just kept plugging at it and in the feature it really came to us. We’ll have something now when we come back.”

Wight crossed the line in fourth with Chuck Hebing, who recovered from a flip in warm-ups, completing the top five. A field of 33 sprints filled the pits and played host to a big crowd which turned out to be the track’s 2019 opener.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis – Don Gillette Memorial A-Main – Jason Barney ($2,350), Danny Varin ($1,035), Davie Franek ($835), Larry Wight ($655), Chuck Hebing ($580), Dave Axton ($675), Jordan Poirier ($480), Paul Kinney ($420), Tommy Wickham ($410), Kyle Moffit ($600), Billy VanInwegen ($385), Denny Peebles ($370), Shawn Donath ($300), Parker Evans ($450), Scott Holcomb ($125), Matt Tanner ($300), Jared Zimbardi ($300), Jeff Cook ($375), Todd Gracey ($300), Chad Miller ($300), Josh Azzi ($300), Pete Richardson ($300), Brett Wright ($300), Paulie Colagiovanni ($325), Kelly Hebing ($375).

Did Not Qualify – Edward Kelley, Jonathan Preston, Steve Poirier, Josh Flint, Dan Douville, Matt Hoyt, Sammy Reakes IV, Tyler Cartier

ESS Bonuses:

Don Gillette Memorial Lap Money – Barney $240, Axton $180

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Richardson, Cook, Varin, Holcomb $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Wight, Axton, Franek, Colagiovanni $25

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Halfway – Barney $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Barney $50

Fondations 55 Hard Charger – C. Hebing (15 pos), $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Cook $50

Ground Control Last Car Lead Lap – Evans $25

Ground Control 11th Place Finish – VanInwegen – $25

Lane’s Yamaha/Cobra Coaches Dash – Evans $125, K. Hebing $75, Denny Peebles $50, J. Poirier $50

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

Hoosier Tire – Moffit $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, Ground Control Lawn and Snow, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, AroundTown Plumbing & Heating, 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!!

 

VL-800

Jason Barney Takes Top Spot in Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Visit to Thunder Mountain Speedway

Jason Barney Takes Top Spot in Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Visit to Thunder Mountain Speedway
Jason Barney Takes Top Spot in Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Visit to Thunder Mountain Speedway
Jason Barney Takes Top Spot in Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Visit to Thunder Mountain Speedway
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  History   >   Tour Archive   >   2019   >   2019 Results Page   >   Thunder Mountain 5/18/2019

VL-800

Published May 18, 2019

By MIKE MALLETT

CENTER LISLE, NY – Jason Barney was disappointed with his seventh place finish on Friday in the opening night of action for the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints.  On Saturday he made some changes and that proved to be just what he needed as he went on to lead all 25-laps to score the win in the E&V Energy, NAPA Auto Parts and Mach 1 Chassis feature at the Thunder Mountain Speedway.

Barney and the team tried some different things and those changes seemed to make the difference as it helped propel him to his first win of the season and his second of his career at Thunder Mountain.

“This is awesome,” said Barney.  “We haven’t had the greatest start to the season.  No fault other than it’s the way things go.  I love these guys and I love this race team.  I like to settle in my ways.  Tonight this is a brand new race car with an engine we didn’t know anything about.  It’s a completely new shock package and it’s just awesome how fast we got things going.  Hopefully we can keep the momentum going.”

Barney got the lead in the first corner of the race after starting second by going three-wide between pole starter Jeff Cook and third place starter Joe Trenca.  He powered his way through the middle to have the lead at the exit of the second turn. 

“Luckily we’ve had two good starting positions,” stated Barney.  “Starting up front tonight was good.  We’ve been so good here and we found something that works good here.  We’ve won from 12th but I don’t think we could do it again.  The competition is so good now.  You have to start in front of them.  It’s not easy.”

Cook stayed within striking distance applying heavy pressure during the first few laps of the race before a caution was necessary as Jonathan Preston and Matt Tanner got together in the middle of turns three and four.

On the restart Barney jumped back out the lead with Cook fending off challenges from Franek and Mark Smith.  Both drivers were looking to wrestle the second spot away from him to no avail.

On lap eight Josh Flint got into the third turn wall after losing his brakes bringing out the second caution as he came to a stop.  A couple of attempts were made at the restart before action got back underway.

Barney took advantage of the restart going single-file to get away from Cook and company. He was able to run his line on the speedway allowing him to open up a lengthy gap on the race for second.

Barney hit heavy traffic with 10 circuits remaining in the feature.  Rather than run the line he preferred on the bottom, he took his No. 87 to high groove on the speedway.  He worked his way through traffic without issue while the battle for second picked up.

“I knew somebody was going to freight train me on the top,” said Barney.  “I figured Davie would be right there.  I had to get up there and block that lane.  I didn’t feel like I was any faster, but I felt like if I left it open I was going to get beat.”

Cook couldn’t shake Franek with Chuck Hebing adding himself to the mix with only a handful of laps remaining.  Hebing, who started 12th, found the top-side to his liking which allowed him to steadily move forward as the laps clicked off.

Hebing pressured both Cook and Franek put couldn’t find a groove to make a pass with both the high and low lanes full of cars as the three battled in traffic.  Franek eventually made a move to get by Cook on the high-side to take over second with three to go.

Barney made no mistakes over the final laps allowing him to take home his first win of 2019.  Franek, of Wantage, N.J., backed up his third on Friday night with a second at Thunder Mountain.

“Second sucks even more,” joked Franek after being asked about finishing second after not being happy with third the night before.  “Tonight was a lot of fun.  Lapped cars were doing their deal racing and stuff like that.  I felt we had a really good car all night.  We really just didn’t capitalize.”

Cook rebounded from a long night on Friday to finish in the third position after starting on the pole.  He was upbeat after being able to score the podium finish.

“I wasn’t looking forward to starting on the pole,” mentioned Cook.  “I guess it had a little bit to do with the finish.  The car was good, but I made some mistakes like I normally do.  Hopefully we can get the rust knocked off and get her going here.”

Hebing crossed the line in the fourth position with Smith being credited with fifth after Brett Wright was docked two positions at the end of the race for jumping a single-file restart.

A field of 31 sprints in the pits for the Lucas Oil ESS return to Thunder Mountain after several years.  A large crowd filled the hillside grandstands.

 Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Jason Barney ($2,260), Davie Franek ($1,035), Jeff Cook ($885), Chuck Hebing ($655), Mark Smith ($555), Steve Poirier ($470), Brett Wright ($530), Paulie Colagiovanni ($445), Joe Trenca ($410), Chad Miller ($400), Billy VanInwegen ($385), Josh Pieniazek ($320), Paul Kinney ($300), Scott Holcomb ($350), Denny Peebles ($300), Kyle Moffit ($325), Dustin Purdy ($300), Josh Azzi ($100), Edward Kelley ($100), Shawn Donath ($300), Thomas Radivoy ($300), Josh Flint ($375), Pete Richardson ($350), Jonathan Preston ($350), Matt Tanner ($300), Parker Evans ($300)

Did Not Qualify – Kelly Hebing, Alex Vigneault, Cory Sparks, Tyler Cartier, Scott Goodrich.

ESS Bonuses:

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Smith, Tanner, C. Hebing  $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Colagiovanni, Franek, Cook $25

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Halfway – Barney $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Cook $50

Fondations 55 Hard Charger – Holcomb (10 pos), $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Preston $50

Ground Control Last Car Lead Lap – Peebles $25

Ground Control 11th Place Finish – VanInwegen – $25

Laser Art Studio/Cobra Coaches Dash – Wright $100, Flint $75, Richardson $50, Moffit $25.

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

Hoosier Tire – Barney $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, Ground Control Lawn and Snow, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, AroundTown Plumbing & Heating, 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!!

VL Top3

Jonathan Preston takes first ESS A-main win in ESS Lucas Oil Opener

Jonathan Preston takes first ESS A-main win in ESS Lucas Oil Opener
Jonathan Preston takes first ESS A-main win in ESS Lucas Oil Opener
Jonathan Preston takes first ESS A-main win in ESS Lucas Oil Opener
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  History   >   Tour Archive   >   2019   >   2019 Results Page   >   Outlaw 5/17/2019

Jonathan Preston takes first ESS A-main win in ESS Lucas Oil Opener

Published May 18, 2019

By Dean Reynolds

 

By MIKE MALLETT

DUNDEE, NY – Jonathan Preston finally cracked into the record books on Friday night at the Outlaw Speedway with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints.  The Romulus, N.Y., has been so close so many times to getting his first win only to come up short.  

Early in the feature Friday night it looked like Preston was going to dominate the race.  Then it looked like a late mistake was going to cost him the opportunity for a win.  Luckily Preston got a well-timed caution that eventually allowed him to go on and score the $2,610 victory in the NAPA Auto Parts / Mach 1 Chassis 25-lap feature.

Preston started the night by setting fast time in his group before dominating his heat race.  From there he redrew the second position for the start of the A-Main.  By completing the sweep of fast time, heat win and A-Main win he won the $500 Wick-edly Sent Triple Crown. 

“I finally got the monkey off my back,” commented Preston after the win.  “I think it was an omen.  Someone was looking down from up above because I got fast time, redrew two and redrew two again for the feature.  Two and two…it was my night.”

That outside front row starting spot helped propel him to the lead at the green flag.  Preston went high into the first turn securing the number one spot from pole-sitter Paulie Colagiovanni.

Preston set a quick pace in the early go catching the rear of the field prior to lap five.  Before he got into the heavier traffic, Steve Poirier spun off the speedway just into the infield with a collapsed front end.  That ended the night for the defending series champion.

Preston chose the outside lane for the next restart which proved to be the right choice as he again kept Colagiovanni in check to keep the lead.  As the laps clicked off, the gap over the field expanded while Colagiovanni had a host of competitors looking to take the second spot from him including Jason Barney and Davie Franek.

By the time the race reached the mid-point Preston was mired in traffic, but he held a comfortable margin over the rest of the field.  He kept his No. 22 predominately on the top of the speedway to keep up momentum allowing him to slice his way quickly through traffic.

“There was a nice cushion up on the top,” said Preston.  “I don’t think there was much on the bottom.”

On lap 19 Mark Smith spun off the high-side of turn two forcing the second caution of the race.  Like the previous restart, Preston elected to go to the outside groove for the green.  This decision appeared to prove costly as Colagiovanni got the jump on him.  He slid up in front of Preston in turns one and two to take the lead away.

As the field came to the line to complete lap 20 a caution was necessary for a spinning Jason Barney.  As the field slowed up Josh Azzi flipped heading into turn one necessitating the red flag. He was unharmed in the crash.

This caution was good news for Preston as he inherited the lead back for a single-file restart.  It took two more attempts before lap 20 could be scored, but it was all Preston.  Preston drove away over the final six laps of the feature to earn his first ever series win.

“Last year Chuck (Hebing) got me here,” cited Preston.  “I gave him the top after going to the bottom.  I tried guarding the bottom.  I knew I wasn’t going to do that again, but in hindsight that was probably the right thing to do to go to the bottom so he couldn’t slide me.”

As happy as Preston was to see the caution, Colagiovanni was as equally disappointed that he lost the lead due to the yellow.  He inevitably was forced to settle for a second place effort.

“Things didn’t go my way tonight, but the car was good,” stated Colagiovanni.  “I’m pretty happy with the performance tonight.  My dad and Doug (Emery) set up the car really good so I could move all over the track.  I tried the bottom a couple times but I think the top was just too fast with the momentum.  We’ll get it next time.”  

Franek completed the podium, and like Colagiovanni, the caution hurt him as he had actually moved up to the second spot before having the field reset.  

“I hate finishing third,” joked Franek.  “It was a good run for us to come up here.  I didn’t need that yellow when I got to second but that is the way the cards fall.  If it was another way it could have been me falling back.  We’re happy.”

Paul Kinney advanced from the seventh starting position to finish in fourth while Matt Tanner was able to complete the top five. The next five was made up of Chuck Hebing, Barney, Brett Wright, Smith and Shawn Donath.

A field of 30 sprints filled the pit area for the first race of 2019.

Lucas Oil ESS/Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Jonathan Preston ($2,610), Paulie Colagiovanni ($1,060), Davie Franek ($810), Paul Kinney ($630), Matt Tanner ($555), Chuck Hebing ($495), Jason Barney ($430), Brett Wright ($720), Mark Smith ($460), Shawn Donath ($400), Kyle Moffit ($410), Denny Peebles ($355), Darryl Ruggles ($300), Billy VanInwegen ($300), Kelly Hebing ($350), Jeff Cook ($100), Pete Richardson ($325), Scott Holcomb ($300), Jared Zimbardi ($325), Parker Evans ($300), Josh Flint ($300), Josh Azzi ($375), Joe Trenca ($325), Dave Axton ($350), Chad Miller ($300), Steve Poirier ($100).

Did Not Qualify – Steve Glover, Edward Kelley, Josh Pieniazek, Kevin Carlson

 ESS Bonuses:

Wick-edly Sent Triple Crown – Preston $500

E3 Spark Plugs Fast Time – Preston, Poirier, C. Hebing  $25

Car Mate Trailers Heats – Preston, Tanner, Trenca $25

Around Town Plumbing and Heating Halfway – Preston $50

Pinnacle Pole Award – Colagiovanni $50

Fondations 55 Hard Charger – Smith (13 pos), $50

Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – K. Hebing $50

Ground Control Last Car Lead Lap – Moffit $25

Ground Control 11th Place Finish – Moffit – $25

Lane’s Yamaha/Cobra Coaches Dash – Wright $100, Azzi $75, Axton $50, Zimbardi $25, Peebles $25, Richardson $25

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium – Preston, Colagiovanni, Franek $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

 

 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, Ground Control Lawn and Snow, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Ohsweken Speedway/Canadian Sprint Car Nationals, Cobra Coaches, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, SUNY Canton, Pinnacle Employee Services, AroundTown Plumbing & Heating, 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!!