Swiernik’s winless drought ends with ESS victory at Genesee

Batavia, N.Y. – Dylan Swiernik ended a nine year winless drought after winning the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints 25 lap A Main at the Genesee Speedway on Saturday night.  The Port Leyden, New York driver led all 25 laps but he had plenty of company to deal with throughout the race.  Swiernik and Lacey Hanson brought the field to the green flag as Matt Tanner and Chuck Hebing tailed closely behind.  Out of turn two Swiernik grabbed the lead as Hebing powered into second.  A lap two caution ended Shawn Donath’s night with front end damage and sent Matt Tanner to the pits for repairs.  Tanner was able to continue.  Swiernik won the drag race to turn one with The Cobra right on his right rear.  Sammy Reakes IV and Matt Farnham made their first appearances in the top five pushing outside pole sitter Lacey Hanson back to fifth.  Swiernik built a 3 car lead over Hebing when a caution for a spinning Blake Warner brought the caution out on lap 5.   The top 5 remained the same until Jason Barney brought out the caution on lap 9 bunching the field together once again.  Again, Swiernik got that extra bite low out of turn four to beat Hebing to turn one, with Reakes, Farnham and Joe Trenca entering the top five.  Swiernik inched out to a 5 car length lead until lap 21 when Hebing suffered a right rear flat and stopped in turn two while running second.  The caution moved Matt Farnham up to second, followed by Reakes, Trenca and now Jordan Poirier entered the picture from his 10th place starting spot.   On the lap 21 restart, Lacey Hanson and the Lil’ Cobra Kelly Hebing tangled in turn three resulting with Kelly upside down.  She was not injured but the car was done for the night.  Hanson was able to continue.  Matt Farnham, who inherited second place during the Hebing flat tire, reported that he was running low on fuel and debated on whether to come in or not.  He elected to stay out.  On the ensuing single file restart, Swiernik followed the low line to perfection and motored off of turn two with a two car advantage and was never challenged from that point.  Matt Farnham slowed coming out of turn two but managed to keep enough fuel in the lines to cross the finish line in eleventh.  Sammy Reakes IV and Joe Trenca jumped on Farnham’s misfortune, cashing in for second and third while Jordan Poirier and Jeff Cook rounded out the top five.  Matt Tanner ( all the way back from his lap 2 mishap ) crossed the line in sixth, followed by Brett Wright, Denny Peebles, Jason Barney ( all the way back from his lap 9 mishap ) and Lacey Hanson completed the top ten.  A post race inspection found an illegal tire on the Trenca 98 and he was scored in the 18th position moving everyone from third on back, up a spot in the order of finish.

 

A jubilant Dylan Swiernik after pulling into victory lane for the first time as a winner in nine years, ” I can’t believe it, I was wondering if this day was going to come.  I was checking the (score)board, I could hear Chuck behind me, I could feel him near the right rear.  Awesome car tonight, worked really good down low again off the turns.”

 

Heat races were won and fast times were set by Trenca, C. Hebing and Farnham.  Brett Wright won the Cobra Coaches / Indy Kart Raceway Dash.

 

Next three Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints races :

Saturday, June 18th at Evans Mills – The Kevin Ward Jr Memorial Asphalt Spectacular

Wednesday, June 29th at Can-Am Speedway – First race of 2022 ESS / CNY Speedweek

Thursday, June 30th at Thunder Mountain – Second race of 2022 ESS / CNY Speedweek

 

LUCAS OIL EMPIRE SUPER SPRINTS A Main results from Genesee Speedway :

DYLAN SWIERNIK, Sammy Reakes IV, Jordan Poirier, Jeff Cook, Matt Tanner, Brett Wright, Denny Peebles, Jason Barney, Lacey Hanson, Matt Farnham, Keith Granholm, Blake Warner, Jeremy Barnard, Chuck Hebing, Kelly Hebing, Mike Stelter, Shawn Donath, Joe Trenca (DQ)