Story By: CURTIS BERLEUE / EMPIRE SUPER SPRINTS – WEEDSPORT, NY – For the second time in two years, Larry Wight sat atop the podium Tuesday night at Weedsport Speedway with the Empire Super Sprints.
As it was the continuation of the rain-shortened ‘Cavalcade Cup’ program from September 9, only hot laps and the A-Main were on the card for the 360 sprints in this Tuesday spectacular.
Before the rains came back in September, Trevor Years had drawn the Pinnacle Pole Award and as such brought the field to the green flag alongside Larry Wight. Working the high side for the majority of the event, Wight was able to pick up his first ESS victory of 2023 over Jason Barney and Chuck Hebing.
“The car felt good on the top,” said Wight. “It was kind of one of those deals where if it feels good and you’re not seeing a nose, you just stay up there.”
“A guy like Jason Barney, he can roll that bottom so good, so when I saw him coming up through, I knew it was definitely there, but I just had to stick to my guns and keep rolling the cushion.”
Jordan Poirier came home fourth and locked up his second consecutive championship by a final margin of 95 points over runner-up Shawn Donath. Rounding out the top five was Danny Varin.
The final on track event for the Empire Super Sprints in their 40th Anniversary season is Friday, October 20th at the Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, NY. The Hoag Memorial, named in honor of the late Dutch and Dean Hoag, will pay $3,500 to win to cap off the 2023 campaign.
The ESS Road Ahead:
Friday, October 20 – Outlaw Speedway – Dundee, NY ($3,500 to win Hoag Memorial)
Saturday, November 11 – ESS Rules Meeting & Awards Banquet – Vernon Downs Hotel & Casino
Full Results (Qualifying Completed 9/9, A-Main on 10/3):
A-Main (25 Laps): 1. #99L-Larry Wight[2]; 2. #87-Jason Barney[6]; 3. #45-Chuck Hebing[5]; 4. 28-Jordan Poirier[4]; 5. #01-Danny Varin[8]; 6. #5H-Chris Hile[10]; 7. #36-Logan Crisafulli[9]; 8. #5D-Jacob Dykstra[3]; 9. #24-Bobby Hackel IV[16]; 10. #4P-Chase Moran[12]; 11. #98-Joe Trenca[11]; 12. #90-Matt Tanner[13]; 13. #10-Jeff Cook[14]; 14. #53-Shawn Donath[7]; 15. #13T-Trevor Years[1]; 16. #23-Tyler Cartier[20]; 17. 96X-Chad Phelps[17]; 18. #67-Steve Glover[15]; 19. #33-Lacey Hanson[19]; 20. #7C-Dylan Swiernik[21]; 21. 80-Bobby Parrow[18]; 22. #13-Keith Granholm[22]
Monroe Mechanical Services Dash (4 Laps): 1. #4P-Chase Moran; 2. #90-Matt Tanner; 3. #10-Jeff Cook; 4. #67-Steve Glover; 5. #41-Dalton Rombough; 6. #24-Bobby Hackel
E&V Energy Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 28-Jordan Poirier[1]; 2. #98-Joe Trenca[2]; 3. #01-Danny Varin[4]; 4. #79-Jordan Thomas[3]; 5. #90-Matt Tanner[5]; 6. #67-Steve Glover[6]; 7. 96X-Chad Phelps[7]; 8. #23-Tyler Cartier[9]; 9. #66-Jordan Hutton[8]
E&V Energy Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. #5H-Chris Hile[2]; 2. #87-Jason Barney[1]; 3. #5D-Jacob Dykstra[5]; 4. #13T-Trevor Years[3]; 5. #4P-Chase Moran[6]; 6. #41-Dalton Rombough[9]; 7. 80-Bobby Parrow[8]; 8. #13-Keith Granholm[7]; 9. #7C-Dylan Swiernik[4]
E&V Energy Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. #53-Shawn Donath[3]; 2. #36-Logan Crisafulli[1]; 3. #45-Chuck Hebing[2]; 4. #99L-Larry Wight[5]; 5. #10-Jeff Cook[4]; 6. #24-Bobby Hackel IV[6]; 7. #33-Lacey Hanson[8]; 8. #21B-Blake Warner[7]
Awards & Contingencies:
Rifenburg Contracting Fast Time ($25 each): #98-Joe Trenca; #5H-Chris Hile; #45-Chuck Hebing
E&V Energy Heat Winners ($25 each): #28-Jordan Poirier; #5H-Chris Hile; #53-Shawn Donath
Cobra Coaches / Monroe Mechanical Services, Inc. Dash Winner ($100): #4P-Chase Moran
Pinnacle Pole Draw Award ($25): #13T-Trevor Years
PJC Spray Foam Hard Charger Award ($50): #24-Bobby Hackel IV (+7)
PJC Spray Foam Reverse Hard Charger Award ($50): #13T-Trevor Years (-14)
Pinnacle Investments Last Car Running ($35): #33-Lacey Hanson
Pinnacle Investments 11th Place (5 gallons fuel): #98-Joe Trenca
Ashley Lynn Winery Podium Finish (bottle of wine): #99L-Larry Wight; #87-Jason Barney; #45-Chuck Hebing