By Dean Reynolds
SYRACUSE, NY – As the first official green flag is about to wave in a month, the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) is set to embark on a 27 event tour that takes the winged warriors to 14 different premier dirt tracks. The celebration of the 27th Anniversary takes ESS throughout New York, Ontario and Quebec, Canada.
Its one of the most talked about schedules in ESS history with the return of many of ESS’ tradition stomping grounds of the past, adding two new facilities and being backboned by the traditional stops that the top sprint chauffeurs have grown accustomed to. Throw in many high paying events and a point fund that fast approaching the $40,000 mark, the 2010 season will be a great way to kick off the new decade.
Welcome back to the tour for the Cayuga County Fair, Brewerton and Fulton Speedways. Three tracks where the ESS’ pioneers found their beginnings. It’s been several seasons since ESS will hold full point events at these Central NY tracks and with the key additions, several teams are on board in following the Lucas Oil Tour.
First time ever visits for the quarter-mile tracks known as Glen Ridge Motorsports Park and Le RPM Speedway on Quebec. It will be short track racing at its best and for these new facilities it marks their biggest events ever in their very young history.
Of course what has made ESS strong since the new millennium are the faithful full point events at Utica-Rome, Can-Am, Autodromes Granby, Drummond and Edelweiss, Fonda, Ohsweken and Mohawk. These tracks will see the stars and cars from a single visit up to as much as three during the campaign.
Special events will find ESS’ best shooting for lots of dollars and also bragging rights. Heading the list is the Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals at Glenn Styres’ Ohsweken Speedway (Sept. 17 &18) where this year’s victor will collect a cool $10,000. This is the largest prize in 360 sprint car history in the Northeastern US and Canada.
For the second year in a row will be the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Sprint Car Nationals at Autodrome Drummond (Aug. 14) which again boasts a $6,000 top prize. ESS’ champion Justin Barger won the inaugural event in front of a talented field of drivers at Quebec’s oldest running dirt track.
Can-Am Motorsports Park’s second try of the “Shootout Weekend” on July 4th (July 2 & 3) weekend will see a new and exciting twist for the two separate full point events. On Friday night it will be $2,000 to win while the driver in victory lane on Saturday will see $4,000 in his pocket with an increase purse throughout making it the richest ESS full point event in it’s 28 year history.
Also a first will be the Fast Track 360 Sprint Car Summer Shootout at the Rolling Wheels Raceway Park (July 23 & 24). The mid-summer event at the fast half-mile will see ESS working with the officials of the United Racing Company in what is hoped to be a start of an exciting tradition. These will be two separate shows as well with Friday’s winner collecting $2,000 and on Sat. it’s a nice chunk of $3,000.
During Super Dirt Week, ESS will again be helping URC during the annual New York 360 Sprint Car Challenge (Oct. 8) which will be held on Friday night at Cayuga County. The tradition of the original Rolling Wheels event has been carried over and so did the rich $3,000 winners share.
Just recently secured will be the first ever Mohawk Madness event at the Mohawk Int’l Raceway (Aug. 6). The full point event will pay $2,500 to win with added dollars in the A-Main purse. This will be the only event that will carry points in three separate point categories as well so it was a goal to reward the teams with extra dollars during the night.
The Lucas Oil Tour will kickoff on Memorial Weekend, May 29 & 30 with the annual Earl Halaquist Memorial at the Fonda Speedway followed by the first of three holiday stops at the Utica-Rome Speedway. The full point season will also close at Fonda with the crowning of the 2010 champion coming on Nov. 20th during the annual awards banquet.
Justin Barger will be looking to defend is ESS championship but the list of challengers will be a who’s who in 360 sprint car racing. Lance Yonge, Jeff Cook, Steve Poirier, Michael Parent, Tommy Wickham, Chuck Hebing, Brian McDonald, Anthony Cain, Tim Kelly, Jim Porter, Shawn Donath and Joe August have plans to follow the tour in 2010. At most events, fans will also see Alain Bergeron, Lee Ladouceur, Dan Kaszubinski, Jessica Zemken, Mike Stelter, Cory Sparks, Jami Russell, Jason Barney, Justin Harris, James Hanson, Normand Beaudreault, Paul Pekkonen, Dave Wickham, Daniel Lampron, Tyler Rand, Chris Jones, Ricky and April Wilson, big block star Bobby Varin, Floyd Billington, Dale Gosselin and so many others.
For the first time on a long time, ESS will also have a stout crop of new comers to the tour and plans are to follow as much of the tour as possible. They include 305 sprint car standouts Tyler Rice and Dylan Swiernik, former micro-sprint driver Kevin Ward, quarter-midget standout Zach Weigand (as a teammate to Kaszubinski) and female driver Lacy Hanson, sister of James Hanson. Also you can expect the young guns of Matt Tanner, Kory Gurney and Devin Caron at several events.
The fight for the overall Lucas Oil Champion, the Northwood 2 Construction/LaSalle Motorsports Canadian Sprint Car Series, the SUNY Canton Series, the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec 5 Star Series, the WestFront Construction Hard Charger Series, the Cobra Coaches Dash Series and the Gater Racing News Lap Leader points…The money is waiting!
Fans and sprint teams alike can catch all the up to date information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints by visiting www.empiresupersprints.com where in the coming weeks you will see many new sponsorship announcements and added purses to full point events on the schedule. For over 27 years it has been the tradition of excitement guaranteed!
The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Tour 2010 Schedule.
Sat. May 29 Fonda Speedway – 7th annual Earl Halaquist Memorial
Sun. May 30 Utica-Rome Speedway
Fri. June 4 Autodrome Granby
Sat. June 5 Autodrome Drummond
Fri. June 18 Autodrome Edelweiss Speedway
Fri. June 25 Glen Ridge Motorsports Park
Fri. July 2 Can-Am Motorsports Park – Shootout Weekend – $2,000 to win!
Sat. July 3 Can-Am Motorsports Park – Shootout Weekend – $4,000 to win!
Sun. July 5 Utica-Rome Speedway – $2,000 to win!
Sun. July 11 Cayuga County Fair Speedway
Fri. July 16 Ohsweken Speedway
Fri. July 23 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park – Fast Track 360 Summer Shootout – $2,000 to win!
Sat. July 24 Rolling Wheels Raceway Park – Fast Track 360 Summer Shootout – $3,000 to win!
Fri. Aug. 6 Mohawk Int’l Raceway – Mohawk Madness – $2,500 to win!
Fri. Aug. 13 Autodrome Edelweiss Speedway
Sat. Aug. 14 Autodrome Drummond – Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Nationals – $6,000 to win
Fri. Aug. 20 Brewerton Speedway
Sat. Aug. 21 Fulton Speedway
Fri. Aug. 27 Autodrome Granby
Sat. Aug. 28 Autodrome Drummond
Sun. Aug. 29 Le RPM Speedway – $500 Coffrage Daniel Lampron Canada vs. USA Dash!
Fri. Sept. 3 Can-Am Motorsports Park
Sun. Sept. 5 Utica-Rome Speedway
Fri. Sept. 17 Ohsweken Speedway – Night Before the Nationals
Sat. Sept. 18 Ohsweken Speedway – Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals – $10,000 to win!
Sat. Sept. 25 Fonda Speedway
Fri. Oct. 8 Cayuga County Fair Speedway – New York Sprint Car Challenge – $3,000 to win!
Sat. Nov. 20 Lucas Oil Annual Awards Banquet.
Lucas Oil Points available at every event which also includes show-up point events.
Northwood 2 Construction/LaSalle Motorsports Canadian Sprint Car Series: Autodrome Granby, Drummond and Edelweiss, Ohsweken, Le RPM and Mohawk.
SUNY Canton Series: Can-Am, Utica-Rome, Fonda and Mohawk
Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec 5 Star Series: Autodrome Granby and Drummond, Le RPM
The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints are brought to you by: Lucas Oil, Northwood 2 Construction/LaSalle Motorsports, SUNY Canton, 730 Truck Stop, Hoosier Racing Tires, Les Constructions Ultra, Cooks Contracting Services, Fondations 4 Saisons, Car Mate Trailers, The National Parts Peddler Newspaper, WestFront Construction, Cobra Coaches, The Ohsweken Speedway, Mohawk Racing Parts, Engine Research, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Total Race Supply, Riverside Bar and Grill, Coffrage Daniel Lampron, FX Chevy and many, many associate sponsors.