WOODHULL, NY � The last time Cory Sparks got to hold the checkered flag in Victory Lane was back in 2004 when he was still racing Mini-Sprints.
On Saturday night at the Woodhull Raceway, the 21-year-old driver from Edinburg, N.Y., held off Chuck Hebing and George Suprick en route to his first career Lucas Oil 25th Anniversary Empire Super Sprint tour victory.
The 25-lap A-Main was sponsored Dick Carbery as he wished the Empire Super Sprints good luck on their 25th anniversary tour. By securing the victory Sparks earned at total of $2,200 for his efforts.
�This feels absolutely great,� said Sparks. �It�s been a long time since I had a win. We came from the back of the heat to finish in second, then we won the dash and we won the A-Main. It doesn�t get any better than this.�
Brian McDonald started on the outside of the front row and he immediately took the lead as racing got underway on the tight one-third mile oval.
McDonald, of Cornwall, Ont., worked the extreme high line of the speedway as did Chuck Hebing. Hebing had moved into second behind McDonald when the caution came out on lap eight for Bubby Kerrick who had spun in turn four.
On the restart, McDonald and Hebing went high with Sparks taking his Farrell Oil/Sparks Excavating sponsored mount to the bottom of the speedway.
While the top two runners ran the high line, Sparks used the bottom to get by Hebing on lap 11 and two laps later he used an identical move to take the lead away from McDonald as they raced off of turn two.
�When I saw those guys go to the top my car I was happy because I was getting better on the bottom,� said Sparks. �I kept waiting for those guys to come to the bottom but they never did. I usually don�t run the bottom but my car was really good there.�
Sparks continued to lead as the raced into slower traffic. Fortunately for Sparks, most of the slower cars were running the middle to the top of the speedway giving him a clear line on the bottom.
His final challenge came on lap 20 when the caution flew one final time for Tim Kelly when he spun in turn two.
�I did not want to see that caution,� commented Spark. �I saw Cobra (Hebing) behind me and I just thought to myself don�t mess this one up.�
On the restart, Sparks stayed glued to the bottom and it paid off as he brought his Emery powered JEI car home in the top position.
Hebing, meanwhile, made several attempts in the closing laps to get by Sparks on the extreme outside of the speedway. With two laps to go, Hebing went into turns three and four and got high with his Jimmy D�s powered Triple X causing his right rear to get over the banking. It took away any chance for the win.
�We came up a bit short tonight,� said Hebing about his second place finish. �I ran it over the edge a couple times and if I didn�t do that I might have caught him (Sparks). I was pressing a little bit trying to catch him.�
George Suprick, of Clarks Summit, Pa., came from the inside of the sixth row to score his second consecutive top five finish with the Empire Super Sprints. In the closing laps he battled with Hebing to take the second position away, but he couldn�t get enough of a run off the bottom of the turn to get by him giving him third place run.
�That was an exciting run with Cobra (Hebing),� said Suprick. �Had I known the three of us had a lead like we did I would have moved around a little bit to try and get by him. It was tough on the bottom because I lost so much momentum getting into the turn.�
Steve Poirier, utilizing an AMB Moteurs powered J & J Auto Racing chassis, finished in fourth after starting 12th. McDonald, after leading the first 12 laps, lost brakes in his Triple X mount but he was able to hang on and secure a solid fifth place finish.
ESS/Woodhull Notes: A record field of 30 sprints played host to a big crowd on a picture perfect evening�Jeff Frasier made his first ever ESS start with his 305 c.i. sprinter and made the starting field�Pa. drivers that ran the event the night before at Clinton County who traveled north were Bobby Howard, Matt Heimbach, John Smith III, Matt Miller and Rich Brungard�Clinton County winner Justin Barger had motor troubles and only took one lap in the A-Main�Next up for the Lucas Oil Tour will be two important stops on the SMAC Magazine Canadian Invasion Series with the first trips of three to both Edelweiss and Brockville.
RACE RESULTS (7/12/08)
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Dick Carbery Gook Luck on Your 25th Anniversary ESS A-Main (25 laps): Cory Sparks, Chuck Hebing, George Suprick, Steve Poirer, Brian McDonald, Gary Troutman, Jeff Cook, Lance Yonge, Anthony Cain, Bobby Howard, Alain Bergeron, Gordy Button, Michael Parent, Matt Heimbach, Jeff VanDusen, Lee Ladouceur, Mike Stelter, Howard Singer, Bubby Kerrick, Tim Kelly, John Smith III, Jeff Frasier, Justin Barger
Lap Leaders: 1-12 McDonald, 13-25 Sparks
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 (10 laps): Anthony Cain, Cory Sparks, Gordy Button, Bubby Kerrick, Lance Yonge, Lee Ladouceur
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 (10 laps): Chuck Hebing, Gary Troutman, Alain Bergeron, George Suprick, Bobby Howard, Michael Parent
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 (10 laps): Jeff VanDusen, Brian McDonald, Matt Heimbach, Steve Poirier, Jeff Cook, John Smith III
Wilkins Reality Appraisals Walt�s Hobby Dash (4 laps): Sparks
KSE Racing Products B-Main (10 laps): Tim Kelly, Howard Singer, Mike Stelter, Jeff Frasier
Did Not Qualify: Jared Zimbardi, Matt Miller, Robbie Shuttleworth, Adam Gordon, Chris Muhleisen, Rich Brungard, Brandon Warner
Provisional: Justin Barger
Bonuses:
Carbery Gook Luck on Your 25th Anniversary ESS: Sparks $400
Ohsweken Speedway A-Main Winner�s Bonus: Sparks $100
National Parts Peddler Halfway Bonus: Sparks $100
Les Constructions Ultra Blue Collar Award: $100
Lane�s Yamaha Hard Charger: Suprick (plus 8) $50
HG Associates Pole Award: Button $50
AMB Moteurs Fast Time Award: Poirier $50
Cook�s Contracting Bridesmaid Bonus: Hebing $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heats: Cain, Hebing, VanDusen $25
Lucas Oil $115, Griffin Thermal Products $100, Design 500 $100, Saldana Racing Products $50, GME Steering $80, Hank�s Performance Products $50, Kreitz Oval Track Products $50, Racing Optics $30, Rod End Supply $30, Area Auto Racing News $25, Brake Man $25, MRE Productions $10, Ultra Shield $10, Pepsi Cola $10.
Weld Racing Hard Luck � Barger $100
ATL � Suprick $100
Penske Shocks � Bergeron $100
Mangus Pumps � Cain $100
M&W Aluminum Products � Troutman $75
Leaf Racewear � Cook $75
Design 500 � McDonald $50, Ladouceur $50
Keizer Wheels � Cain $50
KSE Racing Products � Kelly $50
Zemco Headers � McDonald $50
Joe Hunt Magnetos � Kelly $50
Rod End Supply � Hebing $30
VMAC Racing � Cook $25
DMI � Barger $25
Luther�s Way Out Grafix � Warner $25
ISC Racers Tape � Bergeron $10
Ultra Shield � Hebing $10
Pepsi Cola � Cain, Hebing, VanDusen, Kelly $5.