9.2.16 Empire Super Sprints Results
BREWERTON, NY – Danny Varin has been close on numerous occasions to parking his Dover Brake No. 00 in Victory Lane with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) and on more than one occasion at the Brewerton Speedway. In the last two years the Fonda, N.Y., driver has finished second twice at Brewerton after watching the lid slip away late in the race.
Friday night’s race had all the makings of Varin’s heart being broken again. This time though his determination paid off as he outlasted Pennsylvania invader Mark Smith for his first career series win as he now joins his father, Bobby, as an ESS winner. Varin collected $2,100 for his hard work in the Mach-1 Chassis 25-lap A-Main. The event earned points for series regulars in the NAPA Auto Parts US Tour, SUNY Canton Racing Series as well as points toward the overall title.
“It feels great,” stated an elated Varin in Victory Lane. “We’ve been very good here. We made a few mistakes with the car tonight that I thought it was going to cost us. We just held out the best we could. Dover Brake (Dave Cruickshank) gave me a hell of a car. I couldn’t ask for a better car owner. The money he spends for me to be here, if anyone deserves it he does.”
Varin started the night setting fast-time for his group in Beard-Sewer and Drain timed warm-ups. From there he went out and dominated his Car Mate Custom Built Trailers heat race to pick up the win after starting sixth. That placed him in the redraw where he picked the second starting position for the feature.
Tim Axton jumped to the early lead holding the top spot for the first three circuits before Varin worked to the outside of turns one and two in order to secure the top position on lap four. As he was taking the lead from Axton, Chuck Hebing and Smith were all over one another trying to put themselves into third.
Varin’s first taste of traffic came just as the race was about to reach the midway point. He moved through a few cars before Hebing, who was second, got tangled with Chad Miller. The two got together and they were locked together causing both cars to spin.
Varin was now joined by Smith on the outside for a crucial restart. Varin went to the bottom of turn one then slid up in front of Smith at the exit of the second corner to stay out in front at the green. Varin kept the advantage over Smith, but Smith never let him get more than a few car lengths away as the laps ticked higher. Varin patiently worked the inside rail while Smith blasted his car in around the top of the speedway on the cushion.
“To come out here and run against the best, one spot better is great,” said Varin. “He’s (Smith) a great competitor. I was nervous there. I knew he was going to be on the top. That wasn’t the best place to give him. We just had to make the right moves and hold out for 25-laps.”
The two were separated by feet at the line when one last yellow flag was necessary for a spinning Jeff Cook on lap 19. This put Smith on the outside of him one final time. Varin was masterful on the restart hitting his marks perfectly on the inside. At this point he started to move away from the field.
“I just started to pulled my wing back,” he mentioned about the final laps. “I lost a race here last year on the last lap coming to the checkers because I missed my mark. That wasn’t going to happen tonight.”
As Varin led, Smith was forced to battle with Sammy Reakes for second. Reakes worked the bottom while Smith was unable to get off the top lane on the speedway. As Varin took the checkered flag, Reakes used a slide job at the exit of turn four to beat Smit to the line for second.
“I knew if I got a good run off the bottom and slid across the track I had a shot at getting him,” commented Reakes. “I couldn’t woe up. I lost my brakes around lap five. We’ve been struggling with that since Jason (Barney) gave us this car to use. I can’t thank him enough it’s been awesome. I’m a little bummed about breaking the front wing and not having any brakes. I think we might have had something for Danny, hats off to those guys. He seemed like he was in a league of his own there at the end.”
Smith brought Patrick Vigneault’s No. 55 home in the third position. Afterwards he admitted that he used up his tires running the top. Even though he tried moving around late he didn’t have much left.
“I just used my right rear up after starting seventh,” stated Smith. “When you got them starting up front where they don’t have to punish their tires it takes its toll on your stuff. It just gave up there the last five laps. I struggled the last five laps. It just seemed like my right rear went. I was searching.”
Jason Barney crossed the line in fourth but was scored in the final position for not crossing the scales after the event. That moved current point leader Steve Poirier up to fourth with Shawn Donath becoming the final car in the top five.
ESS/Brewerton Notes – A big field of 36 sprints filled the pits…Ohio’s Jared Hortsman made his first start of 2016, after a wall encounter during timed hot laps he came back to win the B-Main…Jake Muench also made his first start…Darryl Ruggles, Keith Granholm and Muench were flip victims during qualifying…
Mach 1 Chassis A-Main – Danny Varin ($2,100), Sam Reakes IV ($1,000), Mark Smith ($800), Steve Poirier ($630), Shawn Donath ($565), Tim Axton ($885), Paul Kinney ($505), Bryan Howland ($495), Tommy Wickham ($510), Pete Richardson ($400), Jared Hortsman ($435), Jeff Cook ($320), Jordan Thomas ($300), Joe Trenca ($290), Parker Evans ($335), George Suprick ($280), Brandon Kidd ($300), Dave Axton ($275), Matt Tanner ($275), Chuck Hebing ($300), Chad Miller ($450), Paulie Colagiovanni ($300), Larry Wight ($275), Jason Barney ($350)
Lap Leaders – T. Axton (1-3), Varin (4-25)
Car Mate Trailers Heat 1 – Varin, Richardson, Kidd, Miller, Tanner
Car Mate Trailers Heat 2 – Wickham, Wight, Hebing, Barney, Poirier
Car Mate Trailers Heat 3 – Colagiovanni, Donath, Suprick, Howland, Cook
Car Mate Trailers Heat 4 – T. Axton, Reakes IV, Smith, Evans, Thomas
87 Speed/X-1 Race Cars/Cobra Coaches Dash – Miller, Barney, Evans, Howland
Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Hortsman, Trenca, Axton, Kinney
Did Not Qualify – Dan Bennett, Josh Azzi, Matt Billings, Jonathan Preston, Coleman Gulick, Jake Muench, Keith Granholm, Denny Peebles, Steve Glover, Paul Habeck, Bob Gray, Darryl Ruggles
Bonuses:
Beard Sewer and Drain Best Time – Varin, Hebing, Howland, Kinney – $25
87 Speed/X-1 Race Cars/Cobra Coaches Dash – Miller ($125), Barney ($75), Evans ($50), Howland ($50).
Insinger Fuels Hard Charger – Kinney (17 pos.) $50
Engler Machine and Tool Halfway – Varin $50
E&V Energy – Kidd, Wickham $50
Ohsweken Speedway 21st Anniversary – Miller $50
Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Donath $35
Car Mate Trailers Heats – Varin, Wickham, Colagiovanni, T. Axton $25
911 Restoration – Wickham, Hortsman $25
Lucas Oil ESS 7-12 Challenge – None – $600 Sept. 2 at Thunder Mtn.
Hoosier Tires – T. Axton $200
Vahlco Wheels – T. Axton $190
For more Information on the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints:
Web: www.empiresupersprints.com
Twitter: @ESSprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmpireSuperSprints
Android App: Empire Super Sprints
The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints are brought to you by: Lucas Oil, Mach 1 Chassis, Einstein Construction Group, SUNY Canton, NAPA Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires, Donath Motorworx, Insinger Performance, Car Mate Trailers, Fondations 4 Saisons, Beard Sewer and Drain, Cobra Coaches, 911 Restoration, Westward Painting Company, Fondations 55, E&V Energy, Panther Frameworx, YorkMont Auctions,, Engler Machine and Tool, Northwood 2 Construction, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Lacaillade Masonry, FX Chevy, ASI Racewear and many, many associate sponsors!!