RANSOMVILLE, N.Y. – Jason Barney was mad at himself after his heat race because he didn’t make a pass to get by another competitor. The lack of the pass cost him a spot in his heat race but it worked out well for the Constantia, N.Y., driver as he earned his first Lucas Oil Empire Super win of the 2009 season at the Ransomville Speedway.
The win in the 25-lap A-Main earned Barney and his Jeff Walton owned teamed a much needed $1,700 payday.
“I was really mad at myself for giving up that spot in the heat race,” said Barney after the win. “When I finished third I thought I would be out of the invert for the feature. We finally got a little bit of luck and the invert put us on the outside of the front row.”
Barney started alongside Chuck Hebing on the front row for the feature event with the Cast Incorporated sponsored No. 87. At the green he took full advantage of that starting position as he bolted out in front of Hebing.
“Starting on the front row with Cobra (Hebing) I knew I needed to get a good start,” said Barney. “We had a good car and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to start up front. Last time out we had a great car and started 17th. Starting position is everything when you race against these guys.”
Barney was the leader when the red flag was displayed for Jim Porter. Porter got off the top side of turn four and rolled his ride several times before coming to a stop against the outside fence.
With two laps complete in the feature it set up a single file restart. Once again Barney raced away from the field with Hebing in tow.
On lap five, Barney led with Hebing moving up to the high side of the speedway. The move allowed him to close the gap on Barney.
By lap nine the duo were battling for the lead with Barney low and Hebing high. Hebing nearly had the lead one lap later as the raced in slower traffic but the caution came out for Kevin Loveys when he spun and came to a stop in turn one.
“I felt really good on the bottom,” stated Barney. “I didn’t think there was anything up there on the top and then all of a sudden I see Chuck (Hebing) up there. I felt so good on the bottom and the car felt so strong that think I took it a little bit too easy.”
On the restart, Barney held the lead with Hebing looking again to the high-side. He continued to run that line when disaster struck on lap 12.
Hebing brought out the second red flag of the feature as he broke something in his No. 28. He went hard into the outside wall in turn three and the car rolled up and over the wall and into the woods. His car was destroyed but he was able to walk away from the incident.
Barney moved up the speedway for the second half of the event and his car was strong off the top of the turns. He fended off the rest of the field after two more restarts to earn his fifth career victory.
“I moved up to the top to try and protect the lead,” said Barney. “I wanted to make sure that I made the car as wide as I could late in the race. I know the Breen brothers like to run the top and I worried they were going to get by me. I did all I could to make sure if anyone was coming near me on the top side I would take the air off their wings to slow them up a little bit.”
Barney held on to win with Michael Parent making every effort he could to get by Barney. He was unable to complete the pass forcing him to continue his search for his first career ESS victory.
“He (Barney) was very good on the top and getting a good run off the corners,” said Parent. “I had to slow up too much going into the turn corner that I couldn’t stay with him coming off the bottom.”
For Parent it was another runner-up finish in his Fisher powered Eagle. A good rebound for the team after they haven’t run up to their standards the last few races.
“We needed to have a good run tonight,” commented the driver from Granby, PQ. “I wanted to win to this but even though we didn’t I’m happy that we ran a lot better than we have been.”
Jared Zimbardi came from the outside of the fourth row to finish in third. In the closing laps he made several attempts on the top side of turns one and two to get by Parent for the second position but he was unable to complete the pass.
“It was a fine line running the high-side in turns one and two and the car felt good up there,” stated the Little Valley, N.Y., pilot. “I went to the high side in three and four but there was nothing but marbles up there. He (Parent) was running a good line on the bottom and I couldn’t get by.”
Bobby Breen, of Savannah, N.Y., crossed the line in fourth with Darren Long taking fifth. But, during post race inspection Long had an additive in his fuel and he was disqualified. This moved Tommy Wickham, of Constantia, N.Y., working his way from the 12th starting position to fifth.
ESS/RANSOMVILLE NOTES: A total of 20 sprints pit side for ESS’ first event at Ransomville since 2001…Making first starts of 2009 were Long, Jared Zimbardi, the Breen brothers of Bobby and Blake and Scott Kreutter…Both Steve Poirier and Jeff Cook had to switch cars after the heats. Poirier backed his into the wall bending his frame, Cook blew a rear end yoke…Next Friday night the stars and cars of the Lucas Oil backed tour will visit the newly renovated Mohawk Int’l Raceway for a $2,000 to win SUNY Canton Series event.
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints A-Main (25-laps): Jason Barney, Michael Parent, Jared Zimbardi, Bobby Breen, Tommy Wickham, Jeff Cook, Steve Poirier, Justin Barger, Tim Kelly, Scott Kreutter, Mike Stelter, Anthony Cain, Dave Dykstra, Blake Breen, Lance Yonge, Chuck Hebing, Kevin Loveys, Tim Zack Jr., Jim Porter. DQ – Darren Long
Lap Leader: Barney 1-25
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 (10 laps): Jared Zimbardi, Bobby Breen, Jason Barney, Blake Breen, Kevin Loveys, Tim Kelly, Scott Kreutter.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 (10 laps): Mike Stelter, Michael Parent, Tommy Wickham, Jeff Cook, Steve Poirier, Anthony Cain.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 (10 laps): Dave Dykstra, Lance Yonge, Chuck Hebing, Darren Long, Justin Barger, Jim Porter, Tim Zack Jr.
Cobra Coaches Dash (4-laps): Mike Stelter.