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Nightly Bonuses Boost Empire Super Sprint Purse; Sprint Teams Will Race for the Most Money in the 25 Year History.
By Dean Reynolds
SYRACUSE. N.Y. – It’s been 25 years of sprint car history, the Empire Super Sprints (ESS) have come a long way since it’s first race back in 1983, starting a tradition of winged sprint car racing in New York and Canada. Continuing to build each year and for the 2007 season, the tour brought to you by Jacobs Motorsports, will see the largest nightly pay out in the history of the club.
With tremendous support by many sponsors, each team that enters an ESS event will benefit from the largest payoff ever and to go along with total point fund monies that will top $30,000 the upcoming season looks to be the most exciting yet.
“We are just so proud to have so many dedicated sponsors and friends over the years to keep ESS strong. This year we have added many new ones as well and we are excited to give some of the best sprint car drivers around the most money ever.” said ESS President Chuck Miller. “What makes this an extra benefit for all is that this will be the fifth year in a row we will pay out more money and it comes without any more cost to the promoters. We know times are tough for both the racers and promoters alike, to keep the teams going we try to get them a bigger payoff and to help the people that run the race tracks, we have kept our cost the same for five years.”
“Without a sanction fee requirement we have been able to set up the biggest A-Main base purse for any 360 sprint car organization on the east coast. We try to give the racers as much money as we can which keeps car counts strong which in return the tracks will get exciting shows for the fans.” Miller continued. “This year we are able to have half our shows $2,000 to win and to go along with the purse that pays a minimum of $400 for tenth and $250 to start we are hoping car counts will continue to rise.”
Returning for the second year in a row is promoter Glenn Styres and his Ohsweken Speedway. On September 14 & 15 comes the Arrow Express Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. The Canadian Sprint Car Nationals will be the sponsor of the nightly A-Main winner’s bonus where the victor will take home an extra $100. The Jacobs Motorsports Tour will also visit Ohsweken on June 22nd for an exciting full point show.
The runner-up at each event will not be forgotten as well, Cooks Contracting Services will offer an extra $50 to the second place finisher at each event which is a minimum of $1,000. ESS competitor Jeff Cook will pilot the famed #10 at each event in hopes of his first ever title.
Car Mate Trailers from Leeper, Pa. is back for another season with the title sponsorship of each eight lap qualifying heat event. Not only will the winner transfer to the A-Main, the Walt’s Hobby Dash Series event but will also collect $25 for their efforts.
Corky Stockham and his National Parts Peddler Newspaper will back the halfway bonus for a second year in a row. The leader on lap 13 of each ESS point show will get an extra $100 from Stockham whose newspaper is celebrating its 27th consecutive year of printing. The National Parts Peddler will be available at many ESS shows in 2007.
Six-time champion and ESS legend Mal Lane and Lane’s Yamaha from Watkins Glen, N.Y. will again sponsor the nightly hard charger award. The driver that passes the most cars during the 25 lap A-Main will see an extra $50 reward. New this year is a special hard charger point standings sponsored by Lane’s Yamaha and will see a $1,000 point fund as well.
New for 2007 will be the Les Constructions Ultra “Blue Collar” award where a driver chosen by ESS officials to have worked the hardest in the A-Main will collect another $100. The successful construction company from Granby, Quebec is owned the Parent family which their son Michael was the 2006 Jereco Competition Engines rookie of the year.
Also new for 2007 will be many special A-Main sponsors at several events which will help boost the winners share at these events to $2,000 to win:
Fondations 4 Saisons is sponsoring each A-Main at Autodromes Granby and Drummond. The company owned by the ESS competitor Steve Poirier and family has added to each event held at the two tracks closest to his home. With the help of the added travel tow bonuses, the total in the winner’s envelope will be $2,000 while it will also be $450 to start the A-Mains at Granby and Drummond.
Northwood 2 Construction will do the same at the two events held at the Autodrome Edelweiss Speedway. The LaSalle family has been big fans of ESS for years and is now taken a more dedicated role with the club. With their help, the two A-Mains at Edelweiss will pay $2,000 to win and with the added travel tow bonus there, it will be $375 to start the A-Main there. Northwood 2 will also sponsor two Walt’s Hobby Dashes this year and with LaSalle Motorsports, 10 lucky fans will see frisbees in their hands at each event.
Westfront Construction is also a popular A-Main sponsor with the backing of both events at the Cornwall Motor Speedway. Newest ESS Canadian addition Brian McDonald and his family own the construction company that shadows the quick quarter-mile in Cornwall. Each event there will pay $2,000 and with the travel tow bonus that each competitor gets by entering the event, they will get $300 to start the A-Main.
Even though the opening event is about one month away, more programs are still in the works and could be announced in the next few weeks. With the great help from Jacobs Motorsports, Lucas Oil, Hoosier Tire, Walt’s Hobby, Lane’s Yamaha and Gater Racing News, the total point funds will top last years $30,000 mark and that could build as the season moves on.
Not to mention, with a large number of contingency sponsors, many winners in 2007 could see a total over $2,500 in cash and prizes with another $1300 - $2000 in added prizes spread throughout the field at each event.
May 27th through to Oct. 6th, 31 dates, some of the best winged sprint car drivers in the Northeastern United States and Canada. It’s the 25th year for the Empire Super Sprints and it will be excitement guaranteed! For more information on ESS and all its great supporting sponsors, please log on to www.empiresupersprints.com
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