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Jeff Cook Out Races Jessica Zemken for ESS Victory at Frogtown; Steve Poirier Claims his First Championship.
HOGANSBURG, N.Y. – Taking the lead from race long leader Jessica Zemken on lap 18 and then holding off her late race bid was Antwerp, N.Y.’s Jeff Cook as he collected his third victory on the Empire Super Sprint Tour brought to you by Jacob’s Motorsports. Cook also made it two victories in a row at the ultra-fast half-mile located on the Akwesasne Indian Reservation known as the Frogtown International Speedway where many family and friends greeted him in victory lane.
As this event was the final full point show of 2007, by virtue of his fine fifth place finish St. Mathieu del Beloeil, Quebec’s Steve Poirier claimed his first ever ESS championship. A wild celebration in victory lane was capped by the traditional Poirier celebratory victory song by family and crew. He won the title by 49 pts. over Jeff VanDusen.
For Cook who usually is in running for the annual hard luck award, the well earned triumph capped off his most successful season ever on the ESS trail. While his Maxim was ungodly fast on the top side of the big oval, Zemken gave him a little scare shortly after he passed her on lap 18. “I was real fast going into turn three and four and that’s how I was able to pass her. But, why I started to get a little comfortable I don’t know and she slipped right back by (on lap 22)…that woke me right up!” said Cook on the closing stages of the race. ”Luckily I got back around and I wasn’t going to do that again!”
Zemken got the jump on Cory Sparks at the waving of Austin Swamp’s green flag to take the early lead and she opened up a good distance in hopes of her second career ESS triumph. As the laps clicked on, Zemken’s lead got larger and Cook’s charge to the front got more noticeable. Fourth on lap six, a wild two car pass to take second on lap 14 just before a red flag was displayed to bunch up the field.
Just one lapped car separated Zemken and Cook with the final 11 laps going non-stop. Cook needed one lap to make it the two car battle for the win. Going to the outside of Zemken’s Maxim, Cook’s Maxim stuck like glue going into turn three and he took the lead as lap 18 was scored.
The two soon entered in lapped traffic and Zemken made her charge back and with the two lap signal getting ready, that same turn three is where she made her move and she dived right back under Cook. But, slower cars on the bottom held her charge and Cook went right back around and this time he never lifted until he saw the checkered flag.
At the finish it was Cook’s Rt. 37 Building Supply #10 in for career win number seven and ironically it now ties him with his father-in-law Adrian Flath. Zemken was home for a fine second with Jeff VanDusen taking third and finishing in the runner-up slot in the final points for an incredible third year in a row. Sparks rebounded from some bad luck to take fourth with the newly crowned champ taking fifth.
In victory lane, Poirier quickly credited his crew for the title. “This is all theirs, they just give me such a good car at every race. We only dropped out of one race all year, unfortunately it was last night (at Edelweiss) and when you have success like that you have a good shot at the points.” Poirier said with a big smile. “Our goal was the championship, we thought we had a good shot but there are so many great teams in ESS. We did achieve are goal and we are very proud to be ESS champion.”
The second five was made up of Brian McDonald, The Bert Transmissions #46 of Kayle Robidoux, Tim Kelly, Edelweiss winner Bubby Kerrick and Chris Jones.
Two cautions and two red flag stoppages did bunch up the field. Glenn Styres flipped on the back stretch on the original start. His car was done for the night but he walked away. On lap one, Russ Bennett made contact with the outside wall in turn four. Justin Barger and Lee Ladouceur brought out the yellow on lap four. The most serious accident occurred on lap 14 with Alain Bergeron, Michael Parent, Normand Beaudreault and Lance Yonge tangled on turn two. Both Beaudreault and Parent flipped which ended their A-Main. Bergeron and Yonge returned to the action. Also, as the checkered flag was waving, Barger and Alan Jacobs got together in turn four knocking Barger from a top ten finish.
Taking the Car Mate Custom Built Trailer heats were Zemken, Sparks, and Bennett. Winning the Frenchie’s Chevrolet/Walt’s Hobby Dash was Bergeron and with the victory he became the Walt’s Hobby Dash Series champion, his second title and he will collect $700 at the annual awards banquet. The KSE Racing Products B-Main was won by Anthony Cain.
ESS/FROGTOWN NOTES: A big field of 31 sprints filled the pits for the final full point show and also the only appearance by the stars of ESS at Frogtown…A large crowd that thrilled the management came out on the late September evening. The successful weekend of Edelweiss and Frogtown are already being planned for next year…Making their first ESS starts of ’07 was Southern Ontario Sprint regular Craig Downie who made the A-Main, Vermont’s James Hansen who just missed the cut and fourth place finisher in Frogtown’s small block modified points for ’07 in Alan Jacobs aboard the Glenn Styres team car. Jacobs looked right at home in a winged sprinter and qualified easily…Ryan Stabler hopped a wheel and flipped his Brian McDonald sprinter during warm-ups…After his second expired engine in two nights, Tommy Wickham used his provisional and got the green light to race the Jared Zimbardi back-up. He promptly passed 13 cars and took home the Lane’s Yamaha hard charger bonus…The final event on the ESS schedule will be the $3,000 to win, 25 lap A-Main at the Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on Saturday, October 6th during Super DIRT Week. The event is co-sanctioned by ESS and the United Racing Company but is open to all 360 sprint car competitors.
RESULTS:
Heat 1 – Jessica Zemken, Alain Bergeron, Jared Zimbardi, Glenn Styres, Lee Ladouceur, Lance Yonge
Heat 2 – Cory Sparks, Bubby Kerrick, Brian McDonald, Kayle Robidoux, Tim Kelly, Mike Stelter
Heat 3 – Russ Bennett, Michael Parent, Jeff VanDusen, Steve Poirier, Jeff Cook, Alan Jacobs
Frenchie’s Chevrolet/Walt’s Hobby Dash – Alain Bergeron
B-Main – Anthony Cain, Chris Jones, Normand Beaudreault, Craig Downie
Provisional Starters – Tommy Wickham, Justin Barger
Did Not Qualify – Derek Jonathan, Rick Wilson, James Hansen, Don Sharp Jr., Daryl Turford, Ryan Stabler, Daniel Lampron
A-MAIN – JEFF COOK, Jessica Zemken, Jeff VanDusen, Cory Sparks, Steve Poirier, Brian McDonald, Kayle Robidoux, Tim Kelly, Bubby Kerrick, Chris Jones, Tommy Wickham, Mike Stelter, Alain Bergeron, Justin Barger, Lance Yonge, Anthony Cain, Craig Downie, Lee Ladouceur, Alan Jacobs, Jared Zimbardi, Michael Parent, Normand Beaudreault, Russ Bennett, Glenn Styres.
Gater News Lap Leaders – Zemken 1-17, Cook 18-25
Canadian Sprint Car Nationals A-Main Winner’s Bonus – Cook $100
National Parts Peddler Halfway Bonus – Zemken $100
Les Constructions Ultra Blue Collar Award – Kelly $100
Lane’s Yamaha Hard Charger Bonus – Wickham (13 pos.) $50
Cook’s Contracting Services Bridesmaid Bonus – Zemken $50
HG Associates Pole Award – Sparks $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heats – Zemken, Sparks, Bennett $25
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