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Jason Barney Dominates for First Ever Empire Super Sprint Utica-Rome Victory
By MIKE MALLETT
VERNON, N.Y. – Jason Barney has won races at Utica-Rome Speedway in both a Sportsman and a Modified. On Sunday night he finally scored the win he’s been waiting for the longest.
Barney, of Constantia, N.Y., captured his first ever Sprint Car win at the ½ mile Vernon oval in the 25th Anniversary Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint SUNY Canton 25-lap A-Main. The popular driver took home $2,200 in cash for his efforts during the night.
“This is awesome,” stated the driver of the Walton’s Farm and Auto Sponsored No.87. “To win at Utica-Rome makes me so happy; I wouldn’t want to win anywhere else.
“I’ve taken three years of abuse in the shop for not winning here but hopefully this should end all that.”
Racing got underway with Justin Barger taking the early lead from his pole-starting position while Barney was making his way forward from the outside of the second row.
Barger led until lap seven when the 28-year-old Barney dove to the bottom of turns three and four and slid up the banking to take the lead away.
“I have to thank Justin (Barger) for beating us in the dash,” stated Barney. “We thought we had a good car until he went by us in the dash. We went back and made a bunch of changes to the car and it paid off in the feature because we were able to be strong on the bottom of the speedway.”
Upon taking the lead, Barney began opening up a sizeable advantage in his HG Associates powered Maxim car until that was negated on lap nine when Tommy Wickham got off the top of turn two.
On the restart, Barney was easily able to pull away from the field when the caution flew a second and final time on lap 12 for Doug Emery.
“I really didn’t mind those cautions,” said Barney. “They helped us out a lot because my car was really good the first four or five laps after restarts and I liked having the clean air.”
With less than five laps to go Barney caught the tail of the field but it didn’t slow him down enough for anyone to catch him giving him his second career Empire Super Sprint victory.
After a great battle with Jeff Cook, Lance Yonge secured his second top five finish of the season with his second place finish to Barney.
“It took too long for the car to come back to us,” commented Yonge about his Johnson’s Farms sponsored Maxim. “I was really tight early and I went backwards for a little bit. If the car had come on five laps sooner we may have had something for him (Barney).”
Cook, of Antwerp, N.Y., brought his North Country Welding sponsored Maxim chassis from the 14th starting position to finish in third.
“After they watered and worked the track I wanted to change the car,” said Cook. “But I went back to my notebook and looked at what I wrote down last year. It told me to not to pay any attention to the water truck and leave the car set up for the slick.”
Dan Kaszubinski of Syracuse, N.Y. finished fourth in his Bud Burlew owned no. 28 while Barger faded back to finish in fifth.
ESS/Utica-Rome Notes: A very good field of 36 sprints filled the pits on a picture, perfect night if front of a typical huge crowd at the Gene Cole promoted half-mile…Making first ever ESS starts were Brandon Warner (who qualified for the A-Main) Kory Gurney, Tim Devendorf, former ISMA Super Modified star Bobby Magner and Utica-Rome top modified driver Willy Decker as a teammate to Chuck Hebing…Hebing however suffered motor troubles in his main mount and had to use his back-up for the rest of the night…Motor troubles also claimed Jessica Zemken and Bobby Breen during the night…Blaise Regina scratched his Rich Zagata owned mount after warm-ups…Near perfect track conditions helped in seeing 24 of the 25 A-Main starters finish the event…The Lucas Oil Series for ESS will see two more stops at Utica-Rome on July 6th and August 31st….Next week will be the Annual Earl Halaquist Memorial at the Fonda Speedway, the $2,000 to win event will be the second leg of the GSSI I-90 Challenge.
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints SUNY Canton A-Main (25 laps): Jason Barney, Lance Yonge, Jeff Cook, Dan Kaszubinski, Justin Barger, Rick Wilson, Jeff VanDusen, Blake Breen, Michael Parent, Doug Emery, Cory Sparks, Tim Kelly, Steve Poirier, Chuck Hebing, Bubby Kerrick, Mike Stelter, Tommy Wickham, Lee Ladouceur, Alain Bergeron, Normand Beaudreault, Doug Norrie, Brandon Warner, Anthony Cain, Gordy Button.
KSE Racing Products B-Main (10 laps): Mike Stelter, Chuck Hebing, Alain Bergeron, Gordy Button
Provisional – Anthony Cain.
Did Not Qualify: Jami Russell, Jessica Zemken, Bobby Breen, Kory Gurney, Blaise Regina, James Hanson, April Wilson, Willy Decker, Tim Devendorf, Howard Singer, Bobby Magner.
Walton’s Farm and Auto Repair/Walt’s Hobby Dash (4 laps): Justin Barger
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 (10 laps): Jason Barney, Doug Emery, Tim Kelly, Normand Beaudreault, Tommy Wickham
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 (10 laps): Steve Poirier, Lance Yonge, Brian McDonald, Jeff Cook, Michael Parent
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 (10 laps): Blake Breen, Jeff VanDusen, Dan Kaszubinski, Cory Sparks, Doug Norrie, Alain Bergeron
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 4 (10 laps): Justin Barger, Rick Wilson, Bubby Kerrick, Lee Ladouceur, Brandon Warner.
Lap Leaders: Barger 1-6, Barney 7-25.
Bonuses:
SUNY Canton A-Main – Barney $400
Ohsweken Speedway A-Main Winner’s Bonus – Barney $100
National Parts Peddler Halfway Bonus – Barney $100
Les Constructions Ultra Blue Collar Award – Kaszubinski $100
Lane’s Yamaha Hard Charger – Cook (11 Pos.) $50
HG Associates Pole Award – Barger $50
AMB Moteurs Fast Time Award – Barger (17.075) $50
Cook’s Contracting Bridesmaid Bonus – Yonge $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heats – Barney, Poirier, Blake Breen, Barger $25.
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Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Points as of 5/25/08
1.
Justin Barger
229
2.
Lance Yonge
225
3.
Doug Emery
177
4.
Blake Breen
175
5.
Dan Kaszubinski
173
6.
Jeff VanDusen
160
6.
Chuck Hebing
160
8.
Steve Poirier
158
9.
Jason Barney
127
10.
Michael Parent
116
GSSI I-90 Challenge Points
1.
Jason Barney
127
2.
Lance Yonge
116
3.
Jeff Cook
109
4.
Dan Kaszubinski
105
5.
Justin Barger
102
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