Sprint

ESS: Black Rock report 2001-08-10

DUNDEE, N.Y. - After taking the checkered flag at the opening Empire Super Sprint (ESS) Tour 2001 event on May 12 at Canandaigua, Honeoye Falls, N.Y. Randy Years was looking to improve on his 2000 campaign where he was co-rookie of the year. While ...

Edited: Apr 23, 2005, 8:54 PM

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DUNDEE, N.Y. - After taking the checkered flag at the opening Empire Super Sprint (ESS) Tour 2001 event on May 12 at Canandaigua, Honeoye Falls, N.Y. Randy Years was looking to improve on his 2000 campaign where he was co-rookie of the year. While he did stay in the top 10 in the season long points, top finishes were getting hard to come by for the family owned operation.

All the struggling came to a quick halt Friday night at the Black Rock Speedway with a wire to wire convincing run to collect his second win of the season and third career with ESS. The victory came in front of a standing room only crowd at the Dundee, N.Y. oval located just minutes North of Watkins Glen where the NASCAR Winston Cup Series was making it's annual visit.

"We (Randy and his family) all needed this." dead-panned Years on his victory. "It was a good start to the season but the way the tracks have been dry and slick I just can't seem to get a hold of them. Right now it's been a struggle to learn what to do. Tonight, the moisture came through the surface later in the night and the track had a few bumps. I like it like that, I wish all of them could be like that. The faster, the better."

Years' Twister Chassis sprinter outraced Jeff VanDusen from his outside pole starting spot to take the lead right at the drop of the green flag. A quick caution on lap two bunched the field up, but, then came a 15 lap green flag stint and Years kept his blistering pace while in the lead as well as in lapped traffic.

"I just kept going as hard as I could. You just don't know where or when they are coming." said Years referring to ESS stars Mike Woodring, Rick Wilson, Lance Yonge, Dan Kaszubinski and others. "When the track is like this I know I'm alright. But, when it comes to the traffic you just don't know if you're running the right line or if you're passing the cars fast enough."

When the yellow lights came on with lap 17 glaring on the lap counter, Years was still holding a lead but the names of Wilson and Woodring were second and third with their wild charges through the field. "I didn't know if I wanted that yellow." said Years on the late race drama. "When Ricky (Wilson) pulled alongside of me I said 'oh crap!', I know he hasn't won yet and he would try real hard to get me. But, when they (ESS Officials) held up the line-up board and I saw that there was a couple of lapped cars in-between, I knew that I should be ok."

When the green was dropped for the last time, Years took off and both Wilson and Woodring needed a lap to break free. That lap was enough for Years as he took the checkers by a comfortable margin. Wilson brought the Price Paving J&J home for second with current ESS point leader Woodring in for third with his J&J. Taking fourth was Yonge, who came from his 16th place start, with Kaszubinski in for fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Steve Dow, Bubby Kerrick, Bill Coffey, Chris Muhleisen, who earned the Walt's Hobby Hard Charger bonus after coming from his 23rd. starting spot, and R.C. Faigle.

The 20 lap A-Main was slowed three times: On the original start, a multi-car pileup caused for an original restart. Involved were Alain Bergeron, Tom Taber, Tim Zimbardi, Bob Podolak, George Ely, John Karklin Jr., Justin Barger and Ray Preston. With just minor damage, all cars returned. On lap two Rob Dietrick came into contact with the turn four wall ending his night early. The lap 17 caution was for VanDusen who was spun around ending a strong top ten bid.

Taking the Brodix Cylinder Heads heat events were VanDusen, Years and Kaszubinski. The Kwik Fill at the Glen/Walt's Hobby Dash was won by Wilson with the KSE Racing Products B-Main taken by Zimbardi.

ESS NOTES: Another fine field of 33 sprinters came out in what turned into a tune-up for the Billy Hill Nationals weekend next month...Bob Beehler made his first start of 2001 with the Bud Burlew #28. Making his first ever sprint car start was Black Rock and DIRT star Charlie Donk. Although he was a DNQ, Charlie enjoyed the experience and will run the Billy Hill Nationals...Now 17 year old sensation Kyle Drum blew up a recently purchased engine in warm-ups making it two engines in two weeks. Although ninth in points, the future on the tour could be in jeopardy...NASCAR and former USAC sprint car star Tony Stewart was on hand taking in the ESS/DIRT 358 mod double-header. Many other NASCAR crew members were also scattered throughout the Yates County Oval....Next week will find "America's Race Cars" returning to Albany-Saratoga on Friday night to make up the Aug. 3 event. No events were run so all competitors are encouraged to attend even if you missed the show on the 3rd. {TB}

RESULTS: Heat 1 - Jeff VanDusen. Bubby Kerrick, Steve Dow, R.C. Faigle, Rob Dietrick, Lance Yonge. Heat 2 - Randy Years, Rick Wilson, Bill Coffey, Don Sharp Jr., Mike Woodring, Alain Bergeron. Heat 3 - Dan Kaszubinski, John Karklin Jr., Bob Podolak, Ray Preston, Justin Barger, George Ely. Kwik Fill at the Glen/Walt's Hobby Dash - Wilson. B-Main - Tim Zimbardi, Mike Young, Chris Muhleisen, Scott Holcomb. Provisional starters - Mike Stelter, Tom Taber. Did Not Qualify - Ryan Coniam, Phil Mott, Dick Spadaro, Charlie Donk, Bob Beehler, Kyle Drum, Shawn Felt, Warren Alexson, Billy Bradshaw. A-MAIN - RANDY YEARS, Wilson, Woodring, Yonge, Kaszubinski, Dow, Kerrick, Coffey, Muhleisen, Faigle, Young, Stelter, Sharp Jr., VanDusen, Holcomb, Taber, Preston, Karklin Jr., Zimbardi, Barger, Ely, Bergeron, Dietrick, Podolak.

Lap Leader - Years 1-20. Walt's Hobby Hard Charger - Muhleisen (14 pos.) $50. Vicomp Graphics Halfway - Years $50.

Winner's Bonuses - Car-Mate Trailers $50, Extreme Racewear $100, Tire Comp. East $75, Hank's Performance Products $50, Griffin Thermal Products $50, Bicknell Racing Products $35, Hazlitt Vineyards $30, Red's Speed Shop $25, Behrent's Performance Warehouse/Mechanix Wear $20.

Other Bonuses: Weld Racing Hard Luck - Drum $75. Extreme Racewear - Wilson $75. Penske Racing Shocks - Kaszubinski $200. Duralite Racing Wheels - Yonge $50. Design 500 - Holcomb $100, Kaszubinski $50. C&R Racing Radiators - Kaszubinski $50. KSE Racing Products - Zimbardi $50. Joe Hunt Magnetos - Dietrick $50. Bailey Racing Products - Faigle $35. Total Seal - Faigle $20. Hazlitt Vineyards - Wilson $30, Wodoring $10. Thunder Mt. Wings - Bergeron $20.

-ESS

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