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ESS: Memorial Day weekend preview

Big Three Race Memorial Day Weekend for the nativepoker.com Empire Super Sprints. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- After a very successful opening event on the 2006 nativepoker.com Tour for the Empire Super Sprints (ESS), the 24th season now kicks into full ...

Published: May 24, 2006, 5:26 AM

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Big Three Race Memorial Day Weekend for the nativepoker.com Empire Super Sprints.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- After a very successful opening event on the 2006 nativepoker.com Tour for the Empire Super Sprints (ESS), the 24th season now kicks into full gear on Memorial Day Weekend with trips to the Brewerton, Can-Am and Utica-Rome Speedways.

It's been since October of 1993 where the winged wonders of the ESS sprinters have visited the "D-Shaped Dirt Demon" known as the Brewerton Speedway. The oval where sprint cars in N.Y. State got their start back in 1982 has hosted ESS 25 times over the years and was one of the mainstays back in ESS' early days. A return back in 2002 fell victim to weather so this year's event has built up in excitement and will be a must see.

The special night will feature just three divisions as DIRT's Big Block Modifieds and Mod-Lites will share the bill. Many drivers of local interest will be in the field looking to take home the important checkered flag and among those are Dan Kaszubinski, who finished third in opener on May 6th at Fulton, Doug Emery, Shawn Donath, Tommy and Dave Wickham.

The next night it's a short jaunt up Interstate 81 to the Can-Am Motorsports Park which is owned by the Caprara Brothers and is now promoted by legendary Will Cagle. The big half-mile will host three events for 2006 with Kaszubinski and two-time and defending ESS champ Lance Yonge collecting wins last season. Kaszubinski leads the win list with five victories but he will be challenged by the likes of local shoe Jeff Cook, Canadian favorites Rick Wilson and Alain Bergeron, who also collected A-Main wins at Can-Am, Jeff VanDusen, Justin Barger, Mike Stelter and John Karklin Jr.

On Sunday is down to the traditional holiday weekend stop for the nativepoker.com Tour and that's the Gene Cole owned Utica-Rome Speedway. This half-mile oval has been a big supporter of the ESS sprinters by hosting three events each season and in 2006 it's no different.

Last year Kaszubinski, Stelter and Yonge took home the winning laurels. They will be in the field once again along with Utica-Rome favorites Gordy Button, a three-time ESS champion, Jessica Zemken, who has won a DIRT sportsman championship here, and rookie Jason Barney who has taken wins in modified and sportsman at the Vernon, N.Y. oval. Donny Sharp Jr., the Norrie Bros. Doug and Matt, Bubby Kerrick, Nick Fratto, Warren Alexson and opening event winner Bryan Howland is expected to be in the field that should top the 30 mark.

Three big nights, three great tracks!! The nativepoker.com Tour for the Empire Super Sprints is ready to go into high gear for the 2006 season. Who will be the driver to make the early season point title statement in hops of dethroning the king Lance Yonge? Fans at Brewerton, Can-Am and Utica-Rome will see all the action in front of their eyes and it will be excitement guaranteed!!!

-ess-

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