ESS: Cornwall results 2006-07-16

Donny Sharp Jr. Wires Empire Super Sprint Field at Cornwall Motor Speedway.

CORNWALL, ON -- It was a weekend for long-time Empire Super Sprint (ESS) regulars to shake off the victory lane absence. On Sunday night at the Cornwall Motor Speedway, Alexandria, N.H.'s Donny Sharp Jr. ended a winless streak that lasted nearly five years dominating the 25 lap Spectro Oils Canadian Invasion event by leading from start to finish.

Sharp travels more hours on the road than any ESS team and brings a crew of one-- his dad. Many times the Sharp Stonework Maxim has been close to victory lane but just never had the chips fall in the right place. Tonight, from green to checker it was all showcased by one driver to become the eleventh different winner on the nativepoker.com Tour this year.

"I guess you cans say that we've been waiting for this" said the 28 year old driver with a big smile after getting career win #4. "We have been close many times, even last year when I got beat by Ricky Wilson on the last lap. But I guess we had a good car tonight, my dad said that we had them covered pretty well at that gives you some confidence."

Had them covered indeed, not even one caution, one red and lapped traffic was getting in the way of victory lane. Getting the jump from pole sitting Billy White, Sharp Jr. used the middle to high lane on an unusually slick Cornwall to build on a lead each lap.

"When I gunned it coming off the four wide I said to myself 'wow, this car feels pretty good'. It just stuck and that's what you needed tonight was a tight car." Sharp said shortly afterwards while getting congratulations from his ESS peers. "This year has been tough, we were trying for top five in points but we didn't even qualify for the first three shows. Then we missed a weekend so our point chances are done. I guess its trying to get wins now and we got one, it feels good."

With Sharp Jr. just about running his own race, White put together just as impressive 25 laps to stay in second through the duration as did Matt Norrie in third and at the checkered flag they were one-two-three. Luke Eriksen had his best run in a long time to take fourth and make for an all New England top four. New Yorker Doug Emery rounded out the top five. The next five was the FM Industries #28FM of June Cornwall winner Steve Poirier, another New Englander in Russ Bennett was sixth followed by Gabriel's IGA Market #56D of Jeff VanDusen, who collected the Lane's Yamaha hard charger bonus after starting in 17th. Jessica Zemken and Jeff Cook rounded out the top ten.

The lone red was on lap two when Bobby Podolak looped his sprinter collecting Glenn Styres, Rick Wilson, Alain Bergeron and Lance Yonge with Styres mount going over. Bergeron and Yonge were able to get back into the A-Main. On the lap two restart, the one caution was for George Ely who hit the front stretch wall break his rear end.

Taking the Car Mate Trailers heat events were Cook, White and Poirier with Poirier also taking the Cornwall Truck Centre/Walt's Hobby Dash. The KSE Racing Products B-Main was won by Dan Kaszubinski.

ESS/CORNWALL NOTES: A record field of 29 sprints filled the pits after a long three race weekend--The usual SRO crowd filled the stands on a warm evening--.Besides Ely and Styres, Jared Zimbardi, Justin Harris and Kayle Robidoux joined ESS teams that raced previously on the weekend--Even with two wild flips on the weekend, Kyle Moffit was in the field with help from Randy Years and the Fratto Motorsports team. Although a DNQ, the car did go on the trailer in one piece--Next weekend the nativepoker.com Tour for the Empire Super Sprints will make a return to the Canandaigua Speedway after a four years absence this Sat. Then it's on to the Utica-Rome Speedway on Sunday to make up the July 2nd. rain out.

RESULTS:

Heat 1 -- Jeff Cook, Lance Yonge, Don Sharp Jr., Alain Bergeron, Luke Eriksen, Rick Wilson

Heat 2 -- Billy White, Bobby Podolak, Doug Emery, Glenn Styres, Jessica Zemken, Jeff VanDusen

Heat 3 -- Steve Poirier, Matt Norrie, Russ Bennett, Jared Zimbardi, Michael Parent, Nick Fratto

Cornwall Truck Centre/Walt's Hobby Dash -- Steve Poirier

B-Main -- Dan Kaszubinski, Justin Barger, George Ely, John Karklin Jr.

Added starter -- Bubby Kerrick

Did Not Qualify -- Doug Norrie, Kyle Wilson, Ron Zagata, Kayle Robidoux, Kyle Moffit, Justin Harris.

A-MAIN -- DONNY SHARP JR., Billy White, Matt Norrie, Luke Eriksen, Doug Emery, Steve Poirier, Russ Bennett, Jeff VanDusen, Jessica Zemken, Jeff Cook, Nick Fratto, Alain Bergeron, Michael Parent, John Karklin Jr., Jared Zimbardi, Lance Yonge, Bubby Kerrick, Justin Barger, Dan Kaszubinski, George Ely, Bobby Podolak, Glenn Styres, Rick Wilson.

-ess-