ESS: Cornwall results 2007-06-17

Jeff VanDusen Doubles up on the Empire Super Sprint Weekend: Takes $2,000 to win A-Main at Cornwall.

CORNWALL, ON -- The big three race Lucas Oil Canadian Invasion Series weekend for the Empire Super Sprints (ESS) just got a little bit better for Otego, N.Y.'s Jeff VanDusen. Coming off a blown engine Friday night at Autodrome Granby, the young star swept the last two events with his familiar #56D. The final victory came Sunday night at the Cornwall Motor Speedway which paid $2,000 to win for the West Front Construction sponsored A-Main. With the two wins, VanDusen took over the overall point lead on the tour brought to you by Jacobs Motorsports.

With the main Maxim sitting silent inside the trailer after Granby, the 2001 Eagle was put to the test and you can place an A plus on the report card by taking the final two checkers of ESS' Canadian swing. While Drummond on Saturday night was a nail biter to the finish, Sunday VanDusen took the lead on lap seven and was never looking back beating two-time champion Lance Yonge to the checkered flag by a comfortable margin.

"I was real down after Friday, we had a real good car that night and after coming off a second place finish at Utica our hopes were high. But what can you do? We blew an engine and we are lucky to have a back-up car." VanDusen reflecting back on the weekend. "This is a good car too, we got some luck on our side, made sure we had this one ready and we got two wins as well as the point lead after the weekend. Carl (Schultz, his car owner), my dad, so many people are into this deal and there's just one goal...the championship."

The VanDusen name has been the point's bridesmaid all too often, Jeff the past two seasons with his father Mike doing the same in 1987-89 behind six-time ESS champion Mal Lane.

Jeff Cook led the field down in front of another big Cornwall crowd with his North Country Welding #10 looking for his third victory at the fast quarter-mile oval. He led the first six laps, but, when he hopped the wheel of a lapped car and shot off turn three it opened up the door for VanDusen. He had no troubles driving strait through taken command of the top spot. Not even three cautions, the challenge from Yonge or any other obstacle was to get in the way on this night.

With the double checkered flags waving high in the air, it was ESS career win #10 for VanDusen and his first ever at Cornwall. Yonge's second place finish with his Johnson Farms sponsored #17J is best so far on the early 2007 season. Tommy Wickham collected three top five finishes on the weekend to lead the Lucas Oil Canadian Invasion Series point's, he took third followed by Alain Bergeron and Mike Stelter. Rounding out the top ten were local favorite Brian McDonald, whose family was the A-Main sponsor, Bubby Kerrick, Rick Wilson, Michael Parent and Justin Barger. For Barger, he collected the Lane's Yamaha hard charger bonus and also the Les Constructions Ultra "Blue Collar" award after blowing his engine during the heat events. He then unloaded the back-up car and came from back of the field for the well earned top ten taking home an extra $150 in bonuses.

Three cautions that were all minor in nature slowed the pace: Cook and Steve Poirier slid off the track on lap 10 with April Wilson doing the same on lap 13. Ryan Jacobs looped his sprinter in turn four on lap 17 for the final caution.

Taking the Car Mate Custom Built Trailers heat events were Yonge, Bergeron and VanDusen with Bergeron copping the 730 Truck Stop/Walt's Hobby Dash Series event.

ESS/CORNWALL NOTES: A field of 21 sprints closed out the big three race weekend...A welcome back to the father/daughter tandem of Rick and April Wilson for the first time in 2007. Also, tour sponsor Ryan Jacobs made his first appearance in his new Maxim and looked strong all night...Barger's weekend was a long one indeed. After taking third Friday night at Granby, he drove over seven hours home to be in a wedding and then it was back eight plus hours to Cornwall on Sunday night....After engine problems the night before at Drummond, Jessica Zemken ran the Steve Poirier back-up mount on this night...Normand Beaudreault had troubles all night and didn't answer the A-Main starting call...ESS will make one more visit to Cornwall on Sunday July 15th...Next weekend it's two more Lucas Oil Canadian Invasion Series events in Lucas Oil's back yard. Friday its off to Glenn Styres' Ohsweken Speedway followed by a long awaited return to the Merrittville Speedway on Saturday night.

RESULTS:

Heat 1 -- Lance Yonge, Steve Poirier, Brian McDonald, Bubby Kerrick, Jessica Zemken, Jamie Collard, April Wilson.

Heat 2 -- Alain Bergeron, Rick Wilson, Jeff Cook, Mike Stelter, Cory Sparks, Glenn Styres, Ryan Jacobs.

Heat 3 -- Jeff VanDusen, Tommy Wickham, Michael Parent, Keith Dempster, Justin Barger, Lori Cook.

730 Truck Stop/Walt's Hobby Dash -- Bergeron.

Did Not Start -- Normand Beaudreault

A-MAIN -- JEFF VanDUSEN, Lance Yonge, Tommy Wickham, Alain Bergeron, Mike Stelter, Brian McDonald, Bubby Kerrick, Rick Wilson, Michael Parent, Justin Barger, Glenn Styres, Cory Sparks, Steve Poirier, Jessica Zemken, Jeff Cook, Jamie Collard, Keith Dempster, Ryan Jacobs, April Wilson, Lori Cook.

-credit: ess