Patriot Sprint Tour Set to Kick Off 2014 Season at Canandaigua Saturday

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By Rich VleckPatriot Sprint Tour Logo

 

Rich Vleck, ROCHESTER, NY, (April 27, 2014)- Canandaigua Motorsports Park has been an important setting in the history of the Patriot Sprint Tour, and the next chapter will be written this Saturday as it plays host to the 2014 PST Season Opener.

 

For the first time in nearly four years, the A-Verdi Storage Containers Patriot Sprint America Tour to head to the Canandaigua Motorsports Park, the fourth-most visited track in tour history.  With rain halting the PST opener at Merrittville this past Saturday, the 12th year of PST action gets under way at the site of 12 previous tour stops.

 

Saturday will also mark the 11-year anniversary of the first Patriot race in 2003.  Since that year, Canandaigua held a Patriot race every year until 2011, when rain thwarted action.  Now that the series is returning a number of notable names are anxiously awaiting a return to the “Land of Legends”.

 

Chuck Hebing, the all-time leader in career PST wins, also has the most sprint wins at CMP with four.  “Cobra” has not won there since 2007, but also owns five modified wins at the ½-mile, and is always a favorite when he travels from Ontario, NY to the Ontario County Fairgrounds.

 

George Suprick has never minded traveling up from Clarks Summit, PA to race at Canandaigua, where he has won at on three occasions.  It is safe to say though that the 2004 Series Champion has never looked forward to the trip as much as this one as he returns to the cockpit of his No. 87 for the first time since suffering a heart attack last June.

 

Speaking of the number 87, Jason Barney has also been a force at Canandaigua. Barney has scored two PST wins plus one other 360 victory at the speedplant.

 

Four-time PST Champion Bryan Howland also has a win at Canandaigua and has finished in the top 10 in each of the last 10 trips, he should also be a force.

 

Defending PST America Champion Jared Zimbardi headlines a host of drivers to never win at Canandaigua but are certainly a factor.  “The Juice” has reeled off six top 5 finishes at Canandaigua in his last six starts.

 

2011 Series Champion Scott Kreutter, 2013 Rookie of the Year Scott Just and series frontrunners Tommy Wickham, Don Adamczyk, Geoff Quackenbush, Brad Knab, Clint Ide, Steve Collins, Derek Jonathan, Dave Wickham, Steven Hutchinson Jr., Brandan Warner, Kevin Ward Jr, Dave Just, Todd Hoddick, Tyler Graves, and Bruce DeWick are also slated to kick off their season Saturday.  Also keep an eye out for series newcomers John Sheldon Smith and Dennis Wagner and 2014 rookie contenders Parker Evans and Dane Lorenc.

 

Hometown favorites are also plentiful for this event with former track regulars Charlie Donk and Paul Habeck among those taking part in this event.

 

Racing action gets underway at 7:00 P.M.  For more information, visit www.PatriotSprintTour.com.

 

Patriot History at Canandaigua:

Races: 12

7/5/2003- Tim Barnard

8/23/2003- Chuck Hebing

5/29/2004- George Suprick

7/3/2004- Chuck Hebing

5/28/2005- George Suprick

7/2/2005- George Suprick

5/20/2006- Chuck Hebing

6/30/2007- Jason Barney

8/18/2007- Chuck Hebing

6/7/2008- Jason Barney

6/13/2009- Bryan Howland

5/15/2010- Steve Poirier