The SUNY Canton Series Returns to the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints

Fromm Dean Reynolds

SYRACUSE, NY – The picturesque campus of SUNY Canton located right in the middle of Canton, NY has returned to the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) for the third consecutive season. For the second year in a row the academic institution is backing the special SUNY Canton Series within a series on the ESS tour.

Events held at the Can-Am Motorsports Park, Utica-Rome Speedway, Fonda Speedway and Mohawk International Raceway will all carry a separate point series where the driver that earns the most points in the eight events scheduled will be crowned SUNY Canton Series champion. In 2009, Lance Yonge use a season finale victory at Fonda to capture the crown and become the first ever SUNY Canton Series Champion.

The first two events will also be the first two in the quest for the overall Lucas Oil Champion which will be on Memorial Day Weekend. May 29th will see the seventh annual Earl Halaquist Memorial held at Fonda Speedway and on the next evening the stars and cars from ESS trek to the Utica-Rome Speedway. The importance of the first two stops of the 27 event, Tour 2010 is critical with points be counted for the two series.

Can-Am will then hit the swing for a big, two-day Shootout Weekend events on July 2nd and 3rd with the final night paying a whopping $4,000 to win. Utica-Rome will cap off the weekend that celebrates our Nation’s birthday on the 4th.

Mohawk International’s SUNY Canton event is on Fri. Aug. 6th and it’s billed as Mohawk Madness with the winner taking home a cool $2,500! The fast 4/10ths mile oval on the Akwesasne Indian Reservation is also the closest to the campus.

Labor Day Weekend will see two events with Can-Am going on Fri. Sept. 3 and Utica-Rome also holding their third event on the 5th. For the second year in a row the overall Lucas Oil Champion and the SUNY Canton Champion will be crowned on Sat. Sept. 25th at Fonda as a part of the their traditional McDonald’s Weekend.

SUNY Canton is recognized as a huge supporter of local auto racing. Not only do they show tremendous involvement with ESS but they back several tracks and race teams in Upstate NY. The college is also the night sponsor for the Aug. 20 and 21 visits to John Wight’s Brewerton and Fulton Speedways.

Located in the Northern part of New York in central St. Lawrence County, SUNY Canton is a public, state-supported technical institution committed to increasing the potential and productivity of the people it serves.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor’s, associate, and certificate programs, as well as three master’s degrees in conjunction with SUNYIT, Utica. Most of SUNY Canton’s new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The College offers a four-day academic week allowing students greater flexibility for work, family, or other obligations. The College’s athletic teams belong to the NAIA’s Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years.

Yonge’s point tally garnered him the largest chuck of the point series pot. He bested ESS stars such as defending tour champion Justin Barger, Tony Stewart Racing’s Jessica Zemken, two-time champ Steve Poirier and Quebec’s Michael Parent who took fifth in the points. All these stars and many more such as Jeff Cook, Tommy Wickham, Chuck Hebing, Alain Bergeron, Tim Kelly, Brian McDonald, Lee Ladouceur, Anthony Cain, Dan Kaszubinski, Mike Stelter, Cory Sparks, Shawn Donath, Jason Barney and others have plans to following the eight event series.

For more information on one of the NY’s finest educational facilities, please log on to www.canton.edu and for the latest up to date news on the Lucas Oil backed tour you can log on to www.empiresupersprints.com where for over 27 years it has been excitement guaranteed!