Port Colborne, ON — (June 30, 2013) — One night after dominating the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint (ESS) event at the Merrittville Speedway, Paul Kinney repeated the feat Sunday night in the first appearance by the series at the New Humberstone Speedway since 1989.
Kinney’s road to the high-side to earn his third career series victory and added to his point total in the Le Groupe Ultra Tour of Canada which he now leads. Overall on the weekend Kinney earned in excess of $3,500.
“I can’t believe this especially this weekend,” said an excited Kinney in Victory Lane. “We won last night at Merrittville (Speedway) and it just the luck of the draw. Started on the front last night, again tonight and I’m glad this thing went green to checkered. I didn’t know how close anyone was to me or what was going on. When I crossed under those checkers I couldn’t believe we won two in a row.”
Kinney again had the hot hand with the redraw as for the second night in a row he pulled the outside pole for the start of the 25-lap A-Main event.
With green displayed, Kinney bolted to the high-side of the speedway and held off Chris Steele as the raced into turn one. Steele, a master of the bottom groove, stayed with Kinney down the back straightaway. Kinney ultimately secured the lead on the outside of turns three and four.
Kinney, of Canastota, N.Y., road the top groove as he charged away from all competition including Steve Poirier. Poirier moved into second by lap five and attempted to track down Kinney.
“95 percent of the races I race in I’m the guy bouncing off yuke tires and running into walls on the bottom,” joked Kinney. “The three races I’ve won I’ve been hanging the right rear off the top. Maybe I need to give it a little more thought and run a couple more spots on the track.”
On lap nine Kinney got a slight scare as he was working through traffic. Kinney went to the outside of a slower car and it came up the banking and forced his No. 19k off the speedway. Fortunately Kinney had enough of an advantage to keep the lead. This hiccup allowed Poirier to move in.
“The guys were racing for their positions,” said Kinney. “Once you catch them you start going their speed and either you have to wait for them to move or make a hole big enough for yourself. We didn’t bump into anyone and no one got in the way so it was awesome.”
At the halfway point, Kinney was in heavy traffic and Poirier moved to within a couple of car lengths as did Matt Tanner as he came forward after starting tenth.
Poirier’s car began to waver slightly and Tanner was all over him as Kinney pulled away from them both. Poirier tried to hold the car to the outside with Tanner’s family owner ride perfect through the middle.
As Kinney checked out, Tanner finally pulled a slide job to take over the second spot as they raced to the line for the two to go signal. Tanner closed the gap in the final laps but he didn’t have enough time to track down Kinney who went on for the win.
“I think if we had five more laps we would have had something for him (Kinney),” said Tanner. “He’s been real fast the last two days and congratulations to him.”
It was Tanner’s best finish of the 2013 aboard his Roush-Yates powered No. 90. Tanner’s car was good through the middle where most drivers were glued to the extreme top or bottom of the tight confines of Humberstone.
“We had this thing rolling really good,” commented Tanner. “We were disappointed after last night, we were really bad. We got onto something in the heat and this thing was just a rocket in the middle of the track. It made it a little easier since everyone else was on the top or the bottom.”
Poirier fell back but still managed to hold on for third. It was another podium finish and helped his point totals as he seeks a fourth career Empire Super Sprint championship.
“We are happy with the finish,” stated Poirier about his third place effort. “I thought at the beginning that I had something for Paul (Kinney) but I didn’t have enough traction at the end off the corner. I put my wing back and it didn’t give me enough. I’m really happy after we struggled yesterday to come back today with a decent finish.”
Ontario native Chris Jones ended up in the fourth spot while Chuck Hebing came back up through the field after getting off the high-side of the banking on the very first lap to salvage a respectable fifth place effort.
Rounding out the top ten were Lance Yonge, Michael Parent, Steele, Jamie Collard and Kevin Ward Jr.
ESS/Humberstone Notes – A solid field of 31 sprints in the pits for ESS’ first race at Humberstone since 1989…The A-Main was run in an incredible 7 minutes and 9 seconds, a new track record…Tom Huppunen, Chris Durand, Derek Jonathan, Brad Knab and Jesse Costa were new entries from Merrittville…Next for the Lucas Oil backed Tour is the SUNY Canton Speedweek, July 3-7 with stops at Rolling Wheels, Brewerton, Can-Am, Fulton and Utica-Rome. All events will pay $2,000 to win.
Lucas Oill/Le Groupe Ultra A-Main – Paul Kinney ($1,800), Matt Tanner, Steve Poirier, Chris Jones, Chuck Hebing, Lance Yonge, Michael Parent, Chris Steele, Jamie Collard, Kevin Ward Jr., Tom Huppunen, Dylan Swiernik, Glenn Styres, Jim Huppunen, Jeff Cook, Keith Dempster, Chris Durand, Travis Cunningham, Mitchell Brown, Joe Trenca, Patrick Vigneault, Jamie Turner, Derek Jonathan, Mike Stelter.
Did Not Qualify – Stan Zanchin, Havard Daniels, Jeremy Hughes, Jesse Costa, Jason Barney, Brad Knab, Kyle Moffit
Lap Leader – Kinney 1-25
Car Mate Custom Built Trailer Heat 1 – Kinney, Swiernik, Tanner, Jones, Collard, T. Huppunen
Car Mate Custom Built Trailer Heat 2 – Parent, Hebing, Poirier, Cook, Durand, Jonathan
Car Mate Custom Built Trailer Heat 3 – Styres, Ward Jr., Steele, Yonge, Vigneault, J. Huppunen
Tidyman Maintenance/Port Colborne Laundry/Cobra Coaches Dash – Swiernik
Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Keith Dempster. Cunningham, Brown, Turner
Added Starters – Trenca., Stelter
Bonuses:
Zanchin Truck and Trailer – Jones, Collard $100, Swiernik $50
Westward Painting Company Halfway – Kinney $100
Ohsweken Speedway Winners Bonus – Kinney $100
Fondations 4 Saisons Hard Charger – Tanner (9 pos.) $50
North East Pool and Spa Power Pick – Tanner, Cunningham $50
Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Hebing $50
Lacaillade Masonry B-Main – Dempster $50
Go Nuclear Late Models Fast Lap – Kinney (15.676) $25
Jimmy D’s Speed and Machine Fast Time – Kinney. (14.528) $25
Car Mate Custome Built Trailers – Kinney, Parent, Styres $25