By Curtis Berleue
(Malta, NY) | With another two-day weekend in the books for the Empire Super Sprints 40th anniversary tour, the series will now head back east to the Albany-Saratoga Speedway for the second of two visits in 2023 this coming Friday, July 21.
When the tour visited in June, it was Matt Tanner picking up the victory over Chad Miller and Shawn Donath. Fresh off his first win as a car owner last weekend with current NASCAR star Chase Briscoe at the helm, Tanner is looking to repeat his performance from earlier in the year and sweep the seasons visits to the Malta, NY oval.
With just 12 events left on the 2023 schedule, the battle for the year-end championship is starting to heat up. Defending champion Jordan Poirier has been in command of the standings since early June, but a rough night at Freedom this past Friday coupled with two solid runs on the weekend by second place Shawn Donath allowed Donath to close the gap slightly, as he is now only 26 points back.
The battle for third in the championship standings is also starting to heat up. Early season winner Jason Barney currently sits in the third position, though Dylan Swiernik is now just 40 points behind him in 4th. After this past weekend, Jeff Cook has moved into the top 5, and is ready to pounce should a competitor ahead of him strike misfortune.
This weekend’s event at Albany Saratoga will see Herrington Farms, a 5th generation dairy farm in Troy, NY, as the presenting sponsor of the Cobra Coaches Dash. Information regarding gate times, prices and the order of events can be found on both the Albany-Saratoga Facebook page and website along with on the Empire Super Sprints social media platforms.
For the latest news, information, and schedule updates regarding the Empire Super Sprints be sure to check the series website (www.EmpireSuperSprints.com) and follow along on Facebook (Empire Super Sprints), Twitter (@ESSprints) and Instagram (@empiresupersprints).
The Empire Super Sprints would like to thank the following series sponsors for their continued support: Rifenburg Contracting Corp, PJC Spray Foam, Hoosier Racing Tire, Cobra Coaches, E&V Energy, Fondations 4 Saisons, Pinnacle Investments, LLC, Lacaillade Masonry, Inc., FX Caprara, ASI Racewear, Lanes Yamaha, Ashley Lynn Winery, Bicknell Racing Products, DirtTrackDigest.com and LC Design.
The ESS Road Ahead:
Friday, July 21 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, NY ($2,000 to Win)
Friday, July 28 – Outlaw Speedway – Dundee, NY ($3,500 to Win Outlaw Summer Nationals)
Friday, August 4 – Utica-Rome Speedway – Vernon, NY ($2,000 to Win)