By Curtis Berleue
(Malta, NY) | With the 2026 version of the Empire Super Sprints CNY Speedweek now in the rearview mirror, the series will hit the track again this weekend for a Friday-Saturday doubleheader. Friday, the tour heads to the Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY, while Saturday will be a stop at the Fonda Speedway in Fonda, NY.
Defending champion Jordan Poirier maintains a 17-point lead over Zach Sobotka heading into the weekend. While he has yet to win a race thus far in 2026, Poirier’s 8- top fives and 10-top tens have him with a slight advantage over Sobotka, who enters the weekend with two wins on the season, tied for the most thus far with Dylan Swiernik, Alex Therrien and Larry Wight.
History is on Poirier’s side to pick up a win, as he has two wins at Albany-Saratoga, including last summers event. At Fonda last season, it was Danny Varin in victory lane. Varin extended his impressive streak of wins at the ½ mile oval, having now won ten of the last eleven ESS events held there. The only driver that kept Varin from a perfect eleven for eleven was Shawn Donath in May of 2023, when he held off Varin for the win.
Of note, Saturdays event at Fonda is the annual Earl Halaquist Memorial. Earl Halaquist Memorial was one of the most accomplished sprint car drivers in the Northeast in his time. Competing across NY, NJ, PA, VA, NC, MD VT, Canada and more, Halaquist amassed 53 URC wins and six championships. Halaquist, a World War II veteran, was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, IA in 2000 before his passing in 2001.
This weekends Donath Motor Worx Dash Series events will have additional support from We Know Tools – Paul Wehnau’s Snap-on Tools on Friday at Albany Saratoga as the presenting sponsor, and One Zee Tee’s on Saturday at Fonda as the presenting sponsor.
Pricing, gate times and nightly event schedules for each night this weekend can be found both on each tracks websites/social media pages, and the Empire Super Sprints social media pages.
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), X (@ESSprints) and Instagram (@empiresupersprints).
The Empire Super Sprints would like to thank the following series sponsors for their continued support: Rifenburg Contracting Corp, Hoosier Racing Tire, E&V Energy, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Elab Smokers Boutique, Pinnacle Investments, LLC, Wilwood Disc Brakes, FX Caprara, Ashley Lynn Winery, Slade Shock Technology, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Bicknell Racing Products, Swagger Factory, PJC Sprayfoam, Donath Motor Worx, Transport Benoit Lafleur, All Star Performance, Stirling Lubricants, Trenca & Co. Realty, Speedway Press, Primal Tee, and Glenn Styres Racing.
The ESS Road Ahead:
Friday, July 17 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, NY ($2,000 to Win)
Saturday, July 18 – Fonda Speedway – Fulton, NY ($2,000 to Win Earl Halaquist Memorial)
Friday, July 31 – Outlaw Speedway – Dundee, NY ($4,000 to Win Outlaw Summer Nationals)