7/16/2024
Empire Super Sprints
Empire Super Sprints Invade Albany-Saratoga and Fonda This Weekend
By Curtis Berleue (Malta, NY) | Following another successful CNY Speedweek, the Empire Super Sprints are ready to roar back to action this weekend. An eastern NY doubleheader will see the tour make their only stops of 2024 at the Albany-Saratoga Speedway this Friday night, followed by the Fonda Speedway on Saturday.
Friday’s action at Albany-Saratoga will be the 34th visit in tour history to the 4/10 mile oval located in Malta, NY. Last season, it was Matt Tanner in victory lane at ‘The Great Race Place’. In 33 previous events run, Craig Keel and Dan Kaszubinski are tied for a tour record four wins each. No currently active driver, however, has been able to repeat success at Albany Saratoga, with Tanner, Jordan Poirier and Jason Barney scoring the three most recent victories.
Saturday’s stop at the Fonda Speedway will be the annual Earl Halaquist Memorial. Each year, the Earl Halaquist Memorial is held in honor of one of the most accomplished sprint car drivers in the Northeast, Earl Halaquist. 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.
Last season’s Earl Halaquist Memorial winner was Danny Varin, who has amassed an impressive 7 wins in his last 8 ESS starts at the Fonda Speedway. Varin is also coming off a win in the most recent ESS event – Sunday July 7th’s visit to the Weedsport Speedway – his second win thus far in 2024.
Additional support on the weekend will come from We Know Tools – Paul Wehnau’s Snap-on on Friday night as the presenting sponsor of the Cobra Coaches Dash, and One Zee Tees on Saturday as the dash presenting sponsor.
Additional information on the weekends event including gate times, admission prices and a nightly schedule of events can be found on both tracks websites/social media pages, along with on 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), 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, A-Verdi Storage Containers, 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 19 – Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, NY ($2,000 to Win)
Saturday, July 20 – Fonda Speedway – Fonda, NY ($2,000 to Win Earl Halaquist Memorial)
Friday, July 26 – Outlaw Speedway - Dundee, NY ($4,000 to Win Outlaw Summer Nationals)
Article Credit: Curtis Berleue
Submitted By: Barbara Patterson
