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Danny Varin Gets It Done at Albany-Saratoga

By Curtis Berleue (Malta, NY) | As the summer months keep rolling on, Danny Varin keeps getting hotter and hotter, earning his second Empire Super Sprints victory in a row and third of the 2024 season on Friday night at Albany-Saratoga Speedway.

Pinnacle Pole Award winner Emily VanInwegen and Shawn Donath would bring the field to green, with Donath using the outside to his advantage and leading lap one.

As the lap counter clicked lap 5, it was still Donath out in front, with Jordan Poirier in second and Billy VanInwegen in third. By lap 7. Donath had caught the tail of the field and began to work lap traffic with Poirier hot on his heels.

A caution on lap 11 for leader Shawn Donath with mechanical issues handed the lead to Poirier. On the ensuing restart Poirier jumped out to the lead. Danny Varin, who had restarted in 6th, got a huge run off turn 2 and by the time he reached turn 3 was in second.

The next lap, Varin threw a slide job on Poirier, took the lead and began to check out from the rest of the field.

With 5 laps to go, the battle for third began to heat up between Davie Franek and Jason Barney. Barney was able to clear Franek, but just one lap later Matt Tanner slipped past Barney and set his sights on second place running Poirier. With a lap to go, Tanner got by Poirier for second, but it was Varin who crossed the finish line first, by a margin of just over 4 seconds.

“What a phenomenal racetrack,” said Varin. “That was elbows up, pounding the cushion, slidejob city. We’ve been leading five features here, and never finished one. This has been a long one coming.”

“That cushion was treacherous, you try to run it hard but you knew you could jump it, and be over it. You had to be patient, you’re leading, and let someone show you their nose before you put everything out there.”

Matt Tanner crossed the line in second after a last lap pass on Jordan Poirier.

“We were pretty bad all night, the guys just kept plugging away at it there,” said Tanner. “Even the first 15 laps of this race we weren’t that good. Three seconds in a row is starting to get old, but at least we’re in the hunt.”

After spending much of the race running second, Jordan Poirier rounded out the Ashley Lynn Winery podium in third.

“We weren’t too good early on, after that yellow the first two laps I was good and then I started getting loose in three and four,” said Poirier. “I tried to venture out, I tried to find some other lane and I just couldn’t do anything. By the end, I was just trying to block and do something. We’re just a tiny bit off or something.”

22 cars signed into the pits for action on the night. Rifenburg Contracting fast time awards went to Jordan Thomas, Danny Varin and Jordan Poirier. Matt Tanner, Danny Varin and Davie Franek picked up E&V Energy heat race wins, while Dale Gosselin won the We Know Tools – Paul Wehnau Snap-on dash.

The next scheduled event for the Empire Super Sprints is Saturday July 20th at the Fonda Speedway in Fonda, NY. 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:

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)

Saturday, July 27 – Woodhull Raceway – Woodhull, NY ($2,000 to Win)

Full Results:

A-Main: 1. 01-Danny Varin[7]; 2. 90-Matt Tanner[8]; 3. 28-Jordan Poirier[3]; 4. 87-Jason Barney[12]; 5. 28F-Davie Franek[6]; 6. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[4]; 7. #79-Jordan Thomas[11]; 8. #88C-Chad Miller[5]; 9. 19EM-Emily VanInwegen[1]; 10. #9-Josh Pieniazek[14]; 11. #3Z-John Smith IV[9]; 12. #3G-Dale Gosselin[13]; 13. 3A-Jeff Trombley[10]; 14. 33-Lacey Hanson[15]; 15. 19-Floyd Billington[21]; 16. 29-Dylan Menditto[22]; 17. 22M-Tomy Moreau[17]; 18. 54-Fred Proctor[20]; 19. 12-Alex Bergeron[19]; 20. 13E-Evan Reynolds[16]; 21. 53-Shawn Donath[2]; 22. (DNS) 13T-Trevor Years

We Know Tools – Paul Wehnau Snap-on Dash: 1. #3G-Dale Gosselin[1]; 2. #9-Josh Pieniazek[3]; 3. 33-Lacey Hanson[6]; 4. 13E-Evan Reynolds[2]; 5. 22M-Tomy Moreau[5]; 6. 13T-Trevor Years[4]

E&V Energy Heat 1: 1. 90-Matt Tanner[2]; 2. 87-Jason Barney[3]; 3. #79-Jordan Thomas[6]; 4. 53-Shawn Donath[5]; 5. #3G-Dale Gosselin[1]; 6. 13T-Trevor Years[4]; 7. 12-Alex Bergeron[7]; 8. 29-Dylan Menditto[8]

E&V Energy Heat 2: 1. 01-Danny Varin[6]; 2. 19EM-Emily VanInwegen[1]; 3. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[5]; 4. #88C-Chad Miller[4]; 5. 13E-Evan Reynolds[2]; 6. 22M-Tomy Moreau[3]; 7. 54-Fred Proctor[7]

E&V Energy Heat 3: 1. 28F-Davie Franek[4]; 2. 3A-Jeff Trombley[2]; 3. #3Z-John Smith IV[5]; 4. 28-Jordan Poirier[6]; 5. #9-Josh Pieniazek[3]; 6. 33-Lacey Hanson[1]; 7. 19-Floyd Billington[7]

Awards & Contingencies:

Rifenburg Contracting Fast Time ($25 each): #79-Jordan Thomas; #01-Danny Varin; #28-Jordan Poirier

E&V Energy Heat Winners ($25 each): #90-Matt Tanner; #01-Danny Varin; #28F-Davie Franek

Cobra Coaches / Paul Wehnau Snap-on Dash Winner ($125): #3G-Dale Gosselin

Pinnacle Pole Draw Award ($25): #19EM-Emily VanInwegen

A-Verdi Storage Containers Hard Charger Award ($50): #87-Jason Barney (+8)

Pinnacle Investments Last Car Running ($30): #13E-Evan Reynolds

Pinnacle Investments 11th Place (5 gallons fuel): #3Z-Johnny Smith

Ashley Lynn Winery Podium Finish (bottle of wine): #01-Danny Varin; #90-Matt Tanner; #28-Jordan Poirier

Hoosier Tire Award (RR Hoosier tire): #13T-Trevor Years

Capital Area Rider Training 15th Place ($250): #19-Floyd Billington

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