By Curtis Berleue (Brewerton, NY) |For the first time in his career, Zach Sobotka is a 360 sprint car winner, picking up the A-Main win at the Brewerton Speedway on Friday night. A late-race pass for the lead led Sobotka to his first Empire Super Sprints victory, worth $2,000.
Leading the field to green by virtue of drawing the Pinnacle Pole award was Dalton Rombough alongside of Joe Trenca. Rombough would lead the first three circuits until Larry Wight took the lead on lap four.
Wight would lead the next handful of laps, until the #17 of Sam Reakes IV slipped by him on lap 10. Wight re-took the lead on lap 16, but his lead was short lived as Sobotka used the middle of the track to rocket to the front on lap 18.
Behind the leaders, Jordan Poirier had been making steady progress through the field moving himself into a podium spot from his eleventh starting position.
As the laps wound down, nobody had anything for the #38 of Sobotka, as he crossed the checkers first, en-route to his first ESS win.
“I didn’t expect that one,” said Sobotka in victory lane. “I felt good, I didn’t really want to restart on the bottom. I messed with the wing in the car, moved it back pretty far and felt pretty good that first lap after the red.”
Larry Wight held on for a second-place finish.
“I didn’t think they were going to put that much water on the track, we just tightened up too much,” said Wight. “I was hoping when the fuel burned off it would free up a little bit. I just couldn’t roll the middle like he (Sobotka) was.”
Rounding out the Ashley Lynn Winery podium was Jordan Poirer in third.
“Our car was really good, just the luck of the draw making us start eleventh,” said Poirier. “We tried something with the car and I feel like it was working on the bottom, but the tire was eating up and getting way too tight.”
24 cars filled the pit area Friday night, and as such the field was split into three timed hot lap groups. Rifenburg Contracting fast time awards went to Danny Varin, Joe Trenca and Dylan Swiernik. Elab Smokers Boutique heat races were won by Shawn Donath, Jordan Poirier and Larry Wight, and the Jakes Grub & Grog Dash went to Chad Phelps.
The next scheduled event for the Empire Super Sprints is this coming Saturday August 31st at the Fulton Speedway in Fulton, 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), 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, Cobra Motorhomes & Trailers, E&V Energy, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Elab Smokers Boutique, Pinnacle Investments, LLC, Lacaillade Masonry, Inc., Wilwood Disc Brakes, FX Caprara, Lanes Yamaha, Ashley Lynn Winery, Slade Precision Shocks, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Bicknell Racing Products, and DirtTrackDigest.com.
The ESS Road Ahead:
Saturday, August 30 – Fulton Speedway – Fulton, NY ($2,000 to Win)
Sunday, August 31 – Utica Rome Speedway - Vernon, NY ($10,000 to Win Cole Cup)
Saturday, September 6 – Can-Am Speedway – LaFargeville, NY ($2,000 to Win)
Full Results:
A-Main (25 Laps): 1. 38-Zach Sobotka[3]; 2. 99L-Larry Wight[4]; 3. 28-Jordan Poirier[11]; 4. 01-Danny Varin[7]; 5. 17-Sammy Reakes IV[5]; 6. 96X-Chad Phelps[13]; 7. 87-Jason Barney[17]; 8. 41-Dalton Rombough[1]; 9. 98-Joe Trenca[2]; 10. 21-Spencer Burley[20]; 11. 100-Chris Hulsizer[23]; 12. 28F-Davie Franek[8]; 13. 66-Jordan Hutton[14]; 14. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[16]; 15. 7C-Dylan Swiernik[9]; 16. 79-Jordan Thomas[15]; 17. 13T-Trevor Years[18]; 18. 33-Lacey Hanson[21]; 19. 29-Dalton Herrick[19]; 20. 36-Mikey Kruchka[24]; 21. 8-Dillon Paddock[6]; 22. 67-Steve Glover[22]; 23. 53-Shawn Donath[12]; 24. 5H-Chris Hile[10]
Jakes Grub & Grog Dash (4 Laps): 1. 96X-Chad Phelps[2]; 2. 66-Jordan Hutton[1]; 3. 79-Jordan Thomas[4]; 4. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[5]; 5. 87-Jason Barney[3]; 6. 13T-Trevor Years[6]
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 53-Shawn Donath[1]; 2. 01-Danny Varin[4]; 3. 17-Sammy Reakes IV[2]; 4. 38-Zach Sobotka[3]; 5. 66-Jordan Hutton[5]; 6. 79-Jordan Thomas[7]; 7. 29-Dalton Herrick[6]; 8. 67-Steve Glover[8]
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 28-Jordan Poirier[1]; 2. 98-Joe Trenca[4]; 3. 8-Dillon Paddock[3]; 4. 28F-Davie Franek[5]; 5. 96X-Chad Phelps[7]; 6. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[6]; 7. 21-Spencer Burley[2]; 8. 100-Chris Hulsizer[8]
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat 3 (10 Laps): 1. 99L-Larry Wight[2]; 2. 5H-Chris Hile[3]; 3. 7C-Dylan Swiernik[4]; 4. 41-Dalton Rombough[1]; 5. 87-Jason Barney[5]; 6. 13T-Trevor Years[6]; 7. 33-Lacey Hanson[7]; 8. 36-Mikey Kruchka[8]
Awards & Contingencies:
Rifenburg Contracting Fast Time ($25 each): #01-Danny Varin; #98-Joe Trenca; #7C-Dylan Swiernik
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat Winners ($25 each): #53-Shawn Donath; #28-Jordan Poirier; #99L-Larry Wight
Cobra Motorhomes & Trailers / Jakes Grub & Grog Dash Winner ($125): #96X-Chad Phelps
Pinnacle Pole Draw Award ($25): #41-Dalton Rombough
Keizer Wheels 5th Place Finisher ($50 Certificate): #17-Sammy Reakes IV
King Motorsports 10th Place Finisher ($25 Certificate): #21-Spencer Burley
Pinnacle Investments 11th Place Finisher (5 Gal Fuel): #100-Chris Hulsizer
Wilwood Disc Brakes 13th Place Finisher ($50 Certificate): #66-Jordan Hutton
All-Star Performance 15th Place Finisher ($50 Certificate): #7C-Dylan Swiernik
A-Verdi Storage Containers Hard Charger Award ($50): #100-Chris Hulsizer (+12)
Pinnacle Investments Last Car Running ($30): #36-Mikey Kruchka
Ashley Lynn Winery Podium Finish (bottle of wine): #38-Zach Sobotka
Hoosier Tire Award (RR Hoosier tire): #53-Shawn Donath
Slade Shock Tech ($50 Certificate): #53-Shawn Donath
- Barbara Patterson on Sep 01, 2025
- Article Date: 9/1/2025 by Curtis Berleue