Empire State Series Archives

IMCA Empire State Series at Black Rock, Skyline this weekend

DUNDEE, N.Y. – Two Memorial Weekend events are on tap for the IMCA Empire State Series. Traveling IMCA Xtreme Motorsports Modifieds are at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee on Friday, May 22 and at Skyline Raceway in Cortland on Sunday, May 24. The Black Rock feature pays $500 to win plus lap money. The Skyline show pays $400 to win. A minimum of $75 will be paid to start each night. Black Rock opens the pit gates at 4:30 p.m. and the grandstand at 5 p.m. on Friday. Hot laps are at 6:25 p.m. and racing gets underway at 7 p.m. Grandstand admission is $12. Pit passes are $27 for members or $32 for non-members. There is a $20 entry fee and more information is available at the www.blackrockspeedway.com website. Pit gates and the grandstand at Skyline open at 4:30 p.m. Hot laps are at 5:30 p.m. and racing is at 6:30 p.m. Spectator admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors 65 and over and students ages 10-14, and free for kids nine and under. Pit [Read More]

Long haul pays off for Northeast Shootout winner Ward

By Jay Fish WEEDSPORT, N.Y. (May 3) – Nine and a half hours, 33 competitors and 35 grueling laps were what it took for Ionia, Mich.’s A.J. Ward to capture $2,500 and some impressive hardware in Weedsport Speedway’s inaugural IMCA Modified Northeast Shootout. “I didn’t come 9-1/2 hours for nothing,” a triumphant Ward declared, celebratory rifle in hand, a gift from Weedsport Speedway management for the Empire State Series event winner. “Stuff happened so fast, they bobbled, I shot the gap and next thing I know, I had the lead,” Ward recounted of his move for the lead with just six laps to go. Dundee, N.Y.’s Rich Karlnoski had led the previous 29 circuits when disaster struck. Karlnoski’s luck and suspension all broke into pieces and he’d have to settle for a 14th place finish. Runner-up was series point leader Eddie Sites. Defending tour champion James Cornell, Glen Erwin and Brad Sites completed the top five. Ward made the long trip east after winning the Friday feature for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds at Tri-City Motor Speedway and running fifth Saturday at [Read More]

Sites starts promising season with Empire State Series win at Five Mile

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (April 12) – Eddie Sites likes the start of his 2015 a lot more than he does his 2013 or 2014 campaigns. Sites won Sunday’s opening event for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds following the Empire State Series at Five Mile Point Speedway. The victory paid $400 and came ahead of Jared Spalding and Jason Benjamin. Gary Smith and K.C. Cole completed the top five. Sites had started third, passed Mike Stoddard and Matt Cole on the second circuit, then led to the end of the 25-lapper. After seeing a comfortable lead erased by a lap 23 caution, he took the checkers two car lengths ahead of Spalding. “It rubbered up but I didn’t have any trouble getting around the track,” Sites said. “I had a pretty good car. This was the best race I’ve had in a long time.” “I won this series two years in a row (in 2011 and 2012) but haven’t raced much the last two seasons,” he continued. “In 2013 we had a lot of parts failures, some [Read More]

Northeast Shootout totes top check for IMCA Modified Empire State Series

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. – The Empire State Series for IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds starts its trek toward a new milestone at the same track that hosted the last one. Opening night for the 14th annual series is Sunday, April 12 at Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, site of the 100th event in tour history last November. In all, nine dates are scheduled at five different tracks this season. The top paying event – the winner goes home with $2,500 – doubles as the inaugural Northeast Shootout at Weedsport Speedway on Sunday, May 3. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National, Dirt Works Eastern Region, special series and Allstar Performance State points will also be awarded when the tour is at Black Rock Speedway in Dundee on Fridays, May 22 and Sept. 18; at Skyline Raceway in Cortland on Sunday, May 24 and Saturday, Sept. 19; and at I-88 Speedway in Afton on Fridays, June 12 and July 31. Special series points only will be given for the Saturday, Oct. 10 finale at Five Mile Point. [Read More]

Fleming first in 100th Empire State Series event, Cornell captures crown

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (Nov. 8) – Chris Fleming and James Cornell both had reasons to celebrate following Saturday’s Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series feature at Five Mile Point Speedway. Fleming topped the final feature for touring IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds of the season, earning $600 for his efforts during the National Quarter Mile Dirt Track Championship Weekend show. His first-ever win at Kirkwood, third tour checkers of the season and fifth overall came in the 100th IMCA Empire State Series event. The checkers were also the 30th this year for Fleming, the two-time defending Dirt Works Eastern Region champion. Cornell, meanwhile, ran second and secured the series championship. He’s the ninth different driver to win the title in the tour’s 13-year history. K.C. Cole drew the pole. Fleming started fifth after overcoming mechanical issues in his heat and took the lead on lap five. Cornell pulled alongside near midway in the 25-lapper before Fleming pulled ahead and moved up a line. He won by a couple car lengths in a green, white, checkered finish. “We [Read More]

Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series event at 5MP postponed

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (Nov. 3) – The 100th Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series event will now be this Saturday, Nov. 8 at Five Mile Point Speedway. Part of the postponed National Quarter Mile Dirt Track Championship Weekend program at Kirkwood, the feature for touring IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds pays $600 to win and a minimum of $100 to start. Pit gates open at 10 a.m. and the grandstand opens at 11:30 a.m. Practice starts at noon and the afternoon race session gets underway at 1 p.m. Spectator admission is $22 for adults, $18 for seniors ages 65 and older, $10 for students ages 13-17 and free for kids 12 and under when accompanying a paid adult. A family pack gets two adults and three youth/seniors into the grandstand for $60 and includes five hot dogs and five sodas. Pit passes are $35. All Saturday tickets and pit passes are valid for day and evening programs. More information is available by calling 607 775-5555 and on Facebook. James Cornell won the first two tour events held [Read More]

Karlnoski captures career first Friesen Empire State Series win

DUNDEE, N.Y. (Oct. 24) – After the third time he drove away from the rest of the field, Rich Karlnoski raced to his career first Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series feature win. Karlnoski won his IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour heat by most of a straightaway Friday at Yates County Speedway. He was checking out before a lap 18 caution in the main event, then pulled ahead again following the restart. The victory was worth $400. “That car was just perfect,” Karlnoski said after piloting the 2008 Ellis, with a self-designed rear end and Steve and Patty Damon-built engine, to the winner’s circle. “When this car is right, it’s perfect.” Karlnoski stayed in front following several early restarts. He was already negotiating lapped traffic and coming up on a tightknit group of six more cars when the late caution flew. “I was trying to figure out how I was going to get by and that caution came out at just the right time,” said Karlnoski, who motored away when the green came back out. [Read More]

Friday date at Yates County next for Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series

DUNDEE, N.Y. – Touring IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modifieds have a Friday, Oct. 24 date at Yates County Speedway during the Dutch Hoag National Open Weekend. The eighth of nine Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series features this season pays $400 to win and a minimum of $75 to start. There is no entry fee. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 5 p.m. Hot laps are at 5:45 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. Pit passes are $30 for members and $35 for temporary members. Grandstand admission is $18 for adults, $16 for seniors ages 62 and up, $10 for students ages 13-17, $5 for kids ages 6-12 and free for five and under. An open practice session for all divisions runs from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. Friday’s main event for the IMCA Modifieds will be 25 laps. Matt Cole of Binghamton won the June 15 Empire State Series feature at Dundee. Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series top 20 point standings – 1. James Cornell, Port Crane, 277; [Read More]

Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series déjà vu: Cornell wins again at Five Mile Point Speedway

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. (Oct. 10) – The seventh installment of the 2014 Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series played out a lot like the first. James Cornell qualified for the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour main event at Five Mile Point Speedway despite starting last in his heat, drew a front row starting spot for the feature and then led every lap. “The fact that I grew up racing here helps a lot,” acknowledged Cornell, who’d won the April 13 feature and returned to Kirkwood with the series point lead. “I started racing here in the pro stocks, then the sportsman and now the IMCA Modifieds. This was my 90th career win and more than half of them have been at Five Mile Point.” The victory paid $500 and came ahead of Chris Fleming, Matt Cole, Keith Lamphere and Tyler Stoddard. Fleming, twice a tour winner this season and the two-time defending Dirt Works Eastern Region champion, challenged but couldn’t stay in contention following a restart late in the 20-lapper. “Chris had a really good year [Read More]

Friday Five Mile Point show next for Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series

KIRKWOOD, N.Y. – James Cornell got the win when Friesen Chevrolet Empire State Series came to Five Mile Point Speedway for opening night back on April 13. He’ll bring the point lead to Kirkwood when the IMCA Xtreme Motor Sports Modified tour returns to Kirkwood for a Friday, Oct. 10 show, the seventh of nine events on the 2014 series schedule. The feature pays $400 to win, plus a $100 bonus courtesy of Riding The Cushion, and lap money. Main event qualifiers earn a minimum of $100 when they take the green flag. There is no entry fee. Pit gates open at 4 p.m. and the grandstand opens at 4:45 p.m. Hot laps are at 7 p.m. with racing to follow. Grandstand admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors ages 65 and over, $5 for students 13-17 and free for kids 12 and under when accompanying a paid adult. A family pack sells for $30 and gets two adults and three seniors or students through the turnstiles. Each also gets a hot dog and [Read More]