Story By: PAUL HARKENRIDER / PATRIOT SPRINT TOUR – CANANDAIGUA, NY – When Land of Legends Raceway Promoter, Paul Cole announced at the 2018 Patriot Sprint Tour Awards Banquet that the New York Nationals will be on the 2019 schedule, it was circled by nearly every sprint car driver in the Northeast. The event will be paying $5,000 to win with several different contingencies and incentives on the line through out the weekend of September 6 & 7.
This Saturday’s (June 22) Patriot Sprint Tour A-Main winner at Land of Legends will automatically qualify for the prestigious September event. Chuck Hebing has already ensured himself into the race after winning the first PST race at Land of Legends back in May.
This will be the 17th time in tour history the Patriots will visit the famed half mile at the Ontario County Fairgrounds but only six different winners have been able to win under the PST banner. Those drivers include Tim Barnard, Chuck Hebing, George Suprick, Jason Barney, Bryan Howland, and Steve Poirier.
This will be the series fifth race in 2019 as Davie Franek has a very slim seven-point advantage over Joe Trenca. Jordan Thomas, Jared Zimbardi, and Kyle Drum are all within striking distance from Franek’s point lead.
Franek has two wins on the year heading into Saturday with victories at Woodhull and Ransomville, two tracks he has never visited until this season. Despite no wins, Trenca has been very consistent with a pair of fourth place finishes and most recently a seventh-place finish at the Selinsgrove Speedway. Jordan Thomas also been consistent in 2019 with two podium finishes at Land of Legends and Ransomville along with a sixth-place finish at Woodhull Raceway. Jared Zimbardi and Kyle Drum are beginning find their strides recently with strong runs at Ransomville and Selinsgrove.