News Director 
Story By: CURTIS BERLEUE / EMPIRE SUPER SPRINTS – FULTON, NY – Continuing the trend of new faces in victory lane, Joe Trenca picked up the win on Saturday night with the Empire Super Sprints at the Fulton Speedway. After riding in second for the majority of the event, he passed Johnny Smith for the lead with two laps to go to secure his first win of 2024 with the Tour.
After drawing the Pinnacle Pole Award, Johnny Smith jumped out to the early lead over outside polesitter Joe Trenca. The lead duo would remain that way for the majority of the event.
While Smith and Trenca paced the field, the show was behind them as both Jason Barney and Billy VanInwegen started mid pack and were meticulously working their way through the field.
Having started 14th, Barney had worked his way permanently into the top 10 by lap 5, and on lap 11 had begun to pick off cars lap by lap, moving into the top 5 with just 3 laps remaining.
VanInwegen was writing a similar story, having started 8th, he worked his way into fifth by lap 3 and then up to fourth on lap 13.
With just two laps to go, Trenca was able to get by Smith, who had led the entire race up until that point and lead the final laps to pick up his first victory of 2024.
“I could run the bottom, and I knew my pace was really good but the lap cars didn’t work out,” said Trenca. “We ran each other clean and we got the win.”
“He (Smith) could have shut the door on me hard there and he raced me clean. I was really good through the middle, I could use the wing to try to capitalized on that (slidejob) and we did it.”
Johnny Smith was able to hold on for the runner-up position.
“Halfway through the race we lost brakes, and I knew I was getting held up by lap traffic,” said Smith. “He (Trenca) did a phenomenal job and I knew that if we got another yellow then I was going to be out of luck – I’m really happy to come home second.”
Jason Barney rounded out the Ashley Lynn Winery podium in third.
“We have enough race car, enough crew and enough engine, the driver just doesn’t always do the right things and do his job the best that he can,” said Barney. “Last night was disappointing, we just moved forward to tonight. We felt like we learned some things, or at least did some things we know worked instead of doing things that don’t.”
The field was split into three timed hot lap groups at the beginning of the night, with Billy VanInwegen, Logan Crisafulli and Danny Varin earning Rifenburg Contracting fast time awards. E&V Energy heat races were won by Jordan Poirier, Sammy Reakes IV and Jordan Thomas. The Cobra Coaches dash went to Shawn Donath.
A Feature 1: 1. 98-Joe Trenca[2]; 2. #3Z-John Smith IV[1]; 3. 87-Jason Barney[14]; 4. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[8]; 5. 90-Matt Tanner[7]; 6. #79-Jordan Thomas[9]; 7. 10-Kelly Hebing[15]; 8. 28-Jordan Poirier[3]; 9. 01-Danny Varin[5]; 10. 13E-Evan Reynolds[23]; 11. 13T-Trevor Years[6]; 12. 53-Shawn Donath[13]; 13. #29-Dalton Herrick[21]; 14. (DNF) 28F-Davie Franek[4]; 15. (DNF) 63-Josh Weller[11]; 16. (DNF) 46-Ryan Coniam[10]; 17. (DNF) 33-Lacey Hanson[19]; 18. (DNF) 66-Jordan Hutton[20]; 19. (DNF) 63D-Tucker Donath[16]; 20. (DNF) #17-Sammy Reakes IV[12]; 21. (DNF) 19EM-Emily VanInwegen[22]; 22. (DNF) #7NY-Matt Farnham[17]; 23. (DNS) 36-Logan Crisafulli
Awards & Contingencies:
Rifenburg Contracting Fast Time ($25 each): #10V-Billy VanInwegen; #36-Logan Crisafulli; #01-Danny Varin
E&V Energy Heat Winners ($25 each): #28-Jordan Poirier; #17-Sammy Reakes IV; #79-Jordan Thomas
Cobra Coaches Dash Winner ($125): #53-Shawn Donath
Pinnacle Pole Draw Award ($25): #3Z-Johnny Smith
A-Verdi Storage Containers Hard Charger Award ($50): #13E-Evan Reynolds (+13)
Pinnacle Investments Last Car Running ($30): #29-Dalton Herrick
Pinnacle Investments 11th Place (5 gallons fuel): #13T-Trevor Years
Ashley Lynn Winery Podium Finish (bottle of wine): #98-Joe Trenca; #3Z-Johnny Smith; #87-Jason Barney
Hoosier Tire Award (RR Hoosier tire): #98-Joe Trenca
Dash 1: 1. 53-Shawn Donath[1]; 2. 87-Jason Barney[3]; 3. 10-Kelly Hebing[6]; 4. 63D-Tucker Donath[5]; 5. (DNF) #7NY-Matt Farnham[4]; 6. (DNF) 36-Logan Crisafulli[2]
Heat 1: 1. 28-Jordan Poirier[2]; 2. 63-Josh Weller[4]; 3. 46-Ryan Coniam[1]; 4. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[6]; 5. 53-Shawn Donath[5]; 6. #7NY-Matt Farnham[3]; 7. 33-Lacey Hanson[7]; 8. 19EM-Emily VanInwegen[8]
Heat 2: 1. #17-Sammy Reakes IV[1]; 2. 98-Joe Trenca[3]; 3. 28F-Davie Franek[5]; 4. 90-Matt Tanner[4]; 5. 36-Logan Crisafulli[6]; 6. 63D-Tucker Donath[2]; 7. 66-Jordan Hutton[7]; 8. (DNF) 13E-Evan Reynolds[8]
Heat 3: 1. #79-Jordan Thomas[2]; 2. #3Z-John Smith IV[4]; 3. 01-Danny Varin[6]; 4. 13T-Trevor Years[1]; 5. 87-Jason Barney[3]; 6. 10-Kelly Hebing[5]; 7. #29-Dalton Herrick[7]
Qualifying 1: 1. 10V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[7]; 2. 53-Shawn Donath[2]; 3. 63-Josh Weller[5]; 4. #7NY-Matt Farnham[4]; 5. 28-Jordan Poirier[3]; 6. 46-Ryan Coniam[1]; 7. 33-Lacey Hanson[6]; 8. 19EM-Emily VanInwegen[8]
Qualifying 2: 1. 36-Logan Crisafulli[1]; 2. 28F-Davie Franek[5]; 3. 90-Matt Tanner[6]; 4. 98-Joe Trenca[3]; 5. 63D-Tucker Donath[8]; 6. #17-Sammy Reakes IV[7]; 7. 66-Jordan Hutton[2]; 8. 13E-Evan Reynolds[4]
Qualifying 3: 1. 01-Danny Varin[5]; 2. 10-Kelly Hebing[6]; 3. #3Z-John Smith IV[2]; 4. 87-Jason Barney[4]; 5. #79-Jordan Thomas[3]; 6. 13T-Trevor Years[1]; 7. #29-Dalton Herrick[7]
