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Franek Back in ESS Victory Lane at Outlaw

2026-08-03 22:37

By Curtis Berleue (Dundee, NY) | New Jersey's Davie Franek once again found himself in Empire Super Sprints victory lane, this time at the Outlaw Speedway in Dundee, NY on Friday night. His $4,022 victory was his second of the season, and helped him maintain third in the championship chase.
Shawn Donath and Jordan Poirier led the field to the initial green flag, with Poirier jumping out to an early advantage. A quick yellow meant the initial start would be run again, and led to the same result as Poirier again took the lead over Donath and Jordan Hutton.
Just two laps in, Hutton suffered a mechanical failure, subsequently ending his night.
By lap four, fifth-starting Davie Franek had not only entered a podium position, but grabbed second from Donath utilizing the bottom of the track. He would then set his sight on Poirier.
By lap seven, Franek had caught Poirier and again using the bottom, took the lead off of turn two. From that point on, the leaders would break away from the rest of the field until reaching lap traffic.
As Franek reached lap traffic, his lead over Poirier and the lead duos lead over the field vanished. Along with Jared Zimbardi who had worked his way into third around Shawn Donath, Franek and Poirier began to search for the best way through lap cars.
Lap 14 saw the caution fly for Jordan Poirier and Trevor Years, who had been battling for the fifth spot. With a clear track ahead, Franek again jumped out to the lead over Poirier and Donath in third.
Ultimately, nobody had anything for Franek in clean air, and he sailed to victory.
"The car was just really good rotating the bottom there," said Franek in victory lane. "I really thought the race was going to be won on the top, but I kinda had to go where they weren't."
"You just gotta be up on the wheel here, it's a drivers track - Tyler gives us a great track every time we come up here. You can move around in so many different locations and make speed. It makes for great racing."
With three to go, Donath got by Poirier for second, and came home in the runner up spot.
"The guys made an adjustment there before the A," said Donath. "I really wasn't planning on all that water out there, it was killing us on the starts. But we had a really nice driving Donath Motor Worx engine under the hood and I'm just thankful to have all these great people behind us."
Poirier was able to hold on to third to round out the Ashley Lynn Winery podium.
"I just needed my right rear not to go flat," said Poirier. "After that yellow, I knew something was wrong, I kept getting tight so I couldn't go up on the cushion so I was stuck to the bottom. Davie was pretty good down there and I was just maintaining my speed."
The field was split into three timed hot lap groups, with Spencer Burley, Jordan Hutton and Jordan Thomas each earning Rifenburg Contracting fast time awards. Elab Smokers Boutique heats were won by Shawn Donath, Jordan Hutton and Jared Zimbardi, while the Donath Motor Worx Dash presented by Lanes Yamaha was won by Billy VanInwegen.
The Empire Super Sprints are back in action this Saturday north of the border at the Brockville Ontario Speedway in Brockville, Ontario and at the Cornwall Motor Speedway in Cornwall, Ontario on Sunday. 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, E&V Energy, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Elab Smokers Boutique, Pinnacle Investments, LLC, Wilwood Disc Brakes, FX Caprara, Ashley Lynn Winery, Slade Shock Technology, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Bicknell Racing Products, Swagger Factory, PJC Sprayfoam, Donath Motor Worx, Transport Benoit Lafleur, All Star Performance, Stirling Lubricants, Trenca & Co. Realty, Speedway Press, Primal Tee, and Glenn Styres Racing.

The ESS Road Ahead:
Saturday, August 8 - Brockville Ontario Speedway - Brockville, ONT ($2,000 to Win)
Sunday, August 9 - Cornwall Motor Speedway - Cornwall, ONT ($2,000 to Win)
Friday, August 21 - Autodrome Granby - Granby, QC ($3,000 to Win)

Full Results:
A-Main (25 Laps): 1. 28F-Davie Franek[5]; 2. 53-Shawn Donath[1]; 3. 28-Jordan Poirier[2]; 4. 38-Zach Sobotka[10]; 5. 4V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[7]; 6. 35-Jared Zimbardi[4]; 7. 87-Jason Barney[6]; 8. 3-Denny Peebles[12]; 9. 90-Matt Tanner[11]; 10. 25G-Tyler Graves[14]; 11. 8-Dillon Paddock[18]; 12. 41-Dalton Rombough[20]; 13. 31C-Maverick Coffey[13]; 14. 79-Jordan Thomas[8]; 15. 29-Dalton Herrick[17]; 16. 33-Lacey Hanson[15]; 17. 77-Matt Rotz[16]; 18. 13T-Trevor Years[9]; 19. 66-Jordan Hutton[3]; 20. (DNS) 21B-Spencer Burley
Lanes Yamaha Dash (4 Laps): 1. 4V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[1]; 2. 79-Jordan Thomas[4]; 3. 13T-Trevor Years[2]; 4. 38-Zach Sobotka[3]; 5. 90-Matt Tanner[6]; 6. 3-Denny Peebles[5]
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 53-Shawn Donath[3]; 2. 3-Denny Peebles[2]; 3. 90-Matt Tanner[4]; 4. 87-Jason Barney[5]; 5. 31C-Maverick Coffey[7]; 6. 77-Matt Rotz[6]; 7. 21B-Spencer Burley[1]
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 66-Jordan Hutton[1]; 2. 28-Jordan Poirier[2]; 3. 4V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[3]; 4. 13T-Trevor Years[6]; 5. 25G-Tyler Graves[4]; 6. 29-Dalton Herrick[7]; 7. 41-Dalton Rombough[5]
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 35-Jared Zimbardi[2]; 2. 79-Jordan Thomas[1]; 3. 28F-Davie Franek[3]; 4. 38-Zach Sobotka[4]; 5. 33-Lacey Hanson[6]; 6. 8-Dillon Paddock[5]
Rifenburg Contracting Qualifying 1 (2 Laps): 1. 21B-Spencer Burley, 13.381[5]; 2. 3-Denny Peebles, 13.517[1]; 3. 53-Shawn Donath, 13.564[6]; 4. 90-Matt Tanner, 13.667[4]; 5. 87-Jason Barney, 13.975[3]; 6. 77-Matt Rotz, 14.007[2]; 7. 31C-Maverick Coffey, 14.353[7]
Rifenburg Contracting Qualifying 2 (1 Laps): 1. 66-Jordan Hutton, 13.516[1]; 2. 28-Jordan Poirier, 13.567[5]; 3. 4V-Billy VanInwegen Jr, 13.591[7]; 4. 25G-Tyler Graves, 13.695[6]; 5. 41-Dalton Rombough, 13.837[3]; 6. 13T-Trevor Years, 13.922[4]; 7. 29-Dalton Herrick, 14.111[2]
Rifenburg Contracting Qualifying 3 (1 Laps): 1. 79-Jordan Thomas, 13.477[5]; 2. 35-Jared Zimbardi, 13.567[3]; 3. 28F-Davie Franek, 13.641[4]; 4. 38-Zach Sobotka, 13.663[2]; 5. 8-Dillon Paddock, 13.849[1]; 6. 33-Lacey Hanson, 14.180[6]

Awards & Contingencies (full members only eligible for payout):
Rifenburg Contracting Fast Time ($25 each): #21B-Spencer Burley; #66-Jordan Hutton; #79-Jordan Thomas
Elab Smokers Boutique Heat Winners ($25 each): #53-Shawn Donath; #66-Jordan Hutton; #35-Jared Zimbardi
Donath Motor Worx / Hidden Meadows Campground Dash Winner ($125): #4V-Billy VanInwegen
Keizer Wheels 5th Place Finisher ($50 Certificate): #4V-Billy VanInwegen
King Motorsports 10th Place Finisher ($25 Certificate): #25G-Tyler Graves
Pinnacle Investments 11th Place Finisher (5 Gal Fuel): #8-Dillon Paddock
Swagger Factory 12th Place Finisher ($50 Certificate): #41-Dalton Rombough
Wilwood Disc Brakes 13th Place Finisher ($50 Certificate): #31C-Maverick Coffey
All-Star Performance 15th Place Finisher ($50 Certificate): #29-Dalton Herrick
A-Verdi Storage Containers Hard Charger Award ($50): #41-Dalton Rombough (+8)
PJC Sprayfoam Reverse Hard Charger ($100): #66-Jordan Hutton (-16)
Ashley Lynn Winery Podium Finish (bottle of wine): #28F-Davie Franek; #53-Shawn Donath; #28-Jordan Poirier
Hoosier Tire Award (RR Hoosier tire): #28F-Davie Franek
Slade Shock Tech ($50 Certificate): #28-Jordan Poirier