Sam Reakes Gets Strong Third Place Finish at Utica Rome Speedway; Will Return to Action August 10th and 11th at Albany-Saratoga and Canandaigua

Although Sammy Reakes and the rest of the Empire Super Sprints don’t have a home track, Utica Rome Speedway is the closest thing to it, as they are on the schedule four times throughout the 2012 season.  Reakes has been fast on two prior visits to the track this season, but has struggled to get the results they had deserved. Sammy was looking forward to getting back to the track for a third time this season, and hoping for better results.

On Wednesday night at Utica Rome Speedway, Reakes finished third in his qualifying heat, making the redraw for the A-Main.  Sam would start on the outside of the front row for the 25 lap event, but fell to fourth at the start of the race.  He fought back though, and by lap five he was back up to third.  He maintained that position throughout the rest of the caution free event.

“It is awesome to get a good finish here at Utica Rome tonight.  We haven’t had much luck here all season”, says Reakes after the race.  “We probably could have had a couple top ten finishes here earlier this year, but we had some late race problems that hindered us in the past”.

Sammy will have a couple weeks off before his next scheduled event as the Empire Super Sprints return to action at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, New York on Friday, August 10^th.  The following day, they make the long drive up I-90 to Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Saturday, August 11^th.

Sam Reakes would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support during a very exciting rookie season with the Empire Super Sprints.  These sponsors include Whittaker’s Cars and Trux, Around Town Plumbing and Heating, Town Mechanical, Alpine Stars, All Phase Construction, Advanced Hearing Aid Centers, Billings Automotive and Mike Woodring Racing.

For more information on Sam Reakes, including updated race schedule, photos, results and sponsor information, please visit our website, www.samreakes.com.

Sam Reakes Continues Can Am Success With Second Place Finish; 12th Place Finish in First Career Empire Super Sprint Start at Mohawk Raceway

This past weekend Sam Reakes IV traveled back Mohawk International Raceway on Friday night.  He made the trip just one month ago, but never made it on the track as they got rained out.  He returned this week to make his first ever Empire Super Sprint start at the Hogansburg, New York track.  On Saturday night, Reakes returned to Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park, the site of his first career win on their last visit to the track back in April.

At Mohawk Raceway, Reakes finished sixth in his qualifying heat race, placing him 16^th at the start of the 25 lap A-Main.  Reakes moved up to 12^th before the finish, gaining valuable experience on the fast half mile.

Reakes was looking forward to returning to Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park on Saturday night, looking to duplicate his performance from the ESS opener back in April where he led the entire distance from start to finish in a dominating performance after just a couple of starts with the Empire Super Sprints in 2011.  The night started well with a second place finish in his qualifier placing him in the redraw.  Sammy started the race from sixth place, and by lap two he was up to second.  The entire 25 lap distance went green to checkers, and Reakes was unable to mount a challenge for the lead.

“The car was good in the beginning but if faded there at the end,” said Reakes.  “I think I was over driving it when I got into lapped traffic, and the car was better than it showed but the Cobra (Chuck Hebing) got the better of the Honey Badger (Reakes) tonight.  We had three DNF’s in a row there, so to come back out to get a second to probably the best guy out there we’ll take it.”

After a week off with the Empire Super Sprints, Reakes will return to the track on Friday, July 20^th back at Mohawk International Raceway as a makeup show for their June 8^th rainout.

Sam Reakes would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support during a very exciting rookie season with the Empire Super Sprints.  These sponsors include Whittaker’s Cars and Trux, Around Town Plumbing and Heating, Town Mechanical, Alpine Stars, All Phase Construction, Advanced Hearing Aid Centers, Billings Automotive and Mike Woodring Racing.

For more information on Sam Reakes, including updated race schedule, photos, results and sponsor information, please visit our website, www.samreakes.com.

Sam Reakes Has Up and Down Day at Utica Rome Speedway; Preparing for Busy Week of Empire Super Sprint Racing

Although the end result wasn’t what Sam Reakes IV wanted at Utica Rome Speedway on Sunday night, he takes some solace in the fact that despite some bad luck the car was fast, and the only thing that spoiled what would have been a top ten run was issues with his brakes.

Reakes finished his qualifying heat race in fourth place, but a build up of mud in the right rear tire would have made for an even better finish.  In the redraw, Reakes selected the third starting spot, and lined up on the inside of row two for the 25 lap main event.  Sam fought brake issues throughout the evening, but was running solidly inside the top ten through lap 15.  Just a couple laps later, the maser cylinder went, causing him to fall back through the field to a disappointing 19^th place finish.

“The car was fast, and we were doing well despite the brake issues, and it looked like we were going to have a good top ten finish before the master cylinder went away with six laps to go”, says Reakes.

This coming week will be busy for Reakes with a race at Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, New York on Tuesday night with the Empire Super Sprints.  This coming weekend, the sprints return to Mohawk International Raceway in Hogansburg, New York on Friday night, and Can Am Motorsports Park on Saturday.

“I am really looking forward to racing at Rolling Wheels on Tuesday”, says Reakes.  “We won the championship there last year in the Sportsman division, and have had some success at the track in the past, and hopefully that will continue with the Sprint car”.

Sam Reakes would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support during a very exciting rookie season with the Empire Super Sprints.  These sponsors include Whittaker’s Cars and Trux, Around Town Plumbing and Heating, Town Mechanical, Alpine Stars, All Phase Construction, Advanced Hearing Aid Centers, Billings Automotive and Mike Woodring Racing.

For more information on Sam Reakes, including updated race schedule, photos, results and sponsor information, please visit our website, www.samreakes.com.

Sam Reakes Has Tough Night at Lebanon Valley With Empire Super Sprints

The 2012 racing season is definitely a learning experience for Fulton, New York racer Sam Reakes IV.  Although he got a win in the Empire Super Sprints opener at Can Am back in April, Reakes has been seeking consistency as we get into the summer months.  Reakes traveled to Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, New York this past Saturday night, looking for a solid run.

Like many tracks that Reakes will visit this season, it was his first ever race at Lebanon Valley Speedway.  The fast high-banked track produced very fast speed throughout the evening.  Reakes started the night with qualifying heats, and rebounded to finish fifth after having some front wing issues.  In the 25 lap main event, he started 13^th and was moving forward until a car in front of him took his lane away, and ending up in the wall, ending his night early.

“We were racing hard, and the car in front of us took our lane away, causing to lose air on the wing, and the car just wouldn’t turn, and we ended up with some heavy damage after contact with the wall”, says Reakes.  “It was a tough night here a Lebanon Valley, but we will take some consolation in the fact that the car was fast, and hopefully when we come back here again next year, we will have some better luck”.

The next race on the schedule for Sam Reakes will be Sunday July 1^st at Utica Rome Speedway in Vernon, New York.  From there, Reakes will travel to Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, New York for a rare Tuesday night show on the eve of Independence Day.  The following Saturday, July 7^th, Reakes will return to Chapman’s Can Am Motorsports Park, the site of his first career Sprint Car win back in April.

Sam Reakes would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support during a very exciting rookie season with the Empire Super Sprints.  These sponsors include Whittaker’s Cars and Trux, Around Town Plumbing and Heating, Town Mechanical, Alpine Stars, All Phase Construction, Advanced Hearing Aid Centers, Billings Automotive and Mike Woodring Racing.

For more information on Sam Reakes, including updated race schedule, photos, results and sponsor information, please visit our brand new website, www.samreakes.com.

It was almost a month to the day since his last start with the Empire Super Sprints that resulted in Sam Reakes first career win.  The impressive rookie was back in action this weekend, as the ESS club resumed their season with events scheduled at the legendary Fonda Speedway on Saturday night, and Utica Rome Speedway on Sunday.

For Reakes, he had never raced at Fonda in any division prior to Saturday night, but that didn’t slow down the “Honey Badger”, as he went out and set fast time in opening practice.  In his qualifying heat, Reakes started from fourth place, and moved up to third at the finish making the redraw.  For the second time in as many starts this season, Reakes would draw the pole position for the A-main.  Reakes ran well through the first 15 laps of the event, running in the third position, but lapped traffic played havoc on the rookie, and he would fall back to finish seventh.

“It was a great run for us, the car was really fast”, says Reakes.  “I hard a real hard time getting through the traffic as well as some of the veterans did, and we slid back a little over the final ten laps, but overall the car was good”.

At Utica Rome Speedway on Sunday, Reakes started off with a bad draw, and wasn’t able to find the handle on the car until the A-main.  He was running inside the top ten with six laps to go, but went off of the track with a broken right front shock.  He returned to salvage a 14^th place finish.

Sam Reakes would like to thank all of his sponsors for their support during a very exciting rookie season with the Empire Super Sprints.  These sponsors include Whittaker’s Cars and Trux, Around Town Plumbing and Heating, Town Mechanical, Alpine Stars, All Phase Construction, Advanced Hearing Aid Centers, Billings Automotive and Mike Woodring Racing.

For more information on Sam Reakes, including updated race schedule, photos, results and sponsor information, please visit our brand new website, www.samreakes.com.

Sam Reakes IV Holds Off Veterans in Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint Opener at Can-Am

LAFARGEVILLE, NY - Sammy Reakes IV has only a handful of sprint car starts in his career but on Saturday night in the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint opener at the Can-Am Motorsports Park the Fulton, N.Y., driver looked like a veteran as he held off a star-studded field of 35 drivers for his first ever victory in a sprint car.

“That was only our fourth race in one of these things,” said Reakes after the event.  “This was a blast.  This place was awesome tonight. It was smooth and it was fast and it really helped me being out in the clean air.  I can’t complain.”

Reakes, a former sportsman driver, decided to make the switch at the end of the 2011 season and he never dreamed that he would be able to get to Victory Lane so soon especially considering the drivers in the field.  In the closing laps Reakes was stalked by the defending series champion Chuck Hebing.

“This is awesome,” said Reakes.  “This is right up there with winning Syracuse.  It is an amazing feeling.  I never thought we’d win this early.  I thought it would be at least a year long process; I kind of feel like we are dreaming right now.”

Reakes started on the outside of the front row of the 25-lap Universal American Stars and Stripes Tour/SUNY Canton Series A-Main event on a blustery night in the North Country with Dylan Swiernik on the pole.  Before a lap could be complete a red flag was displayed as Mike Stelter and Kevin Ward Jr. came together in the middle of the track.  As they slowed up everyone behind them was forced to check up including Steve Collins who ended up getting upside down in the fourth turn.  He was uninjured in the crash but done for the event.
Once the green was displayed again it was Reakes grabbing the early lead away from Swiernik in a event that then went non-stop.  He got the jump coming off of turn four and beat Swiernik into the first corner to take the early