Qualifying Format Announced
Story By : MIKE MALLETT / ESS SERIES MEDIA Photos By:OTTO GRAHAM/ RACERSGUIDE.COM
VERNON, N.Y. –July 15, 2016- In less than a month it will be time for the 2016 edition of the Cole Cup at the Utica-Rome Speedway. The best drivers from throughout the Northeast will attempt to lock themselves into the highest paying 360 Sprint Car event in New York with $10,000 going to the winner and $500 up for grabs just for making the A-Main.
Although the date has changed for the 2016 version of the Cole Cup for the 360 Sprint-Cars, the qualifying format is back by popular demand. Like the first two editions of the Cole Cup, drivers will qualify using group time trials, a heat race inversion as well as a redraw for starting positions near the front Sunday night’s A-Main. After speaking with several race team’s the support was overwhelming to continue the system that was put in place for the first edition of the race.
The first two Cole Cup events were run in the month of September with Stewart Friesen pocketing the large check in both editions. In each race Friesen battled with Empire Super Sprint regular Steve Poirier while on his way to scoring huge payday.
This season, the Cole Cup joins the Williams Grove Speedway’s National Open on July 29th and the Selinsgrove Speedway’s Mach 1 Chassis National Open on July 30th to set the stage for a weekend where one driver could pocket over $20,000 as part of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Weekend for the 360 Sprint Cars, known as the Weekend of Money!!.
Currently laps sponsorships are available for the 2016 Cole Cup by contacting Empire Super Sprint Vice-President Dean Reynolds via email at deanr@empiresupersprints.com. Also contingencies money is being raised to compensate drivers who attend all three of the weekend events.
For more information about the Cole Cup visit the speedway website at www.uticaromespeedway.com.
2016 COLE CUP QUALIFYING FORMAT
1-36 Cars – 3 Heats
Hot lap within heat groups
Group Time Trials – Time within your heats – 3 laps each.
6 car groups, 6 Groups – Group 1 and 2 – Heat 1
Group 3 and 4 – Heat 2…etc
Top 6 times per heat group inverted in heats -18 cars total
6 Cars qualify, top 4 get times back.
A-Main – Top 6 times redraw (top 2 times per heat)
Next finishers – 5,6 strait up from heat finishes.
B-Main – 6 Qualify, line-up straight up from heats. (Do not get time back)
24 cars start – 3 spots open for ESS, URC and Selinsgrove Buy-in Provisionals
A-Main Line-up.
1-6 via draw (Top 2 times per heat out of the top 4 finishers)
7 – 3rd fastest time heat 1 (out of the top 4 finishers)
8 – 3rd fastest time heat 2 (Same)
9 – 3rd fatest time heat 3 (same)
10 – 4th fastest time heat 1 (same)
11 – 4th fastest time heat 2 (same)
12 – 4th fastest time heat 3 (same)
13 – 5th place finishers heat 1
14 – 5th place finisher heat 2
15 – 5th place finisher heat 3
16 – 6th place finisher heat 1
17 – 6th place finisher heat 2
18 – 6th place finisher heat 3
19-24 B-Main
Provisionals
37-49 Cars – 4 Heats
Group Time Trails (Same as above)
4-5-6 Car Groups – 8 Groups -Group 1 and 2 Heat 1 e
Top 6 inverted in heats – 24 cars total
5 Cars qualify – top 4 get times back.
A-Main – Top 8 times redraw (top 2 times per heat)
Finishers – 5 will start strait up.
B-Main – 4 cars Qualify lined up straight from heats. (Do not get time back)
24 cars start – 2 spots for ESS and PST Provisionals.
A-Main Line-up
1-8 Redraw (Top 2 times per heat out of top 4 finishers)
9 – 3rd fastest time Heat 1 (of top 4 finishers in heat)
10 – 3rd fastest time heat 2 (Same)
11 – 3rd fastest time heat 3 (same)
12 – 3rd fastest time heat 4 (same)
13 – 4th fastest time heat 1 (same)
14 – 4th fastest time heat 2 (same)
15 – 4th fastest time heat 3 (same)
16 – 4th fastest time heat 4 (same)
17 – 5th place finisher
18 – 5th place finisher
19 – 5th place finisher
20 – 5th place finisher
20 – 24 B-Main
Provisionals
50 cars +- 5 Heats.
Group Time Trials (Same as above)
5 or 6 car groups – 10 Groups – Group 1 and 2 Heat 1 etc…
Top 6 Inverted in heats – 30 cars total.
4 Cars Qualify – All cars get times back
Top 2 times per heat to Redraw
Finishers 5 on back to B Main(s)
If one B-Main – 4 cars qualify if 2 B’s 2 from each.
24 cars start – 2 spots for ESS and PST Provisionals.
A-Main Line-up
1-10 Redraw (Top 2 times out of top four finishers)
11 – 3rd fastest time heat 1 (out of top 4 finishers per heat)
12 – 3rd fastest time heat 2
13 – 3rd fastest time heat 3
14 – 3rd fastest time heat 4
15 – 3rd fastest time heat 5
16 – 4th fastest time heat 1
17 – 4th fastest time heat 2
18 – 4th fastest time heat 3
19 – 4th fastest time heat 4
20 – 4th fastest time heat 5
21-24 – B-Main
Provisionals
Group Time Trials – 3 Laps
Heats – 10 Laps
B-Main (s) – 12 Laps
A-Main – 30 Laps.
