Callahan A Surprised Two Time Mid-Season Champion

Steve Callahan Crowned SUPRS Gold Crest Non-Wing Mid-Season Champion for Second Year in a Row

Oswego, NY – June 28, 2016…After struggling in his heat race and placing fourth in the first feature, Steve Callahan had no idea he would be anywhere close to being a back to back Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Gold Crest Non-Wing Supermodified Mid-Season Champion. But after a win in the second Twin 35 lap feature and a multitude of misfortune for other contenders, Callahan was wearing the Mid-Season Crown again.

“Wow this is pretty cool and a real surprise,” said the Exide Batteries sponsored racer about his second Non-Wing Mid-Season Championship. “It was one of those nights and I think I just avoided everything. To get the championship is pretty crazy and I guess it’s better to be lucky than good sometimes.”

“After the heat race I thought it was going to be a long night,” he continued.  “I just got lucky. I don’t think I passed anyone tonight, everyone in front of me wrecked at some point or another. There’s a lot of guys faster than me that should be here, but I’m happy to be standing in victory lane tonight.”

After tallying points from the heat races and both features for each competitor, Callahan won the Mid-Season Championship by just a single point over his teammate Keith Powell and two points over third place overall Bob Gangwer.  Callahan joins Kris Heveron, John Davidson and Ray Sand, Jr. as a two-time Non-Wing Mid-Season Champion and is the first racer to go back to back in this event since Sand, Jr. in 2011-12.

Even after taking a win in a heat and leading all the laps for the win in the first feature, two-time SUPRS Non Wing Mid-Season Champion Ray Sand, Jr. was noticeably dejected at the end of the night after having computer issues ruin his racing.

“Man I just struggled all night with computer issues,” he explained. “I can’t figure out what was going on. One week it’s great and the next it’s horrible.”

“It’s frustrating,” said Sand, Jr. “I wasn’t sure where I was with it jumping all over so I end up crashing the whole field and I think that was pretty clear in the second feature.”

“I want to apologize to anyone whose race was messed up because of my issues. I’m looking to load up, get out of here and move on to the next one,” he concluded.

Warren, Gangwer Split P2 Positions

Current point leader and defending SUPRS Gold Crest Non-Wing Champion Rob Warren has two wins this season but has never claimed a Non-Wing Mid-Season Championship. He came close last year after winning one of the Twins and had a good run going this year finishing second in his heat and second in the first feature but it all unraveled in the second race after struggling to overcome his starting position.

“It all came down to starting position in the second one,” Warren stated. “I had a great race with Ray in the heat and another one in the first feature. I was trying to be patient but there’s really no time to be patient in these quick races.”

“A couple of guys got jumbled up in front of me and I was the end of the accordion,” he continued. “Then a bit later Ray’s mêlée kicked me around backward into the fence, and then on that restart Chad came off turn four really loose and I had nowhere to go.

SEE SCREENSHOTS OF THESE RACES

“I was trying to stay off of him, standing on the binders but then I got into him and got hit from behind and that shot Chad up into the foam in turn one and sent me to the pits where I lost a lap. But that’s to be expected when you drive like an idiot and I drove like an idiot in the second one,” Warren mused.

Finishing in second place in the second feature was a shock to Bob Gangwer, but a welcome change from the first race.

“I’ll be honest, I really don’t know how I got here,” he said as while shaking his head. “After Ray lost it I clobbered him. I mean the car was a mile in the air but it landed on all four and when I got to turn three, it turned.”

“I almost think it was better because I was able to challenge Steve on most of the restarts, but that last one the car got real loose and he took off. I figure it was so loose because there was no fuel back there to keep the rear end planted, it was sputtering coming out of turn two on the last lap,” explained Gangwer. “Great runs for Ray in the first one and Steve in the second one so congrats to them.”

Powell on Podium

In a similar scenario as last year’s race, all the podium finishers but one (Gangwer) were the same, but the driver showing the most consistency was that of Callahan’s CPR Motorsports teammate Keith “Put One on Ya” Powell who, for the second year in a row finished both races in P3. He spoke about his runs afterwards saying, “”The first race was really good,” said the driver of the Icings on Top car. “Ray and Rob were putting on a show in front of me and they got side by side a couple of times and I thought I could gain, but I really had no time.”

“I was wicked loose the first feature and in the second race I’m not really sure what happened,” Powell said. “It’s just really cool to be on the frontstretch with my teammate. I’m really glad to see him doing well. Congrats to Ray on the first win.”

Clean First Race, Crazy Second Race

While the 12 lap heat races and the first 35 lap feature went off relatively smooth seeing a total of 10 caution laps run and a lot of battles throughout the field, the second feature had the same amount of cautions laps run, (10) before six green flag laps were completed. A myriad of simple spins, two-car incidents and one major crash that put leader Ray Sand, Jr. out of the race, had many of the drivers like Powell all wondering “what happened?”

Once the drivers finally settled down, the race went 17 laps under the green flag and had just one more yellow. Heat race wins went to Bob Gangwer and Ray Sand, Jr.

The return of the Independence Day Twins next week means the SUPRS racers will double their chances at a feature win two weeks in a row. After a year off, SUPRS will keep the 4th of July party rolling on July 5 with twin 35 lap features.

The evening begins when the SUPRS Race Server opens at 7p for installation tests. Official Practice for the Independence Day Twin 35s runs from 8:00-8:30pm. A drivers meeting will take place at 8:30pm and the first heat race rolls under the green flag at 9:00pm.

Supermodified and sim racing fans can view timing and scoring of every SUPRS race this season with SUPRS LIVE! You’ll be able to keep up with your favorite SUPRS racer in an instant by going to www.SUPRS.net/site/live.

Learn more about the original  supermodified sim racing sanction and real supermodified racing with a visit to www.SUPRS.net. Join SUPRS active and vibrant Social Media channels by  “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Circling SUPRS on Google+, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube.

SUPRS RACE RESULTS:

• Mid-Season Championship
• June 28, 2016
• SUPRS rFactor NW V1.2 mod
• SUPRS Oswego Speedway V1.2

Final SUPRS Gold Crest Mid-Season Championship Points

Heat Race 1 – 12 Laps (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors)

1. 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; B&G Racing Photos, Wing Side Up Enterprises
2. 61-Derrick Backus; Mexico, NY; Clyde Booth Engineering, Disturbed Motorsports
3. 41-Keith Powell; Carrollton, OH; CPR Motorsports, Icings on Top
4. 38-Kyle Clark; Mexico, NY; Coors’ Light, Disturbed Motorsports
5. 55-Steve Callahan; Cuyahoga Falls, OH; CPR Motorsports, Exide Battery
6. X-Chad Phelps; New Haven, NY; Haun Welding Supply, Disturbed Motorsports

Heat Race 2 – 12 Laps (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors)

1. 71-Ray Sand, Jr.; Rochester, NY; RPM, SandmanRacing.com
2. 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1^st to Finish Race Servers, Syracuse Time and Alarm
3. 9-Domenic Gioia; Oswego, NY; Team Domination Motorsports, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer
4. 14-Joe Achzet; Yorkville, NY; GraphX
5. 77-Kevin Timmins; Baldwinsville, NY; Wesley Motorsports, BreezeGraphics.com

Feature 1– 35 Laps (showing car number, driver, name, bonus, starting position/fastest lap/distance behind winner)

1. 71-Ray Sand, Jr.; */**/ 1/16.602
2. 35-Rob Warren; 5/16.532/+0.189
3. 41-Keith Powell; 4/16.583/+1.022
4. 55-Steve Callahan; ^/ 8/16.734/+1.411
5. 25-Bob Gangwer; 2/16.745/+2.188
6. 38-Kyle Clark; 7/16.722/+3.173
7. 14-Joe Achzet; 11/16.621/+3.793
8. 61-Derrick Backus; 6/16.483/+14.460
9. 77-Kevin Timmins; 9/17.407/+1 Lap
10. 9-Domenic Gioia; 3/16.728/ DNF: Crash-Suspension
11. X-Chad Phelps; 10/ NA/ DNS: Computer

Time of Race:  16: 28.546

• * Denotes Lap Led
• ** Denotes Most Laps Led
• ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
• ^ Denotes SUPRSCharger

Notes:

• There were three cautions for a total of 10 laps
• The first start was called back.
• There were no lead changes.
• Derrick Backus had fastest lap of race-16.483
• Steve Callahan was SUPRSCharger (+4 positions)

Feature 2 – 35 Laps (showing car number, driver, name, bonus, starting position/fastest lap/distance behind winner)

1. 55-Steve Callahan; */**/!/4/16.699
2. 25-Bob Gangwer; 3/16.789/+2.431
3. 41-Keith Powell; 3/16.995/+4.599
4. 14-Joe Achzet; 5/16.884/+6.289
5. 61-Derrick Backus; 8/16.738/+73689
6. 9-Domenic Gioia; ^/10/16.856/+73872
7. 38-Kyle Clark; 1/17.000/+83649
8. 77-Kevin Timmins; 9/17.249/+12.086
9. 35-Rob Warren; 7/16.925/+1 Lap
10. 71-Ray Sand, Jr.; 2/17.599/DNF-Crash-Suspension
11. X-Chad Phelps; 11/19.142/DNF-Crash-Suspension

Time of Race:  23:25 .737

• * Denotes Lap Led
• ** Denotes Most Laps Led
• ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
• ^ Denotes SUPRSCharger

Notes:

• There were six cautions for a total of 20 laps.
• There were two lead changes among two drivers.
• Ray Sand, Jr. ((8) and Steve Callahan (27) led laps.
• Steve Callahan had fastest lap of race 16.699.
• Domenic Gioia was the SUPRSCharger (+4 positions).

SUPRS rFactor Season Results