Brad Keysor Wins Second Golden State Classic at Buckley Speedway–Pads Points Lead Heading into Final Race
April 19, 2022 – Rancho Cucamonga, CA…Brad Keysor, who is looking for his first Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Wing Supermodified Championship, won his second straight SUPRS Golden State Classic Tuesday night at Buckley Speedway. Keysor’s win in the NASCAR Heat supermodified sim racing 75 lap feature helped him pad his points lead to 81 and he now heads into the final race of the season next week at Madera Speedway with a nearly insurmountable lead. Bob Gangwer hounded Keysor for the last half of the race and came home in second place just .098 seconds behind the winner. Anthony Corsoniti finished in third.
Likes Buckley
Keysor hasn’t always been a fan of the NASCAR Heat game, but he’s starting to find his way around the old platform that came out in 2000. One thing’s for sure though, he’s taken a liking to the track where he now has two NASCAR Heat wins in a row. “I wouldn’t say I don’t like NASCAR Heat, it’s just doesn’t suit my way of setting up a car and you just have to get in and drive it,” he said. “But this track, (Buckley), is conducive to how I like the car to roll and run and it reminds me of Bristol and I do like those type of high-banked tracks.”
“We can run this for every NASCAR Heat race we have,” he joked. “Thanks to 1st to Finish Race Servers, Hairbag Studios, BreezeGraphics.com, Icings on Top and of course BMK Logistics for letting me have fun. This was a very close race tonight.”
Feels Comfortable Going into Madera
Until a week ago, Keysor had sat in second place in the SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Supermodified Points Championship and could only watch as defending SUPRS champion, Dave Ohh, seemingly had a lock on the crown. But Dave Ohh has had to miss the last two races due to work commitments.
With Ohh off the track, Keysor went to work capitalizing on his absence and now looks like he may have locked up his second career SUPRS Gold Crest Championship, and his first for the winged supermodified class.
“I feel very comfortable with the points and that’s what I wanted going into the last race,” he stated. “I did what I needed to do to get the lead and I think if I start well at the Summit Classic, and don’t do anything stupid, the points are good.”
Keysor is the defending winner of the race and is looking for his third victory this year. He’s also the only driver to win the race as a rookie and has the distinction of winning the second leg of the SUPRS Triple Crown of Supermodified Sim Racing presented by Icings on Top, from the furthest back in the starting grid.
To say he’s a favorite would be a bit of an understatement, but he also has to think about Dave Ohh going for what would be his first “perfect” Triple Crown. “Last year, Dave had the race but he dropped connection,” explained Keysor. “But you have to be there at the end to win it and I was. With the points lead now, I think I can go kind of aggressive at Madera and win two in a row and block Dave’s perfect Triple Crown attempt. I’m not sure if I’m going to bust out my new Fanatec wheel for next week, but I don’t think so.”
Big Buckley Crash
Gary Waldron, the winner of the very first race SUPRS ever sanctioned at Buckley in 2006, set fast time and finished second in the BMK Logistics Fast Car Dash. The Kenowa Auto Supply driver was looking good for a top three finish in the feature, keeping Keysor in sight and Bob Gangwer at bay as the three former winners ran in the top three before the half-way point.
Waldron’s run came to a grinding halt when he slammed into the stalled car of Dick Schuler in the middle of the backstretch. In typical Buckley fashion, the crash was spectacular with both cars flying into the air and landing with a thud. Waldron wasn’t happy but remained philosophical after the race saying, “I’m not too happy. I really like this track, had a good car. But it happens and I just have to move on.”
Keysor as the leader, was the first to the stranded #56 of Schuler and almost met with the same disaster. “I might have missed it by a tire width on my right side. It was very close,” he said. “I feel real bad for Gary though because he had a great night ahead of him.”
18th Summit Classic Next Week
The SUPRS racers now turn their eyes north to the San Joaquin Valley and “The West Coast Home of the Supermodifieds,” Madera Speedway, where they will put the wraps on the 2021-22 SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship season with the 18th running of the Summit Classic 125. Action begins Thursday April 21 with a special session of testing where all members are invited to take part. Then on April 24, Sunday Night Test-N-Tune will feature a full 125 lap simulated run to help the racers get tuned up for the Summit Classic. The drivers will also draw for their practice groups and Time Trial order for the week on Sunday.
Scheduled for Monday, the invitation only Cherry Breaker 63 is a race for drivers that have never won a SUPRS feature event of 25 laps or more. This NASCAR Heat race currently has about six drivers that are eligible to race, and at least four of them will have to affirm their intent to run or the race will be canceled. The night is tentatively scheduled to begin with Hot Laps at 8pm.
On Tuesday the drivers will search for all the speed they can find as they try to set one of the top two fastest laps on Pole Night for the 18th Annual SUPRS Summit Classic 125. Only the top two drivers are locked into the feature through Time Trials which start at 8:35pm. Qualifying Heats and B-Main if needed will follow. The race has been won from the Pole Position 10 times.
Then, on Wednesday, April 25, the 2021-22 Gold Crest Wing Supermodified season draws to a close with the 18th Annual Summit Classic 125. Race two of the SUPRS Triple Crown of Supermodified Sim Racing presented by Icings on Top has been won by just eight different drivers in the previous 17 versions of the race. Practice is scheduled to begin at 7:20pm with the green flag dropping on the Summit Classic 125 starting field at 9:10pm.
Broadcasting All Week
After a two-week break from broadcasting the SUPRS Broadcasting Network will end the season strong by carrying all the action of the 18th Summit Classic Week beginning with the Sunday Night Test-N-Tune on April 24. Other than Sunday, which has no set time, all broadcasts on SUPRS LIVE! and Twitch will begin at 8:30pm ET. Guest announcer James East of TeamGoonSquad.com will join the booth for the Summit Classic on Wednesday.
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SUPRS RACE RESULTS:
- SUPRS Golden State Classic
- Race 40 of 41
- Tuesday April 19, 2022
- Buckley Speedway
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA
- SUPRS NASCAR Heat W v6 mod
- 75 Laps
Supermodified (wing) Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best highlighted, SUPRS 6 eligible for BMK Logistics Fast Car Dash)
- 10-Gary Waldron; Wyoming, MI; Kenowa Auto Supply, Michigan Hill Gang: 12.069, 12.047
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Belfab Racing Products, Wing Side Up Enterprises: 12.065, 12.066
- 12-Anthony Corsoniti; N. Syracuse, NY; TsForecast.com: 12.139, 12.159
- 3-Brad Keysor; Liverpool, NY; BMK Logistics, Chasing Cameras: 12.158, 12.397
- 08-Danny Ray; Goshen, IN; Smokie Bone’s Down Home Kitchen, White Lightening Transportation: 12.290, 12.444
- 14-Bobby Hayduk; Brooke Park, OH; Gannon Auto Sales, Bronx Country: 12.403, 12.347
- 56-Dick Schuler; Chisago City, MN; Schu Racing, Gooby Beer: 12.621, 12.625
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BMK Logistic Fast Car Dash – 8 Laps (showing car number, driver name)
- 3-Brad Keysor
- 10-Gary Waldron
- 14-Bobby Hayduk
- 25-Bob Gangwer
- 12-Anthony Corsoniti
- 08-Danny Ray
Time of Race: 01:21.586
Supermodified (wing) Feature 75 Laps (showing car number, driver name, bonus, starting place, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- : 3-Brad Keysor: * | ** | P1 | 11.917
- 25-Bob Gangwer: ! | P4 | 11.971 | +2.604
- 12-Anthony Corsoniti: P5 | 11.977 | +11.678
- 14-Bobby Hayduk: P3 | 11.997 | +1 Lap
- 08-Danny Ray: P6 | 12.070 | +1 Lap
- 10-Gary Waldron: P2 | 12.126 | DNF (accident)
- 56-Dick Schuler: P7 | 12.181 | DNF (accident)
Time of Race: 15:57.228
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
