A Round-Up of the Week that Was SUPRS Florida Speedweeks
February 11, 2023 – Pensacola, FL…We’ve rounded up some of the best story lines and all of the stats from the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), 2023 Florida Speedweeks for you to enjoy now that “The Gator Grind” is complete.
Competition Level High
When it comes to competitiveness, the 2023 SUPRS Florida Speedweeks certainly can be listed as one of the most competitive. With an average car count of 13 and a high count of 15 on night four, while not being a full, 20 car field, each night was stacked with talent, and the qualifying times at each track, as well as the amount of drivers finishing each race on the lead lap bear this out.
Over half of the starting field finished at every one of the five races. This is especially surprising considering the usual carnage at Dodge, and the excessive destruction seen at Desoto this year. By far, and owing to the fact that it’s a NASCAR Heat event, Black Creek Raceway on the second night led the way for percentages of drivers finishing that started where all nine of the starters crossed the line on the lead lap except one.
Perhaps the more impressive statistic comes from night four at USA International where 12 of the 15 starters completed the race and 10 of those were on the lead lap, while two were just one lap down when the checkered flag flew. Similarly, at 5-Flags for the last night of Speedweeks, 11 of the 13 starters finished the feature, albeit finishing positions six through 11 were at least one lap down to the winner Brad Keysor.
Ohh, Keysor Class of Speedweeks Field Again
For the third year in a row, it was eventual Speedweeks Champion Dave Ohh, and defending Speedweeks champ, Brad Keysor, that dominated the story lines for the week. Only Zach Sears, who won his very first SUPRS Florida Speedweeks feature at Black Creek, and other than a late race caution, very nearly won on the first night at Desoto, kept Keysor and Ohh from cleaning up the feature win column.
Both were fast as usual. They locked out qualifying with Keysor’s two new track records, (USA International on night 4 and 5-Flags on night 5), and fast time at Desoto, as well as Ohh’s fast qualifier status at Black Creek and Dodge.
Ohh lived up to his “SpeedyMan” nickname and other than at Desoto on the first night, where Keysor prevented a sweep, the Union, CT racer ran the fastest lap of the feature every other night.
Even starting deep in the field after the inversion each night couldn’t keep the dynamic duo from dominating the lap leader totals for the week. Combined, Keysor and Ohh led 124 laps out of 200 possible. Keysor had the most laps led for the week at 65, with Ohh not too far behind at 59, and both drivers can lay claim to leading at least one lap on each of the five nights of SUPRS 2023 Florida Speedweeks.
Three Make First Speedweeks Starts
Three drivers got their taste of how tortourous SUPRS Florida Speedweeks can be. Second year driver Greg Breen, and rookies Daniel Nans and Erick Merkley all dipped their toes in the Speedweeks sand for the first time in their careers.
Nans was the only one of the three, and one of eight total drivers, to make all five shows, although he dropped connection on the second night and was disappointed not to be able to start. Nans has a week-long best finish of sixth on the first night at Desoto and hung around the top ten all week finishing every race he started no more than one lap down to the winner.
Breen and Merkley made two of the five races, with Merkley definitely coming up on the short end of success, dropping out at Dodge and USA after suffering suspension damage in both features. For Breen, it was a different story. After having taken some time off from SUPRS racing to focus on work and family, and having started just five races this season, he came back strong for his first Speedweeks starts. At USA on the fourth night of the swing, he started in fourteenth and was able to move up to 9 in a race that had only two cautions. Then, on the final night of Speedweeks, he really cut loose. He took advantage of a top five in Time Trials and a start from the Pole Position, to lead the first seven laps at 5-Flags Speedway. He held on to finish fourth.
Nine Make Them All
Nine of the 17 drivers to gain points in SUPRS Florida Speedweeks competition this year made every single night of the five.
They were:
- Brad Keysor
- Gary Waldron
- Dave Ohh
- Anthony Corsoniti
- Ryan Cloonan
- Bobby Hayduk
- Bob Gangwer
- Carl Becker
- and Daniel Nans
Nans, as mentioned above, was the only driver of the nine not to start all five features. As far as laps completed for those that had perfect Speedweeks attendance, Keysor, Ohh, and Cloonan ran all 200 laps possible. Anthony Corsoniti was close at 199 laps, as was Bobby Hayduk at 195.
Hayduk was one of the happiest drivers for the week, not because he won any races or set the world on fire in Florida, but because he accomplished the goal he set for himself at the beginning of the week. “My goal was to finish every race,” he said. “I knew who would be fast, I didn’t care about that, I just wanted to finish every race this week and I did it and wasn’t that far behind.”
Looking back through the rest of the drivers with perfect attendance, Gary Waldron completed 189 laps, Daniel Nans 172, Bob Gangwer 151, and Carl Becker 145.
Ryan Cloonan was able to lead 18 laps at 5-Flags after taking the lead from his uncle Greg Breen. Nans was able to lead one lap for the week and that was at Desoto.
Rough Week for the Old Guys
While he may have made every feature event during the week, Carl Becker was one of a couple of older guys to have a rough 2023 Speedweeks. The 79 year old was only able to finish the features at Black Creek and USA. Even so, the SUPRS Lifetime Member stated, “I had some fun and got to race.”
At the other end of the attendance spectrum was his fellow septuagenarian, Danny Ray of Goshen, IN. On the road for family business, Ray had a borrowed Momo steering wheel and pedal set, used a backup, subpar computer, and struggled to connect to WiFi in a Kentucky hotel room, all with the goal of having some fun “with the guys” and hanging onto a top ten in season points.
Ray was the first driver out of the race at Desoto with only a couple of laps competed. Then couldn’t get a connection on the second night at Black Creek. He came back on the third night and was the last car running at Dodge. He then finished both USA and 5-Flags outside of the top ten.
Backus Back
After nearly a year away from the SUPRS sim racing track, Derrick Backus of Mexico, NY knocked the dust off of his IAFF sponsored, Disturbed Motorsports supermodified and hit the track at 5-Flags. Backus is a former Silver Crest Champion and winner of the 2018 SUPRS All-Star Classic 200 at Star Speedway and showed that he hasn’t forgotten how to get around an oval and made the Elite 8 in Time Trials.
However, the hard charging driver, while have a good time, acknowledged a change from the last time he raced. “It was a blast to be back on track,” said Backus. “Dave and Brad are tough, but fun. It’s so competitive now. I was happy to see a little speed tonight and it was a good jumping off point.”
Derrick’s night ended early at 5-Flags after contact with rookie Daniel Nans. Even so, Backus said that he hopes to return to the track again as soon as three weeks down the road to try to become a two-time SUPRS All-Star Classic 200 winner. “I checked my calendar, and I’m off work that day, so I hope to get to run it.”
“When you can add your name to a list like that, it’s pretty special”
2023 Florida SPEEDWEEKS CHAMPION dAVE OHH
Ohh Joins Multi-Time Speedweeks Champions List
Dave Ohh wrapped up his second SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Championship on the final night of the five night swing, making himself the fifth driver to have won the grueling week long battle more than once. Ohh joins Ray Sand, Jr., Myles Maxon, Rob Warren and Keith Powell on that small list and is proud to be a part of it. “When you can add your name to a list like that, it’s pretty special,” he remarked. “It was a good week and a close battle with Brad, I was looking for those bonus points.”
Ohh stands alone on top of the all-time Florida Speedweeks win list and now has 13. He won at Desoto to kick off Speedweeks, then took his fourth straight at Dodge on Wednesday to become the all-time winner there.
When it was all said and done the 2023 edition of SUPRS Florida Speedweeks had some great story lines and statistics to marvel at for years to come. The more important factor though, is that after a week long trek through “The Sunshine State,” all of the SUPRS members, while tired, worn out, and some wishing they’d had better results, left Pensacola on night five happy to have been a part of this unique sim racing event and still friends with their fellow members.
Speedweeks by the Numbers
- 1: First Time Speedweeks Feature Winner
- 2: New Track Records Set
- 2: Drivers Set Fast Qualifying Time
- 3: Different Speedweeks Feature Winners
- 3: Drivers Ran Every Lap of Every Feature
- 3: Drivers Made Their First Florida Speedweeks Starts
- 7: Total Caution Periods for Speedweeks
- 8: Different Drivers to Lead a Lap During Speedweeks
- 9: Drivers with Perfect Speedweeks Attendance
- 13: Average Car Count for Speedweeks Events
- 15: Times Total the Yellow Flag Flew During Speedweeks
- 17: Different Drivers to Compete During 2023 Florida Speedweeks
- 59: Total Laps Under Yellow Flag
- 60 minutes 9 seconds Combined Total Time to Complete All Speedweeks Features
- 200: Total Green Flag Speedweeks Feature Laps
SUPRS 2023 Florida Speedweeks Results Quick Links
Mid-Winter Break
After a grueling “Gator Grind” and a week that saw some fantastic supermodified sim racing in Florida, the SUPRS drivers and officials will get a a much needed week of rest and relaxation starting on February 11 and lasting through February 17.
SUPRS next race is the BMK Logistics Presidents’ Day Special on February 21, 2023 at Martinsville Speedway. Originally scheduled for Lee USA Speedway, series officials, in conjunction with sponsor, BMK Logistics, have moved the race to Martinsville to allow completion of a brand-new, virtual version, of Lee USA Speedway for 2024 and SUPRS 20th Anniversary season.
Then the week after that it’s 200 laps of macadam mayhem on a ¼ mile paved oval, and the first race of the 2023 SUPRS Triple Crown of Supermodified Sim Racing presented by Icings on Top. The SUPRS 13th Annual All-Star Classic 200 where only 12 cars make the 200 lap feature and everyone else loads up and goes home, is a one of a kind event on the SUPRS schedule and modeled after the famed Star Speedway International Classic.
Both races can be enjoyed with SUPRS LIVE! featuring streaming video, live commentary, track telemetry and timing, and scoring. Visit SUPRS.net for more info.
NEXT RACE
SUPRS is Social
Online sim racers, gamers, and supermodified racing fans can all learn more about the original supermodified sim racing sanction by visiting www.SUPRS.net, “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and Viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube. We’re also on Instagram @suprs_online, and don’t forget to check out our live streaming video throughout the season via our SUPRS LIVE! page and Twitch.
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