Category: SUPRS News

News about the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series including PR, website updates, race preview stories, and more.

After a Year Away SUPRS is Back at Dover for St. Patrick’s Day Race

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SUPRS Back at Dover Downs International Speedway for St. Patrick’s Day Grab 0′ the Green

March 12, 2017 – Goshen, IN….After a year away, the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), is returning to Dover Downs International Speedway for the popular St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green supermodified sim race.

SUPRS 2017 St. Patrick's Day Grab o' the Green poster

Find your Pot of Gold with great promotional posters from BreezeGraphics.com

In 2016, the race moved to Mosport Speedway to take advantage of SUPRS rFactor based non-wing supermodified mod. Rookie Clinton Cyr of Florida won his first SUPRS career feature in a 50 lap feature that went 37 laps before the first caution flag flew. Joe Achzet and Ray Sand, Jr. finished on the podium the only time the race ran north of the US border.

This year SUPRS returns to the track that has hosted more St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green races than any other, Dover Downs International Speedway. A full slate of supermodified sim racing concludes with a 25 lap feature.

St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green History

In the first three years of the race Dover Downs played host to the online supermodifieds with wins going to Kevin Marine, Randy Ritskes and Kris Heveron.

For the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, after a three-year run on the mile, SUPRS officials decided to move away from the longer tracks and the St. Patrick’s day event moved to Stafford Mountain Speedway as part of the Empire State Super Series races.  Bud Flath and Ray Sand, Jr. picked up the wins at the high-banked half-mile New York venue.

Continuing with a focus on short tracks, the race moved west of the Mississippi to Buckley Speedway in California. Canadian Jamie Hartley was victorious in the one and only time the St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green ran there.

From 2011-2013 SUPRS dropped the race simply due to a shorter schedule. It then returned in 2014 to Dover and Steve Callahan became the seventh different winner of the race.

In fact, there’s never been a repeat winner of the St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green and that is likely to continue this year with only the aforementioned Callahan, and Rob Warren, (2015), being the only former winners expected to compete. Both have struggled in pre-race testing, leaving the door open for one of the other hard-charging SUPRS drivers to score their first St. Patrick’s Day win.

Critical Juncture in Points Battle

With just 10 races left in the SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship XIII campaign, the SUPRS racers have a lot to lay on the line as they take on the “Monster Mile” at Dover Downs International Speedway. Rob Warren has led the chase most of the season and continues to hold a 136 point advantage. However, at one point in the last five races, Joe Achzet had whittled that lead down to as little as 36 points.

Because he’s 197 points out of first place, it will be tough for Keith Powell to win the championship. He still has a mathematical chance though and certainly has a shot at moving past Achzet who is just 61 points ahead. At the same time, Powell, who is the 2016 SUPRS Gold Crest Non-Wing Champion, will have to keep an eye on Bob Gangwer who is fourth and only 91 points behind him.

Further back, there’s several drivers that will need to have good finishes if they want to move up in the standings, including Kyle Clark, who sits 53 points behind Steve Callahan and just out of the top five. Meanwhile, Carl Becker and Domenic Gioia have just 18 points separating them in the battle for seventh overall and there’s not many points separating positions 10-13.

Fun for Fans

Because this year the St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green is rFactor based, fans can catch the action via SUPRS LIVE! as drivers challenge the “Monster Mile” in their wing supermodifieds. Fans, friends, and family members can view live timing, scoring and track telemetry and see which of their favorite SUPRS racer finds the pot of gold by visiting www.SUPRS.net/site/live.

Practice for the SUPRS St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green at Dover Downs International Speedway begins at 8pm. Time Trials will take place at 8:30pm while Racing begins with heat races at 8:45pm. The field takes the green flag for the feature around 9:00pm.

SUPRS St. Patrick’s Day Grab O’ the Green History:

  • 2005: Kevin Marine-Dover Downs International Speedway
  • 2006: Randy Ritskes-Dover Downs International Speedway
  • 2007: Kris Heveron-Dover Downs International Speedway
  • 2008: Bud Flath-Stafford Mountain Raceway
  • 2009: Ray Sand, Jr.-Stafford Mountain Raceway
  • 2010: Jamie Hartley-Buckley Speedway
  • 2011-2013: No Race
  • 2014: Steve Callahan-Dover Downs International Speedway
  • 2015: Rob Warren-Dover Downs International Speedway
  • 2016: Clinton Cyr-Mosport Speedway

SUPRS Racers Back in PA for Keystone Nationals, Randy Witkum Memorial

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March 6, 2017 – Goshen, IN…The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), has completed it’s “Winter Western Swing” and now the supermodified sim racing sanction will pursue happiness through the hillsides of the “Independence State” for the 12th Annual Keystone Nationals featuring the 13th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial.

SUPRS 2017 Keystone Nationals poster

This three night trek through Pennsylvania begins March 6 on the square half-mile of RT 93 Raceway with a 50 lap feature. It has often been said that RT 93 in very similar to the now defunct Flemington Fairgrounds track, claiming that the fast way around is to run a near perfect circle.

Night two of the Keystone Nationals brings an added challenge this year. New to the swing schedule is Nazareth Speedway. This one mile oddly shaped track has various elevation changes, banking that varies from 2.7° and 6.0°, and has what many consider one of the trickiest dog legs and turn one corners of the season.

This race is a rFactor event and fans will be able to follow along via SUPRS LIVE! which will be especially interesting as the track tends to become slick as the sun goes down.

Closing out the three race swing is the 13th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial on Thursday March 9 at Jennerstown Speedway.

This race is one of the longest running in SUPRS history and the 125 lap grind honors the late Randy Witkum. Witkum was a young supermodified racer that tragically lost his life while participating in an International Supermodified Association event at Jennerstown in 1999.

The winner of the 13th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial will join Domenic Gioia, Rob Warren, and Steve Callahan as a guaranteed starter for the season ending Summit Classic 125.

Defending Randy Witkum Memorial winner and Keystone Nationals champion Rob Warren will have his work cut out for him as he and the rest of the SUPRS racers use their NASCAR Heat and rFactor winged supermodifieds throughout the three-nights of sim racing. Practice each night starts at 8:00pm with a full format of Time Trials, Heats, and Feature to follow.

The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series is the original supermodified sim racing sanction and supports real supermodified racing. You can learn more about SUPRS by visiting www.SUPRS.net, “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Circling SUPRS on Google+, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube.

Keystone Nationals History:

  • 2005 Keystone Nationals Champion: Sean Gibbs
  • 2006 Keystone Nationals Champion: Myles Maxon
  • 2007 Keystone Nationals Champion: Myles Maxon
  • 2008-09 Keystone Nationals Champion: Steve Callahan
  • 2009-10 Keystone Nationals Champion: Myles Maxon
  • 2010-11 Keystone Nationals Champion: Myles Maxon
  • 2011-12 Keystone Nationals Champion: Rob Warren
  • 2012-13 Keystone Nationals Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
  • 2013-14 Keystone Nationals Champion: Bob Gangwer
  • 2014-15 Keystone Nationals Champion: Bob Gangwer
  • 2016-16 Keystone Nationals Champion: Rob Warren

Randy Witkum Memorial-Jennerstown Speedway-History:

  • 2004 Randy Witkum Memorial 63 Champion: John Davidson
  • 2005 Randy Witkum Memorial 63 Champion: Gary Waldron
  • 2006 Randy Witkum Memorial 63 Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
  • 2007 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Bobby Gangwer
  • 2008-09 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Gary Waldron
  • 2009-10 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Myles Maxon
  • 2010-11 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Chris Meyers
  • 2011-12 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Rob Warren
  • 2012-13 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Rob Warren
  • 2013-14 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Steve Callahan
  • 2014-15 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Bobby Gangwer
  • 2015-16 Randy Witkum Memorial 125 Champion: Rob Warren

SUPRS-“Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons” since 2004

Billy Vukovich III Classic 100 This Week

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February 24, 2017 – Fresno, CA…The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS),  will honor the late Billy Vukovich III  with the 13th Annual running of the Billy Vukovich III Classic 100 at Mesa Marin Raceway presented by Supermodified Scorecard.

SUPRS co-founder John Davidson, of Sacramento, CA,  has sponsored this race since it’s inception through his Supermodified Scorecard business. His support is just as strong now as it ever was for a race that honors a fellow Californian.

“California-based Supermodified Scorecard continues to proudly sponsor the annual SUPRS sanctioned “Billy Vukovich III Classic” to recognize and honor his legacy and contribution to the supermodified division,” said Davidson.

Davidson is a three-time winner of the race and is one of four drivers to have won the prestigious event more than once.

About Billy Vukovich III

Billy Vukovich III was a three-time starter of Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, the first third generation racer to compete in the race and like his father and grandfather before him was named the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Rookie of the Year.

While many in the mainstream motor sports arena will remember Billy III as a rising star of the IndyCar ranks, the supermodified community will always claim him as one of their own. Starting out just like Bill Vukovich and Bill Vukovich II, Billy got his start in midgets in his home state of California and was a champion in that division. He quickly moved through the ranks to the supermodifieds and competed for famed supermodified car builder Jim Belfiore before moving to larger, better funded teams in California’s Central Valley.

During his supermodified tenure, Vukovich III claimed the 1986-87 USAC Supermodified Championship. In 1987 alone he won an incredible 12 of 17 races with a string of seven consecutive victories. He was also a two-time winner of the prestigious Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway and was a threat to win when he competed at Madera Speedway in the Vernon Reitz “Spirit of Madera” machine.

Vukovich III was also a part of the storied return of winged supermodified racing to Oswego Speedway, competing there in an exhibition race against Eddie Bellinger, Steve Gioia, Jr. and Bentley Warren.

This event was the forerunner of the return of winged supermodified racing to Oswego Speedway with the 1992 ISMA wing show and set the stage for ISMA’s 1992 East vs West series and ultimately the 1995 East vs West Shootout at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Vukovich III was killed at the age of 27 while practicing for a CRA pavement sprint car race at Mesa Marin Speedway on November 25, 1990.

Each year Madera Speedway runs the Vukovich Classic in honor of all three generations of the racing Vukovich family. There is an annual Billy Vukovich III golf tournament held to raise funds for the Billy Vukovich III Scholarship Fund for students of Billy’s high school Yosemite High School where there is also a memorial honoring the 1981 graduate who loved meteorology and amateur weather forecasting.

Practice gets underway for the SUPRS 12th Annual Billy Vukovich III Classic at 8pm. Time Trials take place at 8:45pm with racing starting at 9pm.

SUPRS Billy Vukovich III Classic 100 History

  • 2005 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Bud Flath
  • 2006 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: John Davidson
  • 2007 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Devin Gee
  • 2008 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: John Davidson
  • 2009 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Ray Sand Jr
  • 2010 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Bobby Gangwer
  • 2011 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: John Davidson
  • 2012 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Steve Callahan
  • 2013 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Steve Callahan
  • 2014 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Rob Warren
  • 2015 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
  • 2016 Billy Vukovich III Classic Champion: Bobby Gangwer

SUPRS in CA for President’s Day Special

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February 18, 2017 – Clovis, CA….The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series,(SUPRS), heads to California’s Buckley Speedway this week for the popular President’s Day Special supermodified sim race.

SUPRS President's Day Special 2017 poster

Great looking promotional materials like this President’s Day poster from BreezeGraphics.com will have you singing Hail to the Chief

For the second year in a row the SUPRS President’s Day Special takes place at a new venue, and for the first time in California. But the format remains the same while the game platform returns to NASCAR Heat after being a rFactor race last year at The Bullring.

Buckley Speedway, a long-time SUPRS venue, hosts this year’s President’s Day Special as part of SUPRS Winter Western Swing that kicked off last week at Phoenix International Raceway for the Copper World Classic XIII presented by Kern Motor Sports.

The SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship battle for supremacy got even closer last week at PIR when Joe Achzet cut another bug chunk from Rob Warren’s lead with a win in the non-wing supermodified part of the event. Achzet now trails Warren by just 84 points.

To Warren’s advantage this week is that he’s the defending winner of the race,(albeit using rFactor and at The Bullring), and has a lot more track time on the high-banked oval at Buckley where finesse can pay big dividends as drivers come up out of the bowled corners.

Warren and Achzet will have to contend with the likes of former President’s Day Special winner “Steady” Steve Callahan, as well as NASCAR Heat masters Carl “Bonzai” Becker, Dave “The Enforcer” Brigandi, Bob Gangwer, “The Breeze” Kevin Timmins and “The Dominator” Domenic Gioia.

Added to the mix will be drivers that have very little, if any, experience at Buckley like Chad Phelps, Derrick Backus, Kyle Clark, rookie Nelson Rodrigues, (who won his second SUPRS feature last week at PIR), and believe it or not, the guy that’s third in points, Keith “Put One on Ya” Powell.

Practice for the 2017 President’s Day Special starts at 8pm Tuesday, February 20. Racers will use their NASCAR Heat sim supermodifieds to time trial, run a fast car dash, a heat and a 75 lap feature.

Coming up next week to close out the SUPRS “Winter Western Swing” on February 28, is the prestigious 13th Annual Billy Vukovich III Classic 100 at Mesa Marin Raceway presented by Supermodified Scorecard.

Fans of supermodified racing and online sim racers alike can learn more about the original supermodified sim racing sanction and real supermodified racing by visiting www.SUPRS.net, “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Circling SUPRS on Google+, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and Viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube.

SUPRS President’s Day Special History

  • 2005 President’s Day Special Winner: John “Bud” Flath(New River Valley Speedway; NASCAR Heat; Wing; 38 laps)
  • 2006 President’s Day Special Winner: John Davidson(New Hampshire International Speedway; NASCAR Heat; Wing; 75 laps)
  • 2007 President’s Day Special Winner: JP Curry(New Hampshire International Speedway; NASCAR Heat; Wing; 25 laps)
  • 2008 President’s Day Special Winner: Myles Maxon(New Hampshire International Speedway; NASCAR Heat; Wing; 25 laps)
  • 2009 President’s Day Special Winner: Ray Sand, Jr.(New Hampshire International Speedway; NASCAR Heat; Wing; 25 laps)
  • 2010 President’s Day Special Winner: No Race
  • 2011 President’s Day Special Winner: No Race
  • 2012 President’s Day Special Winner: No Race
  • 2013 President’s Day Special Winner: No Race
  • 2014 President’s Day Special Winner: Steve Callahan(New River Valley Speedway; NASCAR Heat; Wing; 75 laps)
  • 2015 President’s Day Special Winner: Ray Sand, Jr.(New River Valley Speedway; NASCAR Heat; Wing; 75 laps)
  • 2016 President’s Day Special Winner: Rob Warren(The Bullring; rFactor; non-wing; 75 laps)

Learn More About Presidents’ Day at History.com

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