Category: SUPRS News

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

St. Patrick’s Day Grab o’ the Green Moves to Mosport

Image

  By
Share SUPRS:

March 11, 2016 – Goshen, IN…For the first time in Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), the St. Patrick’s Day Grab O’ the Green supermodified sim race will move north of the border to Mosport Speedway for a 50 lap feature.

SUPRS St. Patrick's Day Grab O' the Green poster

You’ll always get lucky when you use BreezeGraphics.com for your promotional posters.

This year’s race will mark the first appearance of the non-wing supermodified class. In yet another first, the racers will go for the gold at the end of the rainbow using the rFactor platform.

While not the first time the race has been run somewhere other than its “home track” this departure of platform, class AND track is a pretty big deal.

“I’m very excited to be running this track,” claimed defending race winner Rob Warren. “We’ve done a lot of testing, seems to be multiple grooves, it’s a little tricky in places and I think that we are all in for a very good time Tuesday.”

Last year when the race was contested at Dover Downs, Warren was the winner of a wild finish, passing Domenic Gioia on the last lap to win.

In the first three years of the race Dover Downs played host to the roaring winged 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 other than Phoenix and New Hampshire International Speedway. The St. Patrick’s day event was then moved to Stafford Mountain Speedway and became 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, being run prior to the Billy Vukovich III Classic. Canadian Jamie Hartley was victorious in the one and only time the St. Patrick’s Day Grab O’ the Green was raced there.

For the next several years, SUPRS focused on a smaller schedule and the St. Patrick’s Day Grab O’ the Green was dropped due to fact that there were fewer races during the season.

In 2014, after a seven-year absence, the race returned to where it started at Dover Downs and was won by Steve Callahan after he led all 25 laps of the feature. It also kicked off an amazing five race win streak for “Steady” Steve.

This year the race was moved to a new venue when members expressed a wish to race the SUPRS NW V1 rFactor mod, and after extensive testing at Mosport built by track author NegB, league officials decided it was time to book another show in Canada. “We got permission to use the track from NegB, then he wanted to make it better because it hadn’t really been tested much,” said SUPRS co-founder Bob Gangwer. “I can appreciate all the work he’s done to help make, what was already a very cool track, even better for us.”

Practice begins at 8pm and Time Trials will take place at 8:30pm. Racing for the sim supermodifieds will begin with heat races at 8:45pm and the feature will go off around 9:00pm.

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

 

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-No Race
  • 2012-No Race
  • 2013-No Race
  • 2014-Steve Callahan-Dover Downs International Speedway
  • 2015-Rob Warren-Dover Downs International Speedway

SUPRS Racers Gearing Up for 11th Keystone Nationals

Image

  By

SUPRS Keystone Nationals Features Race Honoring Randy Witkum

Goshen, IN – March 4, 2016…After three weeks of racing west of the Mississippi, the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), is settling back into their eastern stomping grounds and are ready to run the 11th Annual Keystone Nationals featuring the Randy Witkum Memorial beginning Tuesday.

2016 SUPRS Keystone Nationals poster

BreezeGraphics.com can produce event posters and graphics like this for you.

This multi-race swing through the state of Pennsylvania challenges the SUPRS racers over the course of three nights on three very distinctive race tracks as they battle each other for the Keystone Nationals Championship and the valuable bonus points that go along with the crown.

SEE 2015 10th Annual Keystone Nationals Highlights

The first race of the swing gets rolling at Harrisburg Speedway Tuesday March 8. This flat, fast and tricky half-mile has a tendency to  swallow up  any racer that gets too close to the inside rail or let’s the car drift too wide off of the corners. The 50 lap feature race is always full of excitement and close racing.

On Wednesday night the racers will compete at RT 93 Raceway which is also a half-mile. Many SUPRS racers compare it to the legendary and now defunct Flemington Speedway and while being somewhat square, say that the fast way around is to run a near perfect circle. They’ll be doing that for 5o laps and trying not to get too dizzy.

Finally, on Thursday evening, the Keystone Nationals will culminate with a race that is one of the longest running in SUPRS history; The Randy Witkum Memorial. It will be the 12th time SUPRS has run this 125 lap grind at the famed Jennerstown Speedway racing to honor the memory of the late Randy Witkum.

Witkum was a young supermodified racer, and part of an iconic supermodified racing family who tragically lost his life while participating in an International Supermodified Association heat race event at Jennerstown in 1999.

Last year Bob Gangwer joined Gary Waldron and Rob Warren as a two-time winner of the Randy Witkum Memorial and became the first driver to sweep all three races of the Keystone Nationals which gave him his second Keystone crown. It also made him just the second SUPRS racer to claim the Keystone Nationals more than once.

Myles Maxon is the all-time leader in Keystone Nationals Championships with  four. The winner of the Randy Witkum Memorial will become a guaranteed starter for the season ending Summit Classic 125 in April.

The SUPRS racers will use the tried and true NASCAR Heat SUPRS V6 winged supermodified 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.

SUPRS-“Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons”

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

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

Supermodified Sim Racers Ready for SUPRS Copper World Classic

Image

  By
Share SUPRS:

Avondale, AZ – February 27, 2016…The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), will take up residence at Phoenix International Raceway March 1, 2016 for the SUPRS Copper World Classic XII.

SUPRS Copper World Classic poster by Breeze Graphics

BreezeGraphics.com posters always look as good as this!

This annual event features winged supermodified, non-wing supermodified  sim racing on the one mile paved oval in Arizona. With 50 laps of feature racing plus time trials and heats, this event is modeled after the popular Copper World Classic held annually at PIR from 1977-2009.

Feature start for supermodifieds at Copper World Classic 2001

Here’s the full #supermodified field on their warm-up lap for the 2001 Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway.(B&G Racing Photos-Bob Gangwer)

The supermodifieds were a part of the Copper World Classic  from 1984 to 2002 with one year off in 1991. Davey Hamilton has the most Copper World Classic wins with five and Troy Regier has the record for most wins in a row at three. Doug Saunier was the very first winner and Lonnie Adamson was the last supermodified winner of the Copper World Classic.

Curt Kern of Kern Motorsports, the sponsor of the SUPRS Copper World Classic was involved as an official for the supermodifieds for several years. “Some years I was on the ground in the pit area and a couple of years in the tower running race control for the supers,” explained the Washington state native.

“For me, then, it was a pretty stressful position, but I looked forward to the five days in Phoenix every year. I also dreaded it at the same time,” he said.

“It was a pretty high-speed joint for us and I was always fearful of a “Rex Beach” type of accident. I went from loving the cars on the mile to be believing as an official, that it was too big of a track, but I doubt you’d convince very many drivers of that.”

SUPRS Members Racing

Here’s Curt Kern at an NSRA race. Curt is a SUPRS Member as well as former president of the NSRA.

While Kern’s involvement with the real supermodified division wound down to an end in the late 1990’s, he continues to support the online version. “I’m honored to still be involved with SUPRS and their version of the Copper World Classic and consider Bobby and John both good friends,” he said. “I only wish I could get set up and come back and get in everyone’s way again,” joked Kern. “The event at the time was the supermodified community’s version of the Indy 500 and to have SUPRS continue to run that event is pretty cool. Good luck to all and thank you for allowing me to be a part of the show.”

Last year Myles Maxon finally got his first win at the SUPRS Copper World Classic after many years of trying and set a New Track Record, (his ninth of the 2014-15 season) in the wing supermodifieds, stopping the clocks with a 22.744 and besting Ray Sand, Jr.’s six year old record of 22.750. Sand, Jr. then qualified fastest of the non-wing supermodifieds at 23.061.

Steve Callahan was once again a major factor on the “Desert Mile” and after winning the non-wing sim supermodified race in 2014, he came back last year to claim the wing sim supermodified race. Steve said, “This is a tough track with three different turns and you have to be perfect in every corner and keep the momentum up.”

Although he’s won at Phoenix International Speedway in a modified, Rob Warren is looking for his first SUPRS Copper World Classic supermodified win. It’s something that has eluded him and something he hopes to change in 2016. “It would be difficult to say how much a win would mean here,” began the Pulaski, NY driver. “Any win, at the stout level of competition in this league is special but Phoenix would be a little more special to me because while I’ve done very well in a modified here, I would really like a supermodified win here too.”

Warren believes his particular style of driving is well suited to the fast one mile track, “Everybody has a few tracks that they ‘expect’ to do well at. Places where their driving style lines up better. I tend to be off throttle earlier than most, roll through the center and get a good exit hard on he go pedal so just the way I drive, that works great at Phoenix,” he said.

This year, SUPRS officials will combine feature finish points for the wing and non-wing races to decide an overall SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion. Unlike earlier seasons, the driver that wears that crown will have to be proficient not only in both types of sim supermodified cars, but will also need to be consistent across two different gaming platforms and versions of the online track.

SUPRS will use the tried and true NASCAR Heat SUPRS V6 wing supermodified on the stock Phoenix International Raceway, then will switch to the SUPRS NWV1 non-wing supermodified and use ThePits.US version of PIR. Creating even more of a challenge will be the rFactor,  ThePits.US  track is the updated and more modern version of PIR, where, the NASCAR Heat example is the original PIR layout.

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

SUPRS-“Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons”

SUPRS Copper World Classic-Winged-Phoenix International Raceway

  • 2005 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: JP Curry
  • 2006 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: John Davidson
  • 2007 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Chuck Russell
  • 2008 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Kris Heveron
  • 2009 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Bobby Gangwer
  • 2010 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Chad Phelps
  • 2011 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Jeff Weber
  • 2012 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
  • 2013 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: John Davidson
  • 2014 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
  • 2015 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Steve Callahan

SUPRS Copper World Classic-Non-Winged-Phoenix International Raceway

  • 2014 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Steve Callahan
  • 2015 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion: Myles Maxon

Prestigious Billy Vukovich III Classic Next for SUPRS

Image

  By
Share SUPRS:

Fresno, CA – February 21, 2016…The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), continues their three-week long trek through the west with the 12th Annual running of the Billy Vukovich III Classic 100 presented by Supermodified Scorecard on February 23 at Mesa Marin Raceway .

2016 SUPRS Bily Vukovich III Classic sim racing posterBilly 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.

SUPRS co-founder John Davidson, of Sacramento, CA,  has sponsored this race through his Supermodified Scorecard business since it’s start. He’s also the only three-time winner of the event and would love nothing more than to be able to run this race again. “I miss the racing but most importantly the group of great guys who share and understand what SUPRS is all about ,” he explained. “The Vuky Classic is another classic race to honor a supermodified hero that left us way too early.”

When asked what it would mean to claim a Billy Vukovich III Classic victory four-time SUPRS Champion Myles Maxon said, “It would be a great honor to win this race in memory of Billy Vukovich.”  Maxon went on to explain why, “Individuals such as he were taken from his family and the racing community far too soon and it would be special to win this event that we,  (SUPRS), hold in his honor.”

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 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.

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

 

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.

  • Real Supermodified Racing Videos


    Our Real Supermodified Racing YouTube Playlist contains over 900 videos like this. Featuring wing, non-wing, 360/350 small-block, and vintage supermodified videos! If you've never seen, or heard a real supermodified, this is a good place to learn more about "The Ultimate Short Track Race Car" and understand why we love them and support them!
  • SUPRS Business Card 2017 Join Slide