Clinton Cyr Holds on to Win Non-Wing Sim Supermodified Race at Madera Speedway, Ray Sand, Jr. Finishes Second and Seals 7th SUPRS Wing Championship
Madera, CA – April 25, 2015…Clinton Cyr held on after a late race restart to take the checkered flag first in the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Monday Madera Madness supermodified sim race Monday night at Madera Speedway.
Clinton Cyr held off Ray Sand, Jr. after a late race restart to win his second SUPRS feature of the season.
It was Cyr’s second SUPRS feature win in just a handful of races. “It feels good, the win feels good,” said Cyr.
Cyr took the lead on lap eight when early leader Bob Gangwer spun on the front-stretch. He then stretched his lead over the rest of the field to nearly two seconds at one point, but then the caution came out late in the race for a spin by Rob Warren which set up a three lap shootout to the finish.
When asked how concerned he was about the late race caution and resulting restart, he said simply, “I just knew I had to hold that inside line.”
After a botched start, the 50 lap race had just two cautions for a total of 13 laps, but it was the last caution with just three laps to go that had Ray Sand, Jr. hoping he’d have a shot at a second win this season at Madera.
Top 3 finishers of SUPRS Monday Madera Madness.
Sand, Jr. had his hands full early in the race battling with Rob Warren and then almost spinning out twice, but had worked his way into second place with three laps to go.
When the caution flew for the Warren spin, Sand, Jr. knew it would be his one shot at the win.
When the green flag flew Sand, Jr. threw everything but the kitchen sink at Cyr, but ended up taking his SandmanRacing.com non-wing supermodified across the line in second. “I definitely used up the tires out there tonight,” said Sand, Jr. “I felt like Carl Edwards and Clinton was Kyle Busch that last lap.”
He may not have won the race but he certainly won the war. His second place finish was enough to lock down his seventh SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship and his tenth SUPRS Championship overall.
“Being in here with everyone is awesome,” Sand, Jr. said. “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, I don’t care what day we race, I’m just glad to be here.”
Even with 14 wins this season, Sand, Jr. hasn’t lost sight of the challenges of competing against his fellow SUPRS racers. “It’s pretty awesome, definitely hard to do,” he said. “We’ve been at it for a long time here and this feels really good to get another championship.”
Sand, Jr. added, “I used up the tires for sure tonight, awesome job by Clinton to get that win, I was hoping for a caution and I got it but I couldn’t get him.”
After winning the Fast Car Dash, Bob Gangwer recovered from an early spin to come back and finish on the podium in third place. “Pure luck tonight,” expressed Gangwer. “Clinton was definitely faster, and I am glad to see him get the win. He would have gotten me either way, but I’m good with third here tonight because my focus is on the Summit.”
Supermodified sim racing action at Madera continues tomorrow with the 12th Annual Summit Classic 125 Time Trials. Only the two fastest time drivers will be locked into the starting line-up with everyone else having to run a qualifying heat race.
Action gets underway at 8:00pm with practice, followed by drivers meeting at 8:30pm. The drivers will shoot for the pole position of the 12th Annual Summit Classic 125 at 9:00pm.
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.
NOTE: Due to lack of entries, the 2016 Cherry Breaker 63 has been canceled.
SUPRS RACE RESULTS:
- Monday Madera Madness
- April 25, 2016
- Madera Speedway
Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap underlined)
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; Rochester, NY; SandmanRacing.com, The Tint Shop: 12.616, 12.145♦
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Race Servers, Designs of Elegance: 12.355, 12.316
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Wing Side Up Enterprises, RW Woodworking: 12.471, 12.335
- 3-Clinton Cyr; Inverness, FL; None: 12.451, 12.528
- 50-Brian Potvin; Hudson, FL; None: 12.536, 12.520
Fast Car Dash – 8 Laps (showing car number, driver, name)
- 25-Bob Gangwer
- 3-Clinton Cyr
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.
- 35-Rob Warren
Feature – 50 Laps (showing car number, driver, name, bonus, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 3-Clinton Cyr; * ** | 12.104
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; ! | 12.097 | +0.329
- 25-Bob Gangwer; * | 12.297 | +1.468
- 35-Rob Warren; 12.183 | +2.122
- 50-Brian Potvin; 12.259 | +1 Lap
Time of Race: 15:04.057
- ♦ Denotes New Track Record
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
