Davidson Does it at Elson

By Bob Gangwer

Elson, MI 5/18/05… John Davidson returned to his winning ways in Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series action Wednesday night at Elson Speedway in Southwestern Michigan.

“What can I say, I feel pretty lucky to win this one and bring it home in one piece,” said the all-time feature winner in SUPRS history. Davidson led 39 of the 63 feature laps to bring the SupermodifiedScorecard.com, Extreme Racing #5 home for the win ahead of Bob Gangwer, Joey Payne, JP Curry, and Rookie, Mike Dougherty.

Davidson, who started from the pole position after turning a new track record, grabbed the lead at the start from outside pole sitter JP Curry but would lose the lead on lap 2 when the #22 of his brother Jim , who had troubles on the start, got sideways coming out of turn two in front of him. “I don’t know what happened to Jim but I plowed him and dropped to fifth then just had to work my way back up  as steady as I could,” stated Davidson who is well known as SuperFanJay.

Curry, who then inherited the lead and for 26 laps looked to be on his way to his second straight SUPRS feature victory, but it wasn’t to be as he also became a victim of the always tough Elson lapped traffic. “I fell in behind John and Gary at the start and just wanted to be steady,” started Curry, who hails from Ottsville, PA. “I was doing ok until a lapped car slammed the wall in front of me and I got collected, I dropped to 7^th but got lucky to come back through to 4^th.”

Third place starter Gary Waldron, who was the winner the last time SUPRS visited Elson, wasn’t as lucky as he also  encountered a slowed lapped car and ended up sliding the #10 Michigan Hill Gang, Wholesale Diamond Exchange, Ada Automotive super into the wall and became a DNF on lap 6.

As always the fans at Elson were treated to some extreme supermodified action with nary a dull moment on the tight 5/16ths track, and much of that action came in the second half of the race with the cars running in the top five. 

Bob Gangwer in the Wing Side Up Enterprises, B&G Racing Photos, RW Woodworking, Borderline Enterprises, Grote’s Pub #25 had watched as the lead cars of Davidson and Curry had both been ill-treated by lapped traffic. He held his ground to inherit the lead on lap 27 but would soon be challenged by Davidson. “What can I say, my hat’s off to John for another great win,” began Gangwer. “I really thought we had a good car tonight and I know I was as fast as John but he would get better runs through the traffic than me and I could just never get to the point where I could put a move on him. I’m satisfied with second at this joint, it’s a love/hate relationship here like at LaPorte.”

Supermodified and NEMA Midget pilot Joey Payne had one of his best SUPRS runs to date bringing the Gibraltor Financial #4 home for third. “I spent most of the night dodging cars and trying to stay in my groove,” he said. Payne, who pulled in late to Elson missed practice and his heats but it didn’t seem to slow him down for the feature, “I had softball, so I literally sat down strapped in and shut up just minutes before the start of Time Trials so all things considered, it doesn’t get any better than that on a tough little track like this!”

The fans were treated to a great run by SUPRS rookie, Mike “MadDog” Dougherty in the Cabo Wabo #56. Evading several close calls and gathering his car back up from a couple altercations netted the Michigan driver his first top five finish in his young SUPRS career. “I’m pretty happy with how things went, even with a couple wrecks along the way I feel good about it,” said Dougherty.

The Supermodified Ultimate Paved Racing Series travels to Canada for their first ever non-wing show at Cayuga 2000 Speedway.  This date was originally scheduled to be run at Winchester Speedway but has been canceled there due to track issues. The fans will be treated to 63 laps of hardcore supermodified action with the driver’s meeting going off at 7:45pm and racing to begin at 8pm. Come out and join the fun of simulated Supermodified racing with the “Ultimate Online Short Track Race Car!” or visit www.suprs.net for more information.

Results-SUPRS 63 at Elson Speedway, Elson, MI-5/18/05

TIME TRIALS-

1. #5-John Davidson, San Diego, CA -10.863 NTR
2. #31-JP Curry, Ottsville, PA
3. #10-Gary Waldron, Wyoming, MI 
4. #25-Bob Gangwer, Goshen, IN 
5. #56-Mike Dougherty, Grand Rapids, MI
6. #50-Pete Pernesiglio, Lake Grove, NY
7. #4-Joe Payne, JR, Fairlawn, NJ
8. #23-Chris Meyers, Amherst, OH
9. #55-Steve Callahan, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
10.  #83-Frank Keene, Scranton, PA
11.  #97-Jeff Lickfelt, Sandusky, OH
12.  #22-Jim Davidson, Elyria, OH
13. #7-Kevin Marine, St. Paul, MN
14. #71-Bud Flath, Brick, NJ

Heat Race 1-Random Start

1. #31-JP Curry
2. #83-Frank Keene
3. #777-Kevin Marine 
4. #25-Bob Gangwer 
5. #22-Jim Davidson
6. #97-Jeff Lickfelt
7.  #5-John Davidson, San Diego, CA

Heat Race 2-Random Start

1. #71 Bud Flath
2. #10-Gary Waldron
3. #50 Pete Pernesiglio
4. #56 Mike Dougherty
5. #55 Steve Callahan
6. #23 Chris Meyers

63 Lap Feature Finish-

Race Time-11:47.789 

Fast lap of race-10.844-71 Bud Flath, Brick, NJ

Laps Lead-#5 1-2, #31 3-26, #25 27-35, #5 36, #25 37, #5 38-63

1. #5-John Davidson, San Diego, CA
2. #25-Bob Gangwer, Goshen, IN
3. #4-Joe Payne, JR, Fairlawn, NJ
4. #31-JP Curry, Ottsville, PA
5. #55-Mike Dougherty, Grand Rapids, MI
6. #23-Chris Meyers, Amherst, OH
7. #50-Pete Pernesiglio, Lake Grove, NY
8. #83-Frank Keene, Scranton, PA
9. #55-Steve Callahan, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
10.  #97-Jeff Lickfelt, Sandusky, OH
11. #22-Jim Davidson, Elyria, OH
12. #777-Kevin Marine, St. Paul, MN DNF
13. #10-Gary Waldron, Wyoming, MI DNF
14.  #71 Bud Flath, Brick, NJ DNF

NEXT RACE 5/25/05 SUPRS Non-Wing Special 63-Cayuga 2000 Speedway-Nelles Corners, ONT, CAN.