SUPRS Thanksgiving BreakBob Gangwer Makes Late Race Pass on Rob Warren to Claim 8th Annual Terry Gibson Memorial 100
Sandusky, OH – January 13, 2016…After striving for seven previous years to win a race near to his heart, Bob Gangwer came out on top of a dog fight with Rob Warren and won the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), 8th Annual Terry Gibson Memorial Wednesday at Sandusky Speedway.
Bob Gangwer is the 2016 Terry Gibson Memorial Champion.
“This is pretty incredible,” began Gangwer. “Two things, number one, this is for Terry and my friends the Gibsons. I have a love-hate relationship with these memorial races. I hope we never have to add another one.”
He then added, “Number two, I had one whale of a good time racing with Rob and even though he may not be happy, he’s my friend and I would never knock him or anyone else out-of-the-way for a win, especially at this race, to me it was a clean pass,” said the driver of the Wing Side Up Enterprises roadster.
What Gangwer was eluding to was a controversial pass late in the race that gave him the win. In many ways, it was similar to a pass in Terry Gibson Fast 50 the night before where Warren was leading, and Ray Sand, Jr., got by Warren with a pass low in turn one.
After a bit of post-race discussion where Gangwer gave his point of view that no contact was made, and Warren had a differing viewpoint and video to prove it, both drivers parted ways as friends and agreed that it was a hard fought race.
Said Gangwer, “I wasn’t expecting the car to be as good as it was early so that was nice, but I knew it was only a matter of time before Ray and Rob were going to get by me. Rob made a great pass when I let the car drift a little high out of two and had to back out just enough to keep from slapping the wall. It was early and I wasn’t going to ruin either of our races, I was just surprised Ray wasn’t right there behind him.”
“I don’t care what anyone says, five cars or 25 cars, that was one heckuva race with Rob. Say what you want about NASCAR Heat, but it takes just as much talent in sim racing to ride a guy’s tail for 70 laps through lapped traffic, keep it off the fence and work for a clean way past him for the win and that’s what I did. I’m physically and mentally drained.
“As far as the pass with ten to go? I’ve looked at the replay from all different angles and I don’t think I got into Rob, but then in his video it looks completely different so I don’t know for sure. I think as much as anything he’s upset that the same thing happened last night, so I understand his frustrations,” the driver of the RW Woodworking, Wing Side Up Enterprises car said.
Warren of Pulaski, NY wasn’t happy, but put it all in perspective saying, “I got out in front and just told myself to click off some laps, but I couldn’t shake Bob. Then with about ten to go, I was just trying to time the pass on the lapped car and I got a little bump from behind.
Bob Gangwer(25) takes the lead from Rob Warren(35) with ten laps to go at the 8th Annual Terry Gibson Memorial.
“That pushed me up and I lost my momentum and he got under me. Then I totally lost my mind down the backstretch trying to figure out how to get around Dave, (Brigandi who was being lapped), and back around Bob. So much so that I ran up the front stretch wall.
“The car was in rough shape but it was a really fun race, there’s just no room to make any errors here.”
The only solace Warren could find was that he finished ahead of Ray Sand Jr. and keeps his points championship hopes alive. “I’m trying to keep Ray honest,” he said.
Gangwer and Warren made the 100 lap race a two-car show and that surprised everyone including four-time and defending Terry Gibson Memorial Champion Ray Sand, Jr. who finished over six seconds behind in third place.
It was the first time in over five years that Sand, Jr. was locked out of the front place and never led a single lap.
“Everybody did their homework tonight those guys up front were hard to beat. Sandusky is a tough place, I couldn’t catch them,” Sand, Jr. stated.
“Four in a row that’s pretty awesome. I’m glad to do this for Terry and just proud to be a part of it. Congratulations to Bobby and to Rob too, they really had a great race,” concluded Sand, Jr.
The Sandman mows some grass to take the lead from Rob Warren(35) at the 2016 Terry Gibson Fast 50.
While Sand, Jr. was shut down in the big 100 lap race, he was able to keep his string alive in the Terry Gibson Fast 50 the night before. After passing Rob Warren on lap 12, he went on to a 1.419 second victory. Warren held on for second place while Gangwer came home in third. It was the fourth year in a row that Sand, Jr. had won the 50 lap tune up for the Terry Gibson Memorial 100.
The SUPRS racers move a little further east next week for the next race of the 2015-16 Empire State Super Series in New York. It’s a special “Blind Date Night” where one of three potential tracks will be drawn from a hat just before racing.
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 RACE RESULTS:
8th Annual Terry Gibson Memorial 100
January 13, 2016
Sandusky 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: 14.395, 14.352
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Docks & Hoists, Designs of Elegance: 14.455, 14.528
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Wing Side Up Enterprises, RW Woodworking: 14.465, 14.570
- 55-Steve Callahan; Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Ice Oil, CPR Motorsports: 14.480, 14.467
- 52-Dave Brigandi; Syracuse, NY; Buffalo Bio-Diesel, Terry: 14.736, 14.737
Feature-100 Laps (showing car number, driver, name, bonus, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 25-Bob Gangwer; * | 14.379 | 25:09.717
- 35-Rob Warren; * ** | ! | 14.338 | +0.574
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; ^ | 14.347 | +6.193
- 55-Steve Callahan; 14.388 | +10.300
- 52-Dave Brigandi; 14.734 | +3 laps
Time of Race: 25:09.717
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
- ^ Denotes SUPRSCharger
SUPRS RACE RESULTS:
Terry Gibson Fast 50
January 12, 2016
Sandusky Speedway
Heat Race-10 Laps (showing finish, car number, driver name-top 2 get handicap back)
- 25-Bob Gangwer
- 35-Rob Warren
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.
- 55-Steve Callahan
- 52-Dave Brigandi
Feature-50 Laps (showing car number, driver, name, bonus, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; * ** | 14.342
- 35-Rob Warren; 14.337 | +1.419
- 25-Bob Gangwer; 14.346 | +2.677
- 55-Steve Callahan; 14.402 | +2.982
- 52-Dave Brigandi; 14.691 | +1 Lap
Time of Race: 12:40.888
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
