Get a Broom, It’s a Keystone Nationals Sweep for Gangwer

Bob Gangwer Wins Second Career Randy Witkum Memorial 125

Jennerstown, PA – March 11, 2014… After winning the first two races of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series (SUPRS) Keystone Nationals, Bob Gangwer won the third, last and most important race of the swing; the Randy Witkum Memorial 125. Gangwer’s clean sweep of all three races guaranteed his second straight SUPRS Keystone Nationals Championship. Rob Warren, and Ray Sand, Jr. completed the podium.

Bob Gangwer won the 11th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial making for a clean sweep of the 2015 Keystone Nationals.

After parking his car low on the front stretch with the nose aimed toward turn one where Randy Witkum lost his life in an International Supermodified Association race on August 14, 1999, an elated Gangwer said,“This has been an incredible week, and winning the Randy Witkum Memorial makes it even more special.”

Gangwer took the lead from Chris Meyers on lap 104, and then lead the last 21 laps of the race making for an ironic statistic which wasn’t lost on the winner. “After I looked at the results and saw that I led 21 laps, I had a moment there where everything from that night we lost Randy flashed back and I just thought man this is for Randy, I won’t forget him,” he said. Witkum was driving the number 21 car on the night he lost his life.

Domenic Gioia started from the pole position and doggedly held off the challenges of Chris Meyers and Gangwer for the first 44 laps. Gioia slipped just enough to allow Meyers enough room to get by. Gangwer wasn’t so lucky as he had a close call in turn one with defending race winner Steve Callahan and two-time winner Rob Warren.

“I’m not really sure what happened in one,” he began. “There was a heckuva race going on between Dom, Chris and me, then I got shoved up the track. I was lucky to gather it up and by the time I did Chris had gone by Dom for the lead and I had to play catch up.”

Two-time Randy Witkum Memorial winner Rob Warren made up a lot of ground to get to the front from his fifth starting spot, but was able to work through the pack and come home second.

“Tonight’s race was amazing. there was four of us and it was just nuts,” began second place finisher Warren. “Bob couldn’t make the pass coming from two and I knew if he did I could follow him because my car was pretty good at that point.”

“Finally Bob got around Chris there towards the end and that was a whale of race with those two running side by side. I was sitting in fourth after Ray got by me, then Ray and Chris got into it on the backstretch and I went around them both, then Chris got back by me and I’m running behind Chris with Ray pressuring me as the laps ticked down and then when Bob got by Chris I was able to get by too,” explained Warren.

Fourth place finisher Chris Meyers went into the 125 lap race with strategy that many others have used to take the win; get out front early and let the pack battle each other behind. His plans were foiled when pole-sitter Domenic Gioia got a fantastic start at the drop of the green.

“My car was really used up at the end,” Meyers said. “My goal was to be like the rabbit and take off at the start and run off from everyone else. Dom got a good jump on the start so that didn’t work out.”

Meyers described his race in more detail saying, “Dom had a pretty good car but after laying back for about 40 laps, I could see he was pushing on entry more so than me and I actually had to change my driving lines to keep from running into him. About 40 laps in he scrubbed the wall and I was able to get by him.

“At that point the car was feeling good and I felt someone was back there and it was Bob and let me tell you he had the chance to take me out about ten times and he didn’t do it. he was next to me and even though we bumped he let me gather it up. Hat’s off to Bob on the win and the championship.”

With the sweep of all three Keystone Nationals features, Gangwer nailed down his second Keystone Nationals Championship in a row and said, “I’ve never won two races in a row, let alone three, so right now, I’m loving Pennsylvania!” Gangwer said of his accomplishment.

SEE KEYSTONE NATIONALS HIGHLIGHTS

Rob Warren received the SUPRSCharger award for advancing the most positions from his starting place. Earlier in the evening Steve Callahan set fast time. Domenic Gioia and Chris Meyers won the heat races.

Rob Warren, Carl Becker, Steve Callahan, and Bob Gangwer had perfect attendance for all three of the Keystone Nationals races and Gangwer is now a guaranteed starter for the 11th Annual SUPRS Summit Classic 125.

The SUPRS racers move on to the St. Patrick’s Day Grab O’ the Green  at the Dover Downs International Speedway on March 17. The pavement modifieds will join the card for a full night of racing on the “Monster Mile.”

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:

• 10th Annual Keystone Nationals
• Race 3
• 11th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial
• March 11, 2015

Jennerstown Speedway

Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap underlined)

1. 55-Steve Callahan; Cayuhoga Falls, OH; Ice Oil, CPR Motorsports: 15.582,  15.713
2. 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Docks & Hoists, Designs of Elegance: 15.585, 15.676
3. 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; Rochester, NY; SandmanRacing.com: 15.614, 15.666
4. 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Wing Side Up Enterprises, Ricky’s Sideline Shots: NT, 15.644
5. 23-Chris Meyers; Amherst, OH; Oswego Sub Shop, Burch’s Full Throttle Soda Blasting: 15.692, 15.660
6. 9-Domenic Gioia; Oswego, NY; Lizard Lick Towing, Genesee Beer: 15.751, 15.780
7. 42-Carl Becker; Lansing, MI; Wholesale Diamond Exchange, Michigan Hill Gang: 15.767, 15.894
8. 84-Art Palmer; Wellington, OH: Ford Motorsport, Roush-Yates Engineering: 16.023, 16.115

Heat Race 1-13 Laps (top two get time back for feature inversion)

1. 9-Domenic Gioia
2. 25-Bob Gangwer
3. 35-Rob Warren
4. 84-Art Palmer

Heat Race 2-13 Laps (top two get time back for feature inversion)

1. 23-Chris Meyers
2. 55-Steve Callahan
3. 18-Ray Sand, Jr.
4. 42-Carl Becker

Feature – 125 Laps (showing car number, driver, name, bonus, fastest lap, distance behind winner)

1. 25-Bob Gangwer; * 15.583
2. 35-Rob Warren; ^ 15.632 | +3.021
3. 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; ! 15.647 | +3.127
4. 23-Chris Meyers; * ** 15.640 | +3.644
5. 55-Steve Callahan; 15.591 | +3.894
6. 42-Carl Becker; 15.752 | +1 Lap
7. 84-Art Palmer; 15.696| +2 Laps
8. 9-Domenic Gioia; * 15.612 | +2 Laps

Time of Race:  34:19.804

• * Denotes Lap Led
• ** Denotes Most Laps Led
• ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
• ^ Denotes SUPRSCharger

FINAL 2015 SUPRS Keystone Nationals Point Standings