Keysor Waits and Wins at DeSoto

Brad Keysor Takes Advantage of Leader’s Misfortune, Wins Opening Night of SUPRS Florida Speedweeks at Desoto Speedway

February 5, 2024 – Bradenton, FL…Brad Keysor waited, then won on the opening night of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS) Florida Speedweeks 2024 at Desoto Super Speedway. Keysor watched as two early leaders were sent to the tail of the field for spinning out, albeit with a little help from their fellow competitors, which handed him the lead that he never relinquished.

Zach Sears was a close second place and Keith Powell, one of those early leaders that had gone to the back, dodged a few more Desoto bullets and made his way back up to third place to join Keysor and Sears on the podium. Two of the 11 starters failed to finish the 50 lap feature, which eventually stayed green for the second half of the race.

Never Easy, But Pretty Simple

“First of all, thanks to 1st to Finish Race Servers which were flawless tonight, Icings on Top, Breeze Graphics, Hairbag Studios, and of course BMK Logistics for all the support,” Keysor said. “Honestly, I just had to wait and watch that I didn’t get caught up when Keith and Bob had their bad luck and got spun out.”

“Basically, I don’t think I passed but two cars for position all night, but just kept moving up as guys in front of me fell out or back, so while it’s never easy here, this was pretty simple. I just had to take care there at the start when things got a little jumbled up. I hate seeing Nelson and Gary out so early, but that’s short track racing sometimes. I got lucky, they didn’t.”

Starting from seventh on the grid, Brad Keysor followed the inside row forward for a couple of quick passes and moved into the top five. Keith Powell jumped to an early lead from the Pole Position. The race was only three laps old when Nelson Rodrigues dipped a wheel into the infield then shot across the track, smashing into the outside retaining wall in spectacular fashion. The Massachusetts driver lost a wheel and slid to a stop in turn two bringing out the first caution.

Powell made it just one lap past the restart before an over-eager Daniel Nans got into him and turned him around, giving Keysor two easy spots up the grid as they both went to the back. Bob Gangwer then inherited the lead and he went only a couple few laps before the yellow came out again. This time it was for Gary Waldron who had an eerily similar crash to the one that took Rodrigues out for the night. On the restart, Keysor watched as another leader got spun around, this time it was Gangwer and with Anthony Corsoniti the culprit, the top two were out of Keysor’s clear view of the front spot of the field.

Good Car Made Life Easier

Keysor’s BMK Logistics sponsored machine was the class of the field all night long. The Liverpool, NY driver took it to the top of the charts in Time Trials, then turned in the fastest lap of the race as well as leading the most laps. “The car was really good here tonight at Desoto,” expressed Keysor. “I had a lot of luck for sure, but even so, this thing was just about as good as it gets, it made my life a little easier, and I really didn’t have too many worries once I got out front.”

There was one close call early on though that made Keysor jump a little in his Butler Built seat. “I kind of pushed the issue and went three-wide with Anthony, Gary, and Carl there, but to their credit, they all held position and did a great job, but that’s not easy here at Desoto to go three-wide and get away with it, so good job to them.”

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Ryan Clonnan's in-car view of Bobby Hayduk getting into the side of Daniel Nans as he takes evasive action to avoid BOb Gangwer, (partially blocked by Cloonan's roll-cage and to the left of the frame), after Gangwer was the second leader of the race to be spun out by a fellow competitor at Desoto Speedway on 2/5/24. (Brad Keysor screenshot)

Creeping Up on Points

After winning the Mid-Season Championship on January 23 and picking up some bonus points there, Keysor has his sights set on doing well during SUPRS Florida Speedweeks and hopes he can win the “Sunshine State” swing a second time to grab some more bonus points. “I’m creeping up on Zach, it’s going to be tough,” “But like I said a couple of weeks ago at Oswego, I need to get the wins if I want to catch him and tonight we did that. The bigger picture is that I’m now up 98 on Ryan which gives me a little cushion there, but you never know what will happen tomorrow at Black Creek where I generally don’t do so well.”

Keysor Quickest in Time Trials

It was the third year in a row that Brad Keysor came out on top in Time Trials, and while times were substantially slower this year across the board, the current track record holder still stopped the clocks with an 11.555 second lap. “Rapid” Ryan Cloonan was close but came up just short of quick-time when he turned in an 11.564 lap. Predictably, Zach Sears rounded out the top three time trialers when he stopped the clock at 11.667.

Anthony Corsoniti, (11.745), Daniel Nans, (12.095), Bob Gangwer, (12.118), Gary Waldron, (12.189), and Keith Powell, (12.214) made up the rest of the Elite 8 and were locked in and eligible for the Feature inversion.

Crankin’ Towards Black Creek

The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series leaves DeSoto and gets cranking down the road towards the fictional Black Creek Raceway for the second night of the 2024 SUPRS Florida Speedweeks for a 25 lap feature at the big 3/4 mile. Last year, Zach Sears picked up his first career SUPRS Florida Speedweeks win by .402 seconds over three-time Black Creek winner Dave Ohh.

The Elite 8 qualifiers will be locked into the first four rows of the 25 lap feature and then inverted by the roll of the die, and it’s possible that all of them could be inverted.

Black Creek Raceway is one of two tracks that have hosted a SUPRS Florida Speedweeks race every year that the series has been contested. This year’s show at the NASCAR Heat sim racing track is part of the SUPRS/HeatFinder.net Supermodified Challenge and open to anyone that has the track, the SUPRS modification, and has registered to race at SUPRS.net.

****SUPRS Florida Speedweeks 2024 Schedule****

Remaining Races:

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Tuesday 02/06/2024

SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 2

• Track: Black Creek Raceway-by Splashman-25 laps-3/4 Mile
• Platform: NASCAR Heat
• Mod: SUPRS W v6 mod
• 8:00pm Practice
• 8:10pm Mandatory Drivers’ Meeting
• 8:20pm Time Trials
• 8:30pm Racing
• Current Track Record: Ray Sand, Jr.; 17.016 sec. Set: 02/10/2009(NH)
• Defending Race Winner: Zach Sears

Special Notes:

• SUPRS/HeatFinder.net public event-all welcome that have registered at SUPRS.net within 24 hours of race.
• Elite 8 qualifiers inverted based on die roll

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Wednesday 02/07/2024

SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 3

• Track: Dodge Raceway Stadium-by Gator-50 laps-0.375 Miles
• Platform: rFactor
• Mod: SUPRS W v8 mod 
• 8:00pm Practice
• 8:16pm Mandatory Drivers’ Meeting
• 8:20pm Time Trials
• 8:30pm Racing
• Current Track Record: Brad Keysor; 10.710; Set: 02/02/22(rF)
• Defending Race Winner: Dave Ohh

Special Notes:

• Group Practice. 
• Pits closed at all times during race conditions. Drivers are not allowed to enter or exit the pits once the Feature Race goes green.
• Elite 8 qualifiers inverted for feature based on pill draw

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Thursday 02/08/2024

SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 4

• Track: USA International Speedway-by Sim Factory LLC-25 laps-3/4 Mile
• Platform: rFactor
• Mod: SUPRS W v8 mod 
• 8:00pm Practice
• 8:10pm Mandatory Drivers’ Meeting
• 8:20pm Time Trials
• 8:30pm Racing
• Current Track Record: Brad Keysor; 14.539 sec.; Set: 02/09/2023(rF)
• Defending Race Winner: Brad Keysor

Special Notes:

• All-Skate Practice. 
• Pits Closed during caution until opened by Race Control, except to pull off track. Cars may not re-enter track from pits once white flag is shown.
• Elite 8 qualifiers inverted for feature based on Points Won Season Handicaps

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Friday 02/09/2024

SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 5

• Track: 5 Flags Speedway-by RFN-50 laps-½ Mile
• Platform: rFactor
• Mod: SUPRS W v8 mod 
• 8:00pm Practice
• 8:10pm Drivers’ Meeting
• 8:20pm Time Trials
• 8:30pm Racing
• Current Track Record: Brad Keysor; 13.429 sec.; Set: 02/10/2023(rF)
• Defending Race Winner: Brad Keysor

Special Notes:

• All-Skate Practice
• Pits Closed during caution until opened by Race Control, except to pull off track. Cars may not re-enter track from pits once white flag is shown.
• Elite 8 qualifiers inverted for feature based on SUPRS Florida Speedweeks points standings after four races.