By Myles Maxon
03/03/08, Oswego, NY –The Madness of March is rising like the proverbial lion and the stars and cars of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series (SUPRS) are ready to roar into the final two tracks of their West Coast Swing of the season this upcoming week in Arizona.
On Tuesday night, SUPRS will head to Lake Havasu Speedway for a 50-lap main. Upon completion of Tuesday’s racing, competitors will pack up their machines and head over to Phoenix International Speedway in Phoenix, Arizona for a big Wednesday Night event.
The Copper World Classic at Phoenix is one of the pinnacle races in the SUPRS schedule, with an exciting 25-lap feature for the GoldCrest division. In addition to the GoldCrest race, the rising stars of the SilverCrest division will also be competing in their own 25-lap feature as a part of this years Copper World Classic.
For the second season in a row SUPRS is proud to welcome back The Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association as title sponsor for the 4th Annual Copper World Classic. While now sanctioning sprint car racing in the Northwestern United States, the NSRA and its president Curt Kern is no stranger to supermodified racing or the original Copper World Classic for real open wheel cars at PIR.
In 1987, Curt Kern and Ed Williams started the Northwest Supermodified Racing Association after USAC unexpectedly pulled out of sanctioning regional racing. For a few years following this separation from USAC, the NSRA continued sanctioning events in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado and Canada. In 1992, Curt Kern formed the Western States Supermodified Tour, separating the supermodifieds from sprint cars, which continued to race under the Northwest Supermodified/Sprintcar Racing Association.
Regrouping and reorganization, along with some rules changed occurring during this time, with Ross Fontes acting as president of this dual class association. In 2001, Mike Sullivan Sr. took charge of the renamed Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association, and continued to expand the series. The lightning fast NSRA machines currently hold over a dozen all-time track records at venues they have competed at.
This season’s schedule for the NSRA has 13 races on tap, with the prestigious Diamond Cup weekend at Meridian Speedway at the end of May, as well as the season-ending championship at Meridian in September.
In the 3rd Annual Copper World Classic presented by NSRA, Pennsylvania’s J.P. Curry paced the field in time trials with a new track record, posting a time of 23.215 seconds en route to setting a new track record. In heat racing action, wins went to Curry, Jensen Beach, Florida competitor Kris Heveron, and Chuck Russell of West Plains, Missouri.
Russell was then able to carry his momentum into the feature. Finding his way around the always fast Joey ‘The Jersey Jet’ Payne mid-race, he took the lead and held on for the prestigious victory. Payne stayed hammer down long enough to grab a fine second place, and Myles Maxon rounded out the podium in third. Heat winners J.P. Curry and Kris Heveron completed the top five.
Riding a hot streak into the 4th Annual Copper World Classic presented by the NSRA, is left-coast resident John Davidson of San Diego, California. Davidson borrowed a ride in his brother’s TGI Friday’s #22 machine, out maneuvering Michigan’s Carl Becker mid-race en route to victory in the Buckley 50 presented by Printwerx. High point man Ray Sand Jr. hopes to nail down another solid run, as he is looking to clinch his first ever SUPRS Winged Championship. Randy Witkum Memorial winner Bob Gangwer will be sporting his new #25 machine again this week, in hopes of visiting victory lane once again.
SUPRS is grateful for the NSRA continuing their alliance with the league, in sponsoring the Copper World Classic once again this year. For more information, news, upcoming events and results from the NSRA, visit http://www.nsraracing.com/. For more information about SUPRS and upcoming events, check http://www.suprs.net, where ‘We Race Online to Give Back Real Time!’
