Orlando Speedworld Win Goes to Sand, Jr., Passes Warren with Two to Go
Orlando, FL – February 8, 2016…Ray Sand, Jr. masterfully passed leader Rob Warren with two laps to go for the win at Orlando Speedworld to open the 2016 Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Florida Speedweeks. Warren and Bob Gangwer finished in second and third place.
“The Sandman” Ray Sand, Jr. picked up his 99th SUPRS feature win at Orlando Speedworld Monday night.
Sand, Jr. exclaimed, “Wow!” when asked how he felt about the win. He added, “Man Rob made me work for that one, I’m worn out over here. Even though it went by fast, MAN!”
The battle for the lead intensified greatly as the race neared it’s end and Sand, Jr. said, “I think I got into him so I laid over because I wanted to have a good race with five to go.”
Once Warren got back by, Sand, Jr. immediately took off again but almost ended his night with a hard bounce into the backstretch wall. “I did try knock the wall down as usual,” he said. It didn’t really affect me that much, my car was so good coming off the corners. I trying to time it lap after lap with Rob because he was struggling a bit coming off two. I couldnt’ get around him so i got a little aggressive there at the end and I think I passed him clean there the second time for the win with two to go.”
Second place finisher, Rob Warren, started outside row one but was able to switch lines and pass polesitter Dave Brigandi on the low side at the entrance of turn three to take the lead on lap two.
Warren then went on to lead the next 45 laps, feeling the pressure from Sand, Jr. at every corner. “I never thought this race was sealed, I knew it was going to be tough from the get go,” he said.
While Sand, Jr. was happy with his car’s handling, Warren was not as pleased with how the 1st to Finish Docks and Hoists roadster was running.
“The car was bad it started to get a push coming off and if I tried to back the corner up to help the exit, the car would bind and the engine would stall out so I was having a rough time on exit ,” he explained.
Ray did get into me there once, but being the champion that he is, he laid up and let me back by,” Warren said. “Hats off to him, that was a great race. I’ve had so much fun racing this year, that was a great one.”
Third place finisher Bob Gangwer said, “That was a heckuva race up front while Dave and I was having our own little battle a little ways back. Congratulations to Ray, he made a perfect pass on Rob.”
Dave Brigandi started from the pole for the second year in a row here and finished fourth after leading the first two laps. He held third place for 15 laps, and again this year, had a very competitive run making him pleased with the way the night turned out.
The driver of the Buffalo Bio Fuels machine said, “It felt like it really picked up a push there late, but all in all I feel like the car was good tonight and maybe all the practice and working at keeping a cool head is helping. Congratulations to Ray that was a great pass.”
Ray Sand, Jr. become the fifth different winner in five races held at this track during Speedweeks and claimed his ninth feature win of the season pushing him to within one checkered flag of his 100th SUPRS feature win.
The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series now moves just down the road to Black Creek Raceway for night two of the 2016 SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Swing for a 25 lap affair at the big 3/4 mile. Myles Maxon is the defending winner of this race. Black Creek Raceway is one of two tracks that have held a SUPRS Florida Speedweeks race every year that Speedweeks has been run.
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:
- Florida Speedweeks
- Race 1
- February 8, 2016
Orlando Speedworld
Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap underlined)
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; Rochester, NY; SandmanRacing.com: 11.624, 11.581 NTR
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Wing Side Up Enterprises, RW Woodworking
- 52-Dave Brigandi; Syracuse, NY; Buffalo Bio-Diesel, Terry: 11.879, 11.725
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Docks & Hoists, Designs of Elegance: 11.846, 11.747
Feature – 50 Laps (showing car number, driver, name, bonus, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 18-Ray Sand, Jr.; * | ! | 11.550
- 35-Rob Warren; * ** | 11.561 | +0.304
- 25-Bob Gangwer; 11.596 | +0.720
- 52-Dave Brigandi; * | 11.613 | +1.603
Time of Race: 10:09.835
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
