October 15, 2017 – Goshen, IN…This week the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), heads to the Tarheel State for the 14th Annual North Carolina Swing. This annual tour features five different tracks in three nights of racing all based in North Carolina, uses two different sim racing platforms, and is the toughest multi-race swing on the SUPRS schedule.
Swing by BreezeGraphics.com for great looking marketing materials like this North Carolina Swing poster.
The series kicks off Tuesday, October 17 at Dasera Speedway and Caraway Speedway. Both are NASCAR Heat based tracks and both will be 40 lap feature races. Then on Wednesday the racers switch to their rFactor supermodifieds for 50 lap features at Southern National Motorsports Park and Concord Motorsports Park.
Racing for an Invite
Those first four races act as qualifiers for the last night of racing at Hickory Motor Speedway on Thursday, October 19. The top eight drivers in North Carolina Swing points get invited to the “Hickory Hustle” where the winner of the challenging 75 lap feature becomes the North Carolina Swing Champion. A blind draw for starting place and intense, close quarters racing within the tight confines of Hickory Motor Speedway is just one more reason the North Carolina Swing Championship is one of the most sought after for the SUPRS drivers.
Big Points on the Line
As the supermodified sim racers work for an invitation to the Hickory Hustle, they’ll also gain precious early season points in the Gold Crest Wing Supermodified Championship XIV. The big prize on Thursday, if they make it, is a 20 point bonus that goes to the winner of the coveted North Carolina Swing Championship Crown.
Perseverance Pays Off for Callahan
Steve Callahan is the defending North Carolina Swing Champion and has one of the best finishing records in the history of The Hickory Hustle. Yet until last year he was never been able to win the race or the North Carolina Swing Championship. He finally pulled it off for one of the biggest wins of his SUPRS career becoming the tenth different driver to claim the NC Swing.
Callahan is one of only two Ohio drivers to win the North Carolina Swing in a series that where New York residents have dominated. The Cuyahoga Falls resident joined fellow Buckeye Chris Meyers who won the NC Swing in 2011-12.
“Rocket” Rob Domination on Night 2
Defending SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Supermodified Champion, Rob Warren, was in a similar situation to what Callahan had experienced until he claimed the North Carolina Swing Championship in the 2015-16 season. Warren has dominated the second night of the North Carolina Swing three out of the last four seasons and last year was also the fourth year in a row that he has won at Concord.
In fact, Warren has been so dominate at the high-banked asphalt tri-oval that out of a possible 250 SUPRS feature laps run, Warren has led 222 of them. However, the Pulaski, NY racer would give up every one of those Concord laps led to lead just the last one of the Hickory Hustle and claim his second North Carolina Swing Crown.
Nobody Tops Maxon
Just one driver has ever won the North Carolina Swing Championship more than once. “Mighty” Myles Maxon leads the pack with three NC Swing crowns and two of those came back to back in 2009 and 2010.
Of the current crop of SUPRS racers, the aforementioned Callahan and Warren are among the favorites to join Maxon, but 2013-14 Champion Bob Gangwer, 2012-13 Champion Carl Becker and 2008 Champion Gary Waldron all have a shot as well.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the SUPRS North Carolina Swing History
Fans Can Follow the Festivities
Fans can follow the fun and excitement of the 14th Annual North Carolina Swing on night two and three of the festivities. The SUPRS LIVE! Timing and Scoring page keeps fans abreast of the action showing live streaming video, instantaneous position changes, lap times, penalties, race status and track telemetry.
The SUPRS LIVE! scrolling ticker allows fans to browse SUPRS.net while they keep their eye on the racing action. And if they can’t make it to SUPRS.net for the live action, they can always catch up with the SUPRS rFactor Results page showing every race of the season in complete detail.
Be Social with SUPRS
Supermodified racing fans and sim racers alike can learn more about the original online supermodified sim racing sanction when they visit www.SUPRS.net.
The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series is very active on social media where fans can “Like” SUPRS on Facebook, Circle SUPRS on Google+, Follow @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, See SUPRS on Instagram, and View over 370 real supermodified racing videos on SUPRS YouTube.
SUPRS – “Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons” since 2004
SUPRS North Carolina Swing History-
- 2005 North Carolina Swing Champion: JP Curry-PA
- 2006 North Carolina Swing Champion: Sean O’Kane-NY
- 2007 North Carolina Swing Champion: Mike Jackson-NY
- 2008 North Carolina Swing Champion: Gary Waldron-MI
- 2009 North Carolina Swing Champion: Myles Maxon-NY
- 2009-10 North Carolina Swing Champion: Myles Maxon-NY
- 2010-11 North Carolina Swing Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.-NY
- 2011-12 North Carolina Swing Champion: Chris Meyers-OH
- 2012-13 North Carolina Swing Champion: Carl Becker-MI
- 2013-14 North Carolina Swing Champion: Bob Gangwer-IN
- 2014-15 North Carolina Swing Champion: Myles Maxon-NY
- 2015-16 North Carolina Swing Champion: Rob Warren-NY
- 2016-17 North Carolina Swing Champion: Steve Callahan-OH
NORTH CAROLINA SWING SCHEDULE, FORMAT, PROCEDURES
