16th Consecutive Non-Wing Supermodified Season Starts June 2
May 27, 2020-Goshen, IN…The green flags drops on the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), 16th Annual Port City Kick-Off on Tuesday June 2, 2020, and when it does, it will mark the start of the 16th consecutive season of non-wing supermodified sim racing action at “The Home of the Supermodifieds”-Oswego Speedway.
Subtle Changes Should Enhance Season
The 16th Annual Port City Kick-Off is the first of a 12 race summer season, and while the schedule is only slightly different from last year, there are several subtle, but important changes to the SUPRS rFactor mod that includes upgraded brakes and some new sound files. For the third year in a row, there’s also been a couple of changes to the most detailed and accurate version of Oswego Speedway available to online racers. These changes are most notable for the fans that tune in for SUPRS weekly broadcasts of supermodified sim racing.
For the fourth straight year, the Port City Kick-Off is higlighted by a 50 lap feature race. making it even more important for the drivers to find the fast line as quickly as possible for a good start to the new season.
Watch, Listen, Enjoy
When the supermodified sim racers take to the track for the first non-wing race of the season, they’ll do so in front of a worldwide audience thanks to SUPRS LIVE! SUPRS has been at the forefront of bringing live supermodified sim racing to the world with the help of Hairbag Studios, BreezeGraphics.com and 1st to Finish Race Servers, and after four continuous years of broadcasting, SUPRS continues to fine tune the product for an even better fan experience.
There’s also a Discord chat room as well as one available for all fans that have a Twitch.tv account. It’s a great way to make new friends, talk sim racing, or real supermodified racing and enjoy the broadcast.
For fans that miss the live stream, they’ll be able to catch the full replay on the SUPRS Twitch channel for up to 14 days and the edited version on the SUPRS YouTube Channel within 72 hours of each event.
Port City History
Five drivers have been fortunate, and good enough, to win the Port City Kick-Off more than once. The first to do so was Myles Maxon, who won back to back in 2007-08 and then won his third, (the most of any driver), in 2014. The very first Port City winner, was the second to become a multi-time Port City Kick-Off victor. John Davidson split the Independence Day Twin 35s with Sean Gibbs to kick off SUPRS first season of non-wing supermodified sim racing in 2005. It then took “SFJ” seven years to find victory lane again in the Port City Kick-Off when he took the 2012 win.
Ray Sand, Jr. grabbed his first Port City Kick-Off win in 2010 and waited five years to take his second Port City Kick-Off win in 2015, the same year he joined Myles Maxon and John Davidson as a multi-time winner.
Then it was Rob Warren’s turn. After winning his first Port City Kick-Off a year after Sand, Jr. in 2011, Warren returned to victory lane on opening night, like Davidson, seven years later in 2018 when he also won the his second SUPRS Non-Wing Supermodified Season Championship.
Keith Powell is the most recent driver to win the Port City Kick-Off more than once, and other than Maxon, has had to wait the least amount of time to take home his second opening night win after winning in 2017 and 2019.
In all, there have been ten different drivers, in 15 years, sitting in SUPRS Victory Lane on opening night. Sean Gibbs, Jim Crannell, Bob Gangwer, Jeff Weber, and Clinton Cyr all have one win.
Powell, Warren Push for Three Port City Wins
Keith Powell and Rob Warren have battled like cats and dogs since 2017 over the SUPRS championship. Both drivers are in line to join Myles Maxon at the top of the Port City Kick-Off winner list, as each has won the event twice and is looking for their third like Maxon. Since 2017 Powell and Warren have swapped the top spot of the Port City Kick-Off back and forth. If that back and forth, every other year type of history proves to be any indication of the future, this should be Warren’s year to win.
Port City Winner Not a Shoe-In for Championship
Winning the Port City Kick-Off seems like a good way to win a Gold Crest Non-Wing Supermodified Championship, but the odds are stacked against any driver hoping to do so. In the 16 year history of the race, only two drivers, (Myles Maxon in 2014 and Rob Warren in 2018), that sat in victory lane on opening night , have gone on to win the season championship.
Exciting Crop of Rookie Contenders
SUPRS is expecting one of the largest field of rookies since the early 2000s. The roster shows nearly 10 drivers that are eligible for the Icings on Top Rookie of the Year Award including real supermodified racers AJ Russell, Alison Sload, Lance Jackson, and Jeff West.
will be hotly contested in 2020.
Recently, four potential Icings on Top Rookie of the Year Award winners completed the SUPRS Rookie Orientation Program. Danny Ray of Goshen, IN, Bobby Hayduk of Brooke Park, OH, Erich Becker of Shelby, MI, and Dick Schuler from Chisago City, MN may have a bit of an advantage after three weeks of intensive training. Those four drivers certainly pushed themselves hard as they aced the R.O.P. and now know what to expect on opening night.
The rookie crop will certainly have their work cut out for them though as they battle SUPRS veterans like 4-Time Gold Crest Non-Wing Supermodified Champion Rob Warren, 2016 non-wing champ Keith Powell, Carl “Bonzia” Becker, and “Steady” Steve Callahan, “D-Rock” Derrick Backus, and the returning Gary “Mutley” Waldron. Add to the mix exciting drivers like Dave “SpeedyMan” Ohh who recently won 9 out of 10 SUPRS races, and former Rookies of the Year Nelson Rodrigues, Brad Keysor and Zach Sears, and it’s sure to be a great opening night.
Mark Your Calendars
Mark your calendars for Tuesday June 2, for the official start of the supermodified sim racing summer season and the 16th Annual Port City Kick-Off. Systems Checks for the racers runs from 7:30pm to 8:00pm and then the sounds of supermodified sim racing will echo inside the steel walls of Oswego Speedway when hot laps begin at 8:00pm. The Drivers meeting is at 8:30pm and the first heat race is slated to go at 9:05pm.
Full details for the 16th Port City Kick-Off are on the SUPRS Schedule. SUPRS members should check the Forums for the latest info on server times and passwords.
Get Social with SUPRS
Fans of supermodified racing and online 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, Follow @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and View over 650 real supermodified racing videos, and archived SUPRS races on SUPRS YouTube. Fans can also enjoy chatting with each other and win prizes on SUPRS Twitch page.
SUPRS Port City Kick-Off History:
- 2005 Season Opener Winner: John Davidson/Sean Gibbs (Independence Day Twin 35s)
- 2006 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Jim Crannell
- 2007 Season Opener Winner: Myles Maxon(Jim Shampine Memorial)
- 2008 Season Opener Winner: Myles Maxon
- 2009 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Bob Gangwer
- 2010 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2011 Port City 50 Kick-Off Winner: Rob Warren
- 2012 Port City 50 Kick-Off Winner John Davidson
- 2013 Port City 75 Kick-Off Winner: Jeff Weber
- 2014 Port City 75 Kick-Off Winner: Myles Maxon
- 2015 Port City 75 Kick-Off Winner: Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2016 Port City 75 Kick-Off Winner: Clinton Cyr
- 2017 Port City 50 Kick-Off Winner: Keith Powell
- 2018 Port City 50 Kick-Off Winner: Rob Warren
- 2019 Port City 50 Kick-Off Winner: Keith Powell
SUPRS Gold Crest Non-Wing Champions:
- 2005 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Jim Crannell
- 2006 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: John Davidson
- 2007 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Kris Heveron
- 2008 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Kris Heveron
- 2009 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Devin Gee
- 2010 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: John Davidson
- 2011 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2012 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2013 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2014 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Myles Maxon
- 2015 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Rob Warren
- 2016 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Keith Powell
- 2017 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Rob Warren
- 2018 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Rob Warren
- 2019 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Rob Warren
Learn more about SUPRS History HERE
Those wishing to become SUPRS members so that they can compete in the season opener, should do so at least 24 hours before the Port City Kick-Off at Oswego Speedway. This will allow SUPRS officials plenty of time to process all requests and give all new members plenty of time to be ready for the first race of the season.
“Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons” since 2004
