Bracket Hill, NH – December 15, 2015…Rob Warren became the first two-time winner of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Christmas Special Tuesday night at Bracket Hill Raceway. It was Warren’s sixth win of the season. Ray Sand, Jr. and Bob Gangwer finished second and third.
“It’s fantastic man, especially doing it back to back,” said Warren of becoming the first two-time winner in the 12 year history of the race. Then he added, “Like last year, I’m not going to get to enjoy the Christmas ham from Burgers’. I want to send that out to Jeff Russell, he’s more deserving of it than I am.”
With the win came the coveted prize of a Burgers’ Smokehouse Meats Christmas Ham, but just as he did last year when he won, Warren, filled with the Christmas spirit of giving, donated the ham to injured supermodified racer Jeff Russell.
Russell is a Boise, ID supermodified racer that was critically injured during the final practice session for the Supermodified Racing Association, (SMRA), October 2010 Speedfest event at The Bullring in Las Vegas, NV. Russell suffered Traumatic Brain Injury as well as many other serious injuries and continues to recover at his home in Idaho.
After winning the Reindeer Dash, Warren started the quick 25 lap feature from the pole. He raced Dave Brigandi through turn one and two, down the backstretch and through turn three and four side by side until Brigandi pushed high as he entered the front stretch. It was all Warren needed to take the lead and hold onto it for good.
Ray Sand, Jr., had his hands full throughout the race, literally and figuratively. “I caught up to Rob then lost my concentration and hit the wall, but with my little man crawling around all over me while I race it makes it kind of tough,” said “The Sandman” with a chuckle. “Hats off to Rob, I couldn’t have caught him in 50 laps tonight, he had a good hotrod.”
Sand, Jr. was able to hold off Bob Gangwer at the line for second. “I got hung up behind Dave for a while there,” he explained. “It’s not that Dave was in the way, he was just fast out there tonight and it’s hard to pass clean here. Congrats to Rob, he had us covered again.”
Noticeably absent from the track was 2010 Christmas Special winner Steve Callahan. Callahan is the only driver to run every Christmas Special race since joining SUPRS in 2005 but missed this year’s race due to work obligations.
The SUPRS racers now go on a two-week vacation to allow members to spend quality time with their family and loved ones through the Christmas and New Year’s period. They will return to the track on Tuesday January 5, 2016 for the running of the 12th Annual Crazy Canuck Snowball Derby at Cayuga Speedway.
Full details about the next race can be found on the SUPRS schedule page, while the Christmas Break details are in the SUPRS Forums.
Fans can learn more about the original and oldest online supermodified sim sanction, the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, when they visit www.SUPRS.net. Join SUPRS active and vibrant Social Media channels by “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Circling SUPRS on Google+, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube.
RACE RESULTS
12th Annual Christmas Special
Track: Bracket Hill Raceway
Laps: 25
| Position | Car | Driver | Results | Best Lap | Laps Led |
| 1. | 35 | Rob Warren | 6:09.118 | N/A | 25 |
| 2. | 18 | Ray Sand, Jr. | +1.616 | N/A | 0 |
| 3. | 25 | Bob Gangwer | +1.676 | N/A | 0 |
| 4. | 9 | Domenic Gioia | +3.417 | N/A | 0 |
| 5. | 52 | Dave Brigandi | +5.192 | N/A | 0 |
Christmas Special Race History:
- 2015-Rob Warren
- 2014-Rob Warren
- 2013-Gary Waldron
- 2012-Bob Gangwer
- 2011-John Davidson
- 2010-Steve Callahan
- 2009-Dave Biro III
- 2008-Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2007-Tom Heveron
- 2006-Kris Heveron
- 2005-Sean O’Kane
- 2004-Chris Nicastro
