Sears, Keysor Kick Off Keystone Nationals with Wins

March 5, 2024- Nazareth, PA…Zach Sears and Brad Keysor fired the opening salvos to kick off the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), 2024 Keystone Nationals, and both hit their targets of victory lane on a night of fantastic supermodified sim racing in Pennsylvania. Sears claimed the win after 50 hard fought laps in the inaugural race for SUPRS at Lake Erie Speedway, while Keysor secured top honors for the third time in his career at Nazareth Speedway. The only other driver to finish on the podium Tuesday night was former Keystone Nationals Champion, Dave Ohh.

Zach Sears Survives Close Battle to Win Inaugural Race at Lake Erie Speedway on First Night of 2024 Keystone Nationals

Zach Sears continued his winning ways after taking to the top side of the multi-groove Lake Erie Speedway in North East, PA. It was the first visit by SUPRS to the 3/8ths mile oval and Sears adapted quickly, finding the best line on the way to winning his fifteenth feature of the 2023-24 Gold Crest Winged Supermodified Championship season.

“It was a good race,” the Ohio driver began. “This track has two unique grooves and and everyone seemed to want to run the bottom, so I worked the top.” While the lapped traffic was intense in a very evenly matched 12 car field, the current point leader thought that the multiple grooves at Lake Erie actually made life easier. “It sorted out where the fast guys went to the top and the slower guys worked the bottom, so it was actually easier in lapped traffic,” he explained.

After taking the lead from Brad Keysor just after the half-way point, Sears did have to contend with his two main rivals as he worked his way around the slower cars, lapping up to fourth place finisher Ryan Cloonan. “I always have to worry about the 11, (Dave Ohh), and the 9, (Brad Keysor), in lapped traffic,” he stated. “That 11 car is aggressive in lapped traffic, and can make moves the rest of us don’t think about making. I think we were three-wide at one point, the racing was good and there was a good fight up front.”

“Thanks to the SUPRS sponsors, 1st to Finish Race Server, Breeze Graphics, Hairbag Studios, Icings on Top, and now BMK Logistics since it’s on the car, and of course The Mod Squad, and Dave and Brad for the set-ups.”

Server Crash Early

A worrisome situation occurred early in the 50 lap feature when, after a caution for Bob Gangwer on lap three, the Pace Car got stuck and couldn’t make it to the pits. The field ran several laps under the yellow until all the drivers were disqualified from the race since there was no Pace Car on the track.

Series officials had planned for such an occasion and quickly reset the server and hoped for the best as the field went single file for the restart. The drivers, though racing hard, were on their best behavior until 16 laps into the second start the caution came out for Keith Powell and Steven Vincent who had separate incidents on the front-stretch.

After the field was reset and the Pace Car driver kept the SUPRS Chevy Camaro off the wall, the race went back to green and stayed there until Sears took the checkered flag.

Keysor Sets Track Record Over Tight Field

Prior to the feature. the drivers all time trialed and Brad Keysor established a Track Record with a 12.069 second lap. The rest of the field wasn’t far behind with “SpeedyMan” Dave Ohh second quick at 12.282, Ryan Cloonan third fast with a 12.348, Anthony Corsoniti fourth after clicking off a 12.465, and Zach Sears in the top five at 12.498. Bob Gangwer, (12.529), Steven Vincent, (12.648), and Keith Powell, (12.678), rounded out the Elite 8 qualifiers and were locked in and eligible for the Feature Race inversion.

SUPRS Race Results-Box Score

• SUPRS 2024 Keystone Nationals Race 1
• March 5, 2024
• Lake Erie Speedway
• North East, PA
• Race 33 of 48
• 50 Laps
• SUPRS rFactor W v8 mod

Supermodified Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap highlighted-Elite 8 eligible for Feature Race Inversion)

1. 9-Brad Keysor; Liverpool, NY; Chasing Cameras; BMK Logistics: 12.155, 12.069 TR
2. 11-Dave Ohh; Union, CT; TMS Wolfpack: 12.339, 12.282
3. 13-Ryan Cloonan; Oswego, NY; Simability: 12.362, 12.348
4. 12-Anthony Corsoniti; N. Syracuse, NY; T’sForecast.com: 12.576, 12.465
5. 22-Zach Sears; Elyria, OH; HeatFinder.net, Adkins Glass: 12.498, 21.433
6. 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; B&G Racing Photos, RW Woodworking: 12.647, 12.529
7. 4-Steven Vincent; Cicero, NY; Creative Assistant: 12.686, 12.648
8. 41-Keith Powell; Crestline, OH; Mayfield Garage, Icings on Top: 12.891, 12.678
9. 08-Danny Ray; Goshen, IN; Smokie Bone’s Downhome Kitchen, White Lightnin’ Transportation: 12.756, 12.788
10. 10-Gary Waldron; Wyoming, MI; Kenowa Auto Supply, Michigan Hill Gang: 12.898, 12.777
11. 2-Daniel Nans; Baldwinsville, NY; Haun Welding Supply, Nans Brothers Racing: 13.113, 13.067
12. 14-Bobby Hayduk; Brook Park, OH; Gannon Auto Sales, Bronx Country: 13.217, 13.256

Supermodified Feature 50 Laps (showing car number, driver name, bonus, starting place, fastest lap, distance behind winner)

1. 22-Zach Sears: * | ** | P8 | 12.455 | +3 Laps
2. 9-Brad Keysor: * | P6 | 12.353 | +9.464
3. 11-Dave Ohh: ! | P7 | 12.345 | +9.464
4. 13-Ryan Cloonan: P5 | 12.490 | +8.609
5. 12-Anthony Corsoniti: P2 | 12.648 | +1 Lap
6. 25-Bob Gangwer: P4 | 12.536 | +1 Lap
7. 10-Gary Waldron: P10 | 12.962 | ++1 Lap
8. 2-Daniel Nans: P11 | 12.978 | +1 Lap
9. 4-Steven Vincent: * | P1 | 12.817 | +1 Lap
10. 41-Keith Powell: P3 | 12.686 | +1 Lap
11. 08-Danny Ray: P9 | 12.990 | +2 Laps
12. 14-Bobby Hayduk: P12 | 13.271 | +3 Laps

Time of Race: 12.52.500 (48 laps after server crash)

Race Notes:

• Server crash due to Pace Car not getting into pits after 25 Bob Gangwer spin on lap 3. Server was reset at 48 laps to give field chance to get single file and reverting back to last completed lap.
• Lap Leaders: Steven Vincent: L1-3; Brad Keysor: L4-25; Zach Sears: L26-50
• Lead Changes: 2 amongst 3 drivers
• Cautions: 2 for 6 laps
• Most Positions Gained: Zach Sears- +7
• More Race Statistics Available via SUPRS Sim Results Page

* Denotes Lap Led
** Denotes Most Laps Led
! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
^ Denotes Most Positions Advanced from Starting Place (SUPRSCharger when in effect)
^(R) Denotes Icings on Top Rookie of the Year Candidate

Last Lap Gasp Nets Keysor Third Nazareth Speedway Win

March 5, 2024 – Nazareth, PA…In a similar fashion to his other two wins at Nazareth Speedway, Brad Keysor made for a thrilling finish to the 25 lap feature event, waiting until the last lap to take the lead after coming from seventh starting place on the grid. Keysor’s third win on tricky and technical one-mile track that, at one time, hosted the IndyCar series was the culmination of patience followed by a last ditch, devil may care, attitude when he stole the win from Dave Ohh just like he did in 2022.

Ohh, who has won at Nazareth twice before, hung on for second place, after watching helplessly as Keysor took a page right out of Ohh’s own playbook. Zach Sears worked his way to third from eighth, with Ryan Cloonan showing well in fourth to Anthony Corsoniti’s fifth place finish.

Slow Start Left Keysor Scratching Head

It took Keysor to the end of the race to be in a position to win the second race of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), 2024 Keystone Nationals at Nazareth Speedway, and he still wasn’t certain why his slow start nearly cost him the win. “The car just left slow,” he said of the beginning of the race. “From the first lap to 10 or 15 in, the car just wouldn’t turn in. I nearly destroyed Zach’s race when it pushed up.”

Quickly realizing that he was in a dire straights as Dave Ohh and the rest of the field pulled away, Keysor, who had won here in 2019 as a rookie, methodically made changes from the cockpit to put him in a better state of affairs on the track.

“I made some brake bias adjustments, then I found a different line where the car was better,” he said. Ironically, the one thing that could have caused a disastrous ending, actually helped the BMK Logistics sponsored driver. “I had to run pretty hard and got to Bob, (Gangwer), and Anthony, (Corsoniti), and they had a good battle going. I had to choose and I went to the high side and got Bob and it was good. So I was on the outside of the 12, (Corsoniti), and racing for a spot, (P4 at the time), and we bumped. I slid to the wall and actually scrubbed it, but it made the car better.”

Last Caution Saved the Day

Now running in fourth after the harrowing moments passing Corsoniti, Keysor knew he was running out of time with just a tick over five laps remaining on the lap counter. But when Steven Vincent clipped the curb in the dog-leg and launched the Creative Assistant #4, not only ending up somewhere in the vicinity of the Andretti homestead, the crash brough out the caution and Keysor saw his chance.

“I was just hoping to Ryan, (Cloonan), and then the caution came out,” explained Keysor. I knew it was my one shot, and Dave didn’t really go on the restart so that was my chance. I have to give it to Danny Ray because he did a great job moving up out of the way and letting us race.” Ray was stacked in amongst the top five as a lapped driver right behind second place running Zach Sears and in front of Cloonan who was third.

Dave Ohh a Sitting Duck

When the green dropped, Ohh was uncharacteristically slow on the throttle which backed Sears, Ray and Cloonan up, leaving Cloonan right in the grips of Keysor. Ray slid high at the Start/Finish line, and Keysor was coming with a head of steam. He quickly picked off Cloonan then set sail after Sears. He worked on Sears for a couple of circuits after using the draft to his advantage dropped the winner of Lake Erie to third.

Next up, Dave Ohh, and Keysor was bound and determined that he was going to win. “I just sailed it down there and knew I could get a monster run down the backstretch,” said Keysor. “Then I uncharacteristically drove it more like Dave than me and threw it in. I was either going to win it or wreck us both. Dave knew it was coming and he said afterwards, “You would have wrecked me wouldn’t you,?” and I admitted that yeah, I really wanted to get the win.”

And so it was again for Ohh that, after leading the most laps all he could do was watch as Keysor sailed by to take the win in a race that had three leaders and just two cautions.

“I want to thank 1st to Finish Race Servers, Hairbag Studios, BreezeGraphics.com, Icings on Top, Chasing Cameras and BMK Logistics for letting me do this,” the winner said.

Ohh Fastest in Time Trials

Earlier in the evening Dave Ohh set fast time at 21.567 to become the fastest qualifier. After the Elite 8 inversion, Steven Vincent started the feature on the pole with Keith Powell outside row one. Powell’s race was done early after contact with Dave Ohh as Ohh was taking the lead in a bold outside move. Powell slide to the infield, bounced off the wall, then nearly ended Daniel Nans race as well.

Randy Witkum Memorial Last Race of Keystone Nationals

Tomorrow the SUPRS racers will gather at Jennerstown Speedway to honor and remember the late Randy Witkum for the third, and last event, of SUPRS 2024 Keystone Nationals. The 20^th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial is a 125 lap supermodified sim race that pays tribute to the driver that lost his life at Jennerstown Speedway in 1999 during an International Supermodified Association, (ISMA), race.

Last year, Bob Gangwer picked up his fourth Randy Witkum Memorial 125 win and tied Rob Warren for the most victories in the prestigious race.

Fans can tune in to see the final night of SUPRS 2024 Keystone Nationals via SUPRS LIVE! Featuring Live Timing, Scoring, Track Telemetry and Streaming Video, SUPRS LIVE! is the perfect page to cheer on your favorite SUPRS racer as they go for the win in the prestigious 20^th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial and shoot for the Keystone Nationals Championship crown.

Race Night Schedule

Practice begins at 7:45pm on Wednesday night. Time Trials are at 8:15pm, then two Heat Races will run prior to the start of the SUPRS Live broadcast which begins at 9:00pm. Pre-Race festivities including the National Anthem and Driver Introductions for the 20^th Annual Randy Witkum Memorial 125 follow the show open, with the Feature expected to start around at 9:15pm.

SUPRS Race Results-Box Score

• SUPRS 2024 Keystone Nationals Race 2
• March 5, 2024
• Nazareth Speedway
• Nazareth, PA
• Race 34 of 48
• 25 Laps
• SUPRS rFactor W v8 mod

Supermodified Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap highlighted-Elite 8 eligible for Feature Inversion)

1. 11-Dave Ohh; Union, CT; TMS Wolfpack: 21.703, 21.567
2. 9-Brad Keysor; Liverpool, NY; Chasing Cameras; BMK Logistics: 22.595, 21.849
3. 22-Zach Sears; Elyria, OH; The Mod Squad, Adkins Glass: 22.062, 22.105
4. 13-Ryan Cloonan; Oswego, NY; Simability: 22.269, 22.125
5. 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; B&G Racing Photos, RW Woodworking: 22.488, 22.431
6. 12-Anthony Corsoniti; N. Syracuse, NY; T’sForecast.com: 22.447, 22.545
7. 41-Keith Powell; Crestline, OH; Mayfield Garage, Icings on Top: 22.792, 22.582
8. 4-Steven Vincent; Cicero, NY; Creative Assistant: 22.913, 22.610
9. 2-Daniel Nans; Baldwinsville, NY; Haun Welding Supply, Nans Brothers Racing: 22.964, 22.712
10. 10-Gary Waldron; Wyoming, MI; Kenowa Auto Supply, Michigan Hill Gang: 22.778, 22.713
11. 08-Danny Ray; Goshen, IN; Smokie Bone’s Downhome Kitchen, White Lightnin’ Transportation: 22.802, 22.832
12. 14-Bobby Hayduk; Brook Park, OH; Gannon Auto Sales, Bronx Country: 23.043, 23.074

Supermodified Feature 25 Laps (showing car number, driver name, bonus, starting place, fastest lap, distance behind winner)

1. 3-Brad Keysor: P7 | * | ! | 21.850
2. 11-Dave Ohh: * | ** | P3 | 21.847 | +0.234
3. 22-Zach Sears: * | P8 | 21.942 | +0.411
4. 13-Ryan Cloonan: P6 | 22.290 | +0.773
5. 12-Anthony Corsoniti: P5 | 22.418 | +2.053
6. 25-Bob Gangwer: P4 | 22.518 | +2.120
7. 2-Daniel Nans: P9 | 22.796 | +2.323
8. 10-Gary Waldron: P10 | 22.773 | +2.479
9. 14-Bobby Hayduk: P12 | 22.568 | +3.719
10. 08-Danny Ray: P11 | 22.997 | +1 Lap
11. 4-Steven Vincent: P1 | 22.578 | DNF-Accident
12. 41-Keith Powell: P2 | * | 25.131| DNF-Suspension Damage

Time of Race: 15.03.269

Race Notes:

• Lap Leaders: Keith Powell: L1; Dave Ohh: L2-24, Brad Keysor: L25
• Lead Changes: 3 amongst 3 drivers
• Cautions: 2 for 6 laps
• Most Positions Gained: Brad Keysor- +6
• More Race Statistics Available via SUPRS Sim Results Page

* Denotes Lap Led
** Denotes Most Laps Led
! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
^ Denotes Most Positions Advanced from Starting Place (SUPRSCharger when in effect)
^(R) Denotes Icings on Top Rookie of the Year Candidate

“Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons” since 2004