Kyle Clark Closes Out SUPRS Florida Speedweeks 2017 with Very First Feature Win
February 10, 2017 – Lakeland, FL…For the second night in a row there is a first time feature winner in Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), competition. Kyle Clark of Mexico, NY took over the lead with four laps to go in the SUPRS Florida Speedweeks 2017 finale on Friday to pull down his first win and close the week out on a high note at USA International Speedway.
Kyle Clark(38) got his first SUPRS feature win on the last night of Florida Speedweeks at USA Int’l Speedway. (SUPRS Victory Lane art by BreezeGraphics.com)
The soft-spoken Clark struggled to find the words to say after his first win. “Wow. I knew if I could stay clean that this would be a good track. I don’t know man I just don’t have many words now,” he said.
Clark, who became the fifth different winner in the five night swing that makes up Florida Speedweeks, waited for the right moment and made a move past Keith Powell to take second on lap 18.
The pass surprised the Disturbed Motorsports driver, “I was faster than Keith going in but not even close enough to make a pass coming off the corners,” he explained. “But somehow I got by him on the outside.”
“Then with the caution with three to go I thought it was over and Keith was gonna get by me on the restart.” But he didn’t and his fellow SUPRS racers showered Clark with accolades and well-wishes on his first win.
While to Clark , it may have seemed like it took forever to pull down a win, it actually took just under a year get his first supermodified sim racing victory.
Powell Crowned Speedweeks Champion
Keith Powell brought his Icings on Top ride home to a second place and Rob Warren held on for third for the second year in a row.
Powell’s second place finish was just enough to clinch the SUPRS Florida Speedweeks 2017 title for the first time in his career.
“This is just awesome,” said the 2017 Florida Speedweeks Champion. I was just going to be happy to run a consistent five nights but I’ll tell ya this is pretty amazing and I’m pretty proud.”
FINAL FLORIDA SPEEDWEEKS POINTS
Slow Start, Fast Race
After two botched attempts at a start, the drivers finally settled down and when they took the green flag, outside pole-sitter Kevin Timmins got the jump on Clark. Timmins then led the next 21 laps in a race that was slowed by just two cautions, one of which was for Timmins himself as he slid to a stop out of turn two while leading.
At the point where the last caution came out with three laps to go, the drivers had put in a stretch of 15 green flag laps that saw multiple position changes by nearly every driver on the track. The 25 lap race ended up taking just 10:49 minutes to run with every driver finishing on the lead lap.
SEE FLORIDA SPEEDWEEKS HIGHLIGHTS
The SUPRS racers will have a short breather as there is no racing on Tuesday night in observance of Valentine’s Day. But after kissing their sweetheart goodbye, they’ll head west for Wednesday’s SUPRS Copper World Classic XIII presented by Kern Motorsports at Phoenix International Raceway.
This very special race will feature wing and non-wing supermodified sim racing using the rFactor platform. Each division will run a 25 lap feature and as the sun goes down in the desert, points from both feature finishes will be tallied to decide the overall 2017 SUPRS Copper World Classic Champion.
Systems Checks begin at 7:00pm while Official Practice starts at 8:00pm. Time Trials will follow at 8:30pm and racing will start at 9:00pm nights.
Because this is a rFactor event, fans will be able to follow all the action with SUPRS LIVE! as they challenge the “Desert Mile.” Keep up with your favorite SUPRS racer in an instant by visiting www.SUPRS.net/site/live.
Learn more about supermodified racing and online supermodified sim racing 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:
- SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Night 5
- Race 25 of 42
- Friday, February 10, 2017
- SUPRS rFactor W v7.1 mod
- USA International Speedway
- 25 laps
Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap underlined)
- 14-Joe Achzet; Yorkville, NY; Cottontail Designs, GraphX: 15.160, 14.707
- 38-Kyle Clark; Mexico, NY; Coors’ Light, Disturbed Motorsports: 14.715, 14.717
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Docks & Hoists, Designs of Elegance: 14.778, 14.822
- 41-Keith Powell; Carrollton, OH; Icings on Top, CPR Motorsports: 15.085, 14.933
- 77-Kevin Timmins; Baldwinsville, NY; BreezeGraphics.com, Wesley Motorsports: 15.123, 14.993
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Wing Side Up Enterprises, RW Woodworking 15.161, 15.049
- 9-Domenic Gioia; Oswego, NY; Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Team Domination Motorsports: 15.212, 15.052
- X-Chad Phelps; New Haven, NY; Haun Welding Supply, Disturbed Motorsports: 15.523, 15.214
- 52-Dave Brigandi; Syracuse, NY; Brigandi Carpet and Tile, Terry: 15.487, 15.516
- 42-Carl Becker; Lansing, MI; Wholesale Diamond Exchange, Michigan Hill Gang: 15.476, 16.132
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues; Stoneham, MA; Star Speedway: 15.581, 15.049
Feature 50 Laps (showing car number, driver name, bonus, starting position, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 38-Kyle Clark: * | P2 | 14.445
- 41-Keith Powell: P4 | 14.522 | +0.194
- 35-Rob Warren: ! | P7 | 14.392 | +0.478
- 14-Joe Achzet: P6 | 14.623 | +0.779
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues: P11 | 14.594 | 1.281
- 9-Domenic Gioia P3 | 14.730 | +1.502
- 25-Bob Gangwer: P8 | 14.697 | +1.888
- X-Chad Phelps: P6 | 14.757 | +2.384
- 52-Dave Brigandi: P9 | 14.651 | +3.438
- 42-Carl Becker: P10 | 15.125 | +7.044
- 77-Kevin Timmins: P2 | 14.686 | +8.179
Time of Race: 10:49.143
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
