Dave “SpeedyMan” Ohh Takes Seventh SUPRS Win in a Row at The Bullring of Las Vegas Motor Speedway
April 4, 2020 – Las Vegas, NV…Dave “SpeedyMan” Ohh won his second Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Jeff Russell Special, his 13th feature this season, and his seventh straight feature Tuesday night at The Bullring. In so doing, he gained five bonus points, but also has five more points added to the SUPRS Bounty that is on his head, making the total now 20 that the other SUPRS racers could take from his championship total and add to their own.
Rob Warren brought his 1st to Finish Race Servers “Rocket” home in second, and Bob Gangwer was on the podium in third place for the third straight year driving the Belfab Racing Products house car.
Feels Good, but Wanted More
“It feels good to make it two in a row for the Jeff Russell Special,” Ohh said after the win. But he had more than a win planned, the hard charging winner wanted to lap the field. “Man, those untimely cautions. I almost had the field lapped twice. I had pulled up the back of the field, but the caution came out.”
The race had a total of four cautions with the first one coming on lap 23 for a multi-car incident triggered when Brad Keysor got into the back end of Keith Powell at the exit of turn four, which also collected Nelson Rodrigues. Keysor and Rodrigues were involved in the second caution 30 laps later in the same corner which ended Rodrigues’ night due to the “3 Strikes” rule SUPRS has.
No Tire Worries This Year
After winning last year’s Jeff Russell Special, Ohh said he was concerned whether or not he had saved enough tire for the end of the race. This time though, he had no such worries. “Last year I was worried about tires,” he acknowledged. “I knew I over saved last year, so I tried to run a good pace this year and I still had enough tire left at the end to walk away if I had to.”
Ohh, a master a driving a loose race car, was on the edge on a few occasions and admitted that he had some close calls. “It was a handful to drive,” he said. “It was loose before tires came up to temp and I really had to wheel around this track here, it’s a tough little track.
There was a lot of close racing early on. I had a little contact with Bob (Gangwer), coming up on lapped car, then I think it was Kyle that spun across my nose early on when he just got loose, and I had to lock it up to keep from getting into him.”
“Real quick though, I just want to give a shout out to 1st to Finish Race Servers, Hairbag Studios, BreezeGraphics.com and Icings on Top and also a shameless plug for HeatFinder.net and The Mod Squad,” said the winner. Ohh added later, after he had more time to think about the race, “I also hope Jeff keeps healing from his injuries, I don’t know him, but I know that this race is for him, so I hope it helps.”
Warren Happy with Second
For SUPRS reigning champion Rob Warren, a win in the Jeff Russell Special would have been a welcome addition to his long list of important accomplishments in his sim racing career, but he was happy to finish second. “This was a great night of racing and I’m happy to finish in second,” he said. “Congrats to Dave, there’s just no catching him and I’m glad to see Bob on the podium as well.”
Like Ohh, Warren had a close call or two during the 85 lap race. “I missed something huge on the front stretch I was aiming right for it and was able to turn right and avoid the whole thing.
The only wrinkle on the car was when Bob and I were trying to get through the apex in turn one and we bumped slightly. Thanks to Hairbag Studios, Breeze Graphics, and of course Icings on Top and Cyndi for all she does for SUPRS. It was just an awesome night of racing for Jeff.”
Wormuth Makes First Start Spectacular
SUPRS Rookie Patrick Wormuth of Babylon, NY ran his first race at the Jeff Russell Special. He completed 68 laps of the 85 lap feature and probably would have finished had he not caught the rumble strips in turn one, which launched him into the air in a spectacular flip. Even so, he said, “It was fun. I was battling the car all night and it wasn’t handling right. It was loose and tight in all the wrong places. I’ll be here next week.”
SUPRS Racers Get Update on Jeff Russell
The evening began with an interview with Marilyn Cambou, Jeff Russell’s mother who told the SUPRS racers and the broadcast audience about his continued fight to recover from injuries he suffered when he crashed during the last practice session of the Supermodified Racing Association’s “SpeedFest” in 2010 at The Bullring.
Jeff has endured four different brain surgeries, multiple surgeries on his arm and eye, and has undergone intensive physical and occupational therapy. Jeff continues to struggle with being able to speak due to the Traumatic Brain Injury he suffered in the crash, but he was adamant that he be put on the air to say hello and thank the SUPRS members for their help. It was a true joy to hear Jeff say “I’ll be back.”
Fans and friends are encouraged to make a cash donation to the Jeff Russell Benefit Fund and mail their check or money order to:
Jeff Russell Benefit Fund c/o Marilyn Cambou 2453 N. Bobcat Way Meridian, Idaho 83646
Donations are also being accepted to the Dion Parish Memorial Benevolent Fund for Supermodifieds and received 4/6-4/12 will be sent to the Jeff Russell Road to Recovery Fund.
Visit OFRacing.com to learn more about Jeff and leave a note of encouragement as he keeps fighting to get well.
California for Vuky Classic
The drivers head to Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, CA next week for the 16th Annual Billy Vukovich III Classic on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 where Dave Ohh is the defending winner of the race and will be looking for his eighth win in a row with all the SUPRS Bounty Hunters chasing him.
Practice gets going at 8:00pm for this prestigious races that celebrates the life of the late Billy Vukovich III who was a supermodified stand-out before becoming a Rookie of the Year at the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and competing in a total of three “500s” before his untimely death in a sprint car in 1990.
The winner of this race becomes the final guaranteed starter for SUPRS 16th Annual Summit Classic 125 at Madera Speedway on April 29.
This year’s show at the NASCAR Heat sim racing track is part of the SUPRS/HeatFinder.net Supermodified Challenge and open to anyone that has the track, the SUPRS modification, and has registered to race at SUPRS.net.
Socially Acceptable
Fans can learn more about the original supermodified sim sanction, the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, by visiting www.SUPRS.net. Join SUPRS active and vibrant Social Media channels by “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube. See us live and join our chat on Twitch.
SUPRS RACE RESULTS:
- SUPRS Jeff Russell Special
- Race 40 of 43
- Tuesday April 4, 2020
- SUPRS rFactor W v7.3 mod
- The Bullring
- 85
Supermodified (wing) Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best highlighted)
- 11-Dave Ohh; Union, CT; TMS Wolfpack: 11.657, 11.531
- 41-Keith Powell; Carrollton, OH; Icings on Top, CPR Motorsports: 11.997, 11.763
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Docks & Hoists, Designs of Elegance: 12.008, 11.820
- 02-Kyle Perry; Fulton, NY; Orange Crate Brewing Company, Bellinger Auto: 12.168, 11.840
- 3-Brad Keysor; Liverpool, NY; Southern Hills Storm Football, Justice League: 11.980, 11.895
- 61-Derrick Backus; Mexico, NY; IAFF, Disturbed Motorsports: 12.250, 11.996,
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues; Stoneham, MA; Star Speedway: 12.052, 12.390
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Belfab Racing Products, Wing Side Up Enterprises: 12.076, 12.403
- 23-Patrick WormuthR; Babylon, NY; Melville Snow Contractors, A&F Carburetors: 12.702, 12.403
- 42-Carl Becker; Lansing, MI; Wholesale Diamond Exchange, Michigan Hill Gang: 12.848, 12.429
- 22-Zach SearsR; Round Lake Beach, IL; Midwest Supermodified Series, Adkins Glass: NT
Supermodified Fast Car Dash – 6 Laps (showing car number, driver name)
- 02-Kyle Perry
- 35-Rob Warren
- 41-Keith Powell
- 11-Dave Ohh
Time of Race: 01:15.039
Supermodified Heat Race 1-10 Laps-Odd Qualifiers (showing car number, driver name; Top 4 get time back-eligible for feature inversion)
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues
- 11-Dave Ohh
- 35-Rob Warren
- 3-Brad Keysor
- 23-Patrick WormuthR
- 22-Zach SearsR
Time of Race: 02:01.170
Supermodified Heat Race 2-10 Laps-Even Qualifiers (showing car number, driver name; Top 4 get time back-eligible for feature inversion)
- 25-Bob Gangwer
- 61-Derrick Backus
- 02-Kyle Perry
- 41-Keith Powell
- 42-Carl Becker
Time of Race: 02:03.643
Supermodified (wing) Feature 25 Laps (showing car number, driver name, bonus, starting place, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 11-Dave Ohh: * | ** | ! | P8 | 11.533
- 35-Rob Warren: P6 | 11.836 | +3.859
- 25-Bob Gangwer: * | P1 | 11.887 | +5.668
- 61-Derrick Backus: P3 | 11.974 | +6.162
- 02-Kyle Perry: P5 | 11.849 | +1 Lap
- 41-Keith Powell: P7 | 11.920 | +1 Lap
- 3-Brad Keysor: P4 | 11.866 | +1 Lap
- 22-Zach SearsR: P9 | 11.853 | +2 Laps
- 42-Carl Becker: P10 | 12.724 | +9 Laps
- 23-Patrick WormuthR: P11 | 12.078 | DQ-Flip Rule
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues: P2 | 11.806 | DQ-3 Strike Rule
Time of Race: 25:51.567
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
