Supermodified Sim Racing at Oswego Speedway Starts with Port City Kick-Off

20^th Consecutive SUPRS Non-Wing Supermodified Season Starts June 4

June 2, 2024-Goshen, IN…The Supermodified sim racing at Oswego Speedway starts with the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), 20^th Annual Port City Kick-Off on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. When the green flag drops, it also marks the start of the 20^th consecutive season of non-wing supermodified sim racing action at “The Home of the Supermodifieds”-Oswego Speedway.

Expanded Season Begins at Oswego

The 20^th Annual Port City Kick-Off is the first of an expanded 18 race summer season, the largest non-wing supermodified season in SUPRS 20 year history. The schedule again features the bulk of the race contests being held at the famed Oswego Speedway located on the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. While not as extensive as the recently completed Gold Crest Wing Supermodified Championship season which had 48 race contests, the summer schedule is no less challenging with a variety of race formats, lengths, and bonuses.

Since the summer season only runs from June to August, drivers won’t have much time to make up for a bad night at the track, so they’ll be looking to capitalize from the get-go when they hit the pavement at Oswego on June 4.

Slight Changes to Modification Adds Interest

Slight changes to the SUPRS non-wing supermodified modification for rFactor will add an extra layer of interest for the drivers and fans. A new engine file, coupled with the same tire files the drivers used in the wing season, should make for some interesting strategies at Oswego Speedway and the other tracks during the season.

“I think it’s going to be better racing,” said defending Port City Kick-Off winner, and 2-time SUPRS champion Brad Keysor. “Everyone will have to take care of the car a little more, and we should be a little slower which brings the non-wing car more in line with what the lap times are at Oswego Speedway now.”

Keysor was the lead developer on the engine and tire files and with a rich history of family involvement at Oswego Speedway, he hopes that the changes bring about more fun for the SUPRS sim racers at Oswego. “First of all we are here to have fun,” he said. “But we are also here to raise awareness about supermodified racing in the sim racing world. We need to be as accurate as possible, and that was the goal all along.”

Race Distance Increased

For the first time since 2016, the Port City Kick-Off is highlighted by a 75 lap feature race. After seven years straight, and with the race being 50 laps for the majority of the history of the race contest, the extended length for 2024 means SUPRS sim racers will have to tweak their Oswego Speedway sim racing set-ups to go the distance. The driver that finds the balance between going fast for more laps, with extra fuel, while saving his tires, will have the best chance of finding the checkered flag first at the challenging virtual version of Oswego Speedway.

Live Timing and Scoring Available for SUPRS Port City Kick-Off

Fans and friends can hang out while enjoying SUPRS LIVE! Keep track of your favorite SUPRS racer with live timing and scoring, race track telemetry. Visit www.SUPRS.net/site/Live for the 20^th Annual Port City Kick-Off June 4, 2024 at Oswego Speedway.

Port City History

Only 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, (tied for 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 of the race.

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. After a two-year winless streak at Oswego, “Rocket” Rob then joined Myles Maxon in the three-time winners club of this marquee supermodified sim racing event at Oswego Speedway.

Keith Powell is the only other driver to win the Port City Kick-Off more than once, and other than Maxon, had had to wait the least amount of time to take home his second opening night win after winning in 2017 and 2019. On Tuesday, Powell hopes to take “The Mayfield Missle” to victory lane once again looking to join Warren and Maxon as a three-time winner of the Port City Kick-Off.

In all, there have been 13 different drivers, in 19 years, sitting in SUPRS Victory Lane on opening night. Sean Gibbs, Jim Crannell, Bob Gangwer, Jeff Weber, Clinton Cyr, Dave Ohh, Zach Sears, and Brad Keysor all have one win.

Port City Win Isn’t a Lock on Championship

Winning the Port City Kick-Off seems like a good way to win a SUPRS Gold Crest Non-Wing Supermodified Championship, but the odds are stacked against any driver hoping to do so. In the 19 year history of the race, only three drivers, (Myles Maxon in 2014, Rob Warren in 2018, and Dave Ohh in 2020), that sat in victory lane on opening night , have gone on to win the season championship.

Defending SUPRS Gold Crest Non-Wing Supermodified Champion, Zach Sears, not only hopes to score his second Port City Kick-Off sim racing victory at Oswego Speedway, but also like to join Maxon, Warren, and Ohh on the elite list of Port City Kick-Off winners that have gone on to be a champion in the same year.

Mark Your Calendars

Mark your calendars for Tuesday June 4, for the official start of the summer supermodified sim racing season and the 20^th Annual Port City Kick-Off. Systems Checks for the sim racers begin at 7:45pm, then the thunderous roar 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 8:20pm and the first Heat Race is slated to go at 8:30pm.

Full details for the 20^th Port City Kick-Off are on the SUPRS Schedule. SUPRS members should check the Forums for the latest info on server times and passwords.

SUPRS Port City Kick-Off History:

• 2005 Season Opener Winner: John Davidson/Sean Gibbs (Jennerstown Speedway-Independence Day Twin 35s-SUPRS first non-wing supermodified race contest)
• 2006 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Jim Crannell (Jennerstown Speedway-63 Laps)
• 2007 Season Opener Winner: Myles Maxon( Jennerstown Speedway-Jim Shampine Memorial)
• 2008 Season Opener Winner: Myles Maxon (Oswego Speedway)
• 2009 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Bob Gangwer (Oswego Speedway)
• 2010 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Ray Sand, Jr. (Oswego Speedway)
• 2011 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Rob Warren (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)
• 2012 Port City Kick-Off Winner John Davidson (Oswego Speedway-75 Laps)
• 2013 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Jeff Weber (Oswego Speedway-75 Laps)
• 2014 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Myles Maxon (Oswego Speedway-75 Laps)
• 2015 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Ray Sand, Jr. (Oswego Speedway 75 Laps)
• 2016 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Clinton Cyr (Oswego Speedway-75 Laps)
• 2017 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Keith Powell (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)
• 2018 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Rob Warren (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)
• 2019 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Keith Powell (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)
• 2020 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Dave Ohh (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)
• 2021 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Rob Warren (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)
• 2022 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Zach Sears (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)
• 2023 Port City Kick-Off Winner: Brad Keysor (Oswego Speedway-50 Laps)

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
• 2020 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Dave Ohh
• 2021 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Brad Keysor
• 2022 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Dave Ohh
• 2023 Non-Wing Supermodified Champion: Zach Sears

Learn more about SUPRS History HERE

“Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons” since 2004