SUPRS Anniversary; 10 Years of Racing Online to Give Back Real Time

This week we celebrate the actual formation of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series and in the words of that great band The Grateful Dead, “What a long strange trip it’s been.”

Ok so maybe it’s not been ‘strange’ per say, but it sure has been a long and interesting ride getting to the point where we can look back and ask ‘wow, where has the time gone?”

What began as a ragtag group of friends from the supermodified community meeting up on 56k dial up internet service, not knowing much at all about online gaming, and dealing with warp, bad mod files, lag, and no real direction other than to have a good time, has become one of, if not the, longest continuously running online sim racing leagues in the world.

You read that right, the world, especially when it comes to the NASCAR Heat gaming platform. There were others before us including our friends at the Mod Squad, DRT, Texas Speed Sims, NASCAR Heat Finder, and such, but many moved on to NASCAR 2003 and rFactor, or completely disbanded.

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While there are bigger leagues, racing many different types of mods or using other platforms, we have remained consistent in our goals and Mission, choosing to focus more on a family atmosphere and giving rather than concentrating on wins, chaos, and flaming fellow league members.

Real Supermodified Racers Love Us-

Over the course of our ten year history we’ve had a good number of real life supermodified racers compete with us. Joey Payne, Jr., Doug Heveron, Jon Henes, Charlie Schultz, Matt Palmer, and Randy Ritskes were a few of the first to spend time with us. Then Kevin Tourigny, Matt Riley, Martin McKeefery, Kody Graham, Randy Burch, Bobby Haynes, Jr., Michael Barnes, Jason Spaulding, Dave Shullick, Jr., and Kevin Shirey all raced online with us at least once.

That’s not even counting the guys like Oswego Speedway track champions and International Classic 200 winners Steve Gioia, Jr. and Otto Sitterly or International Supermodified Association champions Chris Perley, Mike Ordway, Dave McKnight, Jr. and Mike Lichty, and or 2007 East West Shootout Champion AJ Russell that spent time with their fellow real life supermodified competitors competing against each other in our simulators at various fund raising events across the country.

We Race Online For Different Reasons-

From the beginning, many of the drivers that raced with us online were also recipients of cash donations after being injured in their real supermodified. Being deeply involved in the supermodified community, we understood that many drivers, being self-employed, or just working to make a living, have no health insurance.

We decided to try to make a difference and started the Dion Parish Memorial Benevolent Fund for Supermodifieds in memory of a racer that loved the division and died doing what he loved. We wanted to help drivers, and if the need called for it, their families if the worst happened.

To date we’ve donated thousands of dollars to many in the supermodified community when they needed it the most and each year as we’ve been able to, have awarded one driver the Dion Parish Memorial Perseverance Award at a supermodified race, (generally in MI), that includes an appreciation plaque and cash award.

We Got By With A Little Help From Our Friends-

We’ve had a TON of help along the way from those that blazed the trail in NASCAR Heat editing and continue to learn the intricacies of the platform as well as work on rFactor for our future.

We couldn’t have done any of this without the dedication of Kevin “Shaker” Marine, Brad “8bit” Quesnell, or Doug “Flash” Forgue helping to develop our mods and tracks. Likewise, the Burn Boys and specifically Todd Matthews helping with hosting a dedicated server moved us to the forefront of a respectable league.

We have relied on the help of members like Myles Maxon, Bud Flath, Curt Kern, Joe Achzet, and Keith Powell to admin and race direct. Buddy Cottom spent a lot of time in the early days actually helping to build race computers and troubleshooting as well as painting cars. Chris Meyers paid for TeamSpeak hosting for a long time and Matt Thomas and Deryl Morley set up broadcasts of a few of our early races.

True Henderson hard at work at one of the many SUPRS Grill-n-Chill fundraisers we’ve had over the years.

True Henderson has spent more time than can be accounted for keeping records, slaving over points and handicap spread sheets, mailing checks to injured drivers and their families, organizing and coordinating SUPRS grill-n-chills at various race tracks.

Lately, Rob Warren has dedicated hours of time and loads of his own cash to build, maintain, and haul around the SUPRS pods to help raise money for the Dion Parish Memorial Benevolent Fund for Supermodifieds, not to mention the help he’s lent to fellow members getting their racing rigs fixed up when technical difficulties would have kept them from competing and now hosts our race and TeamSpeak server and had business cards made for free.

By the same token, Kevin Timmins of BreezeGraphics.com has done wonders with graphics for race posters, the website and our social media channels so that we continue to look professional and consistent.

The Sapp, Davidson, and Gangwer families have donated and paid for shipping awards, food, logistics and supplies for Grill-n-Chills, while InkSpot, Ed Riley, Robert Gill, and Ian VanLuven designed, procured, and donated time and/or services for hats, T-Shirts and decals.

Sponsors Keep Us Going-

Race sponsors, like Cleaning for a Reason, Showplace Landscaping, Adkins Glass, Fusion

Samantha Sapp holds the 2006 Dion Parish Memorial trophy.

Custom Graphics, First to Finish Docks and Hoists, Drive-In-Web Design, Haynes Racing, NSRA, Beachland Cleaning Services, Team 52 Racing, Twisted Metal Fabrication, Mike Soja, WAGS Custom and Cool Awards, Tower Trophies and Awards, Printwerx, HGI, RaceChasers.com, Lighthouse Lanes, SupermodifiedScorecard.com, Penix Racing, and Kern Motorsports, have donated cash and/or prizes that have allowed us to pay for expenses and put money into the Dion Parish Memorial Benevolent Fund for Supermodifieds.

Members Are Family-

In the end though, none of the things mentioned above would have been possible without the dedication and good will of our members. Whether it is something as simple as having a good attitude when they come in to race, or lending at hand at a race track while we feed 300-400 people in a couple of hours, or posing for a group shot, or displaying a decal on their vehicle, it is our MEMBERS that set this league apart.

Our members make us who we are!

On behalf of SUPRS League Directors, John Davidson and Bob Gangwer, whether you are a casual fan, website watcher, financial supporter, past or present member we thank each and everyone of you for helping SUPRS to become a respected member of not only the online sim racing world, but the supermodified and motorsports community. Here’s to another 10 years of “Racing Online to Give Back Real Time!”

From the beginning we’ve understood how important it is to talk about our members. Here’s a story from December 15, 2004. It first appeared in our very first SUPRS(or at the time S.U.P.R.S.) Weekly newsletter. Enjoy and when you’re done reading, leave a comment to let us know what your favorite SUPRS memory is.

Lucas Wins at LaPorte

12.15.2004 – LaPorte, IN…Chris Lucas pulled off a daring pass with 2 laps to go to claim the Supermodified Ultimate Racing Series 38 lap feature event at Laporte Speedway Wednesday 12/15. “That was probably the best online race I’ve ever been in before,” exclaimed Lucas as he accepted the accolades of the other racers.

Lucas’s win didn’t come easily though as endured a race long battle with pole sitter and heat race winner Bob Gangwer in the Wing Side Up Enterprises #25. Gangwer, who held the point lead coming into the evening’s event’s followed Lucas for most of the race after falling back on the start, and was waiting like a cobra to strike. “I kinda got a crappy start and Jimbo got by me going into one then I pushed going into three and John and Chris got me,” said Gangwer. “I finally got some momentum going and got by Jim and John and then chased Chris down. I knew if I just followed him and saved my tires I’d be there in the end.”

The “Jimbo’ Gangwer referred to was Jim Davidson, who along with his brother John makes up the SupermodifiedScorecard.com team and started outside pole for the 38 lap affair. SuperfanJim as he’s known led his first ever feature lap at Laporte and looked to be in good shape for a great finish until he found the wall exiting turn 3 on laps 2. “I tagged the wall and got an ‘aero’ early and I couldn’t turn it,” stated Davidson.

It was then Brother John’s turn to lead and lead he did holding off the challenges of second place runner Lucas. Lucas finally found a hole and got by to lead for the next 20 laps and steadily pulled away with Gangwer close in tow. Gangwer, made his move on lap 25 and pulled out to a 1.4 sec lead, but watched it disappear as Lucas had reeled in the #25 and set the stage for an exciting battle to the finish.

Gangwer and Lucas raced each other wheel to wheel swapping the lead back and forth several time with neither gaining an advantage until the Wing Side Up Enterprises machine slipped high going into turn three with 2 laps to go. It was all Lucas needed to claim his third win of the S.U.P.R.S. season and retake the point lead. ORS director Chris Nicastro was unable to make the start due to technical difficulties but should return to competition this Sunday at IndianapolisRacewayPark for a regular 38 lap show.