2nd Annual Summit Classic 125 Tonight
GOSHEN, IN – April 5, 2006…It’s been a long racing season but it all comes to a close tonight when 20 of the fastest online racers in the country will take to LaPorte Speedway for the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), winged season grand finale the Summit Classic 125. Drivers from 10 states and Canada will compete in this prestigious online sim racing event.
2005 SUPRS Winged Season Champion John “SFJ” Davidson from San Diego, California bested all other entrants in time trials last night and will pace the 20 car field from the pole position as they roar out of turn four for the green.
Davidson who also put a lock on the 2006 winged title, will be looking to bring home his second Summit Classic 125 victory in a row. He’ll have a tough road to hoe as he starts next to the 2006 Randy Witkum Memorial winner, Gary Waldron of Wyoming, MI. The forever young Waldron who pilots the Michigan Hill Gang, Ada Automotive, Wholesale Diamond Exchange, YES MICHIGAN! #10 will be looking to improve upon his 6th place finish in last year’s 125.
Randy Ritskes of Oswego, NY, will be starting inside row two and has been on a tear as of late winning five features in a row. Because of his recent domination, SUPRS has put a bounty out on the “Whiskey Business” Crown Royal #88 driven by “The Ritz.” The driver that can break the win streak will receive 10 bonus points. The bonus will increase five points per race until he is beaten.
Rookie driver Dave Soja surprised a lot of people by turning in a 13.047 time trial which was good enough for a fourth place starting spot. Soja , who hails from Amherst, OH, said “I’m just hoping to get into a good rhythm, stay out of trouble and try to have a smooth, clean race.”
Burlington, ONT, CAN native Sean “Racer” Gibbs in the Mopar, CASCAR “Deuce” will start fifth. ‘The Jersey Jet” Joey Payne of Fairlawn, NJ goes away from the third row outside. Rounding out the top eight cars that are locked in from time trials are “Gentleman” Jim Crannell of Oswego, NY and “Steady” Steve Callahan of Cayuhoga Falls, OH.
Last night Callahan, driving the Cingular Cellular, Exide Batteries #55, hauled in his first ever SUPRS winged feature in the 2nd annual Cherry Breaker 63, a ‘non-winners’ race for competitors who have never scored that elusive SUPRS feature win. Callahan has been close many times but was always the bridesmaid and not the bride. He finally found his groove and handily beat out Frank Keene, Dave Soja, Myles Maxon, Dom Gioia, and Gina Davidson.
“This has been a long time coming, it just feels awesome and it’s so cool to finally get my first one,” said the elated winner in SUPRS victory lane. “I was actually nervous, the most nervous I’ve ever been for a race, maybe because there were a lot of people who were expecting me to win.” His strategy for the 125 goes right along with his “Steady” nickname. “I’m just going to try to get through the first 15 laps and let everyone start to sort out, keep the car in one piece because if you screw up early here it’s going to be a long 125 laps.”
Also expected to compete in the 125 are “Crazy” Chris Meyers of Amherst, OH, “The Flyin’ Italian” Mark Pasquale from Jamison, PA, 2006 SUPRS Dion Parish Memorial, Florida Speedweeks, and North Carolina Swing Champ Sean, “The Oswego Kid” O’Kane, Oswego, NY driver Myles Maxon, Jim Davidson from Elyria, OH, “Bonzai” Bob Gangwer of Goshen, IN, Washington natives-Curt Kern and Chuck Armstrong and many more.
A fun family week of SUPRS of action which saw Debbie Ritskes (wife of Randy) win the Powder Puff race and son Steven take home the kids race on Monday will culminate with the 2nd Annual Summit Classic 125 tonight. Drivers will be vying for valuable contingency and finishing awards, not to mention working hard to seal up a good run for the final points race of the season. For more information, contact SUPRS at www.suprs.net- “Home of the Ultimate Online Sim Race Car.”
