December 13, 2016 – Goshen, IN…The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), will finish off 2016 with the 13th Annual Christmas Special 25 and for the first time since 2005, Bracket Hill Raceway in New Hampshire won’t be the track it’s contested on.
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With a continued shift towards more rFactor supermodified sim racing events, Mopar Speedway in Michigan will play host to the race, and while most of the format will stay the same as it’s been in the previous 12 editions of this fun race, there will be one small twist to the qualifying format.
The sanction has decided to use a ‘group qualifying’ format. Each group will consist of several cars at a time and will get six laps to try to make it into the Elite 8 fastest qualifiers.
The six lap Reindeer Dash sets the starting positions for the Elite 8 qualifiers based on their finish.
Everyone else will go to heat races to be lined up based on their season won points handicaps. The way they finish the heat race is the way they will start the 25 lap feature behind the Reindeer Dash drivers.
Rob Warren Breaks a Christmas Special Record
From the year the race began in 2004, up until last year, there had never been a repeat winner of the Christmas Special. Rob Warren of Pulaski, NY broke that record he held off 2008 winner Ray Sand, Jr. for the second year in a row.
Then, in the true spirit of the Christmas season, after accepting the accolades and awards for his win, including a Burgers’ Smokehouse Christmas Ham, he promptly asked that the ham be sent to Jeff Russell, a supermodified racer that continues to recover from Traumatic Brain Injury suffered at Las Vegas Bullring in 2010.
Possible 2-Time Winners, Host of Potential New Winners
Former winners Steve Callahan and Bob Gangwer will challenge Warren for the win and hope to add their names to the multi-time winner list, but Domenic Gioia is coming off perhaps his biggest win ever, the Dion Parish Memorial last week, and will be riding an avalanche of confidence that could produce his first Christmas Special win even though he has only run three Christmas Specials to date.
Similarly, Joe Achzet and Keith Powell have never won the Christmas Special but are having a spectacular season so far as they battle Warren for the top spot in the SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship.
Achzet has three wins so far and three track records, while Powell has two and has only been out of the top five finishers just once since the season started in October so both are strong threats to pick up their very first Christmas Special win.
Christmas Gift Awaits
Whomever takes the checkered flag first on Tuesday, he’ll take home a Burgers’ Smokehouse Christmas Ham for his accomplishment.
The fine folks at Burgers’ Ozark Country Hams have been providing simple traditions since 1952 when they built their first “ham house” on their farm in Missouri.
With complete attention to quality and customer service, this family owned company continues to do things the old-fashioned way taking great care in the time-honored traditions of curing, aging, and smoking superior quality products.
Unwrap the Action
The SUPRS Christmas Special takes place December 13, 2016 beginning with practice which starts at 8:00pm. Group Qualifying will follow at 8:30pm and Racing gets underway at 9:00pm with the Reindeer Dash.
Just like kids and adults can track Santa on Christmas Eve, you can ‘track’ your favorite SUPRS race with timing, scoring and instant track telemetry via the SUPRS LIVE! page.
Learn more about this race on the SUPRS schedule page. Regular season updates as well as real supermodified and sim racing news are popular features on the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series Facebook page and @SUPRSOnline.
SUPRS Christmas Special History:
| Year | Winner | Track | Laps |
| 2004 | Chris Nicastro | Derry Raceway Park | 25 |
| 2005 | Sean O’Kane | Bracket Hill Raceway | 25 |
| 2006 | Kris Heveron | Bracket Hill Raceway | 25 |
| 2007 | Tom Heveron | Bracket Hill Raceway | 25 |
| 2008 | Ray Sand, Jr. | Bracket Hill Raceway | 50 |
| 2009 | Dave Biro III | Bracket Hill Raceway | 25 |
| 2010 | Steve Callahan | Bracket Hill Raceway | 50 |
| 2011 | John Davidson | Bracket Hill Raceway | 50 |
| 2012 | Bobby Gangwer | Bracket Hill Raceway | 50 |
| 2013 | Gary Waldron | Bracket Hill Raceway | 25 |
| 2014 | Rob Warren | Bracket Hill Raceway | 25 |
| 2015 | Rob Warren | Bracket Hill Raceway | 25 |
