December 6, 2019 – Goshen, IN…The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), head into unknown territory on Blind Date Night as the 2019-20 Empire State Super Series Regional Tour begins on Tuesday December 10. It’s only after Hot Laps that one of three potential tracks will be chosen for this NASCAR Heat supermodified race date.
A Championship within a Championship
The Empire State Super Series, (ESS), is composed of anywhere between three to six races stretched out over a period of one year and two SUPRS Gold Crest Seasons. All of the races are run at tracks in the state of New York, and each time a driver competes in an ESS event he accrues points for the Regional Tour Championship as well as for the SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Season Championship.
Of those three to six races that generally make up the annual ESS Regional Tour, one has always been a SUPRS Blind Date Night, where one of three tracks will be chosen just before the race.
This interesting twist has been a SUPRS tradition since the beginning of the sanction and, like real blind dates where you never know how things will turn out, it’s been a fun event that some drivers loathe and other drivers love.
New York Drivers Dominate ESS Championship Tally
Not surprisingly, drivers from the state of New York have dominated the overall ESS Championship since it’s inception in 2004, with nine of the previous 15 editions being won by a resident of New York.
Even more impressive is that those nine ESS championships are held by just three drivers. Ray Sand, Jr. of Rochester, NY has the most with five. Reigning ESS Champion, Rob Warren of Pulaski, NY has three, and Myles Maxon of Oswego, NY has one.
Sand, Jr. and Warren set the bar high by winning all of their ESS championships in a row.
Blind Date Night Options
Just like always, each of the three track options for SUPRS Blind Date Night are unique and challenging in their own way. All of the options this season are once again, NASCAR Heat tracks built by Mike Jackson.
The first option is the very tricky Andover Speedway. This quarter-mile, high-banked fictional track has corners where drivers dive down in at high-speed, slamming the low slung roadsters to the ground. They have to dodge the buried tires in the infield then drive back up out of the corners. Each time they do, the walls come up quick and they’ll have to master the bumps on corner exit as well.
The second potential track for Blind Date Night is Diamond Speedway. This big, wide ½ mile speed plant is another fictional track and is located in Diamond, NY. With 2 degrees of banking, but a very wide racing surface, this is seems like an easy track to conquer on first glance. Yet, the tricky, off-camber and uphill turn four is treacherous, throws the cars towards the front-stretch wall and could easily prove to be a lot harder to get around than initial appearances.
Finally, Marlboro Speedway is the third track that could be drawn for Blind Date Night. Like Diamond, Marlboro Speedway is a slightly-banked half-mile that’s nearly flat with only 2 degrees of banking. With wide straights and long sweeping turns, the drivers are turning nearly as long as they are going straight each lap they turn on this picturesque speedway.
The SUPRS racers have never had a race date at any of this season’s potential tracks. So, regardless of which track is drawn out of the hat, there will be a track record set in Time Trials and someone will go into SUPRS history as the first winner at the selected speed venue.
A SUPRS HeatFinder.net Supermodified Challenge Race
Like all NASCAR Heat races on the SUPRS schedule this year, the ESS Blind Date Night is part of the SUPRS/HeatFinder.net Supermodified Challenge.
Dave Ohh scored his third win of the season at the ESS Blind Date Night on January 22, 2019. (Victory Lane art by BreezeGraphics.com)
This race is open to any driver that has registered as a website user at SUPRS.net, has the SUPRS W v6 modification, and all three tracks.
Last year, ARL HeatFinder Champion Dave Ohh, of Union, CT won on Blind Date Night after starting in sixth place at Buffalo Speedway.
Details for Date
The 2019-20 Empire State Super Series Regional Tour goes on SUPRS Blind Date Night on December 10, 2019. The drivers will speed date through all three tracks in a 15 minute Hot Lap session which starts at 8:00pm. Time Trials are at 8:30pm. The first Heat Race is scheduled to begin at 9:05pm. The 50 lap ESS Blind Date Night Feature Event should begin around 9:30pm and get everyone home in time for curfew.
Watch, Listen, Enjoy Blind Date Night
Cheer on your favorite SUPRS racers while you view timing, scoring, and of course our outstanding live streaming video of the ESS Blind Date night when we go “Live @ 9 pm ET via the SUPRS LIVE! page. Join in the conversation about who’s doing what with our Discord Chat, embedded right next to the live video players.
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. Don’t forget to watch SUPRS on Twitch.
Empire State Super Series Champion-Wing:
- 2005-06 Empire State Super Series Champion: Sean Gibbs-ONT
- 2006-07 Empire State Super Series Champion: Myles Maxon-NY
- 2007-08 Empire State Super Series Champion: John Davidson-NY
- 2008-09 Empire State Super Series Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.-NY
- 2009-10 Empire State Super Series Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.-NY
- 2010-11 Empire State Super Series Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.-NY
- 2011-12 Empire State Super Series Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.-NY
- 2012-13 Empire State Super Series Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.-NY
- 2013-14 Empire State Super Series Champion: Steve Callahan-OH
- 2015-16 Empire State Super Series Champion: Bob Gangwer-IN
- 2016-17 Empire State Super Series Champion: Rob Warren-NY
- 2017-18 Empire State Super Series Champion: Rob Warren-NY
- 2018-19 Empire State Super Series Champion: Rob Warren-NY
Visit the SUPRS Points Archives Page to see final standings of the Empire State Super Series Regional Tour Championship through the years
“Supermodified Sim Racing for the Right Reasons” since 2004
