Five Nights, Five Tracks, One Florida Speedweeks Champion
Goshen, IN – February 3, 2017…The Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), swings through the Sunshine State this week for the SUPRS Florida Speedweeks, an experience like no other in supermodified sim racing.
This week-long swing through Florida tests even the toughest supermodified sim racers as they tally points each night on five distinctive and unique tracks while trying to become the SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Champion.
New Firsts, Old Favorites
Several “firsts” will take place over the course of Speedweeks, including one new track, the use of the rFactor sim racing platform, and SUPRS first race inside a stadium.
To date, there have been nine different tracks to host the SUPRS Florida Speedweeks and this year with adding Dodge Raceway Stadium, the count goes to 10.
Dodge will take the place of the popular Sunrise Raceway on the fourth night of competition and it will mark the first time in SUPRS history for supermodified sim racing inside the confines of a stadium.
While not a new venue, the fifth and last race of Speedweeks at USA International Speedway will use the rFactor platform for the first time. USA Int’l, along with Black Creek Raceway are the only tracks to have held a race every year that SUPRS Florida Speedweeks has taken place.
Orlando Speedworld, and New Smyrna Speedway are scheduled for night one and three of this year’s Speedweeks.
Different Winners Not Uncommon
20 different drivers have sat in victory lane through the years. Nine drivers have multiple wins. Of those Ray Sand, Jr. has the most Speedweeks feature wins overall with nine. John Davidson has five, then Myles Maxon and Bob Gangwer with four.
Kris Heveron has three wins total, while Sean O’Kane, Chris Myers, Dave Biro III and Steve Callahan each have two apiece. Last year Rob Warren won his second SUPRS Florida Speedweeks feature, while Dave Brigandi is the most recent drivers to win at least one Speedweeks feature.
Of the multiple winners, only Davidson Sand, Jr. have won more than two features during a five night swing with each picking up three out of five.
New Speedweeks Champion Likely
With no former SUPRS Florida Speedweeks champions expected to compete this year, a first time winner is a nearly a given and one driver will join the ranks of AJ Truax, (2005), Sean O’Kane (2006), and Kris Heveron, (2009), to have broken the Ray Sand, Jr. and Myles Maxon stranglehold on Speedweeks championships.
Sand, Jr. and Maxon each have three and swapped the crown back and forth in 2007, and 2008 then again from 2014 to 2016.
Save for Heveron’s championship in 2009, Maxon would be the only back to back Speedweeks champ having won his second in 2010.
This year former Speedweeks feature winners Rob Warren, Bob Gangwer, Kevin Timmins, Dave Brigandi, Carl Becker, and Steve Callahan are all expected to compete for the overall crown and the 10 bonus points that go along with it.
Joe Achzet is SUPRS most recent feature winner during the 2016-17 season and is in second place in the SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship XIII.
Joining Achzet in search of their first feature win in Florida are hot shoes like Keith Powell, Kyle Clark, and rookie Nelson Rodrigues, (who led his first SUPRS feature lap last week).
All of these drivers are looking for their first SUPRS Florida Speedweeks title.
Five Nights of Action
Practice begins each night at 8pm. Time Trials will take place at 8:30 and the feature race is set to take the green flag at 9pm every night. The winner of the overall Florida Speedweeks Championship will receive a five-pound bag of Florida Oranges.
Since Dodge Raceway Stadium and USA International races will be rFactor shows, fans and friends of SUPRS can enjoy the last two nights of the week via SUPRS LIVE! as they cheer on their favorite supermodified sim racer.
****2017 SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Schedule****
Sunday 02/05/2017
Open Practice All SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Tracks 8:00pm
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Monday 02/06/2017
SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 1
- Orlando Speedworld – 50 laps – 3/8 Mile
- 8:00pm Practice
- 8:15pm Drivers Meeting
- 8:30pm Time Trials
- 9:00pm Racing
- Current Track Record: Orlando Speedworld: Ray Sand, Jr.; 11.581 sec.; Set: 02/08/2015
- Defending Race Winner: Ray Sand, Jr.
- NASCAR Heat platform SUPRS W v6 mod
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Tuesday 02/08/2017
SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 2
- Black Creek Raceway – 25 laps – 3/4 Mile
- 8:00pm Practice
- 8:15pm Drivers Meeting
- 8:30pm Time Trials
- 9:00pm Racing
- Current Track Record: Black Creek Raceway: Ray Sand, Jr.; 17.016 sec. Set: 02/10/2009
- Defending Race Winner: Bob Gangwer
- NASCAR Heat platform SUPRS W v6 mod
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Wednesday 02/09/2017
SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 3
- New Smyrna Speedway – 50 Laps – ½ Mile
- 8:00pm Practice
- 8:15pm Drivers Meeting
- 8:30pm Time Trials
- 9:00pm Racing
- Current Track Record: New Smyrna Speedway: Myles Maxon; 14.042; Set: 02/11/15
- Defending Race Winner: Ray Sand, Jr.
- NASCAR Heat platform SUPRS W v6 mod
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Thursday 02/10/2017
SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 4
- Dodge Raceway Stadium – 50 laps – 0.375 Miles
- 8:00pm Practice
- 8:15pm Drivers Meeting
- 8:30pm Time Trials
- 9:00pm Racing
- Current Track Record: N/A
- Defending Race Winner: Rob Warren (at Sunrise Raceway)
- rFactor platform SUPRS W v7.1 mod
- Enjoy this race with SUPRS LIVE!
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Friday 02/11/2017
SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Race 5
- USA International Speedway – 25 laps – 3/4 Mile
- 8:00pm Practice
- 8:15pm Drivers Meeting
- 8:30pm Time Trials
- 9:00pm Racing
- Current Track Record: USA International Speedway: Myles Maxon; 19.397 sec. Set: 02/13/2015(NASCAR Heat)-Defending Race Winner: Ray Sand, Jr.
- rFactor platform SUPRS W v7.1 mod
- Enjoy this race with SUPRS LIVE!
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Florida Speedweeks History-
- 2005 Florida Speedweeks Champion: AJ Truax
- 2006 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Sean O’Kane
- 2007 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2008 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Myles Maxon
- 2009 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Kris Heveron
- 2010 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Myles Maxon
- 2011 Florida Speedweeks Champion: No Races
- 2012 Florida Speedweeks Champion: No Races
- 2013 Florida Speedweeks Champion: No Races
- 2014 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.
- 2015 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Myles Maxon
- 2016 Florida Speedweeks Champion: Ray Sand, Jr.