Bob Gangwer and Steve Callahan Break Old Track Record to Set on SUPRS Topless! 200 Front Row
August 14, 2018 – Oswego, NY…Bob Gangwer and Steve Callahan shocked the fans and fellow racers when they time trialed faster than the existing track record to sweep the front row of the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), 14th Annual Topless! 200 at Oswego Speedway on Tuesday night.
Bob Gangwer and Steve Callahan both went under the existing Oswego Speedway rFactor non-wing supermodified track record to put their cars on the front row of the 14th Annual Topless! 200. (Victory Lane art by BreezeGraphics.com)
Gangwer as Surprised as Anyone
Gangwer. whom had set on the outside of the front row last year for the Topless! 200, was nearly speechless after his run. “This is pretty unbelievable, I’m not sure what to say, other than wow, I can’t believe I’m on the pole for Topless!”
“This is like a win for me. I really struggle in this race and to put it on the pole is really something very special to me,” said the Goshen, IN native. “I have to thank Keith Powell. He really helped me put the car back into the ballpark a couple of races back. Also, thanks to Rob Warren, he’s helped me a lot with equipment, and as much as I hate to admit it, having a good sim rig has made a huge difference on race night.”
Slow First Lap Leads to Revelation
After a slow first lap, Gangwer turned up the wick on his RW Woodworking, WAGS Speed Shop #25 and lowered the rFactor non-wing supermodified track record to 16.099 for a one lap average speed of 162.489 mph.
“I had a really bad first lap, (16.623 seconds), and I couldn’t figure out why turn one was so slick, and I just slid up the track. But then I remembered it was later in the day so I adjusted my brake bias and my entry and it helped,” explained Gangwer.
Callahan Held Track Record Briefly
Steve Callahan was the first driver to break Rob Warren’s one year old 16.154 second track record for the non-wing cars when he qualified right before Gangwer. Callahan’s first lap was a 16.163 which was good enough for the provisional pole. Then on the second lap he went even faster turning in a lap time of 16.122 to break the record and actually ran the fastest speed of the night at 166.155 mph.
“This is huge,” exclaimed Callahan. “Big congrats to Bob on the pole. He broke my heart a little, but it’s all-right. I’m tickled to death because I don’t think my hands, eyes, and feet can’t go any faster.” It’s the first time in Callahan’s career that he has put his C.P.R Motorsports, Exide Battery sponsored supermodified on the front row for the 200.
“I hit those good laps in practice and thought i might have something there, and it all came together tonight. Thanks to my crew chief Keith Powell, once again he pulled one out of the bag, he gave me a good piece here.”
Warren, Powell Take Guaranteed Starter
Last year’s front-row starters, Rob Warren and Keith Powell surprisingly weren’t even in the top three qualifiers and have chosen to take their Guaranteed Starter spots for the Topless! 200. Warren lines up behind the front row after qualifying fourth quick, while Powell time trialed in the sixth spot and starts right next to the defending winner, Warren. Race officials scrapped the heat races due to car count, so any driver that shows up on Wednesday will have to start the 200 based on current point standings.
Stage Set for Topless! 200 on Wednesday
The stage is now set for the granddaddy of all supermodified sim races, the SUPRS Topless! 200 at Oswego Speedway. The grand finale’ to the 2018 SUPRS Gold Crest Non-Wing Championship XIV, this race is 200 laps of strategy and speed modeled after the famed Oswego Speedway Interna
A reminder that there’s still time to sponsor a lap for the 14th Annual SUPRS Topless! 200 for just $1 per lap. All proceeds go toward the Dion Parish Memorial Benevolent Fund for Supermodifieds. More details are on the SUPRS website.
Enjoy the Topless! 200 Live
Supermodified and sim racing fans alike can view streaming video, timing, scoring and track telemetry of the 14th Annual Topless! 200 with SUPRS LIVE! You’ll be able to keep up with your favorite SUPRS racer in an instant by going to www.SUPRS.net/site/live.
Get Social with SUPRS
Learn more about the original online supermodified sim racing sanction when you visit www.SUPRS.net. Join SUPRS active and vibrant Social Media channels by “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Circling SUPRS on Google+, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube. Watch live and recorded on-demand video of all SUPRS events via the SUPRS Twitch.TV channel.
SUPRS RACE RESULTS:
- Topless! 200 Pole Night
- Race 12 of 12
- August 14, 2018
- SUPRS rFactor NW v1.4 mod
- SUPRS Oswego Speedway v1.4
Supermodified Time Trials (showing place, car number, driver name, sponsors, best lap underlined, top speed)
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; B&G Racing Photos, RW Woodworking: 16.623, 16.099 | 162.489 mph
- 55-Steve Callahan; Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Exide Battery, CPR Motorsports: 16.163, 16.122 | 166.155 mph
- 38-Kyle Clark; Mexico, NY; Walker’s Cleaners & Tuxedo Rental, Disturbed Motorsports: 16.407, 16.176 | 163.669 mph
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Race Servers, Designs of Elegance: 16.177, 16.424 | 163.545 mph
- 61-Derrick Backus; Mexico, NY; TID Solutions, Disturbed Motorsports: 16.363, 16.241 | 155.778 mph
- 41-Keith Powell; Carrollton, OH; Icings on Top, CPR Motorsports: 16.281, 17.271 | 164.228
- 42-Carl Becker; Lansing, MI; Wholesale Diamond Exchange, Michigan Hill Gang: 17.925, 17.106 | 155.654
Key:
Bold – Denotes New Track Record
