SUPRS Thanksgiving BreakJoe Aczhet Takes Over Florida Speedweeks Points Lead After Win at Black Creek Raceway
Enterprise, FL – February 7, 2017… Joe “The Rabbit” Achzet powered past Carl Becker and into the lead on lap ten then held on to win the Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Florida Speedweeks 2017 feature at Black Creek Raceway Tuesday night by just .099 over Bob Gangwer. Chad Phelps came home in third place.
Joe Achzet won on Night 2 of SUPRS Florida Speedweeks 2017 after taking the lead on lap 10. (SUPRS Victory Lane art by Breezegraphics.com)
Achzet worked hard to get to the lead after some tough racing and a scrub with the backstretch wall dropped him further back than where he started in third.
The winner was able to seize a critical moment in the race when leader Carl Becker bogged down in turn three and second place runner, Bob Gangwer slowed to keep from hitting Becker. Achzet dove low and was able to make the move stick moving himself from third to the lead in one fell swoop.
The driver of the GraphX supermodified chalked his win up to, “dumb luck,” and said, “I just ended up in the right place at the right time because at the beginning of that race I didn’t think a win was coming at all.”
Achzet Chipping Away at Points
His win, after finishing second last night, puts him into the lead for the Florida Speedweeks Championship, but more importantly, it helps him close the gap to SUPRS Gold Crest Championship point leader Rob Warren.
TAKE a LOOK at SPEEDWEEKS POINTS
Warren was unable to start the race after mechanical issues forced him to drop out and Achzet admitted that the demise of the point leader, coupled with a win, was just the boost he needed to keep his championship hopes alive.
“This is huge. Rob was starting to make this into a run away so this is really huge to even have a shot at him,” expressed Achzet.
Disappointment for Defending Winner
After running in second place behind early leader Carl Becker, the defending winner of this race, Bob Gangwer, lost the spot and dropped as low as fifth.
He was able to work his way back to the front to challenge for the win at the finish and commented about his loss saying, “I think if we’d had another lap, or if I hadn’t gotten shuffled back trying to give Carl room in turn three, it might have been a different story. I hesitated, Joe didn’t. That’s racing.”
Gangwer added, “Congratulations to Joe on his win Happy to see another first time Speedweeks winner and stoked for Chad on getting a podium and way ta go to Carl, (Becker), for leading tonight.”
SUPRS FLORIDA SPEEDWEEKS 2017 GALLERY
Phelps is Back
After a rough Speedweeks opening night at Orlando on Monday, Chad Phelps came back strong at Black Creek for a fine podium run.
“The most exciting part was just being competitive,” said the Disturbed Motorsports racer. The whole race I had a blast. Running up front and just to finish up where I did was good. I had fun tonight and that’s what it’s all about.”
After starting in sixth place, he got to Joe Achzet’s rear nerf bar and followed him past Bob Gangwer and Carl Becker to put himself in second by lap 11.
“Hats off to Joe on his win. He opened up some holes and i definitely had to followed him, and he’s been running really fast, so I took that,” Phelps said.
Gangwer was the fast qualifier for the second night in a row with a 17.157. Keith Powell set the fastest lap of the race with the same time as Gangwer’s qualifying run. The win was Achzet’s sixth of the season, and third in five races.
New Smyrna Next
Night three of SUPRS Florida Speedweeks takes place tomorrow evening at the lightning quick New Smyrna Speedway with a 50 lap feature race on the 1/2 mile track.
Currently, Myles Maxon’s one lap record of 14.042 is the mark to beat in time trials, and times of 14 seconds flat are not uncommon throughout the race.
Last year Ray Sand, Jr. made SUPRS history when he won his 100th feature and Steve Callahan made his 500th SUPRS feature start at this race last year.
Also of note, in 2015 Dave Brigandi picked up the first Gold Crest win of his career at New Smyrna.
Learn more about supermodified racing and online supermodified sim racing by visiting www.SUPRS.net, “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Circling SUPRS on Google+, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and Viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube.
SUPRS RACE RESULTS:
- SUPRS Florida Speedweeks Night 2
- Race 22 of 42
- Tuesday, February 7, 2017
- SUPRS NASCAR Heat W v6 mod
- Black Creek Raceway
- 50 laps
Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap underlined)
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Wing Side Up Enterprises, RW Woodworking 17.157, 17.169
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Docks & Hoists, Designs of Elegance: 17.499, 17.194
- 41-Keith Powell; Carrollton, OH; Icings on Top, CPR Motorsports: 17.232, 17.334
- 14-Joe Achzet; Yorkville, NY; Cottontail Designs, GraphX: 17.340, 17.304
- X-Chad Phelps; New Haven, NY; Haun Welding Supply, Disturbed Motorsports: 17.359, 17.316
- 9-Domenic Gioia; Oswego, NY; Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Team Domination Motorsports: 17.355, 17.322
- 55-Steve Callahan; Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Exide Battery, CPR Motorsports: 17.419, 17.474
- 42-Carl Becker; Lansing, MI; Wholesale Diamond Exchange, Michigan Hill Gang: 17.471, N/T
- 52-Dave Brigandi; Syracuse, NY; Brigandi Carpet and Tile, Terry: 17.577, 17.874
- 38-Kyle Clark; Mexico, NY; Coors’ Light, Disturbed Motorsports: 17.773, 17.731
- 77-Kevin Timmins; Baldwinsville, NY; BreezeGraphics.com, Wesley Motorsports: 17.891, N/T
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues; Stoneham, MA; Star Speedway: 18.136, 19.043
Feature 50 Laps (showing car number, driver name, sponsors, bonus, starting position, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 14-Joe Achzet: * | ** | P3 | 17.222
- 25-Bob Gangwer: P2 | 17.172 | +0.099
- X-Chad Phelps: P6 | 17.221 | +0.539
- 41-Keith Powell: ! | P4 | 17.157 | +0.719
- 55-Steve Callahan: P5 | 17.257 | +5.758
- 42-Carl Becker: * | P1 | 17.482 | +7.021
- 52-Dave Brigandi: P8 | 17.271 | +7.344
- 9-Domenic Gioia: P7 | 17.243 | +7.493
- 38-Kyle Clark: P9 | 17.433 | +10.748
- 77-Kevin Timmins: P10 | 18.016 | +1 Laps
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues: P11 | 18.114 | +2 Laps
- 35-Rob Warren: DNS (Magneto)
Time of Race: 9:30.731
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
