Freaky Finish to Fantastic Race Leaves Jeff Russell Special Winner Kyle Clark Flabbergasted
April 18, 2017 – Las Vegas, NV…Kyle Clark was the surprised winner of the 85 lap, Supermodified Ultimate Pavement Racing Series, (SUPRS), Jeff Russell Special Tuesday night at The Bullring after a late race caution saw leader Joe Achzet penalized for jumping the start and other contenders running out of fuel.
Kyle Clark was the surprised winner of the Jeff Russell Special at The Bullring. (Victory Lane Screen art by BreezeGraphics.com)
Clark led the only lap that mattered and brought home his second career SUPRS feature win in the race run to help raise money for injured supermodified driver Jeff Russell of Boise, ID.
After a late race caution for a spin by Kevin Timmins, Joe Achzet of Utica, NY seemed poised to claim his eleventh feature win of the season after leading a race high 68 laps. Coming down for the restart, Achzet lived up to his nickname “The Rabbit” taking off quickly trying to hide from second place runner Bob Gangwer.
However, Achzet’s undoing came when the green flag did not wave. Everyone slowed acknowledging that the field would have to reform for a better start, but Achzet was off and running and continued to accelerate away from the field. His failure to slow down resulted in the rFactor game giving him a drive-through penalty for jumping the restart and accelerating too soon.
Achzet’s penalty left Bob Gangwer in the lead, but on fumes hoping to make it to the finish. At the same time fourth place running Rob Warren, an early race leader, ran out of fuel as he pulled into the pits.. With just three laps left, and looking for the white flag to signify a restart the next time by the stripe, Gangwer darted to the pits but his car sputtered to stop in the pit lane and he was unable to continue.
Clark was now the surprised leader with Steve Callahan, who had gone to the pits for a splash of fuel just before the Timmins’ caution, was just as surprised to be sitting in second place a lap down.
“I don’t feel like I earned this. That was a strange race from the beginning,” said Clark. “When we dropped in for the race, my car got damage, then A couple of laps in I had a chain reaction with Nelson and Joe and we were able to keep going.” His wild race wasn’t over though. Battling with CPR Motorsports driver Steve Callahan, Clark found himself too close for comfort. “I was behind Steve for a long time, and we had a close race going,” explained the winner. “I was doing everything I could not to touch him then Bob got loose, Steve checked up and I got into him but the caution never came out.”
Clark was able to continue, with Callahan having to go to the back for spinning. Clark found himself in contention for a good finish, but once again, was shocked when his equipment had a technical malfunction. “With about 10 to go, I had issues with my screen, again, and the screen flickered and went black,” said Clark. “I dropped from third to fifth but somehow I kept going and got back to third, then we had the last caution and all the other weird stuff happened.”
At the end of the night, Clark was sitting in The Bullring’s front stretch Victory Lane, wondering how he got there the way he did and said, “I guess I’ll take it but I would have rather done it the right way.”
While the feature race had a wild and weird ending, the rest of the 85 lap event had two distinct green flag runs that allowed for some very intense racing among the skilled drivers. With just four cautions, (all but one for simple spins), four different leaders, and other than a check out by Achzet that stretched to nearly 4 seconds at one point, the night was full of great racing.
Earlier in the evening, Kyle Clark set a track record for wing supermodifieds at The Bullring with a blazing lap of 11.121 seconds. Steve Callahan won the Fast Car Dash and gained five bonus points after a race that went green to checkered and saw all four drivers finish within 2 tenths of each other at the line.
Joe Achzet won the first heat, also a non-stop affair, and Rob Warren picked up the win in Heat 2 which had just one caution.
Race Run to Raise Money for Jeff Russell
SUPRS is dedicated to helping injured supermodified racers and their families in times of need. To that end the Jeff Russell Special was run to help bring about awareness and to raise money for one of those drivers.
Jeff Russell was critically injured during the last practice session for the Supermodified Racing Association, (SMRA)”Night of Fire” event at The Bullring in Las Vegas, NV on October 30, 2010.
Jeff continues to recover from Traumatic Brain Injury and has fought hard to learn how to walk, talk, and function normally since his accident. His battle is not over, and probably never will be, but with his dogged determination and the never-ending support of his family, he has come further than many ever believed he could.
The seven years of medical bills have been hard on his family, but you can help. All donations to the Dion Parish Memorial Benevolent Fund for Supermodifieds, received between 4/18-4/21 will be sent to the Jeff Russell Road to Recovery Fund. Click “Donate” in the main navigation to help aid in Jeff’s continued healing and recovery.
You can visit Jeff Russell’s website to leave a note of encouragement and just to say you are thinking about him
Summit Classic Week is Next
The last week of SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship XIII begins on Sunday as teams arrive in the San Joaquin Valley and Madera Speedway to close the 2016-17 SUPRS Gold Crest Wing Championship season. In preparation for the 13th running of the Summit Classic 125 on Wednesday, there will be a Test-N-Tune Sunday where drivers will be in both their wing and non-wing supermodified sim racing cars. The track opens at 8pm.
Then on April 24, the SUPRS Monday Madera Madness non-wing supermodified 40 lapper take place. Practice begins at 7:30pm for this race that is now in its second year. Last year’s event had just two cautions and Clinton Cyr won after a thrilling three-lap shootout to the finish with Ray Sand, Jr.
On Tuesday, 13th Annual Summit Classic 125. Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the invitation only Cherry Breaker 63 for drivers that have never won a SUPRS wing supermodified feature, is canceled due to lack of eligible drivers leaving drivers to focus on Time Trials for the 13th Annual Summit Classic 125. Group Practice on Tuesday begins at 8pm and the battle to see which two-drivers will be locked into the race and start on the front row starts at 9pm with single car Time Trials.
Finally on Wednesday, the grand finale for SUPRS happens and the drivers will try to add their name to the long list of winners of the Summit Classic 125. Practice is scheduled to begin at 7:00p with the green flag dropping on the 13th Annual Summit Classic 125 starting field at 9:00pm.
Fans of supermodified racing and online sim racers alike can learn more about the original supermodified sim racing sanction by visiting www.SUPRS.net, “Liking” SUPRS on Facebook, Circling SUPRS on Google+, Following @SUPRSOnline on Twitter, and Viewing SUPRS videos on YouTube.
RACE RESULTS
- Jeff Russell Special
- Race 39 of 41
- April 18, 2017
- SUPRS rFactor W v7.1 mod
- The Bullring
- 85 Laps
Supermodified Time Trials (showing car number, driver name, hometown, sponsors, lap 1, lap 2-best lap underlined)
- 38-Kyle Clark; Mexico, NY; Coors’ Light, Disturbed Motorsports: 11.504, 11.121
- 35-Rob Warren; Pulaski, NY; 1st to Finish Race Servers, Designs of Elegance: 11.359, 11.194
- 25-Bob Gangwer; Goshen, IN; Wing Side Up Enterprises, RW Woodworking: 11.453, 11.240
- 55-Steve Callahan; Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Exide Battery, CPR Motorsports: 11.476, 11.326
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues; Stoneham, MA; Star Speedway: 11.554, 11.391
- 41-Keith Powell; Carrollton, OH; Icings on Top, CPR Motorsports: 11.686, 11.421
- 14-Joe Achzet; Yorkville, NY; Cottontail Designs, GraphX: 11.571, 11.448
- 77-Kevin Timmins; Baldwinsville, NY; BreezeGraphics.com, Wesley Motorsports: 12.408, 12.377
Supermodified Fast Car Dash 6 Laps (showing car number, driver name)
- 55-Steve Callahan
- 35-Rob Warren
- 25-Bob Gangwer
- 38-Kyle Clark
Supermodified Heat Race 10 Laps (showing car number, driver name)
- 14-Joe Achzet
- 38-Kyle Clark
- 25-Bob Gangwer
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues
Supermodified Heat Race 10 Laps (showing car number, driver name)
- 35-Rob Warren
- 41-Keith Powell
- 77-Kevin Timmins
- 55-Steve Callahan
Supermodified Feature 85 Laps (showing car number, driver name, bonus, starting place, fastest lap, distance behind winner)
- 38-Kyle Clark: * | ! | P6 | 10.891
- 55-Steve Callahan: P3 | 10.984 | +1 Lap
- 14-Joe Achzet: * | ** | P7 | 10.991 | +1 Lap
- 25-Bob Gangwer: P4 | 11.013 | DNF (Fuel)
- 41-Keith Powell: * | P1 | 11.096 | +2 Laps
- 35-Rob Warren: * | P5 | 10.928 | DNF (Fuel)
- 77-Kevin Timmins: P8 | 11.382 | +6 Laps
- 7-Nelson Rodrigues: P2 | 10.989 | +6 Laps
Time of Race: 23:14.677
- * Denotes Lap Led
- ** Denotes Most Laps Led
- ! Denotes Fastest Lap of Race
Notes:
- The feature inversion was “6”
- Four drivers led the race and there were three lead changes
- The feature race had four cautions for a total of 14 caution laps
- There was a green flag stretch of 33 laps and another of 24
- The Fast Car Dash was nearly a photo finish between all four cars and went green to checker
- Heat 1 also went green to checker, while Heat 2 had one caution
