DELMAR, Del. — Anthony Perrego and Jamie Lathroum led all 40 laps of their respective features to each claim $7,000 in the Delaware State Dirt Track Championship at Delaware Int’l Speedway.
Both drivers posted the $100 gambler’s fee pre-race, boosting their winner’s share from $5,000 to $7,000.
Perrego, who fired from the pole following the pre-race redraw, went relatively unchallenged over the course of the race and through multiple restarts to claim the impressive victory in the Millman’s NAPA Modified finale.
“We almost won this race a few years ago when I was driving for Gary Simpson,” Perrego smiled. “We cut a tire with a few laps to go, so to get this one feels really good.”
After some early green flag racing in the 40-lap affair, cautions began to plague the middle portion of the race, which did disappoint the Walden, N.Y. native.
“The track started to latch pretty good there… there wasn’t much of a top left,” Perrego explained. “I was happy to see the yellows and keep the track in front of us clear.”
The win for Perrego was second of the late season in Southern Delaware, claiming the Friday night portion of the Mid-Atlantic Championship at neighboring Georgetown Speedway with his Vinnie Salerno No. 4 team.
Louden Reimert came home with the runner-up spot, starting alongside Perrego from the beginning of the race in the Don Grebe-owned No. 33.
H.J. Bunting charged from the 16th starting position to round out the podium in the Blue Hen Racing No. 30.
Justin Grosso was scheduled to start from the third position, but a pre-race problem sent him to the pits before the green flag flew.
From there, Grosso charged from last to finish fourth and claimed the $250 Ad-Art Sign Co. bonus as the highest finishing PA/NJ Spec Small-Block Modified.
Jordan Watson rounded out the top five, good enough for him to clinch his seventh career Millman’s NAPA Modified Championship at Delaware.
“We are truly honored to etch our name into the Delaware International history books earning seven track championships,” Watson explained. “Tying with local greats, Bobby Wilkins and H.J. Bunting is a great honor for us.”
Super Late Models
Lathroum followed up Perrego’s dominance with a wire-to-wire win of his own with the Stockley Speed & Supply Super Late Models and his own $7,000 victory.
After a couple attempts to get the 40-lap battle underway, once the race went green, the first 36 laps of the affair clicked off without issue, and Lathroum appeared well on his way to the win.
“I didn’t really want to see it (the yellow) because I was in a rhythm,” Lathroum proclaimed. “Anytime you let everybody get to you on a restart, anything can happen.”
Lathroum withstood the late race restart however due to a change his crew made prior to the feature.
“We were watching the times on the modifieds and saw they got faster,” Lathroum explained of his team’s adjustments. “We made a last-minute tire change, and it paid off.”
Ross Robinson came home second and Rick Eckert rounded out the podium.
Kyle Hardy and Shaun Jones rounded out the top five.
Trevor Collins – who finished eighth – was crowned as the Stockley Speed & Supply Super Late Model champion.
“I didn’t feel like we had too much luck with the super,” Collins laughed. “But I’m just grateful for Ross (Robinson) and Kenny (Adams) for this series and hopefully it helps grow the class in this area.”
Other Results
Brandon Watkins took home the Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman victory and the $2,500 payday to go with it.
Watkins posted the $50 gambler’s fee, raising his take home prize from $1,500 to $2,500. Watkins raced by Luke Bunting just passed the halfway mark of the race to take home the win.
Jordn Justice was the runner-up, which was good enough for him to clinch the Blue Hen Dispose-All Crate 602 Sportsman Championship.
Bunting, Adam White, and Jason Musser rounded out the top five.
Kyle Hardy used a late race pass to pick up the $1,000 Crate Late Models victory. Hardy completed a high-to-low move to race by Joe Warren and take the lead and ultimately the win.