Perigo Jr. Pounds Out 100 Lap Super Sportsman Sprint Victory at Lincoln

Abbottstown, PA | Sept. 17, 2011 - “I never led lap 100 and I was going to try and do that tonight,” quipped a jubilant Carmen Perigo, Jr. after winning his first career Lawrence Chevrolet Sportsman 100 at Lincoln Speedway Saturday night...


Perigo, who has finished second in several Sportsman 100’s, started tenth by virtue of a heads-up start based on time for the fastest 12 drivers in time trials, and stayed pretty invisible during the first 70 laps of the 100-lap event.

“I was a little too free the whole 70 laps,” said Perigo, “It was all I could do to hang on. The only way I could pass cars was when we hit lapped traffic. We tightened it up a little bit, and actually we didn’t tighten it up enough. It took some traffic to bring Frank back to me and I at least I had a legitimate shot at him. But once I saw I was on his bumper…he was in a ‘no win’ situation and I was coming by.”

When the race restarted after the mandatory 10-lap red on lap 70, Perigo wasted no time in advancing from seventh to third on laps 71 and 72, first passing polesitter Rick Barr and Scott Geesey on lap 71, and then getting by Russ Mitten for third on lap 72.

Perigo watched Paul Miller and sixth-starting Frankie Herr battle for the lead for the next eight laps before driving under Miller for second on lap 80. He then chased Herr for the next 18 laps before pulling the race-winning slider in turns three and four to take the lead as he and Herr were coming off turn four to take the white flag.

Perigo drove away over the final lap to a .63-second win and the $4,000 top prize.

“I won championships before,” said Perigo, “But I never won this race. This was my goal this year, and we fulfilled it.”

Perigo’s win came in the 60th year of racing for car owner Walt Bigler.

Herr, who was seeking his sixth Sportsman 100 win and led on two different occasions for a total of 30 laps, settled for second, with Paul Miller (who also led twice and led the most laps), former Scott Dellinger, and early race leader Scott Geesey completing the top five. Sixth through tenth were Rick Barr, Steve Wilbur, Leroy Martin, Jay Fannasy, and Bobby Hockenberry.

Super Sportsman qualifiers were won by Martin and Mitten, with Lanny Hake winning the last chance race.
Fast time in time trials over the 34-car field was set by Rick Barr with a one-lap time of 15.567 seconds (86.722 MPH).

37TH ANNUAL LAWRENCE CHEVROLET SPORTSMAN 100
Feature RESULTS (100 Laps):
1. 93-Carmen Perigo, Jr. ($4,020); 2. 99-Frankie Herr; 3. 58-Paul Miller; 4. 30-Scott Dellinger; 5. 33-Scott Geesey; 6. 00-Rick Barr; 7. 9K-Steve Wilbur; 8. 66-Leroy Martin; 9. 222-Jay Fannasy; 10. 25-Bobby Hockenberry; 11. 21-Duaine Smith; 12. 55-Jim Shuster; 13. 83F-Cody Fairchok; 14. 83-Greg Robinson; 15. 77-Russ Mitten (DNF); 16. 3B-Mike Enders (DNF);17. 20-Eric Eckert (DNF); 18. 8-Rich Eichelberger (DNF); 19. 88W-Eric Walker (DNF); 20. 64-Stan Wanner (DNF); 21. 45-Dave Socks (DNF); 22. 5-Dave Berkheimer (DNF); 23. 55H-Chad Criswell (DNF); 24. 91-Lanny Hake (DNF).

FULL RESULTS