In the Spotlight: Dennis Perry
THOMPSON, CT — Dennis Perry was born into a racing family. He calls it a “family thing” and gets excited talking about growing up in an environment so dedicated to the sport he loves. His enthusiasm and love for the sport are obvious. It comes through loud and clear when he talks about his life-long involvement in building and driving race cars and his pride in the racing accomplishments of his 11 year old son, Jacob.
Dennis is the Sunoco Modified 2012 Rookie of the Year at Thompson Speedway. He began his racing career at 12 years of age when he managed to get into the pit area to work on his Cousin Norm Perry’s Late model that was driven by his uncle, Butch. He then built his first car, an enduro racer, at a friend’s house so that other family members would not know about his intentions. The then 15 year old Perry got his car to the track and admittedly did not do very well in his first outing as a driver. “I always built just about every part of the race car.” Back then, racers found many of the parts needed for their cars at their local junk yards and Perry had an abundant supply at the family business.
“I was working at the family junk yard in Ashaway, RI at the time towing cars. I had grown up watching my Dad, Roger, race Street Stocks at Waterford and Stafford.” It seems there was always a friendly rivalry among family members. “Butch (Perry) drove the number 7 car. My dad joked that he was twice as good as Butch, so he chose the number 14. I later put the two together and came up with the number 21 for my car,” Perry said.
From the Enduro car, Perry moved to a Mini Stock where he competed from 1995-1997. “I finished second in points in my second year. We also went to Thompson’s World Series where I started 45th in the field and finished 2nd.” I did not win a race during those years, but when I moved up to the Sportsman division, I won the very first night out”. Next came a step up to a Late Model car and a return to the 1998 World Series at Thompson for his first race in that division. “I had worked my way up to 4th in the feature but got a flat tire and did not have a spare,” he lamented. The following season, Perry returned to Thompson to race Late Models and did so until 2007. Upon the completion of the 2007 season, Perry ran only a few races a year so that he could concentrate on his son’s Quarter Midget racing.
In 2012 Perry, the Business Development Manager for the Valenti Auto group, decided to work on Modifieds. “I felt that if my son ever wanted to drive one, I should know what I was doing with it. That’s when my cousin Norm offered me the ride in his car and I accepted. After the first race, I was impressed that we were competitive and how easy it was for me to drive a Modified”, he said. On July 5th of last year, Perry felt he almost had his first Modified win in hand. But, a mechanical failure relegated him to a 3rd place finish which proved to be his best finish of the year. During his Rookie season, Perry nailed down 15 top 10s with 8 of them inside the top 5. He finished 3rd in the final point standings. This was a major accomplishment when you consider the impressive roster of drivers in Thompson’s Sunoco Modified division. It was a banner year for the Pawcatuck, CT driver and he was honored for it by being named the 2012 Sunoco Modified Rookie of the Year. In spite of his accomplishments on the track, Perry seems most pleased with the fact that he earned the respect of his fellow Modified competitors.
In his sophomore year as a Modified driver, Perry says his goal is to gain a win. “I don’t care about points, I just want to gain a win. To win in a Modified would complete the cycle. I would have won in everything I have driven,” he stated. Even though he gets some support from his employer, Perry is seeking sponsorship help. He also says that Thompson Speedway is very near and dear to his heart. “I met my wife at the World Series in 1996 and we were married in 1999,” Perry says with a big smile in his voice.
His pride and joy today is his son Jake. The 11 year old races Bandolero cars and is a top competitor. His victories mark the third generation of Perry family members to gain wins in racing. “I can’t wait to race against Jake. It will probably be in a Lite Modified when he is old enough,” Perry said with a smile.
Race fans should keep a close eye on the # 21 Sunoco Modified and should not be surprised when Dennis Perry wheels that car into Thompson’s Victory Lane.
Sources: Thompson International Speedway PR