ONE RACE AT A TIME: Anthony Perrego scores break through win at Big Diamond Speedway
WEEDSPORT, NY (JULY 14, 2023) – After a challenging early start to the season, Anthony Perrego breaks through slump to score first points-paying Super DIRTcar Series win
After ending 2022 as the Super DIRTcar Series Rookie of the Year, Anthony Perrego had two goals in mind for his sophomore season – win a Series race and earn a podium spot in points.
However, the first handful of races in the championship season left him looking at those goals from the bottom of a hole. Entering the most recent Series race at Big Diamond Speedway, he was 10th in points with engine gremlins keeping him out of the top 10 in three of the first five races.
Then, in one of the most exciting duels of the year, Perrego finally saw a race go his way. The Walden, NY driver fended off nine-time and defending Series champion Matt Sheppard lap after lap, corner after corner, for the final 18 laps at Big Diamond Speedway to score his first points-paying Super DIRTcar Series win – adding to the two non-points Series wins he picked up in 2020.
The victory also bumped him two spots up in Series points to eighth, now only 21 points back from the top five.
“Hopefully, we can keep things rolling here,” Perrego said. “With the points, we’ve dug ourselves a pretty big hole. Now, going into these races you’re gambling a little bit more to try to win a race instead of looking at a points victory. If we can crawl ourselves out of a hole and be on the podium at the end of the year, that would be great. But I think right now, we’re going race by race and focusing on winning those races.”
The 29-year-old contributes the breakthrough win to getting more laps in the Four Star Racing car throughout the year, including running weekly at his home track, Orange County Fair Speedway. So far, this year he’s scored one win at the track and leads the Big Block Modified track championship – four points ahead of Sheppard.
“We’ve been really good at our home track,” Perrego said. “We learned some things there that applied to other tracks. We’ve been racing with Vinny [Salerno’s] car a little bit more than last year. We’re hitting some different races that we didn’t hit. When you race more, things seem to gel better.”
The next Series matchup for Perrego to test what he’s learned will come this Sunday, July 16, at Weedsport Speedway’s Hall of Fame 100 – a 100-lap, $10,000-to-win, Super DIRT Week 51 Qualifier. Another solid performance will help put his podium points goal back in focus.
He’s yet to win at Weedsport but has built a big enough notebook to entered prepared. After finishes of 13th, eighth and 17th at the 3/8-mile track last year, he scored a career best finished there in May with his sixth-place run.
“We’ve got a pretty big notebook from going to Weedsport on a couple of special occasions and obviously with the Series,” Perrego said. “We’re prepared for it.”
UP NEXT: The Super DIRTcar Series Big Blocks will travel to Weedsport Speedway to compete in a 100-lap, $10,000-to-win Super DIRT Week 51 Qualifier on Sunday, July 16. They will follow it up with a trip to Land of Legends Raceway on Wednesday, July 19, for a 70-lap, $7,500-to-win, showcase event.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every Super DIRTcar Series race live on DIRTVision – either at DIRTVision.com or by downloading the DIRTVision App.
The Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans by many important sponsors and partners, including: CASE Construction Equipment (Official Construction Equipment), CASE No.1 Engine Oil™ (Official Oil and Lubricant), DIRTVision (Official Live Broadcast Partner), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), SIS Insurance (Official Insurance Provider), Toyota (Official Vehicle), VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel), Chevy Performance Parts, iRacing (Official Online Racing Game) and Low-E Insulation. Contingency sponsors include: ARP (Automotive Racing Products), ASI Race Wear, Behrent’s Performance Warehouse, Bicknell Racing Products, Billy Whittaker Cars & Trux, Cometic Gasket, COMP Cams, DIG Race, Fox Factory, MSD, SRI / SCAS, Swift Springs, and Wieland Metal Services (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: ButlerBuilt, FIREBULL, HYTORC of New York, Intercomp, and Racing Electronics.
Sources: Michelina Friss, Super DIRTcar Series PR
PHOTO: Quentin Young