RICHMOND — Mike Perry knew that if he could only get out front, he’d likely be able to stay there.
The Dighton, Massachusetts driver waited until there were only 10 laps remaining Wednesday night, circling his machine to the lead and grabbing the largest payday of his go-kart racing career with a $5,041 win in the second annual DKR 50 at LST Motorsports Park.
“I knew when we had some restarts, it was going to be good,” Perry, 34, said. “Once I got out front I kind of moved my line around and I found what was working, and I noticed the lap times were picking up a little bit. From there, I just set sail.”
Mike Anderson of Brooklyn, Connecticut finished second for the second straight year, while Tim Sullivan of South Windsor, Connecticut completed the podium.
Both Anderson and Sullivan took turns with the lead in the second half of the race, but both lamented the wearing out of their machines — as well as their bodies — in the closing stages.
“I guess I’m Mr. Second Place here,” Anderson said. “We just went too far with an adjustment, so I used up my right front there at the end, and I used myself up, too.”
TJ Reed of Carlysle, Pennsylvania led the 21-kart field to the green flag. He and Brian Sullivan, the winner of last season’s inaugural event, joined Tim Sullivan dominating the first half of the race.
The scene changed dramatically on lap 17 when an eight-car pileup on the frontstretch, including the flipped kart of Ryan Borgas, eliminated nearly a third of the field from competition.
Anderson got the jump on the ensuing restart and after starting in eighth, he was at the point on lap 20.
Behind him, Perry worked his way from fourth to second by lap 37 and three circuits later he slipped under Anderson off turn two to take the top spot for good.
Anderson gathered himself and remained in close pursuit under the white flag, but his bobble entering the backstretch on the final lap gave Perry all the breathing room he would need.
“It started pushing really bad coming off (the corner),” Anderson said. “If I didn’t hit my line exactly, the kart just did whatever it wanted to. I’m obviously happy just to come out of here with everything in one piece.”
Perry was confident once armed with the lead.
“Some of the line that these guys were running, I couldn’t run that line,” Perry said. “Out front, I could arc my corner a little bit and be all set. Sticking behind them in line, you have to run the line that they’re running. But once I got the lead, I figured I could get my line to work and they’d have to follow me and maybe mess them up.”
Nearly 40 Sr. Champ karts attempted to qualify for the main event. The top eight starters were set by time trials, without a single Maine driver cracking the first four rows on the grid. In all, only four Maine drivers — including Oakland native Willie Pelotte, who now lives in Concord, North Carolina where he works as an engine tuner for Stewart-Haas Racing — qualified for the main event.
The driver to haul the furthest for the event was Doug Stearly of Heph-Zipa, Georgia.
“It’s a great time,” Tim Sullivan said. “(Track owner Steve Perry) does a great job putting this show on. We’ll support it every year until I can’t do this anymore.”
“It’s all about bragging rights,” Anderson said. “The money is nice, but to win a night race with money on the line against the best here, it’s really nice to know you do well against the best. That’s what motivates me.”
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