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| May 22, 2012 |
| Driver News: Daniel Pearcy Sweeps Martinsville Grand Prix |
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 | Daniel Pearcy stands atop the podium after sweeping the SIRA Martinsville (IN) Grand Prix over the weekend
(Photo: Bonnie Carter) |
Shelbyville, Kentucky’s Daniel Pearcy rolled into the second annual Martinsville (IN) Grand Prix and swept the Junior 2 (Supercan) class with weekend victories in the heat, pre-finale, and finale in the Southern Indiana Racing Association’s Midwest Championship Series, presented by Carbonix.
Pearcy, 14, started on the point in Sunday’s finale but quickly lost the lead when Miranda Gallagher got the jump from the standing stop. Two laps later, however, Gallagher couldn’t hold off Pearcy’s Jim Howe Motorsports Birel as he ducked the No. 62 underneath her No. 11 Team Rocket Chicken Top Kart in the left-hand turn 8.
The margin grew to a city-block-and-a-half as he and his TORQ Racing Engines Yamaha cruised. Gallagher stayed in touch, however, and cut the lead to a block on a couple occasions only to see Pearcy pick the pace back up when needed.
“I felt the kart start to go away toward the end,” Pearcy said in victory lane, “but I wanted to race smart and not do anything crazy to lose this thing.”
At the checkered flag, Pearcy’s margin of victory over Gallagher was one block or approximately five seconds. Levi Simpson, Gallagher’s teammate, soldiered his Birel mount home in third place.
“Daniel really used his head today and knew when to run hard and when to save his stuff,” team owner Jim Howe (Columbus, IN) added. “We crashed in Saturday practice and had seen a few accidents before our race today so we both knew this track could really bite you if you went past the edge.”
Earlier in the day, Pearcy won the pre-finale in the exact same fashion: Start on the pole, lose the lead at the start to Gallagher, and then pass her midway through the eight-lap event. In Saturday’s heat race, Pearcy started third, went to second on lap two, and stalked Gallagher for three laps before scooting past her in that eight-lap event.
Pearcy and the JHM team take a few weeks off for the holidays before returning to action June 9 with the Chainbreakers club at Whiteland (IN) Raceway Park. |
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