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07/26/2008 The Sandusky Speedway Hi-Miler Nationals weekend is now in the record books. Chris was fastest in the warm-ups on friday.He started near last in the heat and went on to win using the entire track to pass the other cars. Feature time and he started 11th in the 40 lap race but on lap 10 the left rear tire on the #61 came loose. The #61 was leading at the time and a large group of cars were chasing him, but when he lost control he took around 6 cars with him, including Chris. His night was finished with a broken header and severed oil line and could not restart the race.
Saturday started much the same way except that Chris seemed to have caught a stomach flu over the night. He did his best in the warm-ups and at Time Trial time , he wet out and set fast time again. that earned him a 4th starting spot in the heat where he went on to finish 2nd. Starting 12th in the 100 lap Nationals, Chris went on a mission as he passed cars and headed to the front. By lap 25 he was in 5th place chasing the 3 Lichty cars and Shullick Jr. in the #61. By lap 40 he had caught the now leader, Mike Licthy in the #84. They raced hard until on lap 42, Mike went to the outside of a lap car while Chris went inside. Chris prevailed and Mike slid off the track in turn 2. Chris put the car in "cruise control" and went on to win while lapping all but the 3 cars behind him. He took home this really cool trophy by C&C to match the 1 from last year
This was last years trophy
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7/12/2008 The 2nd race of the new All-Star Speedway Big Block Super Series was held on a beautiful Saturday night. A small field of cars showed up but they put on a very good show. The racing was intense as the race went 50 green flag laps. Chris started 7th and diced his way through the field.
He took the lead on lap 20, but the racing behind him was fierce. Jamie Timmons, Eric Lewis and Jon McKennedy were running together for the 2nd spot. At the end , it was McKennedy 2nd, Timmons 3rd, Lewis 4th,
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7/08/08 Stafford Motor Speedway, in Stafford Springs Ct. was the site of our 2nd race of the 2008 season. Just as it is every year when we go to Stafford, it was hazy, hot and humid with the temps were in the 90's. We brought out both cars and they were very fast in the warmups. Chris turned the fastest lap of the day during his heat race with a 16.305, a possible new track record. Chris started the feature 12th with Bentley right behind him in 13th. The race got off to a slow start, with several attempts made before we got to lap 2. They both worked their way to the front with Bentley getting by Chris at one point but Chris passed him back and they settled into 3rd and 4th. with 14 laps to go. Chris worked on passing the 05 of Jeff Abold and set his sight on Russ Wood's brand new #29. He passed him on lap 38 and took the lead. Bentley got past the 05 and finished 3rd. The top 3 all time race winners of ISMA finished in the top 3 spots in the same order as they sit on the all time winners list. Next up on the schedule is All Star Speedway this Saturday night, 7/12/08. with the next ISMA race at Sandusky Speedway on 7/25/08.
Chris and Bentley talk with Johnny Benson after the drivers meeting at Stafford. | | 5/24/2008 The first ISMA race of the season at the Waterford Speedbowl is in the record books and with it a new track record that Chris set on lap 44 of the feature on his way to the first win of the season. The car was fast in first warm up session but a leaky oil pump almost ended his day early. The seal on the shaft of the oil pump came out and the team didn't have a spare pump or the parts to fix it so they had to put the old damaged seal back on it and with a large amount of silicone gasket sealer. The fix held and the Chris finished second in his heat. For the feature Chris started in his usual 12th starting spot and slowly worked his way through traffic. On lap 28, he took the lead from Jeff Holbrook in the #35 car and never looked back. On lap 36 a 4 car wreck in turn 3 brought out a red flag when the #4 of Mike Lichty broke an oil line and hit the wall taking the #27, the #14 and the Budnick Bullet #88 of Mikey Ordway with him. Mikey was taken to the hospital after complaining of a bad headache but was released after being checked out. Chris resumed his lead after the red flag and was followed to the finish by Holbrook and the #97 of Rob Summers 3rd.
Chris Perley passed Jeff Holbrook on lap 28 and led the rest of the way to win the 50-lap ISMA SuperModified feature at Waterford.
 It was the second consecutive year that Perley has won on ISMA's visit to Waterford.
It was the season opening event for the division.
"The car is unbelievable," said Perley, of Rowley, Mass.
"I don't know what this year is going to give us, but to start off the year like we are right now, with a car as good as it is, I can't ask for anything more. The crew worked so hard over the winter on the car. To be able to unload and go this fast is just great."
Holbrook, of Oswego, N.Y, held on for second and Rob Summers of Vernon was third.
Below is a video view of the lap 36 wreck in turn 3 that caused a long red flag period.
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Just a week away from the ISMA opener at Waterford and the team was at the All-Star Speedway early Saturday to test out some changes made to the car during the off season. After several short hot lap sessions, Chris felt the car was ready to go, so we went to get some lunch.
 | | ISMA PREPARES FOR 35th SEASON OPENER AT WATERFORD
Oswego, NY - In 1974 supermodified legends Jim Shampine and Nolan Swift, along with businessman Tom Heveron, laid the foundation for the International SuperModified Association (ISMA). In 1976, with the fundamentals of the club in place, a point fund system for the traveling group was begun as was its history. As the 35th season begins, the founding fathers can look down with pride at what has been accomplished throughout the years. The veterans and rookies competing in 2008 carry the ideals instituted and nurtured into the fourth decade of ISMA racing as new challenges face them on the horizon.
The ISMA May 24th opener takes place at Waterford Speedbowl for the third year in a row. Last year, after two years of really bad luck at the inaugural event, Chris Perley began his record-breaking season with win number one to be followed by ten more feature victories down the line. With a total of 22 cumulative wins over the 2006 and 2007 ISMA seasons, Perley and the Vic Miller team established themselves as standard bearers for the division. Their dominance has been unprecedented in winged supermodified racing.
In a recent national magazine interview Perley had some comments on his achievements and what he looks for in 2008 as he enters his 14th year with Vic Miller and crew.
"We just have a really good car and I guess you shouldn't say you lucked into the setup, but you do. We made small adjustments over the past 13 years that we've been together and ended up with what we have now. It's just incredible. Every driver dreams of getting an opportunity like this. I'm lucky to be here with this team and lucky we all stayed together. We all hate each other the same, so it's a great group!" Perley said with a laugh.
As to a third straight driver championship run in 2008 which would put him in a tie with Bentley Warren (1988-90) and one behind Doug Heveron (1979-82), Chris said honestly, "We don't ever go for a championship or the points. Vic hates the points. If Vic had his way we'd skip a race to not have the point championship – to not have that pressure. I still think we have a lot of luck running with us. There have been a couple races that have fell into our hands. And, then there has been a couple that have fell out of our hands too. You hope that you can race long enough for the luck to change again. It's been an incredible ride. You ride the wave as long as you can because you don't know when it's going to kick you off!"
From Waterford, ISMA moves into June with a Friday the 13th show at Toledo Speedway in Ohio where in 2007 Perley and the Vic Miller team moved on to their second straight win.
July finds a four-feature event slate with races at Jennerstown (July 7), Stafford Motor Speedway (July 10), and Sandusky's traditional Hy-Miler weekend (July 27 and 28). Last season the Twin 30's at Jennerstown added two more wins to the Rowley Rocket's total while Robbie Summers promptly broke that string with a first-time win at Stafford in the Lane Racing 97. Perley bounced right back with two wins at Sandusky.
August hosts three ISMA events with races at Mansfield on the 9th, Lee USA on the 15th and Oswego Super Nationals as part of Classic weekend on Friday, August 29th. Ray Graham grabbed his career first at Mansfield last season while Perley took home the second of a doubleheader. This year finds just one feature – go at that Ohio oval. Lee USA was again a Perley benefit in 2007, but at the Oswego Super Nationals Perley was again halted when a late race tangle sent him out of the lead and Dave Shullick Jr. into victory lane.
All-Star Speedway gets their traditional Classic underway on Sept. 6 with Delaware (Ont) Speedway on Sept. 26 and Berlin Raceway (MI) on Sept. 27. The defending champion at All-Star will be local runner Justin Belfiore and Canadian Dave McKnight defends his crown at Delaware. But, it was Perley back in the saddle at Berlin for number ten as his season wound down.
Thompson Speedway is the traditional point closer for ISMA and this season is no different with the point finale coming on Oct. 18-19, 2008. Win number 11 came for the Vic Miller – Perley team at the World Series in 2007, easily copping their second straight ISMA championship title.
Concord Speedway in North Carolina closes out the ISMA supermodified season. While not a sanctioned event, the great field of supers that gathered in 2007 to some great racing should make the fans mark this date as one not to miss.
November 22 finds the ISMA clan gathering at the Turning Stone Casino once again to honor the season's achievers and to close out the 35th season.
Check www.ismasupers.com for updated information as the season opener approaches | | 3/15/2008 I have updated the schedule page for the 2008 season including the new Big Block Super Series at the All-Star Speedway.It is all subject to change since the schedule seems to change weekly. Check it out. Don't forget to get a new Perley T-Shirt or Sweatshirt while supplies last at the clearance prices | |
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