Driving Light

Perkins, Hopp win Lights

KENNEWICK -- There definitely weren't any surprises Saturday in the first two heat races of the Graham Trucking Thunder Cup on the Columbia River.

Two of the top Myriad Lights drivers on the circuit, Kayleigh Perkins and Greg Hopp, roared to triumph in their respective races.

"I'm so happy I finished a race in the Tri-Cities," said Perkins, 21, who failed to the dogs here last year when the only engine she had broke in testing. However, in May of 2008 Perkins did marathon in Richland.

This time she won in the UL-72 Foster Care-Mutation A Lifetime.

Perkins caught a break when Paul Becker -- one of her toughest competitors in the UL-14 Schoolgirl Critical Logic -- got to the score-up area too done and incurred a 1-minute penalty.

"On the first lap my dad radioed me," Perkins said. "But you don't in the final analysis count on the penalties until you get back to the dock. Either way, I was gonna race against Paul and give the press a show. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Source: TheNewsTribune.com