Austin Berry Earns Top-10 in Return After Four Week Absence

Austin Berry’s 2022 season got off to a solid start back in March and April and optimism in the ABR pit area was high.  The team appeared poised to build on their 2021 success, which included Berry’s first super late model victory.

The month of May wasn’t as encouraging.  The team was sidelined as a result of parts delays.  That was followed by a short-lived return in late May when they encountered another part failure.

Last weekend, The Tire Mart / JDS Racing / Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter / Locust Hill Custom Butcher Shop / Nathan Berry Beef Farm / A&C Racing Engines / Swift Springs / Addicted2DirtPR.com / Penske Racing Shocks / Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic / VP Racing Fuels / Rocket Chassis XR1 No.86 finally returned, and Berry appears ready to pick up where he left off in April.

June 25:  Selinsgrove Speedway – Selinsgrove, PA

     (22 cars, Heat 5th, A-main 10th)

Austin Berry unloaded at Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday night, June 25th along with 21 other teams.  The field was divided into three, 8-lap heat races using a pill draw.  The outcome of the qualifying races would set the starting lineup for the feature event.

When a team isn’t racing, they aren’t able to keep up with the changes in the sport and they aren’t improving themselves.  The goals for ABR Saturday night were simple:  get back to work on the handling of their Rocket XR1 and get through a complete night in one piece.

The night started with a brief hot lap session and ABR’s plans quickly got derailed.  During the three lap session, a clump of mud had impacted the cooling fan, broke the blades and sent one into the radiator, damaging it beyond repair.

Berry’s team was able to borrow a radiator from Trent Brenneman’s limited late model team and install it just in time to make the call for their heat race.  Using a great start to surge forward, Berry raced his way from his 8th starting spot to a 5th place finish in the first heat race of the night.

Upon his return pit-side, Berry learned his newly installed radiator was leaking.  The issue was significant enough that it was clear it would not last long enough to get through the 25-lap feature event later in the evening.

Once again, the team turned to a fellow competitor for help, this time borrowing what they needed from Tim Wilson.  They scrambled to complete their 2nd radiator change of the evening in time for the main event.

The work was wrapped up in time for Berry to assume the 13th starting spot for the feature.  He used the opening laps to find his rhythm, then began to move forward.  By lap nine Berry had cracked the top ten and began challenging for more.

Late in the race, Berry found himself in the midst of a battle for positions seven through nine when the caution lights flashed on.  The final restart didn’t play out in Berry’s favor.  He slipped slightly to a 10th place finish.

“Considering we spent the majority of the night solving radiator problems, we weren’t too bad out there tonight.  I just wish we had been able to spend a little more time focusing on improving the handling of the car, but that’s how it goes sometimes.“, Berry shared.

Berry and his team may have only accomplished one of their goals for the night by finishing the 25-lap feature and putting the car in the box in one piece, but they’ll take it.  

“What happened after the last restart and during the final few laps is on me.  I didn’t take care of my tires the way I should have during the caution, so my restart wasn’t what it should’ve been.  Learned a lesson the hard way.“

“I can’t thank Trent (Brenneman) and Tim (Wilson) enough for helping us out tonight.  We needed to get through a night, and we couldn’t have done it without them.  I’m really looking forward to getting back to Port Royal next week.  We were tied for 3rd in the points there when we had issues in late April, so I want to get back there and pick up where we left off.  I’m ready for this monkey on our back to find somewhere else to hang out.“, Berry commented, trying to bring some humor to what has been a frustrating stretch for him and his team.

Up Next

Austin Berry Racing will return home to Port Royal Speedway for their first race there since April.  The super late models will be on the card as part of the PA Sprint Car Speedweek Greg Hodnett Classic.

Season Stats

7 races, 0 wins, 1 top 5’s, 3 top 10’s, 4 top 15’s, 6 top 20’s