Berry Debuts New Car, New Look; Records Top 10 in Return

Austin Berry Racing returned to the track last weekend, debuting a new Rocket XR2 with a fresh new look and the team’s primary bullet back under the hood. The night kicked off what Berry believes will be a strong finish to 2026 over the eight to ten races remaining on the team’s schedule.

On Friday, July 3, 2026, the car turned heads immediately with a whole new visual identity for ABR: a white body highlighted by blue and yellow accents—an obvious contrast to Berry’s usual black-based scheme.

“For the first night out of the shop with a new car I am very happy with it,” Berry said.

“The car drove good, it responded well, and I think we will have something good to work with going forward. The new look is something we have been kicking around for a while. I loved our black car, but there are getting to be so many black racecars. I wanted to do something different, and the guys at Speed Media Solutions gave us a badass-looking racecar. At least if we are slow, we will still look good.”

At Bedford Speedway, Austin’s weekend got off to a solid start. In his heat, he started 7th and finished 5th, then rolled off from 10th in the 25-lap feature to secure an 8th-place finish. For Berry, the performance on a brand-new package—paired with the feedback from the team’s hard work—has encouraged ABR about what comes next.

“Overall, I feel like this is probably the best overall complete night we have had at Bedford, although there weren’t a ton of cars here; the ones that were are some pretty damn good ones,” Berry said.

“So to come home with a top 10 on a new car at a track that historically isn’t that good for me, I will definitely take it, and I am excited to get this thing to some more familiar territory. I need to give a big shout out to all my guys, they busted their asses the last 2-3 weeks getting this car together and making sure that everything was right. We put in some long nights in the shop and then coming out here tonight in this heat, there might have been a little bit of complaining, but they never quit.”

Tentative plans for the remainder of the 2026 campaign include stops at Selinsgrove Speedway on July 24, August 1, August 7, and September 6. The team is also looking at the Gary Martz Memorial at Bedford Speedway on July 31, along with the Tyler Ritchey Memorial at Bedford on August 21 and the Butch Renninger Memorial at Port Royal Speedway on September 5.  The August 22nd event at Port Royal is also on the calendar.

The team is also exploring a trip to Beckley Motor Speedway in West Virginia on September 19 for the Mountaineer 50. If the trip to Beckley comes to fruition, it will mark Austin’s first visit to the facility. Each season, Berry makes it a priority to visit at least one new track, and the Mountaineer 50 is a key opportunity. Supporting the event would also be a way for Berry to give back to one of his strongest backers, VP Racing Fuels, who is heavily involved in supporting that race.

Austin Berry Racing remains proud to compete with a core group of partners led by primary partner Juniata Veterinary Clinic and supported by key partners Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, SRI Performance / Stock Car Steel & Aluminum, VP Racing Fuels, Carquest of State College, and Starr Beef.

Fans are encouraged to visit AustinBerryRacing.com for the latest schedule updates, news, merchandise, and more. You can also follow the team’s progress online through the site built by the team at My Race Pass in partnership with Addicted2Dirt PR and Media Management.