Archive for category: Late Models

At the end of 2024, when Austin Berry made the decision to scale back his schedule in 2025 so he could make sure personal priorities and racing budgets all fit together and result in a better long-term situation, he did so because he felt it was a better option than shutting down the race team completely for a year.

“The advancements in this sport are nonstop.  If you don’t stay in the game, you fall behind, and it takes a long time to catch up.  We considered taking a break for a season to focus on building our house and saving some money in the racing budget.  I felt we would fall behind if we did that, so we agreed on a scaled-back schedule so that we could keep up,” Berry explained.

WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER

Skipping 2025 would have meant significant savings in tires, parts, and fuel, not to mention eliminating an engine refresh bill.  

It turned out Berry’s decision was more right than he even thought it would be.  Not only did Austin Berry Racing keep up, they gained ground.  From Berry’s perspective, which is shared by folks outside the team as well, the team improved more during their limited 2025 schedule than they had in 2023 and 2024 combined.

Berry competed in eleven super late model events in his family’s Tuscarora Restoration, Juniata Veterinary Clinic, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, Dye It Rite, SRI Performance, VP Racing Fuels No.86, and six limited late model events during the 2025 season, the latter in the seat of the Bobby Dunn Racing No.34D.

“Racing in two different divisions at several different tracks, and getting a lot of laps at some places I didn’t have a lot of laps at before, like Bedford, made me a lot better behind the wheel,” Berry shared.

“I got a lot better at reacting to the car instead of basically memorizing how I thought I should drive the car at a particular track.  I learned to do different things in the seat and race the car, not the track.”

What Berry learned behind the wheel had a positive ripple effect in the pits, too, as he was able to give better feedback to his team to help make setup decisions.

Berry’s improvements were noticeable statistically.  He qualified much better against the clock than in recent years, and he scored three top ten finishes in his last six super late model races.  In the limited late model, he finished 11th or better in five of his six main events.

“In the super late model, the tone for the whole night is set by qualifying, so that’s what we have been focusing a lot of our energy on,” Berry said.

“That focus, combined with a lot more laps at some tracks than we have had before, paid off.  Look at Bedford Speedway’s Labor Day 55, for example.  I have never made that race before, despite trying several times.  This year, we came to Bedford several times, got a better notebook, and made the show through our heat race.”

“Those are the kind of things you have to measure progress by.  Progress isn’t just measured by wins.  It’s a building block process to keep getting better and better.  You celebrate achievements like that because you know they show what you are doing is working.”

Berry says expanding the team’s network of resources and people to lean on, and leveraging those things more frequently than in the past, was a big part of their improvements, too.

“I talked to the guys at Rocket Chassis a lot, plus our crew chief, Josh, was communicating with our partners at Penske Shocks almost every day.  Then we would talk within the team, sharing information and ideas as well.  We had more information, but yet we actually simplified things overall, which helped keep our decisions more in line week to week.  It kept us from straying away from what we knew,” Berry explained.

On the budget front, 2025 has to be considered a win as well.  Berry’s scaled-back schedule put few enough laps on their Cornette engine that a refresh will not be needed over the coming offseason, plus the team’s fuel, tires, and parts schedules were greatly reduced as well.

DOWN THE ROAD

Berry’s primary goal for 2026 is a pretty straightforward one.

“We want to get back to being a staple at local super late model races, so people aren’t wondering if we will be there,” Berry said.

“My wife and I had put off building our home for a few years, but this year we tackled that project, and it’s almost finished.  With that done, I will be able to go into next season with a clearer mind,” Berry said.

Not only that, but he’ll go into next season with a brand new, larger race shop, too.  The new shop, which is attached to the new house, was a part of that construction project.  The race shop will be the last part of the build to be completed, but the team will race out of that shop in 2026. 

Even though the on-track portion of the 2025 racing season is over for Berry, he never loses focus on taking care of his marketing partners.  The promotions continue, and attention to those relationships requires effort year-round.

Austin Berry Racing is also interested in working with new partners who are interested in having the team represent their business and promote their products and/or services during the 2026 season.

Berry also noted the team is looking to increase its equipment depth for 2026.  The goal is to have two rolling cars ready by summer.

“With what we saved on a motor refresh, and hopefully if we have a good 2026 kickoff fundraiser party, we will have enough to pick up a new chassis and make that our primary car,” Berry shared.

The team’s current Rocket XR1 would become a backup car.  

Beyond 2026, the team would like to add a second powerplant, which could be another super motor, or they might choose to add a crate motor to use in the second car.

“What our second motor might be will be something we decide down the road.  A crate motor would give us more opportunities to race, but having a backup for our super would be valuable too, of course,” Berry added.

Berry would like to do more traveling in the coming year or two.  The team upgraded their toter situation after the 2024 season as step one toward that goal.  They did so by selling the truck they had been using for many years and acquiring a larger pre-owned one.  

Another upgrade that would be key to traveling more is a larger trailer, which is something Berry hopes the team can acquire within three years.

“I would really like to venture out to some races outside our region.  There are some good-paying races that would make it justifiable for us to travel, plus I just have some races on my bucket list that I want to check off before I hang up my helmet.  Not that I’m planning on going anywhere soon, but you never know how long anything will last, so I want to work toward getting to some of these races in the next few years,” Berry commented.

PARTY TIME

The fan-favorite Austin Berry Racing season kickoff party will return for 2026.  It will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026.  Tickets are on sale now, and fans can contact the team through social media for advance ticket purchases.  Those in attendance are treated to a great meal, raffles, and games throughout the evening, plus music and dancing after dinner.

The team held very popular and successful parties in 2023 and 2024 with nearly 300 people attending each year.  The team opted to skip the party in 2025.

“We were forced to sit out the entire second half of 2024 after an engine failure, and I just didn’t feel right having the party last year after our fans had been so generous at the 2024 kickoff, then we ended up not being able to race as much as we had planned,” Berry explained.

“We sure have had a lot of people ask about it, though, so we are looking forward to hanging out with everyone and having a good time again in January!”

Austin Berry has put together three top-ten finishes in his last four races.  Keep in mind, he has only entered nine races over the course of the past four months.

The past year has probably been the most unusual and unpredictable of Berry’s twenty-plus years in racing.  Circumstances have forced him to scale back and reprioritize, but they have also brought new perspective and new opportunities.  

If the Mifflin, PA driver had drawn up his master plan a year ago, none of those would have been a part of it, but he has adjusted, and it’s all working out.

THE EQUIPMENT

Berry shared some insight on the team’s first priority as they entered the 2025 season – simplifying their setup program for the Tuscarora Restoration, Juniata Veterinary Clinic, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, Dye It Rite, SRI Performance, VP Racing Fuels No.86.

“We have focused on our equipment and not over-complicating our program.  From adjustments and front-end geometry settings to shock and spring setups, we have worked hard to simplify things.  We have also relied heavily on several of our partners like Swift Springs, Rocket Chassis, and Penske Racing Shocks,” Berry shared.

“I think we have finally reached a point where the things we are working with our partners to implement are for our program and my driving style, instead of trying to make things work for us that have worked for others.” 

Berry went on to explain that the simpler setups “have reduced the number of knobs available to turn, so there are fewer ways to dial ourselves out”.  In other words, there’s less chance they can get away from their baseline.

“I think racing less has held us back some.  In time trials Saturday, I messed up, and there was a night or two when Josh and I realized we didn’t make adjustments we needed to,” Berry said.

When Berry’s super late model engine experienced a failure midseason in 2024, he found himself sidelined for the balance of the year.  That situation led to opportunities to drive a modified and a limited late model at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025.

At the time, Berry debated whether to take the opportunities.  He wasn’t sure there was value in it for him, but after making several starts in each car, he feels quite different looking back on it.

“I definitely think that making starts in those other divisions has helped, even though they are completely different chassis and engine combinations.  Any time you can get behind the wheel, it helps, and I’m extremely grateful to Bobby (Dunn) and his family for those opportunities!”, Berry commented.

“If anything, I think it has helped me to try and detach the driving from the setup and not try to predict what I think the car is going to do.  I tried to just go out and react to the car and drive it to the best of my ability.”

FINISHING OUT 2025

Berry originally had laid out a 2025 schedule that extended into October, but he and the team have decided they will wrap up their season with the Labor Day 55 at Bedford Speedway on August 29th and the Butch Renninger Memorial at Port Royal Speedway on August 30th.

“Reducing our schedule this season not only allowed my wife and me to get our house finished, but it also means we spent a lot less on tires, fuel, and parts.  It also means we won’t have an engine refresh bill this winter,” Berry explained.

“We’ve had a very productive season, and we feel we have more to lose by continuing into September than we have to gain.”

THE FUTURE

No engine bill over the winter will certainly help, but Berry doesn’t plan to put his program in neutral.  He has other ideas for the upcoming offseason and beyond.  Ideas that are aimed at continuing to build the team for future goals.

“We are talking about possibly getting a new, or newer, car over the winter.  That would open up the possibility for us to have a limited/crate car or even possibly a second super together in due time,” Berry shared.

“Depending on track schedules going forward, we would like to start traveling more.  I believe four or five new races or tracks a year would help me improve as a driver and help us make our equipment even better.”

The team may have scaled back in 2025, but that is not an indication of things to come.  Berry’s goal is to get back to racing more.  Not just more than recent years, but more than he has ever raced on dirt.

RECENT RESULTS (starting position in parentheses)

Austin Berry’s super late model schedule has been a little sparse so far this season.  That has been mostly an intentional thing.

Berry and his wife have made building a house their priority this year, plus engine bills last season have Berry focused on a lighter schedule to make sure he doesn’t face another offseason engine refresh bill.

That said, a lighter schedule doesn’t mean he isn’t focused on improving his program, and it certainly doesn’t mean he has any less desire to be competitive and win races.

THINKING AHEAD

“Unfortunately, those are the kinds of decisions a small, family-owned team like ours has to make.  Last year was hard on our racing budget, so we have to play the long game and make sure our equipment lasts.”, Berry shared.

“We bought a piece of land several years ago, and my wife has patiently waited to build our house while we focused on racing.  This was the year to change the priority.”

“If our plan works out, it should put us in a position in the coming seasons to race more than we have before, plus I’ll have a new, larger space to do it out of.”, Berry said, referring to the shop that will be a part of his newly built home.

UP NEXT

Berry hasn’t set his upcoming schedule in stone just yet.  His day job and new home construction are both demanding a lot of attention at the moment.

“The Spence Memorial makeup at Winchester Speedway this coming weekend is on my radar but I can’t commit to it just yet.  I’ll need to see how things go this week.”, Berry shared.

“Patience is definitely key for me this year on and off the track.  I just have to manage everything and keep it all moving forward.  I appreciate the fans being patient with us this year too.  We’ll get the word out as soon as we’re able to make decisions about our schedule.  Keep an eye on our social media for the latest.”

All season long, fans can keep up with Austin Berry Racing’s news, schedule, and more at the team’s website, AustinBerryRacing.com, built by the great folks at My Race Pass!

RECENT RESULTS (starting position in parentheses)