Archive for category: Late Models

Austin Berry Racing is regrouping after a tough night at Selinsgrove Speedway on July 24, while also looking ahead with renewed momentum as the program adds a new marketing partner for 2026.

At Selinsgrove, Austin posted a strong time of 5th out of 23 cars, placing him starting 2nd in his heat race. Austin brought home a 3rd-place finish in the heat; however, the good start didn’t carry over the way the team hoped in the feature. Austin started 8th and finished 23rd, as the adjustments from the heat to the main event didn’t translate.

“Our night went from good to okay to bad in the feature. Not sure where we went wrong from the heat race to the feature with our adjustments, but we just flat out missed it. Obviously not the result we were hoping for after a decent start to the night,” Berry commented.

“All we can do is get it cleaned up, go through the car this week, and get ready for next weekend. The grind don’t stop, just got to keep working!”

Mainline Excavating Joins the Program

Austin Berry Racing is also excited to announce Mainline Excavating, Inc. as a new marketing partner for the 2026 season.

Mainline Excavating, Inc. is a family-owned commercial sitework contractor with over 25 years of experience delivering high-quality site development solutions. Their full range of services includes grading, excavation, utility installation, stormwater management, and paving for projects of all sizes. From single-building sites to large, multi-phase planned communities, the company is committed to helping clients maximize the return on their project investment through practical, logic-based, cost-saving engineering solutions.

Mainline Excavating is also rooted in the communities it serves and believes in supporting the organizations, people, and passions that bring those communities together.

“Mainline Excavating is excited to support ABR and the dedication, teamwork, and determination that racing represents. We are proud to announce our sponsorship of Austin Berry Racing and look forward to partnering with Austin and his team throughout the 2026 season,” said Carleigh Williams, Mainline’s Director of Operations.

Upcoming Schedule

Berry will be back in action over the next few weeks with a busy stretch that includes multiple stops in Pennsylvania.

After a stop at Selinsgrove on August 1, Austin will return to the Snyder County oval on August 7, before traveling to Bedford Speedway for the Tyler Ritchey Memorial race on August 21.

Austin will wrap up the busy stretch at Port Royal Speedway on August 22.

The August 21 race is especially meaningful to Austin. Tyler Ritchey, who was a close friend for many years, passed away suddenly in April of this year. The ABR team is focused on honoring Tyler’s memory as the schedule continues through the heart of the summer.

For the latest schedule updates, news, merchandise, and more, fans are encouraged to visit AustinBerryRacing.com.

Austin Berry carries a tribute to his late friend, Tyler Ritchey, on the deck of his new Rocket XR2 super late model (photo credit: Jason Walls / WRT Speedwerx)

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.

As the summer swing approaches, Austin Berry Racing (ABR) is taking a strategic pause. While the allure of the high-intensity Appalachian Mountain Late Model Speedweek was strong, the team has opted to sit out the seven-race, nine-day stretch. 

For this family-owned operation, the decision comes down to staying true to the “long game” that has defined their growth in recent years.

THE MATH BEHIND THE DECISION

The series requires competitors to run American Racer tires, whereas ABR runs exclusively on Hoosiers— a tire choice that aligns best with their current program. The logistics of a one-week switch would have cost the team roughly $3,000, creating a ripple effect on the budget for the remainder of the year.

“When you consider the Speedweek entry fee, fuel for the racecar and the team’s rig, and pit passes, it becomes difficult to see a way for our family-owned team to make money that week,” Berry explained.

“We would need to run top-ten at least four times to really come out ahead. We are certainly capable of that, but we can’t guarantee it. We have great partners but we are still largely self-funded.”

“I want to run every week. Heck, I would race twice every week if I could, but we can’t do that right now with the resources we have available.”

“We have been patiently, steadily building this team by playing the long game. When you’re a racer, that patience can be tough sometimes because you just want to go racing.”

BUILDING MOMENTUM

Despite missing the Speedweek, the team’s outlook remains positive. A significant leap in performance and consistency has marked the 2026 season. After a deep dive into data at the end of 2025, the team has learned more about their Rocket XR1 chassis in a few months than in the prior two years combined.

The result is a more balanced racecar. The team’s “plus/minus” in feature competition—a key metric for ABR—has swung from nearly -4.0 spots in 2025 to a solid +3.8 spots on average in 2026.

NEXT STEPS: NEW HORIZONS

The current break is anything but idle. The primary focus during this time is the assembly of a new Rocket XR2 chassis. Berry is targeting a debut for the new machine on June 19th at Selinsgrove Speedway.

“We needed to prioritize an investment in a new chassis from Rocket because our XR1 is about ten years old now,” Berry explained.  

ABR is also currently awaiting the return of their engine, which is being repaired from an issue the team encountered several weeks ago. 

Berry and the entire ABR team would like to extend a huge thank you to Jason and the Zook Racing team for lending a motor to help keep them on track while they wait.

The team is also constantly monitoring the laps they put on their engine. There is a window in which the motor must be refreshed to avoid the risk of severe damage or degraded performance. 

Berry said, “If we race too little after we get our motor back, we will end up needing a refresh midseason 2027, which would sideline us for weeks. If we race a lot the remainder of the year, our motor will still be 300 laps short of needing a freshening this winter, so we have to decide how we want to manage it.”

The timeline for the return of our motor will likely determine how much the team races the rest of this season. Until ABR can afford to acquire a second motor, these are the choices they have to make. 

“We’re managing our assets to ensure that when we do hit the track, we’re positioned to be a threat,” Berry commented.

ABR is proud to be supported by a dedicated group of partners, led by primary partner Juniata Veterinary Clinic. The team also extends its gratitude to key partners Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, SRI Performance / Stock Car Steel & Aluminum, VP Racing Fuels, Carquest of State College, and Starr Beef.

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 in partnership with Addicted2Dirt PR and Media Management.