Tag Archive for: #dirtlatemodel

Austin Berry Racing came out of the gate strong in 2022, showing they had been doing their homework, learning from their opportunities in recent years, and applying it all to race consistently at a higher level.

A couple weeks ago they returned to their race shop after a two-race weekend, frustrated and scratching their heads a bit after 11th and 16th place finishes at Williams Grove and Port Royal respectively.  It wasn’t just the finishes really, it was the way the car handled and failed to respond positively to their changes.

It was time to hit the reset button.  To ‘go back to work’, as Berry put it.  Inclement weather provided an off weekend and an opportunity to do so.  The team went over the car with a fine tooth comb, replaced a couple damaged parts, and went back to the setup they started with a month earlier.

The team returned to Port Royal Speedway this past weekend with 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 / Kevin Nouse Designs – K1 Race Gear / DMI / Addicted2DirtPR.com / Penske Racing Shocks / Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic / DirtCarLifts / VP Racing Fuels / Rocket Chassis XR1 No.86 to find out what dividends their efforts would pay.  The results were certainly positive.

April 2:  Port Royal Speedway / Port Royal, PA

     (23 cars, Qualifying 1st, Heat 2nd, A-main 5th)

The first Saturday in April found 23 super late model teams signed in to compete on a sunny but seasonably chilly day in Central Pennsylvania.  A random pill draw was used to separate the field into three groups for combined hot lap / time trial sessions.

Austin Berry wasted no time showing they were ready to race at the front of the field again.  He posted the quickest lap in group three with a 19.382, which was also the fastest lap in the entire field.

“I’m very happy to see that the work we did following our subpar performance a couple weeks ago paid off.  That’s rewarding “, Berry said following the solid start to his day.

The top four in each group were inverted to set the heat race lineups, so Berry rolled off 4th in heat number three.  Finishing in the top two was the primary goal because those drivers from each heat would participate in the redraw for one of the top six starting spots in the feature event.  Once again Berry was strong from the drop of the green, surging into 2nd on the opening circuit of his 8-lap heat race.  

On lap three, Matt Cosner slipped by Berry to claim second, but the battle for a redraw spot wasn’t over.  Berry remained poised and worked his way past Cosner and back into second on lap five.  He then set his sights on leader Dylan Yoder.  Berry closed the gap slightly but there wasn’t enough time remaining to mount a challenge for the win.

The redraw could have been friendlier to Berry, but you have to play the hand you are dealt.  He pulled number 6, putting him outside the third row for the 25-lap, $3,000 to win feature event.  By lap two, Austin had claimed the 5th position and turned his focus toward Gary Stuhler, just ahead in 4th.

While Berry was on the move into the top five, Colton Flinner had claimed the lead, with Trever Feathers, Dylan Yoder and Gary Stuhler in pursuit.  An early yellow slowed the event but following that, the event went caution-free the rest of the way.  The top five remained largely in tact, with only a couple position changes occurring late in the race.  Berry was on the heels of Feathers in the closing laps but wasn’t able to get close enough strike, and rode home with a solid top five.

“That was one of the best cars I’ve ever had in the slick.  The car didn’t take off very well, but it continued to build speed throughout the feature.  If we could’ve taken off the way we ended, we would’ve been much better.  We’ve still got work to do.  We’re still a long way off from that 48 “, Berry said, referring to Colton Flinner who has been the class of the field thus far in 2022 at Port Royal Speedway.

Berry is off to a solid start nonetheless.  His top-5 and earlier top-10 have him currently sitting in 4th in Port Royal’s season championship point standings, only five points out of 3rd place.   

Up Next

Current plans for Austin Berry and the team are to return to Port Royal Speedway to compete against the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series on Sunday, April 10th. 

The 2022 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for Austin Berry Racing.

During a recent video interview with Addicted2DirtPR.com, Austin Berry announced that The Tire Mart of Harrisburg, PA has come on board as the team’s primary partner for the upcoming season.  

In the informative interview, Berry also hinted at a new look for the car as well.  You can find a link to the full interview at the bottom of this release.  While the new look won’t be unveiled until March 6th at Port Royal Speedway’s opening day, you can see a sneak peak here!  

SNEAK PREVIEW of the 2022 ABR No.86!

For those who have been paying attention, you likely noticed the trend of improvement shown by Austin and his ABR team the past couple seasons.  If you didn’t have an eye on them before, you probably have since they captured their first super late model victory at Port Royal Speedway in June of 2021.

Last season not only brought victory, it brought much improved consistency and competitiveness for the little team from Mifflin, PA that competes against top notch teams on a weekly basis.    

The Tire Mart, a full-service automotive repair facility located at 4914 Jonestown Road, pitched in to help Berry run the 3-day Lucas Oil Dirt Series Late Model event at Port Royal last August.  On the opening night of that event, Berry timed 2nd quick in his flight, trailing only “Superman” Jonathan Davenport, and ultimately raced his way into his first career Lucas Oil event through his heat race.

“The Tire Mart is a local, family business that has been built on family values for over 50 years.  We quickly realized the Berry family reflects those same values from both a personal and work perspective, so we are really excited to expand our partnership with Austin, Ken and everyone at ABR.  We see a great opportunity not only to promote our business, but to be a part of the successful program they are building.  We hope we can help them achieve their goals, and we are confident the team will represent us very well“, shared Greg Sharrar, owner of The Tire Mart.

Several key partners who have been with ABR in recent years are returning as well.  Locust Hill Custom Butcher Shop, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, JDS Racing, Nathan Berry Beef Farm, A&C Racing Engines and Swift Springs all return to continue their successful partnerships.

Austin Berry’s successful 2021 campaign ended slightly prematurely when the team broke a rear end and was unable to get it repaired in time to make the final super late model race of the season at Port Royal Speedway.  The abrupt end left Berry with a bit of a void and wanting more.  Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise.  Berry was still hungry.  Maybe that’s a good way to enter the offseason.

“As soon as we knew we were done for the year back in September, we went into winter mode.  We started tearing the car down and making a list of everything we needed to get our parts ordered.  Given how long it has taken lately to get parts, we didn’t want to run into the issue of not having what we needed to prepare for 2022“, Berry explained.

Thus far they are on track to accomplish their off-season mission.  ABR has compiled at least two of everything, with the exception of a frame.  There are extra hubs, brakes, calipers, transmission, rear ends, engines and body panels.

“In the past, certain issues would put us on the sideline, sometimes for weeks.  This year, we want to be prepared, so when something happens, it won’t keep us out“, Berry shared.

Preparation has many forms though.  Parts are just one of them.  Austin and the team also put emphasis on improving their information and knowledge during the 2021 season and off-season.  During 2021 they implemented an improved record-keeping method to help the team log race night notes to be used as a reference point for future setup based on track conditions and several other criteria.

The team’s improved consistency has allowed them to begin focusing on finer details and other continuous improvements.  As a part of those efforts, the team leveraged their annual trek to the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in Indianapolis in early December to keep in touch with the latest technology and information from the sports top vendors.  The show is also an opportunity for teams to maintain existing relationships with partners and suppliers, as well as potentially establish new ones.

The team’s December trip was a productive one, as was their strategy to start their 2022 car prep in September.  They are on the verge of being ready to head to the track for Port Royal’s season opener, which as of the publishing of this story is scheduled occur in 10 days, weather permitting.

“Thanks again to everyone who supports us.  I really want to thank my wife, my kids, my parents, my brother, everyone who comes to the shop or track and helps out, and of course all of our partners.  We couldn’t do this without them.  I’m really looking forward to the coming season,” Berry commented.

Everyone is encouraged to come out to Port Royal Speedway’s season opener on Sunday afternoon, March 6th, to get a look at the new look The Tire Mart / Locust Hill Custom Butcher Shop / Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter / JDS Racing / Nathan Berry Beef Farm / A&C Racing Engines / Swift Springs / Addicted2DirtPR.com / Penske Racing Shocks / VP Racing Fuels / Rocket Chassis XR1 No.86!

The team plans to compete regularly at Port Royal Speedway but also plans to include races at Hagerstown Speedway, Bedford Speedway, Path Valley Speedway Park, Selinsgrove Speedway and possibly others on their schedule.