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ABR Heading in the Right Direction

Outing at The Speed Palace Shows Signs of Promise

Port Royal, PA – July 4, 2020By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

A stout field of 31 super late models signed in at Port Royal Speedway to compete in the stock car portion of the Greg Hodnett Classic PA Sprint Car Speedweek finale. Every team’s first goal was to be one of the 24 that would make the night’s main event. After a lot of work at the shop during the week to get to the bottom of their handling issues, it was time to find out if those late nights would pay off for ABR and the #86 would be one of those 24.

An unlucky pill draw lined Austin Berry up 7th in the 8-car 3rd heat with several heavy-hitters. Comments around the pit area were that it was clearly the toughest heat of the night. Not only did it turn out to be tough, it was quite eventful. Due to another competitor checking-up on the initial start, Berry was forced to spin the car in turn 4 to attempt to avoid contact. He didn’t avoid contact completely but he did manage to avoid anything that would force his Rocket Chassis XR1 to the pits.

Austin restarted at the rear of the field and one lap later looped the car in turn 3 when a 3-wheel brake issue occurred. Some might have thought at this point it was just time to park it. Things were clearly not going their way. That’s not how Austin Berry is built though. It was an opportunity to clear his head, focus and rise to the challenge. And rise he did. Starting at the rear once again, he drove into the 5th and final transfer spot on lap 3 of the 8-lap qualifying race. Yeah he got a little help when one car dropped out and it certainly wasn’t pretty, but he raced his way into the show.

The heat race run placed the Swift Springs, MS Shock Therapy, Hershey Racing Engines, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter and Nathan Berry Beef Farm #86 in the 19th starting position for the evening’s 25-lap main event. The crew made right-side body repairs from the earlier contact and decided on a few adjustments to improve on some things from the earlier heat race, as well as to keep up with the changing track surface. When the feature race went green, Berry was able to move forward and challenge for position. In fact, by lap 10 he had moved into 16th and was sizing up the 15th place car. Austin later shared, “To get better and try to go to the next level in this super-competitive division, we changed a lot of things over the winter and found out quickly this year we were going to have to learn the car all over again. We basically had to take 2 steps backwards before we could start going forward again. Tonight the car finally started to feel close to where it was a year ago, so knowing we are learning and making the right decisions helps our confidence a lot.“.

Austin Berry Racing at Port Royal Speedway 7-4-2020

The car seemed to lose momentum at the halfway point and a couple quick checks of the gauges over laps 13 and 14 showed the engine was slowly losing oil pressure. Berry had to make the unwanted left turn into the work area and retire from the event. It clearly wasn’t the ending they wanted but there were definitely good things to take away from the night. There was something positive to build on.

Next up for ABR is the $3000 to win Summer Championship at Port Royal Speedway on Saturday July 11, 2020.

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, thank you to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return!

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
Hershey Racing Engines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Website) Addicted2DirtPR.com
(Email) [email protected]

ABR Ready for a Change of Fortune

Team Determined to Get to the Bottom of Issues Plaguing Recent Outings

Mifflin, PA – June 24, 2020By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

On a somber night in the dirt racing community after the sudden loss of well-known engine builder, Curt Hershey, to a heart attack less than 12 hours earlier, Wednesday night’s midweek show at Port Royal Speedway drew a stout field of 32 super late models.

Just as many teams do on a weekly basis, ABR unloaded with confidence and optimism, believing they had solved their issue from the previous outing. Instead, their minds were on the sudden loss of their friend and engine builder. Those other problems were behind them.

Or so they thought. The lap times recorded in their group hot lap and time trial session quickly brought back concerned expressions in the pit area. They took advantage of the time they had before their heat race to switch a couple things on the car back to what they knew had worked in the past. No luck again. Austin missed a transfer spot in the heat race and landed in the B-main.

In the B-main things went from bad to worse for the Swift Springs, MS Shock Therapy, Hershey Racing Engines, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter and Nathan Berry Beef Farm sponsored Rocket Chassis. With only a few laps remaining and about to make a move into the final transfer spot to the A-main, the car got very loose on entry, putting him sideways and collecting another competitor. The angle of impact caused a slow rollover of Berry’s #86. Now it was official. Their 2020 season was truly upside down. Thankfully, Austin was able to climb out and walk away unharmed.

Dirt super late models are incredibly complex machines that require some level of geometry and engineering skills to get right. There are hundreds of adjustments you can make. The combinations of those adjustments are exponential. A team can have 99% of things right but that 1% they don’t have right might consist of a combination of several adjustments and is more than enough to put you at the back of the field. Consider his group’s qualifying times on the big half mile last night. The quickest car was 19.109 seconds and the slowest was 19.869. That’s not much room for error.

After the team loaded up and held their post-race discussion to try to put together some lessons learned, Berry said “We’re going to tear the car down this week and figure it out. Every part is coming off and getting checked. We’re going to work with our partners until we get to the bottom of this.” He continued, “We have steadily improved the last few years, so struggling like this after putting in so much work over the winter is just downright frustrating.”.

Up next for ABR is a $2500 to win super late model show on Saturday, July 4th as part of the PA Sprint Speedweek finale at Port Royal Speedway, the Greg Hodnett Classic.

Photo credits to Ashley Book and A2D.

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, thank you to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return!

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
HersheyRacingEngines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Email) [email protected]

Two Big Events Lie Ahead for ABR

Austin Berry Racing Ready to Get Back to Port Royal Speedway

Mifflin, PA – June 23, 2020By Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

After taking Father’s Day weekend off from the track to spend some quality time with his daughter, Austin Berry is ready to get back to work. He’ll have his chance twice over a 10 day span at Port Royal Speedway.

First up, the super late models will join the All Star Circuit of Champion sprint cars Wednesday, June 24th and will compete for a $3000 top prize.

After a promising start to their last outing at The Speed Palace on June 13th, ABR’s evening went south with a cut tire. The team wasn’t satisfied that the tire explained everything about the car’s handling during the feature event run though, so they dug a little deeper during their off week and discovered a suspension issue that also played a part in ruining their run that night. With that resolved, everyone is anxious to get back at it.

The second event on the team’s upcoming schedule is a $2500 to win super late model show on Saturday, July 4th as part of the PA Sprint Speedweek finale at Port Royal, the Greg Hodnett Classic.

The team knows they have made strides in improving and their expectations are higher than past seasons. They try to remember not to be too hard on themselves and to look for the positives. Austin’s father and car owner Ken Berry said this week, “We have to remember, we have made shows this season that really good cars haven’t made.“.

That drive for more is never a bad thing.

SPECIAL THANKS:

As always, we want to express our thanks to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return!

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
HersheyRacingEngines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:

Follow or contact Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management at:
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR #TeamA2D
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR
(Email) [email protected]

ABR Port Royal 6-13-2020 recap

Port Royal, PA – by Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

Saturday night at Port Royal Speedway was one of those nights that is more common to a race team than any other kind of night. It was the kind of night that starts with optimism, evolves into confidence midway through the show and then ends with some perplexed but determined expressions on the faces of the crew and driver.

A stout field of 32 super late models was signed in last night, so the team’s 3rd place run in the 4th heat that locked them into the main event definitely brought early confidence.

The qualifying run was good enough for a 12th place start in the 25 lap feature. The initial laps looked very promising as Austin launched off turn two on the opening lap with a lot of speed, prepared to overtake a couple cars and move into the top 10 but as cars fanned out on the backstretch, he had to fall into line for the moment. Austin commented, “The car felt really good on the start and I thought to myself ‘we are gonna move forward tonight'”.

The track was black slick from bottom to top where there was a narrow cushion. “I knew getting grip down in the slick would be challenging but we were going to be good on the top”, Austin explained. That confidence held for a few more laps as he worked to break into the top 10, until “suddenly it just went away” he said. From that point on, the ABR 86 started slipping backwards in the running order, losing a spot every couple laps.

Sensing something was not right and with nothing to gain by continuing, the team made the decision to pull in on lap 18, giving them a 21st place finish for the night. Upon his arrival, the team discovered a nearly flat right rear tire due to a slow leak. There’s no way to be sure how early in the race the tire issue started but the team will have to factor that into their assessment of the setup of the car and resulting performance. They are confident in the setup progress they have made thus far this season and are working hard to get some grip on the tricky slick surface at The Speed Palace.

Current plans are to return to action Wednesday, June 24th at Port Royal Speedway.

Thanks to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return.

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
HersheyRacingEngines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

SOCIAL MEDIA: Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season on:
(Facebook) www.facebook.com/AustinBerryRacing
(Twitter) @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS: Addicted 2 Dirt PR & Media Management can be contacted at:
(Email) [email protected]
(Twitter) @Addicted2DirtPR
(Facebook) http://www.facebook.com/AD2pr

ABR Hagerstown 5-30-2020 recap

Well, overall it was a solid night. It was good to be back at the track. It was only the third opportunity of the season to see how all the offseason changes would pay off.

Saturday night at Hagerstown, the Austin Berry Racing 86 advanced from 4th to 2nd in the second heat and earned the 4th starting spot in the night’s main event. Despite battling a free condition in the main event, Austin was able to run in the top 7 until a late race caution. The ensuing restart didn’t play out well and it resulted in an 11th place finish.

A top 10 or top 5 would’ve been a better reward for the effort, but given the number of laps the team has been able to run in this strange 2020 season thus far, tonight was a positive and reinforced the improvements made in the offseason.

On to the next race. Stay tuned for where & when that will be in this unpredictable season!

Thanks to all our sponsors and partners, including our silent partners who do everything they can to help but ask for nothing in return.

Swift Springs
Rocket Chassis
Ontime Body & Graphic
HersheyRacingEngines
MS Shock Therapy
Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter
Nathan Berry Beef Farm

Feature Results

Super Late Models –  1. 2T-Kyle Lee[7]; 2. 20-Trever Feathers[6]; 3. 17D-Nick Dickson[1]; 4. 17-Logan Roberson[8]; 5. 41-Justin Weaver[10]; 6. 46-Marvin Winters[5]; 7. 24-Kenny Moreland[19]; 8. 4-Gary Stuhler[11]; 9. 05-Roy Deese Jr[9]; 10. 14-Tyler Horst[14]; 11. 86X-Austin Berry[4]; 12. 11B-Brian Booze[13]; 13. 2-Dan Zechman[15]; 14. 21-Chad Myers[3]; 15. 8F-Taylor Farlling[20]; 16. D19-Dillon Stake[17]; 17. 08-Keith Koontz[23]; 18. 11-Kirk Baker[12]; 19. 8-Matt Sponaugle[16]; 20. 48-Donnie Farlling[21]; 21. 93-Cory Lawler[24]; 22. 25-Andy Anderson[2]; 23. 86-Scott Palmer[22]; 24. (DNS) 13D-Jonathan DeHaven

We have some 2020 action photos of the ABR #86 for you while we wait to get back to the track!

Click the heading to view them!

Austin Berry Racing kicks off their 2020 season with a roller-coaster day

Port Royal, PA – March 14, 2020 by Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

Optimistic.  That’s the word that describes every race team in the pits at their first race each season. 

Teams and drivers work hard all winter to improve their equipment, their knowledge and their skills.  They arrive at the first race anxious and ready to combine all the knowledge and skills with the refreshed equipment in hopes of seeing better results than the year before.  It’s the top of a hill on a roller-coaster you could say.  Such was the case for Austin Berry Racing Saturday afternoon at Port Royal Speedway.  The #86 Rocket Chassis XR1 supported by partners Swift Springs, MS Shock Therapy, Hershey Racing Engines, Berry’s Siding & Seamless gutter, Ontime Body & Graphics and Nathan Berry Beef farm was ready for 2020.

Then it happened.  Despite starting just fine at their shop, for some mysterious reason the car would not fire.  The feeling was the same one your stomach gets plummeting down that first big hill on a roller-coaster.  You waited all day (or winter in this case) to ride…and now this happens.  The team hurried to diagnose and resolve the issue but by the time they were able to do so, they had missed their hot lap session. 

With the issue resolved, Austin turned his focus to starting 3rd in heat number three.  He turned in a solid run, finishing 2nd and putting himself in the redraw.  The top three finishers in each of the three heats for the twenty-nine car field were placed into a nine car redraw for the top starting positions in the feature event.  The team was definitely back at the top of a hill. 

Brace yourself for another downhill on today’s roller-coaster.  Austin drew pill #9, the worst available. 

The 25 lap main event was uneventful.  The team missed the setup a bit.  Despite finishing 14th, it wasn’t all bad.  A lot was learned based on how the car responded to conditions, driving choices and setup choices. 

Learning how to pick the right combinations of all their new equipment and knowledge for each set of conditions is going to take time, but this was certainly a productive day toward that goal.

Despite being a trying day, it definitely ended on an upbeat note…back on top the proverbial roller-coaster hill:  several young fans approached Berry after the race asking for autographs, which he gladly obliged with a smile.

So day number one of the 2020 season was a roller-coaster.  How does the ABR team feel now about the 2020 season? 

Optimistic.  Without a doubt.  Optimistic.

SOCIAL MEDIA:  Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season at:

  • Facebook                www.facebook.com/ABR
  • Twitter                    @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:  Addicted 2 Dirt PR & Media Management can be contacted at:

  • Website                  Addicted2DirtPR.com
  • Email                      [email protected]
  • Twitter                   @Addicted2DirtPR
  • Facebook               www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR

BIG NEWS?? New ABR shirts for 2020??

Click for details, prices and how to order in their Facebook post!

Austin Berry Racing welcomes Swift Springs

Austin Berry Racing welcomes Swift Springs

Mifflin, PA – March 3, 2020 by Addicted2Dirt PR & Media Management

Austin Berry Racing is excited to welcome Swift Springs as a sponsor for the 2020 season! 

Swift Springs was founded in 1997 to provide racers and motorsports enthusiasts with the highest technology in springs at a reasonable price.  As noted on their website, “The purpose was to demonstrate our superior engineering in springs by developing the next generation of motor sports suspension coil springs. They had to have the best characteristics of any brand or design in the market, which required the springs to be the lightest in weight and most durable, and to exhibit the most linear characteristics while still being cost effective.

Their first-hand involvement within the race industry has propelled Swift quickly through the ranks of some of the world’s most reputable races.  Swift springs quickly became one of the most recognized and respected name in performance coil springs in many genres of motor sports throughout the world.”

Berry is eager to get his 2020 season started with this new partnership in place.  He had this to say about ABR’s new partner, “Swift Springs is the leader in their industry.  In racing, you can’t remain static.  You always have to be working to improve, and that’s what Swift does every day.  They are always trying new things with their product to find an edge.  Their continuing advancements will only help our team improve too.”

#swiftsprings #teamswift #thescienceofwinning #springswithintelligence #thespringsthatgetresults #thespringschampionsrelyon #whatareyouwaitingfor

Visit Swift Springs at any of the following to learn more and get the best springs available!

  • Website                       www.swiftsprings.com
  • Email                           [email protected]
  • Facebook                    www.facebook.com/SwiftSprings
  • Twitter                        @SwiftSprings1

SOCIAL MEDIA:  Fans can follow Austin Berry Racing during the 2020 season at:

  • Facebook                www.facebook.com/ABR
  • Twitter                    @AustinBerryRacn

PUBLIC RELATIONS:  Addicted 2 Dirt PR & Media Management can be contacted at:

  • Website                  Addicted2DirtPR.com
  • Email                      [email protected]
  • Twitter                   @Addicted2DirtPR
  • Facebook               www.facebook.com/Addicted2DirtPR