Story By: RICH WATTS / AUSTIN BERRY RACING – MIFFLIN, PA – Austin Berry’s super late model program has been on a steady trend in the right direction the last couple years. It is the result of working hard to build a program the right way, on a solid foundation of knowledge and support.
Berry and his team may have worked harder this off-season than any recent stretch of time. They continued to build depth in their equipment, parts and support.
All of this combined will keep Berry at the track without the concern of missing races due to failures. More racing means more opportunity to learn and thus hopefully continued improvement.
A key piece of the puzzle is primary partner The Tire Mart Tire Pros of Harrisburg, who returns for their second full season in support of Austin Berry Racing.
The Tire Mart Tire Pros of Harrisburg is a family-owned, full-service automotive business that has been serving a loyal customer base for over 54 years. From the beginning, The Tire Mart Tire Pros of Harrisburg has been a family-run business built on the values of honesty and trust. Today, with a tremendous reputation, those values remain, and they continue providing automotive service with a local business touch that is hard to find these days.
“Greg and all the folks at The Tire Mart Tire Pros of Harrisburg are just fantastic people. As soon as we got to know each other, we realized we were the same kind of people and we run our operations the same way. They work hard and they are honest and trustworthy. If you are looking for a place to take your car, you can’t find a better group of folks to depend on.”, Berry said.
Also returning are partners Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, Locust Hill Custom Butcher Shop, Nathan Berry Beef Farm and Addicted2DirtPR.com.
“These local businesses run by family and friends have been with me through it all. I can only ask fans to support them by patronizing them and thanking them for what they do for racing.”, Berry said.
The team has also continued their product partnerships with Kevin Nouse Designs/KND Safety, DMI Bulldog Rears, Swift Springs and DirtCarLift.
The team’s efforts on the track last season, combined with their efforts off the track over the winter, have led to several new partnerships and relationships.
Austin Berry Racing would like to welcome Juniata Veterinary Clinic to the team! The Juniata Veterinary Clinic has been delivering exceptional veterinary care to the animals of Juniata and Mifflin Counties for over 30 years. Their 3-doctor team treats animals of all types and ages, providing a full range of services to ensure that the animals in their community can get all the care they need and deserve.
“It means a lot to have a local business in your own back yard want to be a part of what you’re doing. I am thrilled to have Michaela and Juniata Veterinary Clinic on board.“, Berry said.
In addition, the team previously announced new partnerships with SRI Performance, VP Race Fuels and GO Lithium. Each of these key partners has brought knowledge, great products and tremendous support to the team.
“I know it sounds like I’m just saying what I’m supposed to say, but I truly mean this. The folks at SRI Performance, VP Race Fuels and GO Lithium are great people to work with. They have provided service to us above the level I expected. There is a reason they are successful companies. You don’t get there by not being a good partner to your customers.”, Berry commented.
The team’s growth didn’t stop there. They have established several new product partner relationships, including Valvoline Pro-V Racing, Super Clean, Peterson Fluid Systems, Barnes Systems, Quick Car, Sweet Manufacturing, BDR Racing Products, Beyea Headers, Strange Oval, Quarter Master and P3 Graphix.
The foundation of Austin Berry Racing’s on-track program remains unchanged from the past two seasons. They will continue competing in their Rocket Chassis XR1 on JDS Racing/Penske Racing Shocks with A&C Racing Engines power under the hood.
The good news going into the 2023 season is the team will kick things off with both motors fresh and ready.
Berry and his team are targeting around 40 races on their tentative schedule if all were to go well, but how many races they can actually take on will depend on how the season unfolds.
Port Royal Speedway in Pennsylvania will be the team’s primary home with 19 races scheduled there from early March through early September.
The team will also make stops at familiar tracks Hagerstown and Bedford for big events like the Billy Winn Classic, the Turk Burkett Tribute, the Frank Sagi Tribute, the Gary Martz Memorial, the Nathan Durboraw Tribute and some Lucas Oil Late Model events.
New on this year’s schedule, the team is aiming to venture to Georgetown (DE) and Marion Center (PA) for Lucas Oil and World of Outlaw events. They are also tentatively looking at traveling to Western Pennsylvania for a pair of Lucas Oil Late Model events at Lernerville Speedway (Firecracker 100) and Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway (Pittsburgher 100).
The part of the schedule the team may be looking forward to the most is the Appalachian Mountain Speedweek for super late models. The series will consist of 8 races spanning 10 days across Central Pennsylvania and into Maryland. The series will stop at Clinton County, Port Royal, Hagerstown, Path Valley, Beford (2 shows), Lincoln and Selinsgrove speedways.
Racing For Time Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Campaign
Five years ago, on the 10th anniversary of the loss of his grandfather to pancreatic cancer, Austin Berry decided to dedicate the 2018 season to his late grandfather by racing a purple car and working all season long to raise money for and awareness of the dreadful disease that has only a 9% survival rate, far lower than most other forms of cancer.
Berry committed to honor his late grandfather every five seasons in the same way. It is now 2023 and it is time to break out the purple once again. Throughout the season fans will be able to enter to win some unique items, such as Berry’s driving gloves, a tail banner, and body panels from the car. There will also be apparel available and decals, which fans can sign in memory of a loved one and then place on the deck of Berry’s No.86 where it will ride all season long. All of these fun opportunities will raise money for PanCan.org.
“This campaign means a lot to me, my mom and my entire family. My grandfather was a big part of my start in racing, so it gives us a way to honor him, but it also allows us to help spread the word about warning signs of pancreatic cancer and maybe help someone recognize the signs before it is too late.“, Berry shared.
“Unfortunately, we know too many people who have been affected by pancreatic cancer. We share an unfortunate experience, so when they find out what we are doing, they want to help however they can.”
The name of the campaign, ‘Racing For Time’, stems from the fact that most cases of pancreatic cancer are not discovered until they reach stage 4, leading to a mere 9% five-year survival rate. There is no blood test that can detect the disease. It goes undiscovered until it has advanced enough to cause noticeable symptoms. Therefore, patients have little time. Berry hopes increasing awareness and raising funds for research will lead to patients having more time, thus he is ‘Racing For Time’.
The team will release more details about the campaign in the coming weeks.
