Story By: A2DPR / AUSTIN BERRY RACING – PORT ROYAL, PA – Austin Berry knew making the Lucas Oil Late Model Series Rumble by the River finale at his home track, Port Royal Speedway, would be challenging, especially given he was down on horsepower with his number two engine under the hood.
Racers don’t sit at home though. They give it their all and work to find a way.
Maybe with the tough luck he has had this season he was due for a break and things would go his way. You don’t know until you try.
A large, quality field of 52 super late model teams signed in to compete on the preliminary night of the two day Rumble by the River Lucas Oil Late Model event at Port Royal Speedway on Friday, August 25th.
Berry’s night started off with a good pill draw which put him 3rd in the qualifying order. Traditionally an early qualifying opportunity provides the best track conditions. Unfortunately, the combination of a horsepower shortage and a missed setup landed Berry 22nd of the 26 cars in his group.
The Tire Mart Tire Pros of Harrisburg, Juniata Veterinary Clinic, Berry’s Siding & Seamless Gutter, SRI Performance / Stock Car Steel & Aluminum, VP Racing Fuels, JDS Racing, Locust Hill Custom Butcher Shop, Nathan Berry Beef Farm, Addicted2DirtPR.com, GO Lithium, Valvoline Pro-V Racing, Super Clean, Rocket Chassis, Austin Berry Racing No.86 lined up 8th for the heat race but couldn’t gain any track position and finished in the same spot.
Berry and the team continued to adjust and try to get better for the 25-lap main event. Every position gained would improve their position for Saturday’s heat races and give them a shot at racing their way into the $50,000 to win finale.
Berry started 22nd in the A-main. From the drop of the green he went right to work chipping his way forward and by lap seventeen he had moved into 14th. The progress stalled there but it was a solid effort to recover from a poor qualifying run.
The sense of at least some relief was short-lived. As Berry flashed under the checkered flag, his engine expired with a show of flames.
Instead of starting 5th in his heat race Saturday night, Berry was greeting fans and selling merchandise while his wounded race car sat 10 minutes away in his team’s race shop.
With both of the team’s super late model engines sidelined, Berry will get an early start on his off-season work and 2024 preparation. The team shared that they will make a change to their engine program by aligning with a different engine builder going forward.
“Those conversations had already started prior to this weekend.”, Berry shared.
However, that doesn’t mean Berry will be sitting at home! The team has secured a limited late model motor to compete in that division at this Saturday’s Butch Renninger Memorial at Port Royal Speedway.