By Robert Haugh
Hoping to improve on the momentum of two straight Top 10 runs, American Canyon, CA native Travis Berryhill was gunning at capturing Top 5 runs in the POWRi Lucas Oil/Stark Automotive Group-Mid-State Equipment BMARA joint events on Friday June 22 at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway and Saturday, June 23 at Macon (Ill.) Speedway.
Manning the Manic Racing #11 Spike-built Stealth/Fontana, the “Spirit of American Canyon” Berryhill started the weekend rough, moving backwards in the Heat at Lincoln Speedway, having missed the setup.
With a disappointing Heat run, Berryhill transferred through the Semi with a solid rebound to make the Feature.
Passing several cars on the cushion, Berryhill started in the rear of the Feature, moving up steadily through the race, garnering his third consecutive Top 10 run, crossing the checkers in seventh. “I felt like I had a Top 5 car, I just needed track position,” said Berryhill.
Saturday saw nearly 40 midgets in the pits at Macon Speedway co-owned by NASCAR stars Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, and Tony Stewart.
Berryhill again missed the setup in his Heat race, having to run from deep in the Semi. Starting 16th in the Semi, Berryhill surged to sixth, capturing the final transfer spot to the Feature. “I was just a tick off in the heat race, and you can’t make up for much on a tight,
1/5-mile hooked up bullring,” said Berryhill.
After starting dead last in the Feature, Berryhill was making ground when he was caught in an unavoidable early-race incident, relegating him to the rear on the restart. Berryhill was unfortunately sidelined after getting bumped by a competitor, sending Berryhill hard into a series of flips, ending up in the fence with a heavily damaged racecar, including a bent frame.
Despite the unfortunate ending to a strong weekend performance, Berryhill is proud of his team. “My team is made of first class guys. We may have been in the pits with a wrecked race car, but at the end of the night, we still have integrity which transcends racing,” says Berryhill.
“We’ve got a lot of work cut out for ourselves, but they are behind me … we have a great group of guys and sponsors. We are just starting to get things rolling, I think the hard work will pay off sooner rather than later.”
Berryhill’s Manic Racing teammate David Budres of Beloit, WI struggled with mechanical gremlins from the motor on Friday, eventually working the bugs out for Saturday’s event, only to suffer from another non-related mechanical woe in Saturday’s Heat race.
“We will not let the back luck get us down, we will keep diggin,” concluded Berryhill.
Vallejo Coin Exchange, K&N, MPD Racing, Schroeder Torsion Bars, Hinchman Indy Racing Uniforms, Redline Oil and Manic Racing are proud sponsors of Travis Berryhill Racing. Additional associate sponsors include Autonet Mobile, Leading Edge Composites, LOK Ent., Advanced Racing Suspensions, Fontana Automotive, Rod End Supply, Shift Creative and Western Open Wheel Racing News.
The Manic Racing entries currently sport distinctive pink ribbons, with the team having hooked up with Racing 2 Cure prior to the 2012 Chili Bowl. Racing 2 Cure’s mission is helping families who are currently fighting cancer.
Visit www.travisberryhill.com for Travis’ schedule, news and merchandise. Also, follow Travis on Twitter (@tbspeed11) and on Facebook at facebook.com/tbspeed11.