Berry blasts to first USMTS win at Rocket Raceway Park

March 4, 2023 | by Jeff Nun, USMTS.com

Tom Berry Jr. won the Summit USMTS Modified main event during the 13th Annual Summit Texas Spring Nationals at the Rocket Raceway Park in Petty, Texas, on Saturday, March 4, 2023.

The Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt kicked off the 25th season of excellence in dirt track racing Saturday night with opening night of the 13th Annual Summit Spring Nationals at the Rocket Raceway Park.

Despite a wet week in North Texas, an event record 87 entries packed the pit area with many of them having one eye on Saturday’s $10,000 winner’s share of the purse and the other on the $100,000 awaiting the 2023 USMTS National Champion in November.

Five of the drivers in the first six rows to start the 40-lap main event were seeking their first USMTS victory, but when the checkered flag waved it was just four as Tom Berry Jr. scored his first win in the kickoff to his quest for the Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year title.

After battling his way in the redraw among the top eight qualifiers, Berry garnered the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award and led the field to the drop of the green flag. Zack VanderBeek challenged on the opening lap but a quick caution reset the field.

Berry took off on the restart and led the next 29 laps while surviving five yellow flags and navigating a racing surface wrought with “character,” but with 10 laps to go his first threat came in the form of Terry Phillips, who slipped underneath Berry to lead lap 30.

Berry came right back and continued to remain faithful to the top side of the racetrack on both ends while Phillips searched high and low for any advantage he could find. Phillips snuck by at the flagstand again to be scored the leader on lap 38, but Berry would not be shaken.

Berry regained the lead and sent a shower of sparks down the front-stretch wall as he nipped Phillips at the checked flag by about two-tenths of a second. Berry’s first USMTS triumph paid $10,000 to the 27-year-old originally from Medford, Oregon, and now residing in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Me and Phillips are good buddies,” Berry said in victory lane. “We’ve probably burned 1,000 laps together with the crate stuff so I appreciate Terry for not giving it to me but he didn't dirty me up for the win.”

A third generation racer, Berry comes from a deeply rooted family legacy which includes his grandfather, Bill Berry, who was a professional drag boat racer, holding the world record in 1967 and 1968, and his father, Tom Berry Sr.—a professional AMA flat track racer from 1970-1980.

“I can't thank everyone enough for sticking it out. It's a little chilly out here with the wind and what not and I'm just grateful to be up here. My dad died about six years ago on Tuesday so he is definitely looking over me on this one.”

Phillips, whose family legacy is also well-known and is even called out with his new Bloodline Race Cars business, settled for second but made quick work of the cobwebs that may be lurking beneath his new design.

Another rookie contender, Gary Christian bested fellow Oklahoma racer Jason Hughes to finish third while Darron Fuqua passed 20 competitors to round out the top five at the stripe.

Sixth, seventh and eighth were Jake O'Neil, Brandon Givens and Dan Ebert, who started 21st, 22nd and 20th, respectively. Tanner Mullens rebounded from an early-race scuffle to nab ninth and Will Krup took tenth.

The USMTS returns to the Rocket Raceway Park tomorrow for the second and final day of the 13th Annual Summit Spring Nationals. Sunday’s main event winner will pocket $5,000 and every feature race starter will take home no less than $500.

Stealth thru Tubing USRA Stock Cars ($500 to win), Colston & Son Ready Mix USRA Limited Mods ($600 to win), By-Line Surveying USRA Factory Stocks ($500 to win) and J & G Services Eco-Mods ($300 to win) will also be on the card for a second straight night.

The pits will open at noon with grandstand gates swinging open at 2:30. The drivers meeting takes place at 3:15 with hot laps and USMTS qualifying slated for 3:30 and racing at 4.

General admission tickets for spectators are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and members of the military, $10 for youth ages 12-16 and kids ages 11 and under get in for free. Pit pass are $40 or $20 for kids ages 6-10. Children ages 5 and under are free to enter the pits with an accompanying adult pit pass holder.

The Rocket Raceway Park holds 3,400 spectators and its elevated grandstands offer superb viewing from any seat. The venue can be found in Lamar County—about 15 minutes west of Paris and 25 minutes east of Bonham at 16369 US Hwy 82, Petty, TX 75470.

Learn more at RocketRacewayPark.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt currently features 46 nights of racing at 15 of America's premier dirt track racing venues in nine states for its Silver Anniversary season. Just the winners of those events are set to earn more than $300,000 with nearly $2 million in purses and prize money earmarked for the 2023 campaign.

Watch every USMTS event online live and on-demand from anywhere on any device with RacinDirt. Download the app at Roku, Amazon Fire, iOS, Apple TV or on Google Play.

Visit usmts.com for schedules, points, photos, souvenirs, videos and more. Follow our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Click here to get USMTS news delivered to your inbox.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
United States Modified Touring Series
Summit USMTS National Championship presented by RacinDirt
13th Annual Summit USMTS Spring Nationals – Night 1 of 2
Rocket Raceway Park, Petty, Texas
Saturday, March 4, 2023

Showing finishing position, starting position in parentheses, car number, driver and hometown. Heat race lineups are determined via group qualifying. The top 12 in heat race passing points advance to the Summit Racing Equipment “A” Main.

SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps):
1. (3) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
2. (2) 15 Chase Wascom, Denham Springs, La.
3. (6) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls, Wis.
4. (11) 130 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas
5. (4) 55 Chris Kratzer, Wichita, Kan.
6. (7) 15WX Kale Westover, Altus, Okla.
7. (1) 45 Chase Holland, Success, Miss.
8. (9) 16B Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.
9. (10) 56 Broc Bowen, Fannin, Texas
10. (8) 96 Taton Hansen, Spicer, Minn.
11. (5) 29 Chris Spalding, Montgomery City, Mo.

FAST SHAFTS HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps):
1. (4) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa
2. (2) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (7) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
4. (6) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
5. (9) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
6. (11) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
7. (3) 747 Colton Eck, Goddard, Kan.
8. (8) 17 Jon Plowman, Woodbine, Iowa
9. (5) 7G Sean Gaddis, Diana, Texas
10. (10) 28B Wendall Bolden, Greenville, Texas
11. (1) 71 Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas

EDELBROCK HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps):
1. (3) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas
2. (9) 11X Tom Berry Jr., Des Moines, Iowa
3. (6) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
4. (4) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
5. (5) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
6. (1) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
7. (8) 40 Jessy Willard, Mound City, Kan.
8. (11) 54 Carlos Ahumada Sr., El Paso, Texas
9. (7) 5 Steve Holzkamper, Gentry, Ark.
10. (10) 11F Clint Fletcher, Tyler, Texas
11. (2) 4D Bo Day, Greenville, Texas

WIELAND HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps):
1. (1) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (4) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
3. (3) C7 Corey Neil Jr.., Bridge City, Texas
4. (5) K9 Will Krup, Mt. Carmel, Ill.
5. (6) 30 Dalton Kirk, Edgerton, Kan.
6. (2) 47 Jack Sartain, Royse City, Texas
7. (8) 15W Wyatt Gaggero, Wichita, Kan.
8. (10) 38TX T.J. Tolleson, Bevins, Texas
9. (7) 15D Dennie Gieber, Frankston, Texas
10. (11) 211 Richie Ginn, Jarreau, La.
11. (9) 36 Jay Quillin, Fort Smith, Ark.

VP RACING HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps):
1. (4) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
2. (2) 712 Trevor Hughes, Salina, Okla.
3. (5) 10B Brandon Givens, Wichita, Kan.
4. (7) 4M Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas
5. (11) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
6. (10) 21D Daniel Drury, Iowa Falls, Iowa
7. (1) 5X Danny Veal, Princeton, Texas
8. (8) D25 David Tanner, Wichita Falls, Texas
9. (9) 82 Jimmie Williams, Denison, Texas
10. (3) 2G Kenny Gaddis, Diana, Texas
11. (6) 10 Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa

SUPER CLEAN HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps):
1. (2) 4RJ Jared Russell, Wagoner, Okla.
2. (3) 38T Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, Calif.
3. (7) 01 Jacob Hobscheidt, Plattsmouth, Neb.
4. (1) 56X Colton Horner, Houston, Texas
5. (9) 4 Jeremy Nelson, Alexandria, Minn.
6. (4) 12H Mike Hansen, Dickinson, N.D.
7. (5) 13J James McCreery, Midlothian, Texas
8. (10) 15G Scott Green, Derby, Kan.
9. (6) 18M Wayne Melton, Caddo Mills, Texas
10. (8) 18 Bobby Mayfield, Elk City, Okla.
DNS – 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa

MEL HAMBELTON RACING HEAT RACE #7 (8 laps):
1. (1) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
2. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
3. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
4. (5) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas
5. (3) 28 Cory Davis, Seminole, Texas
6. (8) 66X Mike Dillard, McKinney, Texas
7. (7) 25C Cody Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa
8. (9) 410 Justin McCoy, Grandview, Texas
9. (2) 22B Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
10. (10) 23 Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn.
11. (11) 101 Tyson Dickson, Lubbock, Texas

SHOCKER HITCH HEAT RACE #8 (8 laps):
1. (4) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
2. (5) 7X Chris Dawson, Lubbock, Texas
3. (1) 44F Fred Wojtek, Blackwell, Texas
4. (6) 2C Chris Huckeba, Midlothian, Texas
5. (9) 11N Gene Nicholas, Lowell, Ark.
6. (3) 7W Willie Gammill, Siloam Springs, Ark.
7. (7) 00 Scott Bryant, Baring, Mo.
8. (8) 9H Aaron Halpain, Hulbert, Okla.
9. (10) 78 Billy Jack Brutchin, Gladewater, Texas
10. (2) 12I Jason Ingalls, Longview, Texas

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #1 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. (4) K9 Will Krup, Mt. Carmel, Ill.
2. (2) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
3. (6) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
4. (1) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa
5. (7) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
6. (10) 65 Tyler Davis, Haysville, Kan.
7. (5) 4M Bobby Malchus, Red Oak, Texas
8. (9) 13J James McCreery, Midlothian, Texas
9. (8) 55 Chris Kratzer, Wichita, Kan.
10. (16) 2G Kenny Gaddis, Diana, Texas
11. (15) 96 Taton Hansen, Spicer, Minn.
12. (14) 22B Rick Beebe, Shawnee, Kan.
13. (12) 5X Danny Veal, Princeton, Texas
14. (11) 747 Colton Eck, Goddard, Kan.
15. (3) 2C Chris Huckeba, Midlothian, Texas
16. (17) 36 Jay Quillin, Fort Smith, Ark.
17. (13) 9H Aaron Halpain, Hulbert, Okla.
DNS – 25C Cody Thompson, Sioux City, Iowa
DNS – 82 Jimmie Williams, Denison, Texas

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #2 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. (6) 4 Jeremy Nelson, Alexandria, Minn.
2. (2) 01 Jacob Hobscheidt, Plattsmouth, Neb.
3. (1) 10B Brandon Givens, Wichita, Kan.
4. (18) 4D Bo Day, Greenville, Texas
5. (17) 10 Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa
6. (5) C7 Corey Neil Jr., Bridge City, Texas
7. (15) 5 Steve Holzkamper, Gentry, Ark.
8. (12) 16B Randy Brown, Chowchilla, Calif.
9. (16) 28B Wendall Bolden, Greenville, Texas
10. (11) 00 Scott Bryant, Baring, Mo.
11. (3) 15 Chase Wascom, Denham Springs, La.
12. (9) 12H Mike Hansen, Dickinson, N.D.
13. (4) 65X Carlos Ahumada Jr., El Paso, Texas
14. (14) 7G Sean Gaddis, Diana, Texas
15. (13) 17 Jon Plowman, Woodbine, Iowa
16. (8) 28 Cory Davis, Seminole, Texas
17. (7) 19SB Lance Mari, El Centro, Calif.
18. (10) 40 Jessy Willard, Mound City, Kan.
DNS – 7 Al Hejna, Clear Lake, Iowa

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #3 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. (1) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
2. (3) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
3. (4) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
4. (8) 66X Mike Dillard, McKinney, Texas
5. (7) 56X Colton Horner, Houston, Texas
6. (12) 410 Justin McCoy, Grandview, Texas
7. (10) 15W Wyatt Gaggero, Wichita, Kan.
8. (9) 7W Willie Gammill, Siloam Springs, Ark.
9. (15) 15D Dennie Gieber, Frankston, Texas
10. (14) 56 Broc Bowen, Fannin, Texas
11. (6) 11N Gene Nicholas, Lowell, Ark.
12. (11) 38TX T.J. Tolleson, Bevins, Texas
13. (13) D25 David Tanner, Wichita Falls, Texas
14. (18) 101 Tyson Dickson, Lubbock, Texas
15. (19) 71 Chad Melton, Mineral Wells, Texas
16. (17) 18 Bobby Mayfield, Elk City, Okla.
17. (5) 30 Dalton Kirk, Edgerton, Kan.
18. (2) 38T Dylan Thornton, Orcutt, Calif.
19. (16) 11F Clint Fletcher, Tyler, Texas

REAL RACING WHEELS “B” MAIN #4 (15 laps, top 3 advance):
1. (4) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
2. (6) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
3. (2) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
4. (3) 712 Trevor Hughes, Salina, Okla.
5. (8) 15WX Kale Westover, Altus, Okla.
6. (12) 45 Chase Holland, Success, Miss.
7. (18) 12I Jason Ingalls, Longview, Texas
8. (5) 44F Fred Wojtek, Blackwell, Texas
9. (9) 47 Jack Sartain, Royse City, Texas
10. (11) 15G Scott Green, Derby, Kan.
11. (17) 29 Chris Spalding, Montgomery City, Mo.
12. (13) 18M Wayne Melton, Caddo Mills, Texas
13. (15) 211 Richie Ginn, Jarreau, La.
14. (10) 54 Carlos Ahumada Sr., El Paso, Texas
15. (7) 21D Daniel Drury, Iowa Falls, Iowa
16. (14) 78 Billy Jack Brutchin, Gladewater, Texas
17. (1) 130 Chase Allen, Midlothian, Texas
18. (16) 23 Darwin Karau, Kasson, Minn.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT “A” MAIN (40 laps):
1. (2) 11X Tom Berry Jr., Des Moines, Iowa
2. (8) 75 Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
3. (4) 58X Gary Christian, Broken Bow, Okla.
4. (6) 12 Jason Hughes, Watts, Okla.
5. (25) 87 Darron Fuqua, Mayetta, Kan.
6. (21) 0 Jake O'Neil, Tucson, Ariz.
7. (22) 10B Brandon Givens, Wichita, Kan.
8. (20) 60 Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minn.
9. (5) 02 Tanner Mullens, Wichita, Kan.
10. (13) K9 Will Krup, Mt. Carmel, Ill.
11. (16) 49 Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
12. (14) 4 Jeremy Nelson, Alexandria, Minn.
13. (17) 24C Jim Chisholm, Osage, Iowa
14. (1) 33Z Zack VanderBeek, New Sharon, Iowa
15. (12) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
16. (26) 10 Cayden Carter, Oskaloosa, Iowa
17. (10) 4W Tyler Wolff, Fayetteville, Ark.
18. (11) 4RJ Jared Russell, Wagoner, Okla.
19. (3) 16 Chris Henigan, Marshall, Texas
20. (18) 01 Jacob Hobscheidt, Plattsmouth, Neb.
21. (7) 7X Chris Dawson, Lubbock, Texas
22. (9) 99L Steve Lavasseur, River Falls, Wis.
23. (15) 97 Cade Dillard, Robeline, La.
24. (19) 4R Dereck Ramirez, Woodward, Okla.
25. (23) 20 Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
26. (24) 91 Joe Duvall, Claremore, Okla.
27. (27) 21K Kyle Brown, Madrid, Iowa

Lap Leaders: Berry 1-29, Phillips 30, Berry 31-37, Phillips 38, Berry 39-40.
Total Laps Led: Berry 38, Phillips 2.
Margin of Victory: 0.198 second.
Time of Race: 38 minutes, 59.912 seconds (5 cautions).
Provisional Starters: Fuqua, Carter.
Emergency Provisionals: K. Brown.
FK Rod Ends Hard Charger: O’Neil (started 21st, finished 6th).
Entries: 87.
Next Race: Sunday, March 5, Rocket Raceway Park, Petty, Texas.
Summit USMTS National Championship Points: Berry 103, Phillips 96, Christian 91, J. Hughes 87, Fuqua 84, O'Neil 81, Givens 78, Ebert 76, Mullens 74, Krup 72.
Grant Junghans USMTS Rookie of the Year Points: Berry 103, Christian 91, Krup 72, Hobscheidt 54, Lavasseur 52.
Miller Welders USMTS Manufacturers Championship Points: Harris, Bloodline, CDR, Hughes, Mullens.
Callies/JE Pistons USMTS Engine Builder of the Year Points: Mullins, Durham, Cornett, Hatfield, ProPower.

Contingency Awards:
Aero Race Wheels – Ahumada Sr.
American Racer – Bryant.
Beyea Custom Headers – J. Hughes.
BigDeal Car Care – Berry, Christian.
Bryke Racing – Bleess.
BSB Manufacturing – Dawson.
Carquest – J. Hughes.
Champ Pans – Fuqua.
Collins Brothers Towing – Carter.
Deatherage Opticians – VanderBeek.
Edelbrock – Henigan.
Fast Shafts – VanderBeek.
FK Rod Ends – O’Neil.
Hooker Harness – Nelson.
Hyperco – Ramirez.
Integra Racing Shocks & Springs – Russell.
Keyser Manufacturing – Krup.
KSE Racing Products – Mullens.
MD3 – Berry.
Mel Hambelton Racing – Phillips.
Mesilla Valley Transportation – R. Brown.
Midwest Wrap Co. – Lavasseur.
Penske Racing Shocks – Chisholm.
PEM Racing Gears & Drivetrain – Fuqua.
QA1 – Henigan.
Quarter Master – Mullens.
RacerWebsite.com – Holland.
Salty’s BBQ & Catering – Christian.
Simpson Performance Products – Mullens.
Summit Racing Equipment – Berry, R. Brown, Eck, T. Hughes, Lavasseur.
Super Clean – Berry.
Swift Springs – Duvall, Henigan, Berry.
Sybesma Graphics – Berry.
VP Racing – Berry.
Wehrs Machine & Racing Products – Fletcher.
Wilwood Disc Brakes – Givens.