Date: 02/01/2006
SPOKANE, Wash.
-- Driver Tony Berry and the Villelli Racing midget team made the eight-hour
haul to the first ever indoor midget event at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in
Salem, OR this past weekend resulting in their first win of 2006.
The weekend would get off to a tumultuous start as the team unloaded their #53
Speed Sport Report, Budweiser, Idaho National Guard, River City River Runners,
Ellis midget from the trailer. The track was much tighter than expected and as a
result the gearing was off. Often a simple remedy with quick change gears, but
there was some difficulty stuffing the proper gears into the rear end. As a
result, the team was forced to compromise with a different gear set. "I need to
thank my crew guys for working so hard all weekend. We had the rear end in and
out of the car four times. I need to also thank Steve and Spence Gatrell who run
with the WMRA. We left the track Friday night after practice to go to their shop
and pull the rear end out of their completed racecar to see if we could get a
little closer with that one. As it turned out, we didn't end up using that one,
but there aren't too many race teams that would go to that effort for someone
that they didn't even know very well."
Once Saturday's events got under way, Berry quickly adapted to the flat, tight
1/6th of a mile dirt oval. Berry finished second in both qualifying heat races
after starting fourth on the one-grooved track. When main event time rolled
around, Berry started outside of the second row. After contact on the start, the
#53 was the last car to enter turn one. In the 20-lap event each move counted as
the laps wound down quickly. Berry worked his way back into the second position
by lap nine. Trying the inside and outside to no avail, the #53 was running
second when the white flag flew. After a thrilling last lap duel with the cars
that ultimately finished second and third, Berry crossed the finish line first
picking up the win.
"I was worried that we wouldn't have enough time to work our way forward after
getting knocked out of the way on the start. It was a very fast, tight,
one-grooved track and was very difficult to pass on. I got up to second and
tried the outside, but there just wasn't anything up there and no one else was
willing to go up there with me. It was an exciting finish and I am just glad
that we could bring home the win for the team.
The track was really cool, it was so small that about the time the car got going
you'd have to dynamite the brakes to make the corner. The promoters, Bob Leach
and Bill Arnold did a first class job preparing the track and putting on a well-
run show. The Oregon fans and competitors are a great group. They get very
excited about their motorsports"
The rest of the 2006 season will hopefully prove to be as rewarding as the start
of the year for the AJB racing team. Berry and crew will be campaigning the #3
Late Model with the Inland Northwest Super Stock Association, the #53 with the
Washington Midget Racing Association, as well as select events in the #53 Winged
Sprint Car. Current efforts include seeking a competitive opportunity in an NSRA
Sprint Car for the season opener at Monroe on April 1.
The entire AJB racing and Villelli Racing teams would like to wish the Seattle
Seahawks good luck this weekend in Super Bowl XL.
For more information on Villelli Racing and Tony Berry contact AJB Motorsports
Marketing @ 800.366.2682