Drag Illustrated Issue 109, May 2016 | Page 78

LIGHTS OUT 7 Team Effort KEITH BERRY Mustang dubbed “The Shadow”. The crowd on the starting line when it came time for the big money match up alone was impressive without even taking into account the thousands of fans who had endured, determined to see a winner crowned and nearly $55,000 change hands. Despite having further poured the coals to the Pro Line-powered ‘Vette in anticipating of a collective 3.8-second final round, the race was decided on the starting line. Berry left the line four-hundredths-of-a-second quicker than Jackson (.026-seconds to .066) and held off the hard-charging Jackson for 660-feet, crossing the finish line stripe first by just twothousandths-of-a-second ahead, or roughly six inches, to take the win with a 3.934-second, 192.69 mph effort over Jackson’s 3.896 at 194.80 mph. “To win it like that,” starts Berry, “it’s just a Cinder ella story because I’m a big fan of Stevie’s and we’re great friends and we talk regularly. I think the world of him, and he’s a truly great racer. We stepped on it and we hurt it there in the final – got four rods. Based on what we lost in the back split, I think we would have been right there with him, but to win it on a hole shot… it’s special.” For Berry, who has undeniably enjoyed a considerable amount of success over the course of his drag racing career, this come-from- anything quite like it; it was crazy. For me…I don’t know if this one can ever be duplicated.” Still smelling of the champagne he was dosed with in the winner’s circle, and wearing the infamous black leather cowboy hat that accompanies the cash awarded to the winner of Donald Long’s productions, Berry and company “To win like that – on a holeshot against one of my great friends, who is also a great racer – it’s just a Cinderella story.” behind win at Lights Out 7 is as good as it gets. “After all the work, all the late nights and everyone spending all this time away from their families, I would have been pretty proud of this group of guys for qualifying,” says Berry. “Again, to win it? It’s hard to describe. And that race? I don’t think words can adequately describe that race, not accurately. The feeling, the atmosphere and the buzz, it was electric. It was the first time I’ve experienced started their trek home much in the same fashion and condition it began: in the middle of the night and completely exhausted. “I made it about 15 miles on I-75 and had to pull over,” says Berry. “I was just emotionally drained; I don’t think I could have made it another mile when I saw the sign for the rest stop. We pulled over and just crashed. It was all just so overwhelming.” It took almost two weeks before things started to truly settle down for Berry, who recounts having received over 2,500 notifications and messages altogether in the wake of his big win. From track promoters looking to book Berry and his world-renowned Corvette in for match races and appearances to family, friends, customers and fans simply offering their congratulations, winning in February at South Georgia Motorsports Park was a game changer. “I’m proud,” concludes Berry, after acknowledging that he took a strategic business trip to Washington State and worked some extended hours in the weeks following Lights Out 7 in hopes of gaining a little perspective on what had transpired. “It’s cool to win that kind of money and I really am humbled by all of it, but I’m very, very proud of it. I’m proud of all my guys. I’m a small part of it, I think. The guys on this team are who made it happen. I told my guys, ‘I’ve got two jobs. Don’t hit the wall and pay everybody on Sunday.’ Other than that – it’s all up to them, and I believe that. I sure as hell wouldn’t be doing any interviews or photo shoots without them. Fact.” DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI DI 78 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com Issue 109 PHOTO: IAN TOCHER Keith Berry, admittedly the founding member of his “Team Me”, is never shy when it comes to giving credit where its due – not only to his dedicated racing team, but also to his extended family at Pro Line Racing Engines and FuelTech USA based out of Ball Ground, Georgia. “We’ve come a long ways,” says Berry. “It wasn’t that long ago that I didn’t even know what a drag strip looked like, and now we’re popping bottles in the winner’s circle. I’m a pretty big Keith Berry fan, but I owe it all to these guys.”