- September 30th, 2006, 2:28 am
#32400
Someone needs to get a pic of the ride with the paint job:
LU sponsoring area driver's car in race at Martinsvillehttp://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports
By Nathan Warters
Lynchburg News & Advance
September 30, 2006
Stephen Berry did something last year that many Late Model Stock drivers have never done, and he was only 17 at the time.
The Huddleston native was one of the youngest drivers ever to make the starting field for the Bailey's 300 all-star Late Model race.
He'll try to duplicate the feat this weekend with a new major race sponsor on his car's hood and side panels.
Liberty University has signed on with Berry for a one-race sponsorship. Berry plans to enroll at Liberty for the spring semester - that is if no big race opportunities come his way between now and then - and he thought this would be a good race to get the university on board.
"It would be sort of a new way to promote their school, I guess, and we thought that would be great since I would probably be attending there in the spring," Berry said.
The financial details of the sponsorship were not disclosed. Melissa Small, Liberty's director of resident marketing, said the partnership was for one race only.
"We felt like it's a good community market to get Liberty out there," Small said.
Bill Berry, Stephen's father added: "We love the university. We like what they stand for and what they do."
The 18-year old Berry, who drives for Stacy Compton's Turn One Racing team, qualified 32nd for last year's Bailey's 300, and he finished 29th out of 42 cars.
"A lot of people have tried for 20 years to get in that race, and they haven't made it," Bill Berry said.
Berry's Turn One teammate Adam Barker (Hurt) will also attempt to qualify for the race this weekend, as will local drivers Wayne Ramsey (Amherst) and Chris Jones (Forest).
The best Late Model drivers in the region compete in the event. Current NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Denny Hamlin started on the front row three years ago, and Timothy Peters, who just signed a Busch Series deal with Richard Childress Racing, won last year's race.
The Bailey's 300 is a great race for young drivers to gain recognition. It could also be a good avenue to draw attention to Liberty University.
This will be Liberty's first foray into NASCAR racing.
"We're definitely excited to have this new opportunity," Small said.
Time trials for the race will be held Saturday, and the top 22 will be guaranteed spots in Sunday's big event. Four 25-lap heat races on Sunday will decide the rest of the field. The top five finishers in each heat race will get in.
The green flag for the Bailey's 300 will wave at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Martinsville Speedway spokesman Mike Smith said that 109 cars showed up for practice Wednesday. The entry list posted on the speedway's website consists of 73 drivers, but Smith said that list will get longer.
Eighty-five drivers attempted to make the race last year.
Last year's Bailey's 300 was only the fifth career Late Model start for Berry.
"That's how I got recognized by Stacy Compton," Berry said.
"I think (the experience) was very beneficial because I had to drive a very ill-handling car."
He ran into the wall in the first turn of the very first lap and caused some damage to his spoiler, but he handled the situation well. He stayed out of the way of the leaders and secured a 29th-place finish.
Berry, who finished 12th in the Late Model point standings at Motor Mile Speedway this season, said he plans to run a full Late Model season next year, and he wants to try to mix in a few touring series races here and there.
He thinks his performance this weekend could decide what kind of opportunities he gets.
"I think it all depends on how I do here because a lot of the big owners are watching this race," he said.
- By LU Armchair coach