TRIBUTE: KEITH BERRY
edy when he accidentally launched his parachutes while trying to bump into the beams. But he still made the field and clawed his way through the rounds, knocking off heavy hitters like Enzo Pecchini, Roger Holder, and Daniel Pharris. In the final, he faced off against his friend and rival, Stevie“ Fast” Jackson.
“ I left first, and we crossed the line six inches ahead,” Berry said. His 3.934-second pass at 192.69 mph earned him the $ 50,000 win and one of the most unforgettable moments in drag radial history.“ To win it on a holeshot … it’ s special,” he said.“ After all the work, all the late nights – it’ s hard to describe. That race? I don’ t think it can ever be duplicated.”
Berry’ s charisma made him impossible to ignore. He loved to talk, to stir the pot, and to celebrate every win with his signature“ WOOOO!”
but behind the bluster was a thoughtful man who took pride in his craft and his people.“ I treat the race car the same way I treat business,” he said.“ I surround myself with people that know what they’ re doing, make sure they’ re happy, and give them what they need to be successful.”
He gave back to fans, too, never turning away a kid who wanted to sit in his car.“ It might be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for them,” he said.“ I might have a problem or only have a few minutes
to make it to the lanes, but we try to never turn people away.”
Berry’ s motivation, though, always came from seeing his crew succeed.“ There’ s nothing better than looking back at a video and seeing them cheering, screaming, high-fiving, and hugging on the starting line,” he said.“ Most people think I’ m a hard ass, but I’ m really a big baby.”
In recent years, Berry stepped into the promoter role, bringing his signature energy to Wooostock at Darlington Dragway, a fitting extension of his brand and his love for community. More than a race, it was a celebration of the sport and the people who made it special.
Keith Berry was many things: a racer, a businessman, a family man, a friend, and a walking exclamation point. He once said,“ If I stopped racing right now, 15 years from now nobody would know who I was. I hope I can get good enough to where I can be legendary.” He was. DI
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