7/13/2024
Tom Berry Jr.
TBJ makes Dakota Classic Modified Tour history
When the 35th annual Dakota Classic Modified Tour drew to a close on the second week in July, Tom Berry Jr. had not only added to his yearly win total, but also reached a special milestone.
With three races in the books for the week (Saturday’s slated series opener was rained out), Berry first hit the track again on Wednesday at Southwest Speedway in Dickinson, North Dakota, as part of a 47-car IMCA Modified field. He won his heat race in his Lethal Chassis No. 11x Modified and began the $2,000-to-win A-Main from the fourth position. He picked up one spot in the 30-lapper on the 3/8-mile oval and finished third behind Ethan Braaksma and Travis Hagen. Codey Laney and Tim Ward claimed fourth and fifth, respectively.
On Thursday, the tour concluded its 2024 run at Mandan, North Dakota’s 3/8-mile Dacotah Speedway with Championship Night. Forty-seven Modifieds were again on hand as another $2,000 was up for grabs. Berry raced from seventh to third in his heat, putting him on the pole for the 30-lap feature. He led wire to wire and took the checkered flag 1.120 seconds in front of Braaksma. Ward completed the podium, with Kyle Strickler taking fourth and Justin O’Brien finishing fifth.
Berry picked up two wins on this year’s Dakota Classic Modified Tour and now has 10 in his career, surpassing Ricky Thornton Jr.’s modern-day tour wins record. Berry has also won 12 times overall this season.
Impressively, this year’s five tour feature events saw only two caution flags – both for debris – and three races were run green to checkered.
After a day off on Friday, Berry returned to the track on Saturday to compete for a $7,600 winner’s share with the Malvern Bank Super Late Model Racing (SLMR) Series at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa. He was one of 43 SLMR drivers at the 1/3-mile oval. Piloting the Pat’s Auto Salvage No. 11x, Berry won his heat and started from the seventh row in the 40-lap feature. He advanced one spot to come home 13th.
Full results are at www.dakotamdtour.com and www.slmrseries.com.
Article Credit: Dakota Classic Modifed Tour
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