Racing runs in Berry's bloodline

ROCKFORD - Rockford's own Breanna Berry is a successful quarter-midget-car racer, though she's not one to brag about it.

"Eh, I do okay in some of them," she said.

The 11-year-old is better than okay.

A winner in eight of her last 10 heat and feature races, Berry and Hunter Bostater are tied for the lead in the United State Auto Club (USAC) Heavy Honda class with 379 points heading into the series finale on Oct. 14-16 at Mac-O-Chee Raceway in West Liberty.

"I'm usually out to win," Breanna said. "Some days I feel like I'm just out to have fun and that's it."

Racing has been fun for the entire family.

The Berry/Gruss clan has always been around the sport. Breanna's dad, Bruce, raced modifieds and her mom, Trisha, ran stock cars. Grandpa, Ron Gruss, was once a stock-car racer and uncle Brian Gruss, drove stock cars along with modifieds. Breanna gained interest in racing at an early age, after having watched her cousin, Taylor Gruss, drive quarter-midgets.

Breanna began racing quarter-midgets when she was seven at Mac-O-Chee's "Bull Ring" - and she quickly became the most successful driver in her family.

"It's awesome to see your kid excel doing something that we all love," Trisha Berry said. "It's a family sport. We've all done it, not in the same caliber that she's doing it now, but we've all been racing in the family.

"It's a family-fun thing that we do, and it's fun to see her having fun out there doing it."

Quarter-midget cars are nearly 1/4 the size of a full size midget car. Racers go around tracks that are approximately 1/20 of a mile long. The big reason Breanna chose to race quarter-midgets was for safety reasons, the family explained.

"You have every piece of safety gear that the big boys wear at Eldora in their big cars, including the roll cage and all," grandpa Ron explained.

In the car, the young Berry wears a fire-proof suit, shoes and gloves, along with a helmet and a neck restraint. She sits in a specially designed racing seat, strapped into a five-point harness. She has an 'R-3' device strapped to her helmet so her head can't move. She also wears ear buds for communication with race officials.

"Safety gear costs a lot more than the cars," Grandpa added.

The sport is costly, the family admitted. To help with finances, they collected a solid backing of sponsorship from local companies Jony D. Images; Grier Power Digging; III Sons Towing, Hauling & Salvage; Lloyd Showpigs; Belna Petroleum, Braun Excavating; and Celina Moving & Storage.

Breanna typically races in Xenia, Fort Wayne, Columbus, Versailles and Mac-O-Chee, the track she calls home. It was in 2012 at Mac-O-Chee where Berry set a track record in her first feature win on the Red Rookie Circuit.

Since then, she's won a lot more, evident by the stacks of medals and trophies - including a one-of-a-kind, six-foot-tall trophy she was given after having won the Mac-O-Chee Beauty Bowl.

Breanna said she hopes to one day compete in the Mini-Indy at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the "Battle at the Brickyard" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Racing is just one of many after-school activities for Breanna, who also plays volleyball, softball, basketball, runs and shows horses. But she said racing is probably her favorite.

Several notable drivers got their start in quarter-midget racing, including Bobby and Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano. And although Breanna has been successful, she plans on hanging it up after she turns 15, citing safety concerns.