Jimmy Berry - JB43 Racing

In Kingman Arizona and the surrounding areas, there is much to do and see. Of course, Kingman is known for its Route 66 history. The town also has a large community of car enthusiasts who gather regularly for car shows and other events. We also have bragging rights for a Street Drag Race that actually closes down part of historic Route 66 for 3 days! However, there is another lesser known community in Kingman that has a rather large contingent of supporters.

When traveling the highways and roads around the Kingman area, one may notice the wide open areas off to the sides with trails snaking into the distance every which way. It is on these trails and tracks in the deserts around Kingman and Southern Nevada that the folks from Kingman Off-road Racing can be found. Composed of several teams with their high performance racing SXS vehicles, otherwise know as side by sides, these guys take the term “off the beaten path” to another level.

We recently caught up with up and coming driver Jimmy Berry and asked him a few questions about his racing roots, his team, and Kingman Off-road Racing.

When did you first get interested in racing?

I first got interested into racing when my dad (Jim Berry) began his racing career back in 2014 in the WORCS Series. I would ride along with him to the races and loved the traveling with seeing different locations. There was one race down at the Avi and there was Polaris 170s racing and I pretty much told my dad “how come I don’t have one of those?” He would laugh at the matter but then snowballed into beginning my racing career with a Polaris 170. This would all eventually go to where I am at today racing in the Pro N/A class.

Who/what influenced your racing interest?

There are 2 main people that come to mind that influenced my racing. My dad when he started racing SXS and my Uncle (Stacey Pike) as well. I remember watching Stacey race his Pro Lite truck in Las Vegas way back and enjoyed the experience as a little kid along with my dad when he was running the Kawasaki Teryx back in the day. They both have been amazing mentors and always have had my corner ever since I ventured into my racing career. If it wasn’t for them two in the garage with me, I would have never done racing.

What types of vehicles have you been racing and are you interested in racing in vehicles you haven’t tried?

Other types of vehicles I have raced is a Polaris 170, Artic Cat Sport 700, and a Kawasaki Teryx 850. Although they are SXS, they are technically considered a different vehicle. There is a lot of vehicles that I want to venture into one day. Two of them are dreams of mine that I want to do. One is having a trophy truck in my garage and also to drive F1. Those make me go into awe when watching it on TV or videos. Other vehicles I would like to drive is a stadium truck, just to hear the stories Stacey has to tell back in his day when him and my dad used to travel across the country. Class 1 vehicle is also a dream to race. Anything is possible just have to put your mind to it with dedication.

Tell us about the team and vehicle you’re racing now.

We have a racing group of teams called the Kingman Off-road Racing team. It’s a lot of racers in the off-road racing community in Kingman. My team is JB43 Racing. Some are more prominent than others with basically a house full of accomplishments. There are legends and also new comers in the off road racing world from Kingman. Although drivers get the most credit, I have to hand it to the pit crew that does all the magic behind the curtain. I can trust the guys more than any pit in the off-road racing industry. The biggest one is my dad and my step-mom Stacy. Those guys have it down and have so much diverse knowledge that blends so well together as a team. I am currently racing a Yamaha YXZ 1000. I have fallen in love with this car. The potential of these vehicles are actually insane to say the least. This car is the best vehicle I have driven so far in my racing career.

How many teams are represented in KOR?

Quite a few teams are represented in KOR. I mean you have at least 10 teams in Kingman. I can’t think of everyone on the top of my head. But the talent is so widespread within the city of Kingman it’s actually very impressive.

Where are you racing this year and what’s in store for the new season?

I will be racing in the 2024 SNORE Series, specifically in the SXS Pro N/A class. It is a 5 race series with tight competition. There is great racers in the series. To name a few, you have the reigning champion Stacey Pike with Jessie Garcia that has a lot of momentum going into this year. Kaden Wells is a well-known racer and has a lot of speed with his Polaris. Jacob Woodard being a young racer just like me and has full capability to win a championship. Josh Budka with John Fensterbush showing glimpses at the end of last year showing the potential on the track with what he can do this year. It is definitely up for grabs to get a championship and I hope to pursue being at the top. The goal is to finally have a 1st place series trophy in my hand. Will be tough but can be done, just have to finish and build consistency in my racing. Best thing is to have my family there for me every step of the way but most importantly my dad and my step-mom Stacy. Couldn’t have thanked them more.

Update: Jimmy got that trophy! Congratulations to Jimmy and the JB43 Racing team! Follow Jimmy Berry and Kingman Off-road Racing on Facebook.