By Randy Fisher

PARK CITY, Kan. (March 26, 2007) – Citing a desire to race closer to home, Kyle Berck will run for the 2007 championship in the O’Reilly NCRA Late Model Series, presented by ICM/Ethanol.

“We were leaning that direction during the winter but just decided a couple of days ago,” said the 2002 series champion during a March 14 telephone interview.

During the winter, Berck got married and inherited his father’s farm.

“I’m realizing just how much time all that is going to take,” Berck said of the changes. “We were still determined to go after a championship and the NCRA certainly looked like the best deal for us.”

Some of Kyle’s favorite tracks are on the NCRA schedule. Their proximity to his Marquette, Neb., home was an important factor in his decision.

“It’s just going to work out for the number of races and the locations they run,” he said. “The NCRA has been a great series to run for in the past and we know we’ll have a lot of fun doing it again.”

With two-time defending champion Kelly Boen and other top drivers returning, Berck realizes it will be a tussle for the title.

“This won’t be an easy challenge by any means,” he said. “We know he (Boen) is the guy to beat.”

But Kyle definitely expects to be in the chase.

“Kelly’s a great racer and has certainly fine-tuned his operation the last couple of years,” Berck said. “If we can go out and be a little more consistent and win a few races, I think he’ll have his hands full.”

The 37-year-old Berck is entering his 26th year in racing. He started with go-karts at age 11 and moved to late models at 15. As in the past, Dorothy Lynch Home Style Dressing is the primary sponsor of the orange-and-white racecar. Speedway Motors in Lincoln, Neb., has also been with Berck for several years. Both sponsors will adorn his Masterbuilt/Kuntz Ford powered machine in 2007.

Being married has definitely slowed Berck in one respect. He doesn’t spend nearly as much time at night building racecars in the shop. Kyle says he’s caught up with his customers but like the cobbler’s children, his own racecar is far from ready.

“The car we’re going to race we want to roll out of here April 6,” he said. “Right now, as we speak, it’s sitting here with no brake lines, no engine, no gauges, no rear end, and no body.”

“We’re really struggling to get my own operation off the ground, but it’ll happen like it always does.”

For more information about the NCRA Late Model Series, either call the NCRA at (316) 755-1781 or visit their Web site at www.ncraracing.org.