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Longtime NHRA member Wally Berg, who passed away suddenly in March, will go on “one last ride” on May 20 at the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals.
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Family friend and current NHRA driver Tony Schumacher, the winningest Top Fuel driver in NHRA history and currently driving for Scag/JCM Racing, will take Berg’s ashes onboard for what Schumacher describes as “one heck of a ride.”
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��“Wally was one of those guys that lived, breathed, and bled racing, so it’s an honor for me to take him on his final ride,” said Schumacher, who will carry the ashes in a small bag in a pocket of his firesuit.
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Berg, a Woodstock, Ill., native, raced dragsters locally, including at legendary Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, Wisc., during the 1960s and early ‘70s, and one of his favorite drivers was Tony’s father, Don Schumacher.��

Berg’s life revolved around his love for all things car-related. In addition to his passion for racing, he was a mechanic and owner/operator of Berg Automotive in Crystal Lake, Ill., and Emerald Grove, Wisc., and served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic from 1963-1969.
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Berg’s passion for cars and racing rubbed off on many of his kids, including former Chicago radio host Kathy Hart, who, along with her siblings, will join family and friends at Route 66 Raceway for this special tribute.
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