Pete Berner Shaking Things Up with New 2012 Camaro

Pete Berner’s sharp new Summit Racing Equipment ZL1 Camaro might have you thinking he’s ready for a ‘come back’ tour—which isn’t far from the truth.

The flashy RJ Race Cars built ride, featuring paint by SD Enterprises, harkens back to earlier days in Berner’s Pro Stock career, when he captured his first World Championship (2006). Not that Berner has ever been out of the picture in top Pro Stock competition, but this year he’s hoping to not just be a contender but to once again set the bar.

“I couldn’t be more excited about this car,” Berner said. “GOS Motorsports Graphics did a fantastic job on the design, mixing my nostalgic colors with the familiar Summit Racing red and blue. Rick, Rickie and the crew at RJ Race Cars did a phenomenal job, as did Steve Dekkenga and his group at SD Enterprises. The detail is awesome. I think the car truly speaks for itself, and I know our Summit Racing fans are going to love this ride.”

The piece of nostalgia featured in the Camaro’s color scheme might be the only heritage part of the car, however, as much of the new ADRL Extreme Pro Stock machine is equipped with chassis and engine innovations that Berner hopes will pave the way for the next generation of XPS racing.

“Pete’s car was our first Pro Stock 2012 Camaro,” said Rick Jones, who built the chassis for the ZL Camaro. “I think it’s so cool to see the Chevy Camaro come back to Pro Stock. We put a lot of effort in this car; we are trying a few new things we have found lately. We are excited to see how it runs—my expectations are very high!”

Further changes for Team Summit include a new engine shop:
“Jerry’s [Janota] and Mike’s [Slaviero] new engine shop is up and running and we plan on burning our dyno up in the next few weeks,” Berner said. “Those guys have put a tremendous amount of effort into this. It’s like a surgical suite in there, which is fitting for Jerry and Mike. They are truly doctors of engine dynamics. The new shop is quite the work of art and makes for a fantastic workplace. It’s a reflection of how this Summit Racing team operates- always shooting for perfection.”

Berner plans to begin testing soon to be ready for the ADRL kickoff in Houston, March 30-31. “I’m very grateful for the team behind this new Camaro,” Berner said. “Not only has RJ worked hard on the new design, but all of our sponsors have really been behind this from Summit to RAM Clutches to Hoosier Tires. All these guys are just as excited as I am and, like Cheryl and I, are always pushing to be quicker, better, faster than the competition. I can’t wait to get to the track and see this hard work pay off.”