Latest news with #JoshBerry
Reuters
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Reuters
For Josh Berry, competitive performance is antidote to frustration
May 17 - After his victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the fifth NASCAR Cup Series race of the season, Josh Berry's luck went from bad to worse. On March 30 at Martinsville Speedway, Berry led 40 laps before electrical problems in his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford -- necessitating a battery change -- dropped him to 32nd at the finish. A week later, a crash on Lap 195 ended a promising run at Darlington Raceway. After a 12th-place finish at Bristol, Berry drew a speeding penalty at Talladega that dropped him to a 26th-place result. He led 41 laps with an extremely fast car on May 4 at Texas Motor Speedway, before the bumps in the final corner upset his car and shot the No. 21 Mustang into the outside wall. After he scraped the wall during qualifying last Sunday at Kansas Speedway, Berry's fortunes began to improve. He drove from his 38th starting position to finish sixth, despite a pit road speeding penalty that sent him to the back of the field for a second time. Rather than becoming frustrated by his series of misfortunes, Berry has been buoyed by the speed in his cars. "The frustration is considerably less compared to last year," Berry said of his lame-duck season at Stewart-Haas Racing. "Being competitive is the biggest thing. That's the hardest thing to figure out is how to be fast and lead these races and get yourself in contention, and we've done that a lot. "It's frustrating to make mistakes and those mistakes fall on me, but all we can do is just continue to put me in that position and keep working on those things and getting better and the finishes will come. We're fortunate to have that win in the bank and, like I said, I'm not very frustrated with how it's been going. "Last week (at Kansas), I think we had a chance at that one if I didn't speed on pit road, so that one stung a little bit more, but all in all, our whole team is doing a great job. Our cars are fast, and we've just got to do the little things a little bit better, and we'll be up there." --Christopher Bell needs more speed on intermediate tracks After winning three straight NASCAR Cup Series races early this season, Bell hasn't fallen off the face of the earth -- but at times it might feel that way to the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. The reason? A lack of optimal performance at intermediate speedways. The finishes may not show the deficiency, because Bell acknowledges that he and his team have been outperforming the potential in the cars. In the three most recent downforce races, Bell ran third at Darlington Raceway, ninth at Texas Motor Speedway and a fast-closing second at Kansas Speedway, but to the driver, those results are somewhat illusory. "Well, I wouldn't say that I'm not surprised that we haven't won (since the three-race streak) because winning is very hard, but I've definitely been surprised about just lacking pace on the intermediate tracks," Bell said. "At the end of last year, we did really well at the intermediates, and (were among) the strongest contenders. "And then the last couple of weeks, week-in and week-out, we just haven't been there yet. Hopefully, we make gains on it. I feel like Kansas was a little bit better than what we had at Texas and Darlington, so if we can make another step like that going into Charlotte, maybe we will be contending for the win, but we are definitely lacking a little bit at this point in time." Charlotte was good to Bell last year. He led 90 laps and won the Coca-Cola 600, which was shortened from 400 laps to 249 because of rain. --North Wilkesboro brings a new experience to modified driver Tim Connolly News of his selection as one of the top 40 drivers in the history of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour left Connolly speechless -- a rarity for the popular, garrulous competitor. Connolly was driving from his home in New York to North Wilkesboro Speedway when he got the news. "Pretty big surprise," Connolly said of his selection as one of the first 10 drivers revealed during the 40th anniversary of the series. "A lot of great company out there. It's like race weekend -- it's a tough field. "It's just very flattering, very honored and also humbling." A former star quarterback at Ithaca College, Connolly found his calling in racing. His career blossomed when he landed a ride in the iconic "Mystic Missile," the No. 4 car owned by Robert Garbarino. In 1997, driving Garbarino's car, Connolly claimed four of his nine career victories and finished second in the series standings. Connolly ran three races in 2002 and subsequently left the tour, only to return in 2023 at age 62 with his own car. But Connolly faces a new experience in Sunday's Whelen Modified Tour race at North Wilkesboro. Ryan Newman, not Connolly, will be driving the car. "I miss the seat horribly-I won't lie to you," said Connolly, who is on his third back surgery. "The problem is I keep forgetting I'm 64. I'm not making any promises to anyone about anything right now. I'm going to keep my mouth shut and my options open." Even with a fierce competitor like Newman in his car, Connolly said it will be difficult to spend the race as a spectator. "I want to kick Ryan out and get back in my car," Connolly quipped. "You've got a lot of big names in the show. It's not going to be a lot of fun being on the sidelines, honestly. I'd rather be out there. "This will be my first time, having somebody else drive my car. I don't even let people drive my passenger car. I don't let anyone drive my hauler other than me." By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NASCAR Kansas predictions 2025: Expert picks for Cup Series race
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to another 1.5-mile track this weekend for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Last year, Kyle Larson won the spring race in the closest finish in NASCAR Cup history, outlasting Chris Buescher in a photo finish. Advertisement In the fall, Ross Chastain earned the win in the playoff race despite not making the field. Here are The Tennessean's expert picks for Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas: NASCAR predictions for Cup Series Kansas race: Here's who wins the AdventHealth 400 Mike Organ's pick: Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Things cannot get much worse for Hamlin. Right? Last week, his engine blew up, which doesn't happen often these days. The week before at Talladega, after getting blocked by Ross Chastain, Hamlin finished outside the top 20. In the three races before Talladega, Hamlin was second (Bristol), first (Darlington), and first (Martinsville). He'll get back on track at Kansas. Nick Gray's pick: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Bowman has been running well this season, and has been competitive on 1.5-mile tracks. It's time for Bowman return to the winner's circle at an oval. Austin Chastain's pick: Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Josh Berry has been running well at 1.5-mile tracks, including his first Cup Series career win at Las Vegas. He ran well at Texas until he got out of the groove and spun, ending his day. Berry gets the job done in Kansas. Tom Kreager's pick: Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota Bubba has a win at Kansas to go with three top-10 finishes over the past four years. If he can stay out of trouble (unlike at Texas) he should be a contender this weekend. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NASCAR Kansas predictions 2025: Expert picks for Cup Series race
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
NASCAR driver Josh Berry obliterates bird, accidentally hits tire-changer at Talladega
Josh Berry had one tough race at Talladega Superspeedway over the weekend. Berry and the No. 21 Ford finished 26th in the Jack Link's 500. He completed all 188 laps and led 12 laps. He also suffered through a couple of incidents while on the track. As he came into the pits, Berry accidentally hit one of Carson Hocevar's pit crew members. The tire changer came around the outside of Hocevar's pit box and was clipped as Berry pulled into his stall. Jarius Morehead, a former college football player, was able to withstand the touch from Berry and finished out the pit stop. "I come from a football background. You get used to it," he told FOX Sports' Regan Smith, adding he was "all good." Berry also had a Randy Johnson moment. The vehicle struck a bird while on the racetrack, driving up to speeds of nearly 190 mph in Stage 1. The bird was killed. "I've certainly witnessed it before, and they can cause some damage," Berry's crew chief Miles Stanley told reporters after the race, via Frontstretch. "They can wreak havoc and even shred some windshield tear-offs and things like that. "A lot of times when we come here for like first practice or qualifying and stuff, we'll see birds flying out around the racetrack. So, it's not a huge surprise that we ended up getting one on the windshield." Stanley said the bird strike did not affect the car's performance too much. Berry is in 21st in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Watch NASCAR driver's terrifying 190mph run-in with a flying bird at Talladega
Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama is famous for being one of the fastest tracks in all of NASCAR. So sadly, that means any wildlife that interacts with those cars will likely turn into mist. That was the case at this Sunday's Jack Links 500 at one of the most popular tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit. It was early in the race when, on lap 18, Josh Berry was driving his Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford machine. As Berry was cruising along at a speed between 180-190mph on the front straight of the track, he drove straight into a flying bird. On the driver cam for the race, the bird doesn't even materialize in front of the car. No dark streak indicating life is seen. Instead, Berry's camera just suddenly has the splatter of a dead animal on his right side windshield. Josh Berry just hit a bird going like 184mph at Talladega. — Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) April 27, 2025 No damage was sustained to the car (the same can't be said for the bird) and Berry rolled into pit lane under the first caution for cleaning of his window. While a rare sight, it was not one that was foreign to Berry's pit crew. 'I've certainly witnessed it before, and they can cause some damage,' Berry's crew chief Miles Stanley told media following the race. 'They can wreak havoc and even shred some windshield tear-offs and things like that.' He added: 'A lot of times when we come here for like first practice or qualifying and stuff, we'll see birds flying out around the racetrack. So, it's not a huge surprise that we ended up getting one on the windshield.' After starting in eighth position, Berry ended up finishing 21st in the race.
Newsweek
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Josh Berry Hits Animal in 180 MPH Talladega Bird Strike
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. It was an exciting NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway yesterday. Josh Berry, however, was unfortunate enough to come into contact with one of the more unusual hazards of speedway racing: bird strikes. Driving at around 180-190mph, his No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse smashed through a bird flying over the track. The bird was killed instantly as the driver remained on the hunt for a strong finish. "I've certainly witnessed it before, and they can cause some damage," Berry's crew chief Miles Stanley told media following the race. "They can wreak havoc and even shred some windshield tear-offs and things like that." He continued: "A lot of times when we come here for like first practice or qualifying and stuff, we'll see birds flying out around the racetrack. So, it's not a huge surprise that we ended up getting one on the windshield." Josh Berry, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2025 in Martinsville, Virginia. Josh Berry, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2025 in Martinsville, Virginia. Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images There was a small amount of damage to the car, but there was nothing the team or the driver could have done or could do following it. "We had seen that there was some damage from the bird strike," he admitted. "I mean, nothing we could really do about it. It was damaged by it. Just from hitting it. Nothing too big performance-wise. It probably tore some tear-offs and stuff like that." Berry had an impressive race as he took the lead on lap 4. But, a slow pit stop dropped him to 29th in Stage 1. Stage 2 was more successful with him finishing 10th. He finished the race in 28th but moved up two places to 26th after two disqualifications ahead of him. "I felt like we did a really good job and saved a lot of fuel and then still had the track position by the end of it. I knew I needed to get on the pit road good and I just went a little too deep," Berry told media after the race. "I mean I think it's a couple of different things. I think it's trying to be aggressive, but at the same time, probably that's the first time in one of these that I've actually been in that position where I'm not kind of judging my braking marker off of somebody else. So, I just thought that I could go a little bit deeper than I could have."
