During a dramatic and emotionally intense NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Gateway, Chase Elliott apologized to Josh Berry after a spin in the opening laps severely damaged Berry’s playoff hopes. The incident, which unfolded early in the race, placed Berry in a precarious position and brought immediate reactions from Elliott, who addressed the mistake and expressed regret as the dust settled.
Early Race Collision Disrupts Playoff Chances
For the second consecutive week, Josh Berry faced disaster in the initial moments of a playoff event, this time after being spun by Chase Elliott. The wreck unfolded as Elliott moved up the low side into a corner, where his car tapped Berry’s left rear bumper, sending Berry spinning and into the outside wall. The resulting crash left Berry’s car with catastrophic front suspension damage, ending his day prematurely in 36th place. This hit to his standing now leaves his playoff chances hanging by a thread.
Chase Elliott Responds and Offers Apology
After finishing the race in third place, Chase Elliott immediately addressed the incident with Berry and his team, expressing deep remorse for the collision. He clarified his intentions and shared his emotional reaction to the event in a post-race interview.
“First off just want to apologize to Josh and the 21 team,”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
Elliott elaborated on his long-standing connection to Berry and the team, maintaining that there was never an intent to make contact. His statements underscored the personal regret he felt over unintentionally causing such severe consequences for another driver’s playoff campaign.
“Known Josh for a long time, too, so just want to make sure those guys know that I feel terrible about that. Felt terrible about it right when it happened and wish I could take it back. Yeah, unfortunately that transpired.”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
Strong Personal Results Amidst Tense Playoff Atmosphere
While the wreck marred the day for Berry and his supporters, Elliott’s performance at Gateway offered a silver lining for his own campaign. For the first time in weeks, Elliott believed he had a legitimate shot at victory, demonstrating consistent speed and aggression in his NAPA Chevy.
“I thought we had really good pace in our NAPA Chevy today. I was able to be on good offense, put ourselves in some good spots throughout the course of the race. Had good restarts and got ourselves up there in the mix. We probably weren’t the very best, but I thought we were really close.”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
Currently, Elliott is ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings, sitting 28 points above the elimination line. He continues to be a prominent figure at the front of the pack and is optimistic about maintaining momentum into the next race weekend.
“As respectable as we’ve been in some time, in my opinion,”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
“Hopefully we can carry that forward into Bristol next week, would be a fun one to do it at.”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
Looking Ahead to the Bristol Race
As the playoff drama intensifies, Elliott’s ability to rebound from adversity at Gateway highlights his potential to make a significant impact as the series heads to Bristol. With emotions running high and playoff positions on the line, his apology to Berry and commitment to clean racing will remain central themes as the competition continues and storylines develop through the remaining events.
