Josh Berry’s hopes in the Bristol NASCAR Cup Series race came to a frustrating halt after smoke began filling his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang cockpit, forcing him out of the contest Saturday night. The incident, which unfolded just after promising early race performance, left Berry, his team, and fans grappling with disappointment as his bid to continue in the playoffs was suddenly extinguished. The Josh Berry Bristol NASCAR post-race aftermath was shaped by a dramatic sequence of mechanical failure and the difficult emotions that followed.
Berry Describes the Critical Moments
Berry provided detailed insight into the incident, sharing what unfolded from inside the car before he was forced to retire from the race. Smoke appeared in the cockpit with several laps left before a scheduled pit stop, growing steadily denser.
“Maybe seven or eight laps before we came down pit road we started getting some smoke in the cockpit, and then the longer I went the darker the smoke got and then, obviously, by the time we got on pit road it was completely black smoke. Something obviously caught on fire, so probably once again a car burned up for no reason.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Berry said he did not physically feel flames inside the vehicle, but heavy smoke signaled a serious problem underneath, possibly located in the fender well area. He lamented how the malfunction cut short what had seemed a well-positioned effort for the night.
“I don’t think the fire made it inside the cockpit. It was just a lot of smoke. It seemed like the fire stayed in the fender well, which is a good thing, but it’s just disappointing again. The car was really good. That was gonna fall right into our wheelhouse, I feel like, to have a really good night. We were able to make it pretty long on that first set and we were gonna be set up in a really good spot. This one is gonna be hard to watch because that looks like it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Berry Reflects on Recent Setbacks and Playoff Hopes
Berry admitted that the recent run of bad luck, including three last-place finishes, has compromised his team’s playoff ambitions, even though he believes the car and their performance have been strong from a qualifying and competitive standpoint.
“Yeah, pretty much, but it really hasn’t been because of performance. We’ve qualified well. We’ve had good cars. We just haven’t had the good finishes. That’s just part of it. I don’t think you could ever script three last-place finishes in the ways that we’ve gotten them over the last few weeks.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
He pointed to a mix of misfortune throughout the season—incidents at Darlington, a run-in with car 9 last week, and now a fire at Bristol—none of which he feels were brought on by poor preparation or decision-making inside the team.
“It’s hard to put into words, but I’d be way more disappointed if we just ran like crap for three weeks. We’ve been up front. We’ve qualified well. We had the issue at Darlington, bottoming out. Last week, we get clipped by the 9 and then tonight the car catches on fire. It’s nothing that we’re doing on our own. The cars have been fast and the performance has been good. If we just had a little bit of luck, I feel like we could be in a much better situation and, honestly, I think the way that was playing out we would have 100 percent had a chance to win tonight.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Theories Surrounding the Fire’s Cause
Berry suggested that rubber or tire cords might have contributed to material getting caught around the brakes or rotor, leading to the fire that ultimately ended his night prematurely.
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s tire rubber or cords or something that got wrapped around the rotor or brakes. Something caught on fire.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Team Response and Pit Road Struggles
Once the smoke became overwhelming, Berry and his team tried to keep him in the race as long as possible, attempting to extinguish the fire on pit road. However, worsening conditions inside the car forced him to stop sooner so he could safely exit.
“Yeah, I think given our situation and how the race was playing out and how good we were, we were trying to ride it out. They mentioned trying to put the fire out on pit road and maybe keep going, but when I slowed down it got way worse and I was just trying to make it to the pit box so the guys could help me get out because I couldn’t see a thing.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Even though Berry didn’t feel heat or see flames inside, the situation escalated rapidly, and after medical checks in the care center, he was cleared. Looking back, he questioned the timing of his attempt to prolong his run but stressed his commitment to fighting until the end.
“It wasn’t hot. The flames didn’t make it inside. It wasn’t hot, it just got super smokey really fast would be the biggest thing. They checked me out in the care center and they said all of my levels look alright. We probably should have come a lap or two earlier and just ended it, but we were trying to fight to the very end.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Unexpected Tire Wear and Race Conditions
Berry admitted that tire degradation during the Bristol race caught him and others off guard, as he had anticipated a much faster, constant pace similar to what was seen during practice sessions. Instead, lap times fell off quickly and track conditions shifted, adding another layer of complexity to the night’s events.
“It definitely caught me off guard. I was fully convinced it was gonna be hammer down, but I could tell probably 15 or 20 laps into the race we were running like 16-teens and you could see some people start coming back to you and you could tell. The pace during practice was 15.70s, 15.80s and it was hammer down the whole time, and when we’re in the 16s that quick, you could tell that’s going on. You could see the marbles start developing and, man, it’s crazy. It just has to do with the weather, I guess. It’s excessive, but I think it’s gonna be a hell of a race to watch, for sure.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Looking Ahead After a Challenging Streak
With three last-place results in a row—something that surprised even Berry’s team principal, Len—Berry expressed hope that the remainder of his NASCAR Cup season would see a change in fortune. As both the Motorcraft and Quick Lane Ford Mustang camps regroup from this setback, Berry’s focus remains on ending the season on a higher note and reclaiming the potential shown earlier at Bristol.
The Bristol night showdown was set to decide an important round of 16 in the NASCAR Cup Playoffs, a stage made even more intense by striking events such as AJ Allmendinger’s surprise pole-winning performance. While Berry and his team contend with a harsh string of luck, their commitment to performance and resilience amid adversity reflects the unpredictable, fiercely competitive nature of this year’s NASCAR playoff hunt. The NASCAR community now watches closely to see how Berry and his crew will respond in upcoming races as the campaign continues.
