Josh Berry’s hopes for advancing in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs ended abruptly at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night, as his playoff run was marked by dramatic setbacks and capped by a fiery exit on lap 80. The Josh Berry Bristol playoff misfortune reached its peak during this critical race, dashing both his and Wood Brothers Racing’s aspirations for a spot in the next postseason round.
Bristol Disaster Ends Berry’s Playoff Hopes
Entering Thunder Valley, Josh Berry already faced steep odds after finishing last in the two preceding Round of 16 races. Bristol offered one final opportunity to salvage his title chase, but fate intervened once more, cutting short his evening not through a crash, but due to a mechanical failure that turned catastrophic. Just 80 laps into the event, Berry noticed smoke billowing into the cockpit and flames appearing from beneath the right front of his No. 21 ford/”>Ford, forcing him to pull off the track and abandon the race.
He quickly exited his car after reaching his pit stall, smoke heavily obscuring the vehicle, officially ending his night and eliminating any chance of progressing to the Round of 12. The first-year Wood Brothers Racing driver, who had earlier clinched his playoff berth with a victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was visibly disappointed by the sequence of events, each compounding the sting of his playoff journey.
“I don’t think the fire made it inside the cockpit,”
—Josh Berry, Driver
“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.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Frustration Mounts After Triple Setback
Berry’s struggles in the Round of 16 became a pattern no one predicted. With three consecutive last-place finishes, the playoffs proved merciless in both their outcomes and the manner by which those results arrived. Before Bristol, Berry had already suffered back-to-back early exits, and his team wrestled with the mounting frustration each week brought.
“Len (Wood, team co-owner) was saying that he never thought they’d had two in a row,”
—Josh Berry, Driver
“And now we’ve got three in a row.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Despite the disappointment, Berry highlighted that sheer bad luck—not a lack of competitiveness—was at the core of their misfortune. Starting 10th at Bristol and even qualifying as high as third at Darlington showcased his and Wood Brothers Racing’s speed, but misadventure consistently struck, undermining their pace and performance.
“It’s hard to put into words, but I’d be way more disappointed if we just ran like crap for three weeks,”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Berry referenced qualifying efforts and in-race positioning that indicated strong setups and driver confidence, only to have hopes dashed by circumstances beyond their direct control. The mounting toll of unexpected calamities left little room for optimism as the team reflected on what could have been with only a minor change in luck.
“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.”
—Josh Berry, Driver
Missed Opportunities and Reflections on Tough Choices
Berry also reflected on whether he could have minimized the damage by making different choices during the Bristol race. Staying out on track with visible smoke for a couple of extra laps was a risk he acknowledged, accepting that perhaps an earlier trip to pit road might have lessened the impact. The newly-minted playoff driver faced an intense learning curve, balancing the urge to persevere against the risks inherent in staying out during an emergency mechanical issue.
What Awaits Berry and Wood Brothers Racing After Bristol?
The aftermath of Bristol Motor Speedway leaves Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing, and the No. 21 team facing critical questions as the playoff field moves forward without them. Their journey through the Round of 16 not only spotlights the razor-thin margins of NASCAR Cup Series contention, but also the emotional and technical resilience required at this level of competition. While Berry and team co-owner Len Wood remarked on the rarity and frustration of their triple misfortune, their performance at tracks like Darlington and Las Vegas shows that competitive speed is not out of reach. As the team regroups from an intense Bristol exit, lessons learned may inform future playoff opportunities, fueling their determination for redemption next season.
