Top Dog: Josh Berry
It is a strange (yet common) phenomenon in racing that drivers do better when they are free agents. Whether it is due to heightened pressure or being more aggressive, drivers without a ride for the next season often run better. This has been noticeably true for Josh Berry. The 35-year-old announced in June that he would depart Wood Brothers Racing at the end of the 2026 season.
After a tough start to the summer, on the track and off, Berry has had an excellent stretch of races. Starting at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Tennessee native began a streak of top-10 finishes. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Aug. 23), arguably Berry’s best track, that streak extended to four consecutive races inside the top 10 after Berry drove to a third-place finish.
Closing out an up-and-down day, Berry showed his resilience and proved that he belongs in the Cup Series.
The Climb to the Top
Berry’s day began with a clear, albeit wet, track ahead, starting on the outside of the front row. He fell back at the start, but climbed back inside the top five for much of the first stage, finishing stage one in fifth.
Berry stayed up front for the entirety of stage two. He took the lead on lap 93, leading Ford teammate Ryan Blaney until they came into the pits. Once the pit cycle completed, Berry’s No. 21 reclaimed the lead, but he was passed by Blaney during the first half of the run. Berry cut into the lead once Blaney got into traffic but finished stage two in second.
Early in the final segment, a caution with less than 100 laps to go introduced a strategy option. Much of the field pitted under the yellow, and they could likely make it to the end without having to pit again. Berry, along with a few others, stayed out, hoping they could pit later without losing track position. Once the restart occurred, Berry traded the lead with Bubba Wallace. He got passed by Ryan Preece for second just before another caution came out with 76 to go. The entire field came into the pits, and Berry lost multiple positions due to a long stop.
Initially, Berry struggled to pass cars on the restart. He was clearly faster, but he still had trouble getting side-by-side with his competition. As the laps went on, he improved his position, making it to third with 32 laps to go. Once in clean air, he rapidly tracked down the top two.
Berry closed the gap to under two seconds to the lead, but he struggled to get past lapped traffic, eventually crossing the line in third. Even with a good starting spot, the team had to fight hard all day, and it paid off.
Looking Ahead
Though Berry will not make The Chase, the points standings are still a good gauge of a driver’s/team’s performance. Before Indianapolis, Berry was 33rd in points. He is now 29th. If he keeps running like he has, a top-25 finish in the standings is not unrealistic.
On the other hand, Berry’s race-by-race performance is what team owners are going to be looking at when signing a driver. Berry showed on Sunday that even when things go wrong, he can work his way back up and can carry a team on his back. Most importantly to teams, Berry can get results.
Top Dogs of the Lower Series
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Nephew of legendary modified racer Ted Christopher, a 10-time winner at New Hampshire between the Whelen Modified Tour and K&N Pro Series East races, Michael Christopher Jr. comes from an iconic racing family in the Northeast. In Halmar Friesen Racing’s new No. 72 truck, Christopher Jr. made his second Truck Series start at the speedway, picking up a 12th-place finish.
Starting 21st, he made his way through the field, running top 10 in the late stages of the race before surviving a pair of overtime attempts to finish 12th. With limited stock car experience, Christopher Jr. has learned fast in only four Truck Series starts.
Small Team Scheme of the Week
John Hunter Nemechek had a unique livery during the New Hampshire race weekend. Dollar Tree, sponsor of Legacy Motor Club, was celebrating its 40th anniversary, and it made an agreement with LMC to re-number Nemechek’s No. 42 car to the No. 40 car, along with a special Dollar Tree paint scheme.
This livery is not just a gimmick; it is a genuinely appealing paint scheme. The brownish-gold color looked good juxtaposed with the dark green, and the sharp lines and elements gave some extra visual detail.
Nemechek had a miserable day, spinning early and finishing four laps down. Even so, the weekend was great marketing for their now synonymous sponsor.
No surprise that Berry is running so much better. Other than Blaney, the Fords had been slow. They obviously found something, and they are all running better. Josh is proving what he can do with a car that is competitive.
Hope Josh Berry lands on his feet for next season.
Didn’t understand the trucks points how Friesen ended up not making the silly chase. It was a story line to run with anyhow, I reckon.
Where is Berry going to go? Are there any open seats left?
On whose radar !!!
It’s funny how much better Berry started running after he found out he needed to find a new ride for next year.
He hasn’t been taken out by Nemechek or caught up in someone else’s wreck lately!
or when he isn’t caught up in someone else’s wreck
More like how much better he’s running now that ALL the Fords are running better. like Logano and Cindric.