By Seth Eggert, Associate Editor
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Despite a late-race charge, Josh Berry missed making the NASCAR All-Star Race by three car lengths.
The Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) driver started the All-Star Open in seventh. After an uneventful opening half of the race, Berry avoided an early wreck in the second 50 laps. The NASCAR Cup Series driver then challenged Bubba Wallace and SHR teammate Chase Briscoe for second.
With all three of the drivers on the red option Goodyear Racing Eagles, none had a significant advantage over the other. While Berry excelled in Turns 1 and 2, he struggled on the opposite end of North Wilkesboro Speedway. The No. 4 Harrison’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse closed in on Wallace several times, only for the gap to open back up.
When the checkered flag waved, Berry was still several car lengths behind the Toyota Racing driver and the final transfer position. The Rodney Childers-led team did not win the fan vote as that went to another SHR driver, Noah Gragson, for the second consecutive season.
“We had a really good practice,” Berry said. “We were loose in qualifying and that kind of translated to the first run. The boys on pit road had a great pit stop and got us some track position. I think the tire compound tightened us up a little bit and we were better. We still needed to be a little bit tighter. I was doing everything I could without a doubt. I really found a lot in one and two. I was fast in one and two, but just couldn’t quite put together three and four to make a charge at them.
“From where we started we knew it would be tough, but all in all it was just a great effort. Everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing, Rodney, this whole No. 4 team, Harrison’s for all they do. I hate to not be in it, but we were probably the whole show right there for how it looked. I was doing everything I could, I just couldn’t quite get to the 23. The last couple of laps I got a little bit better, but it would have been hard to pass him without really roughing him up.”
Next for Berry is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender has never competed in the Cup Series at ‘America’s Home for Racing.’ Berry does have three starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Charlotte with one win.
The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, May 26, at 6:00 p.m. ET on FOX. The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.