What a wild week it has been for Josh Berry who was thrust into the difficult position of being a relief driver for NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, Chase Elliott.
Berry was tapped to hop in the No. 9 Napa Racing Chevrolet after Elliott received a fractured tibia diagnosis Friday evening. Elliott underwent successful surgery that night to repair the injury Friday night and is due to begin his physical therapy on Monday Morning.
Shortly after receiving the news, Hendrick Motorsports went to their Xfinity offshoot program in JR Motorsports to find relief driver, Josh Berry, driver of the No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevy. On Saturday, Josh Berry qualified the No. 9 Napa ride in the 32nd position and then raced his No. 8 Xfinity car to a 5th place finish later that afternoon.
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While Berry’s performance today in the Penzoil 400 was not ideal, he is not the only Xfinity regular-turned Cup driver to struggle with this NextGen car. Ty Gibbs (who got in a little scuffle with Berry, causing his right front to go flat) finished 22nd in his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing while JRM teammate, Noah Gragson, brought his No. 42 car for the Legacy Motor Club home in the 30th position.
This begs the question as to just how much more difficult is this NextGen car to adapt to for veterans in the second-tier Xfinity Series?
Josh Berry, who was thrust into the No. 9 Camaro this weekend, brushed the wall and Ty Gibbs. He came home in 29th while his teammates finished 1-2-3.
NAPA, who had their primary driver replaced this weekend due to injury, reported on Berry getting some encouraging words over the radio from D’Hondt.
The No. 9 Team’s Twitter page reminded fans that Berry was the one driving the car today, not Chase Elliott.
The No. 9 Team on Twitter announcing to fans that Josh Berry came home in 29th.
This Chase Elliott fan floats the idea about doing something different come Phoenix.
Austin on Twitter floats the idea of having Justin Allgaier. It wouldn’t be the first time he filled in for an injured driver.
John points out that Josh Berry did well considering his lack of experience in the NextGen car. This begs the question: Is the NextGen that much more difficult than the Xfinity cars to drive?
Alt24 beg for Chase Elliott to return sooner rather than later.
Chris is in favor of keeping Berry in the car stating that even NASCAR Champion, Bill Elliott, would perform about the same with his equal lack of experience in the NextGen car.
JoJo feels back for Chase having to watch his car run in the back but also applauds HMS’s 1-2-3 finish.
IYKYK criticizes Berry as “awful”.
Duke defends Berry’s run here today. Considering that Gibbs also struggles with the NextGen car but was completely dominant in Xfinity last year.
The Start Finish Line points out that Berry’s finish wasn’t all that bad considering his lack of experience in the car and short notice. Hey, at least he finished the race and was only 2 laps down!
Prior to the Penzoil 400 at Vegas, Eric Estepp from OUT OF THE GROOVE predicted for Josh Berry to finish 12th. Needless to say, he was wrong.
Nascarcasm on Twitter promoted Chase’s father, Bill, for the seat if Berry “doesn’t work out”.
Jonathan Fjeld captures Berry spending time with his family just before the race. He points out that Berry had ZERO competitive laps in the NextGen Car.
Kelly Crandall reports that crew chief Alan Gustafson told Berry to “Go have fun” prior to the drop of the green flag.
Matt Weaver reports that after Josh Berry got into the wall, the car felt more-or-less the same. As dificult as these NextGen cars are to drive, they sure are built like tanks!
ThePitCrewOnline gives this Lap 100 update.
Alan Gustafson Fans tweets that Josh Berry’s Engine No. 9 is feeling a lot better than it did on Saturday, though still running a little tight.
Following his Stage 2 stop, the team tells Berry that it’s the “best we’ve been”.
We likely won’t know until Tuesday what HMS’s plans are for the No. 9 car going forward. We do know that Chase Elliott is expected to be out “several weeks” meaning that a relief driver is needed for the foreseeable future.
Should the team stick with Berry or go another route? Berry was best to fit into Elliott’s seat this weekend which was already in the car but now HMS has an entire week to prepare if they decide to go in another direction. Only time will tell. If Berry stays in the car, however, remember, there’s nowhere else to go but up.
Chris Gabehart has responded to Joe Gibbs Racing’s lawsuit, strongly denying the allegations and calling the claims “false,” “frivolous,” and “retaliatory” in a public statement released this Friday.
After the lawsuit became public, on Thursday, Gabehart spoke out for the first time, stating that he did not share any confidential JGR information with Spire Motorsports or any third parties and that he intends to prove that in court. He also said a third-party forensic review of his personal devices found no evidence supporting the accusations, adding that JGR declined an offer to examine Spire’s systems before filing suit.
“Yesterday afternoon, Joe Gibbs Racing filed a lawsuit claiming — falsely — that I shared JGR confidential information with Spire Motorsports and/or other unnamed third parties… I feel compelled to speak out today and forcefully and emphatically deny these frivolous and retaliatory claims.”
Gabehart said he will address the matter further in a formal legal response in the coming days.
You can learn more about the lawsuit, why it started and all the context surrounding it in the article linked below
Weather could play a major role in the NASCAR weekend at EchoPark Speedway, with current forecasts calling for a 40% chance of rain Saturday afternoon and increasing to 55% in the evening. While conditions are expected to improve, contingency plans are already in place in case races cannot be completed as scheduled
NASCAR has not announced any official schedule changes yet, as decisions will be based on how conditions develop in real time. With rain chances increasing through Saturday afternoon and evening, teams are preparing for multiple outcomes, and Sunday is expected to serve as the primary backup window if events can’t be completed as planned.
Conditions are constantly being monitored, but fans should be prepared for possible schedule adjustments throughout the weekend. We’ll keep you updated throughout the race weekend here on The Daily Downforce
Just when things finally seemed to calm down in the NASCAR garage, a bombshell dropped. Joe Gibbs Racing is officially suing former competition director Chris Gabehart, and the allegations are serious. Power struggles, confidential data, secret photos, and a potential move to Spire Motorsports.
From competition department tension to an $8 million damages figure, this lawsuit could have major implications beyond just one team. Gabehart helped elevate Denny Hamlin back into championship form and played a key role in JGR’s recent success, which makes this split even more shocking. This preview only scratches the surface. The full breakdown dives into the timeline, the alleged evidence, and what this could mean for the Cup Series balance of power moving forward. Watch the full video to learn much more
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