Despite not qualifying for the playoffs this year, Josh Berry has shown glimpses of how good he is during the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season. He did a fantastic job in qualifying on Saturday this weekend and will be starting the Atlanta race from P4 this Sunday.
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Despite having a scary crash in Daytona a few weeks ago where his car was seen flipping upside-down, the Stewart-Haas Racing driver seems confident heading into the postseason. He hopes to stay out of that kind of trouble in Atlanta.
The veteran race car driver believes that the key to winning a race at the 1.5-mile-long facility will be handling and avoiding wrecks. The former is under the driver’s control but things can get interesting when it comes to the latter.
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Even the most experienced drivers can spin out on a track such as Atlanta or get caught in someone else’s wreck. Reacting to such situations quickly will be key and Berry is confident of leaving his mark on the event.
“Yeah, I think so,” he told the media when asked if he could play spoiler to the playoff drivers. “Obviously, we had a really good car at Daytona with a lot of speed. We were in a great position there until we weren’t, so we feel like we had a strong car here in the spring. I feel like I’ve grown and learned a lot since then.”
There’s no pressure on the driver of the #4 car to get points now since he’s not in the playoffs. That can be seen as a positive as Berry can race with a relaxed mindset since he has nothing to lose. The same could even help him take the checkered flag on Sunday against all odds, while also playing a supporting role in teammate Chase Briscoe’s postseason bid.
Can Berry be the surprise winner at Atlanta?
It would make for a fantastic feel-good story if he gets the job done in his very first full-time NASCAR Cup Series season and wins this Sunday. Berry believes that he has as much a chance as anyone else to take the checkered flag.
The only condition that he believes needs to be fulfilled is staying out of wrecks. Stewart-Haas Racing has a good car, as was made evident last week.
“I think it’s really important to have your car handling good where you can race up front all night and then there is definitely some fate involved in being there at the end, but I feel like we have as good a shot as anybody coming here. We just have to execute and stay out of trouble,” he added.
The Atlanta race is shaping up to be an unpredictable yet exciting affair. Berry will start the race from P4 and hope to keep his spot near the front of the pack throughout the event to race for the win.
