Josh Berry, driving the No. 21 eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse, experienced a turbulent race on Sunday at the Straight Talk Wireless 500 held at Phoenix Raceway. During Lap 254 of the 312-lap event, Berry was involved in a multi-car crash that forced him out early and resulted in a 32nd-place finish. Despite the setback, Berry had a moment at the front of the pack, briefly leading the race before the incident.
Race Progress and Early Positions
Starting in 10th position, Berry maintained a steady pace throughout the first stage of the race, running within the top 15 for much of the opening 60 laps. He completed the first stage in 15th place, setting the stage for a competitive second segment. Early in Stage 2, Berry remained just outside the top 15 until sustaining damage to the front splitter on Lap 104, which dropped him back to 26th position.
Strategy and Brief Leadership Amid Tire Challenges
After the damage, Berry showcased resilience by charging back into the top 15, finishing Stage 2 in 14th place. However, this recovery used most of the team’s tire allocation. When a caution flag came out due to a crash involving Ryan Preece, Berry’s team decided not to pit while many other drivers did. This gamble placed Berry in the lead, where he maintained the front spot for 13 laps. Still, with older tires than his competitors, Berry soon began to slip back once the race resumed at full speed.
Final Incident and Aftermath
Shortly after a restart following the race’s seventh caution, Berry was caught in a seven-car collision, ending his day prematurely. After being evaluated and released from the track’s care center, Berry reflected on the crash, saying,
“Wrong place, wrong time. Obviously I saw the smoke there for a second and could tell something was happening. I checked up and someone got into me. Either way I was wrecking.”
He acknowledged the difficulty of the race, describing the afternoon as frustrating for the entire No. 21 team.
It was a tough day, a really tough day,
Berry said.
We didn’t have the car like we wanted. We had some bright spots there and got some track position and looked alright. Ultimately we were down a set of tires and honestly we were just trying to finish it out and take what we could today. We just got caught up in the issues.
Looking Ahead to Las Vegas
Following the disappointing finish at Phoenix Raceway, Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team will focus on next weekend’s event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. They will return to Las Vegas as defending champions of the Pennzoil 400, aiming to build on previous success despite the challenges faced at Phoenix.
