Berry Leads 27 Laps Before Early Exit at Talladega

For the first two Stages of Sunday’s YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Josh Berry was wheeling a blazing-fast eero Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

After starting sixth, Berry took the lead from polesitter Michael McDowell on the second lap and went on to lead six more times for a total of 27 laps. Even when the No. 21 wasn’t out front, it was a fixture inside the top 10 — and often among the top five.

Near the end of Stage 1, Berry avoided a large multi-car crash and pitted just before the end of the 60-lap segment. He restarted the second Stage from third and immediately retook the lead, but mechanical issues soon began to take their toll. His promising day came to an early end shortly after the start of the final Stage, leaving him with a 33rd-place finish.

Despite the disappointment, Berry’s performance added to an impressive stat line. His 27 laps led at Talladega pushed his season total to 207 — the most for the No. 21 team since Ryan Blaney led 301 laps in 2017, and the second most since 1982 when the late Neil Bonnett led 412.

Berry and the Wood Brothers Racing team now turn their focus to Martinsville Speedway for next Sunday’s Xfinity 500 — but before that, the team will host its 75th Anniversary Fan Day on Friday, Oct. 24, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Wood Brothers Racing Museum in Stuart, Va.

The celebration will feature driver appearances, Q&A sessions, autograph opportunities, raffle prizes, trivia, giveaways and more. Nine drivers are expected to attend, including Berry, Donnie Allison, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney, Harrison Burton, Dale Jarrett, Paul Menard, Elliott Sadler and Michael Waltrip.

The museum is located at 21 Performance Drive, Stuart, VA 24171. For more details and a full schedule of events, visit woodbrothersracing.com.

About eero
eero was founded to make wifi and networking the way they should be—fast, reliable, secure, and, most importantly, easy to use. After introducing the first home mesh wifi system with a high-quality design that blends into its environment and technology that intuitively works behind the scenes, eero became known for sweating every single detail and delivering award-winning hardware and software for homes, businesses, communities, and service providers. Founded and headquartered in San Francisco in 2014, eero is an Amazon company. For more information, visit eero.com.

About Wood Brothers Racing
Founded in 1950 by Hall of Famer Glenn Wood in Stuart, Virginia, Wood Brothers Racing holds a special place in NASCAR history as the sport’s longest-running team. Over eight decades, the team has earned 101 victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with 120 poles, and remains proud of its longstanding relationship with Ford Motor Company, fielding only Ford products since its inception. Glenn’s brother, Leonard Wood, played a key role in shaping modern racing by developing the techniques behind today’s pit stops. With a rich legacy rooted in innovation and tradition, Wood Brothers Racing continues to honor its heritage while adapting for the future as it competes in NASCAR’s premier series with Josh Berry.

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The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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