Wood Brothers Racing – Race Report: Martinsville Speedway

Event: Xfinity 500

Location: Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia

Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026

Start: 10th

Finish: 4th

Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Dark Horse turned in a strong performance in Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, earning a fourth-place finish that propelled Berry to career highs in top-five and top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series.

With one race remaining in the 2026 season, Berry has recorded four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, with an opportunity to add to those totals in next Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Both marks are the best for Wood Brothers Racing since 2014, when Ryan Blaney recorded four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes behind the wheel of the No. 21 Ford.

Berry started Sunday’s 500-lap race at the tight, half-mile Martinsville oval from the 10th position and quickly established himself as a contender for a strong finish.

Outside of green-flag pit stop cycles, Berry maintained a position inside the top 10 throughout the opening 130-lap Stage, ultimately finishing fifth to collect six valuable stage points.

The second Stage brought more of the same for Berry and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, as he continued to run among the top 10 before finishing seventh and adding four more stage points.

Berry and the No. 21 team saved their best for the final segment of the race. With just over 90 laps remaining, Berry worked his way into the top five and maintained that position through the closing laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag in fourth. The result marked his best finish since another fourth-place effort four races earlier at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Following the race, Berry expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance.

“It was really fun,” he said. “The car was really solid all day. We just needed a little bit of track position and needed to get up to the front a little sooner.”

Berry also expressed his appreciation for those supporting the No. 21 team.

“I just want to thank everybody at Wood Brothers and Team Penske, Ford Racing for everything they for us.”

Berry and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team now turn their attention to next Sunday’s Cup Series Champions Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where they will look to close out the 2026 season with another strong performance.

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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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