After early accidents in the first two NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races left Josh Berry last in the postseason standings, the driver of No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford comes to Bristol Motor Speedway with absolute clarity.
Berry must win Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at the 0.533-mile short track, or his run in the postseason is over.
In the Playoff opener at Darlington Raceway, Berry crashed off the second corner of the opening lap and finished last. A week later, contact with Chase Elliott’s Chevrolet sent his Mustang spinning into the wall, and Berry again was credited with a last-place finish.
After the two disasters, Berry is 45 points below the elimination line for the Playoffs’ Round of 12 and must win to escape summary ouster from the 16-driver Playoff field.
“We go every week to go win, really,” Berry said. “That’s what we all work towards week-in and week-out, to be competitive and to win races, so just because of the situation that we’re in, it’s not like we can try extra hard or do something different that we normally wouldn’t do.
“Maybe there’s a play strategy-wise that we could throw if we felt like we had to, but outside of that, it’s about just doing all the little things right and executing a solid night and just giving ourselves the opportunity. That’s all it really amounts to.”
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