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Berry Rallies to 18th-Place Finish at Atlanta after Damage from Multi-Car Incident
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By NAPA
In his second week filling in for the injured Chase Elliott, Josh Berry qualified 17th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway. The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular finished stage one in the 18th position and improved to 15th for stage two. After a late-race caution sent the race into overtime, the 32-year-old driver restarted in 13th and powered his way to 10th to end the day. It was Berry’s first career top-10 finish in the NASCAR Cup Series in just his fourth start. Josh Berry, who was tabbed to fill in for the injured Chase Elliott on ovals as the Hendrick Motorsports driver continues to recover from a fractured tibia, qualified 17th for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway. The NASCAR Xfinity Series regular made his second start for the No. 9 team on Sunday in the 312-lap event. He used the opening laps to settle in and find his groove as he continued adapting to the Next Gen car. Running in the 25th position on lap 19, he started to build his confidence and climbed to 22nd by lap 32. Berry’s forward progression didn’t stop there. He maneuvered his way to 20th on lap 46 and picked up two more positions to end the first stage in the 18th position on lap 60. During the stage-ending caution, Berry relayed that the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 needed more security on entry and exit of the corner. Crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call for four fresh tires and fuel during the pit stop.
Scored in the 17th position after leaving pit road, Berry chose the bottom lane for the start of stage two on lap 68. He navigated the chaotic start to the stage and fought hard to stay inside the top 20. Berry swapped back and forth among the 19th and 21st positions throughout the opening 24 laps before dropping to 22nd on lap 93. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native then reported that the Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet was freer this run. Not long after, green-flag pit stops ensued. Gustafson called Berry to pit road on lap 119 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to tighten up the No. 9. Once pit stops cycled through, Berry was scored in 19th. He was in that same position when the caution flag waved on lap 137 and the team took the opportunity to make a pit stop for four tires and fuel. A fast stop by the team propelled Berry to 15th for the lap-145 restart. The 32-year-old driver held his own in the closing laps of the second stage to take the green-and-white checkered flag in 15th.
After reporting that he needed a little more right-rear grip, Berry brought the No. 9 to pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. He lined up 14th for the start of the final stage on lap 194 and continued to race inside the top 20. As scheduled green-flag pit stops were drawing near, Gustafson asked for an update on the Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet’s handling. Berry reported that the No. 9 was tight in the center of the turns, so the team opted to reverse the previous chassis adjustment during its pit stop for four tires and fuel on lap 240. Once the field cycled through stops, he was in the 17th position and improved to 16th with just 29 circuits left in the race. When the caution flag waved with 10 laps to go, the team called Berry in for four tires and fuel. Leaving pit road in the 15th position, he took the green flag with just three laps to go and powered his way to 13th before another caution came out, sending the race into overtime. Once the race was back underway, Berry charged to 10th place before the checkered flag waved to score his first ever top-10 in the Cup Series in just his fourth career start.
All four Hendrick Motorsports drivers finished inside the top 10, with William Byron scoring the victory.
“It was a really solid day for the No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevy team,” Berry said. “We were able to improve a lot from what we had last week. We were able to stay on the lead lap basically the whole race. We had a couple of runs in there that were really good. A couple runs where we fell back a little bit, but it’s just all part of a learning experience for me. These races are so long and I need to be able to learn this car a little bit better where I can give Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) a little bit better direction on how to help me. Towards the end, we found that we were a little bit on the free side on our better runs. At the end there, we were probably going to finish 15th or 16th, which I was still pretty happy with. Obviously had the cautions there and we executed a couple of really good restarts there and was able to get a top-10.”
Start / Finish: 17 / 10
Next Race: Sunday, March 19, Atlanta Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: FOX, PRN and SiriusXM
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By NAPA
The first week of March took the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series back to where the 2023 season started: Barberville, Florida. While the annual Bike Week kicked off in nearby Daytona Beach, 23 competitors arrived at Volusia Speedway Park to compete in the Spring Showdown as well as to make up a rained out race from the Dirtcar Nationals three weeks prior.
Brad Sweet, driver of the No. 49
link hidden, please login to view sprint car, was eighth in the qualifying order and hit the charts at 13.930 seconds, placing him seventh overall. That put the Big Cat third to start in Heat Race 1. With a relatively wet track at the green flag of the first heat race, cars quickly spread out and made passing difficult. Sweet finished his heat race where he started in third place.
Placed seventh to start the feature, Sweet and the No. 49 team were looking to advance. At the start, Sweet was shuffled back to ninth when his line was slower on the start. The four-time and defending series champion made every attempts to move forward, but the track was still too fast, and cars were lapping the circuit in a single lane. Battling dirty air from cars ahead, the NAPA No. 49 crossed the checkers in ninth place.
The second portion of Sunday night’s event included the make-up Dash and A-main from the rained-out Saturday night of the Dirtcar Nationals three weeks prior. With a chance to improve the car for the current track conditions, Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team saw a shot at redemption. Rolling off sixth in the six-lap Dash offered Sweet a six-lap opportunity to earn improve his starting spot in the A-main. From the drop of the green flag, Sweet’s NAPA machine came to life and launched him up to third place. Sweet looked to gain another spot but ran out of time.
With 30 laps to contest in the feature, Sweet was ready to use all 900 horsepower the No. 49 car could offer to make his move to the front. With an ideal setup, Sweet proved quick as the field took off. Running the preferred line, the NAPA driver made several charges to pass the leader. Sweet ultimately crossed the line in second, the podium finish offering redemption for the team’s unremarkable outcome earlier in the evening.
Monday marked the second night of the Spring Showdown and the final night of racing in Florida for the 2023 season. With 23 cars signed into competition, Sweet went out 17th in qualifying and laid down a lap time of 13.668 seconds, good for ninth quickest overall. Starting third in Heat Race 3, Sweet knew he needed to pick up at least one spot to advance to the Fast Pass Dash. When the green flag dropped on his heat race, Sweet launched into second and held the spot, locking him into the Dash.
“We are struggling a little bit, but the Dash gets you those extra laps to get your car a little better,” Sweet said during the Dash draw. “Hopefully we can have a good finish with our NAPA Auto Parts car down here at Volusia. We’ve had a lot of fun, and I’ve been down here quite a bit, so hopefully we can finish strong.”
After drawing the fifth spot to start the Dash, Sweet had six laps to improve his starting spot in the A-main. At the drop of the green, Sweet drove around the outside to claim fourth, holding the spot to the checkered flag.
Sweet focused on making strides toward the front when he rolled off from fourth in the 30-lap A-main. The NAPA driver quickly advanced to third following the drop of the green flag. After a mid-race caution, the No. 49 spun its tires on the restart and fell back to sixth, where the NAPA team ultimately finished.
Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts team will enjoy some days off before they make their way to Port Royal, Penn., for the next Outlaws event.
Start / Finish:
Sunday, Mar. 5, Spring Showdown: 7 / 9
Sunday, Mar. 5, Dirtcar Nationals make-up: 3 / 2
Monday, Mar. 6, Spring Showdown: 4 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 7th / 666 pts. (-56)
Next Race: Friday, March 10, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, Penn.
How to Watch or Listen:
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By NAPA
After Chase Elliott suffered a fractured tibia in a snowboarding accident on Friday, NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry was tapped to fill in as the driver of the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In his first start in a Next Gen car, Berry adapted well, climbing from 32nd to 24th to round out stage one. The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native followed that up with a 26th-place finish in stage two before ultimately taking the checkered flag in 29th after battling through an issue with the throttle. After Chase Elliott suffered a fractured tibia in a snowboarding accident on Friday, NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Josh Berry was tapped to fill in as the driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet for Sunday’s Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Turning his first ever laps in a Next Gen car, Berry qualified in the 32nd position. After the green flag dropped, the 32-year-old took the opening laps to adapt and managed to gain a few positions before green-flag pit stops commenced. Once the field cycle through stops, Berry was scored in 26th. He continued his climb forward, taking the green-and-white checkered flag to end stage one in 24th at the conclusion of lap 80.
During the stage break, Berry radioed to the team that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy’s balance was better than it had been on Saturday, but that the car was a little on the tight side. After a pit stop for four tires and fuel, he started stage two from 24th on lap 89 and lost a few spots after making slight contact with the wall. When green-flag pit stops ensued, the team called Berry in for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment on lap 122. Scored in 29th once pit stops cycled through, he reported that the No. 9 was much better. Berry pressed forward as the run went on and was scored in the 26th position to end stage two. Under the caution, he communicated to crew chief Alan Gustafson that the throttle pedal felt sticky. He added that he was struggling in dirty air as he was learning the new car.
Berry took the green flag for the final stage from the 28th position on lap 172 and was scored in 29th when the caution flag waved on lap 184. With the team being two laps down due to long green-flag runs throughout the race, Gustafson made the call for Berry to take the wave around to get one of the laps back. During the final stage Berry continued to report issues with the throttle and when a caution came out with just four laps to go, the team made a pit stop for four tires, fuel and attempted to make repairs. After further evaluation, the team determined that they wouldn’t be able to fix the issue and sent Berry back out for the overtime restart. He battled hard in those finals laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag in the 29th position.
“I learned a lot, especially in the first two stages,” Berry said. “I think we definitely saw at times we were running some pretty good lap times. Just struggled with dirty air; knowing where to put the car and how to do that. There’s a lot of learning to be done, but all-in-all, it was still a pretty good time.”
Start / Finish: 32 / 29
Next Race: Sunday, March 12, Phoenix Raceway
How to Watch or Listen: FOX, MRN and SiriusXM
NAPA:
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott started Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway from the 33rd position after qualifying was rained out and the starting lineup was determined by the rule book. The 27-year-old drove to a 10th-place finish in the first stage and took the green-and-white checkered flag in seventh to end the second stage. The 2020 Cup Series champion continued his climb forward in the final stage, earning a second-place finish in the 200-lap race in Fontana, California. Elliott now sits 14th in the point standings after the second event of the 2023 season, 43 points behind the leader. After a weekend full of rain in Fontana, California, the NASCAR Cup Series took the green flag on Sunday afternoon for its 200-lap race at Auto Club Speedway. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team started the race from the 33rd position after the lineup was set according to the rule book. It didn’t take long for Elliott to begin his climb forward. When the competition caution flag waved at the conclusion of lap 15, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native was scored in the 25th position. Under caution, Elliott reported that his NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was getting tight center off during the run. The team made its first pit stop of the day for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment.
Elliott was 25th after his pit stop and chose the top lane for the restart on lap 20. He made quick work of the cars ahead of him, charging his way to 12th by lap 41. Just one lap later the caution flag was displayed and crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. A fast stop by the No. 9 pit crew catapulted Elliott to seventh upon leaving pit road. The 2020 Cup Series champion chose the top lane once again. Elliott maneuvered his way to fifth on lap 49, but his No. 9 Chevrolet was too free as the run progressed and he was scored 10th at the conclusion of stage one on lap 65. During the stage-ending caution, the team made the call to reverse the previous adjustments during its pit stop for four tires and fuel in an effort to tighten up the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet.
Elliott chose the top lane to start the second stage on lap 72 and was running in 13th when the caution flag waved just two laps later. The team made another stop for four tires and fuel and Elliott restarted just inside the top 15 on lap 79. He improved his position and made his way back up to 10th before the caution flag waved on lap 81. After opting to stay out on the track, Elliott was scored in eighth and took the top lane for the restart. Before the entire field could take the green flag, a multi-car incident brought out the yellow flag once again. Staying out for a second time, he took the top for the lap-91 restart. Elliott faded to 13th on lap 97, but as the run went on his Chevrolet came to life. The driver of the No. 9 powered his way to seventh before the green-and-white checkered flag waved to end stage two on lap 130. During the stage break, the team made a fast pit stop for four tires and fuel, gaining Elliott two positions.
The 27-year-old driver was scored in the fifth position following his pit stop and chose the top lane before the start of the final stage on lap 136. He was in that same spot when the caution flag was displayed on lap 141. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and the team packed the No. 9 Chevrolet full of fuel. He lined up seventh for the choose cone and opted for the top lane. The field took the green flag for the restart with just 55 laps to go and Elliott continued to battle inside the top 10. He was back up to fifth on lap 149 and gained two more positions before scheduled green flag pit stops began around lap 165. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road on lap 167 for the team’s final pit stop of the day. On lap 175, the Hendrick Motorsports driver was in the fourth position with one car left to pit. He continued to track down the cars ahead of him, advancing to second on lap 182. Elliott drove hard in the final laps but ran out of time to battle for the lead. He ultimately took the checkered flag in the second position, his best career finish at the 2-mile facility. Kyle Busch claimed the victory. Elliott’s runner-up finish and stage points earned helped him improve to 14th in the Cup Series point standings. He is just 43 points behind the leader as the series heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend.
“Just really proud of our team,” Elliott said. “We obviously didn’t run very good there toward the end of the year last year, and everybody really went to work hard over the winter to try and get better. I appreciate everybody on our NAPA team for just sticking with it and sticking with each other. I think we still have some work to do, but it was really nice to just see a lot of that hard work pay off and have the car driving like we were wanting it to do. That’s always a good thing. Appreciate everybody’s effort; everybody at Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet.”
Start / Finish: 33 / 2
Points Standing / Total: 14th / 49 pts. (-43)
Next Race: Sunday, March 5, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM
NAPA:
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott started the 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 from the eighth position on Sunday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion finished 38th in the race after getting caught up in an on-track incident on Lap 119 that caused heavy damage to the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Next weekend, Elliott and the No. 9 team head to Auto Club Speedway for second race of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season. Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team started eighth in Sunday’s 65th running of the DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway. The five-time Most Popular Driver stayed within the main pack and ran inside the top 10 for several laps. However, the field became single-file as teams grew closer to green-flag stops, causing Elliott to lose some positions. Several Chevrolet drivers made their way to pit road on Lap 38, with Elliott getting two right-side tires and fuel for his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1. Once the field cycled through pit stops, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion was running in the bottom lane near the front of the field. He worked his way inside the top five on lap 53, but the top lane grew stronger as the first stage went on and Elliott was shuffled back to 17th by time the green-and-white checkered flag waved on lap 65. Under the stage-ending caution, crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel.
Elliott chose the outside lane for the start of the second stage and raced mid-pack as the field stayed double-file for the opening laps. At the race’s halfway point, he was scored in the 24th position and moved to the bottom lane just a handful of laps later in preparation for another round of green-flag pit stops. The Chevrolet drivers came to pit road on lap 107 and the NAPA Auto Parts team opted for fuel only, which helped propel Elliott back into the top 10 on Lap 113. Just six laps later, Elliott’s day took a turn when an on-track incident occurred ahead of him. The 27-year-old had almost worked his way through the chaos, but another car came back up onto the track and Elliott had nowhere to go. His NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet was collected in the incident and was too damaged to continue in the race. Elliott was ultimately scored with a 38th-place finish.
“It looked like some guys got tangled up front,” Chase Elliott said. “Those of us in the back were just scattering to kind of miss it. It looked like the No. 5 (Kyle Larson) and the No. 43 (Erik Jones) kind of went to the apron. By the time we got slowed up, they were coming back across the track and I was there first. It’s a bummer. Hate to end the day, but it is what it is.”
Start / Finish: 8 / 38
Points Standing / Total: 29th / 9 pts. (-43)
Next Race: Sunday, February 26, Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.
How to Watch or Listen: FOX, MRN, SiriusXM
NAPA:
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