AVONDALE, Ariz. — Josh Berry turned in his greatest end in 4 races since becoming a member of Wooden Brothers Racing in the course of the offseason Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Raceway.
Berry introduced the No. 21 Ford house fourth regardless of overcoming a mistake on pitlane that compelled the crew to battle from behind.
“I hate that we had that mistake on pit street with the left rear that form of knocked us again however we have been capable of battle again up there and had some actually good restarts,” Berry stated. “I felt like myself once more. It’s wonderful what you are able to do when the automotive is dealing with like that. It was actually strong and staying beneath me. I’m tremendous pleased with these guys.”
Berry was thrilled to complete within the high 5 on the one-mile observe.
“Yeah, I’m simply truthfully so excited,” the second yr Cup Sequence driver stated. “This race observe was fairly robust for me final yr and these guys have nice automobiles, definitely right here. That was confirmed once more right this moment and we executed fairly solidly and was capable of get a great end which is basically good.”
• Kyle Busch had a constant day in his Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet and completed eighth for his second consecutive top-10 end and third in 4 races.
“We have been most likely a Fifteenth-place automotive on yellow’s and possibly an eighth-place automotive on reds (tires),” Busch stated. “We by no means actually obtained to see our reds play out; get a future on them. So it’s onerous to say with that, however we have been capable of make up some actually good spots on restarts with them. That saved our day.”
Busch was inspired with the outcome.
“I’d say that the step that we constituted of final yr to this yr was a extremely good step,” he defined. “One other main step like that, we is usually a contender for racing for the win. There was a giant change in how our automotive drove and felt and the grip that it gave, however not sufficient of what I wanted.”
• Chris Buescher introduced his RFK Racing Ford house in fifth for his first top-five end of the season.
“I’m actually pleased with this crew to take this Ford Mustang and get a high 5 out of it,” Buescher stated. “It was a battle right this moment. I felt like we have been there on the yellows and saved getting run throughout by reds and I used to be simply sitting there ready our flip. We lastly put them on and ended up in a spot the place it was form of the identical time as everyone else. We didn’t see the large motion, however we had them on on the finish when plenty of others ran out. It made it attention-grabbing. I’m nonetheless a proponent of a single tire once we come to a weekend, however Goodyear did an awesome job. That pink tire was plenty of enjoyable.”
• Bubba Wallace ran within the high 10 for a lot of the day at Phoenix, however a late-race mechanical problem noticed him fail to complete. He was credited with twenty ninth in his 23XI Racing Toyota.
“Brakes blew out. Unlucky,” Wallace reported. “Didn’t have any signal main as much as that final restart there. Simply seen on lap three or 4 that the pedal simply traveled additional than it had – simply by somewhat bit. Turned on my followers, got here again and that was it. It’s a bummer. We didn’t have the perfect of a begin or mid-race for our Leidos No. 23 Camry XSE crew. However, felt like we lastly obtained our massive break and cracked the top-10 and make one thing of it. Making an attempt to outlive and simply obtained ripped out from beneath us.”
• Ryan Blaney had an engine expire late within the race on his Group Penske Ford. He was credited with twenty eighth place.
“It simply blew up. It began with about 100 to go and I believed it was going to make it to the top however it didn’t,” Blaney defined. “It was a hard-fought day. We might by no means get happening restarts. Lengthy runs I felt okay however simply form of lacked somewhat bit after which we have been simply having hassle with the engine earlier than it utterly grenaded. We have been going to get an honest end out of it, however clearly not.”
• Chase Briscoe and Spire Motorsports teammates Carson Hocevar and Justin Haley have been concerned in a uncommon multi-car accident that collected 5 drivers on lap 98. Briscoe defined the incident.
“That’s in regards to the greatest you’ll be able to crash at Phoenix. It was a giant one,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver stated. “On that restart, we have been three, four-wide and I simply climbed over the No. 7 (Justin Haley)’s proper entrance. Yeah, unlucky. We have been capable of go from the tail (of the sphere) as much as twelfth or thirteenth and felt good about our No. 19 Bass Professional Outlets Toyota. Yeah, obtained myself in a nasty spot. Was most likely making an attempt to fade somewhat extra left with the No. 77 (Carson Hocevar) on my proper rear and yeah, simply went over the No. 7’s proper entrance. Yeah, unlucky however attempt to be taught from it and never do it once more and go onto (Las) Vegas.”
• Christopher Bell might have received three of the 4 races, however Daytona 500 winner William Byron, who completed sixth, at Phoenix continues to steer the standings. Byron battled again from a lap down.
“Yeah, sadly that warning simply got here out proper once we have been on pit street. Right here at Phoenix (Raceway), you’ll be able to’t get away with shedding a lap,” he stated. “It was simply an unlucky scenario there. It was an aggressive name, and I believed that it was going to set us up for a shot. It was simply loopy there on the finish. We restarted twenty first and obtained up into the top-10 fairly rapidly. I really feel like we most likely used up plenty of tire on the reds to get the previous couple of spots, so it was onerous to get far more.”
• Katherine Legge, a sports activities automotive race winner and former Indianapolis 500 starter, completed thirtieth on the 37-car grid in her NASCAR Cup Sequence debut, driving the No. 78 Reside Quick Motorsports Chevrolet. The British driver turned solely the eighth lady in NASCAR’s trendy period (1972-present) to compete within the sport’s highest degree, and the primary since Danica Patrick raced within the 2018 Daytona 500.
