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Josh Berry reacted to teammate Ryan Preece's on-board from Phoenix where he mentioned that the #4 driver told him not to join for a Stewart-Haas Racing tribute at the end of the race. Notably, Preece was the only SHR driver not present with his teammates.
The race at Phoenix marked the end of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the same time, it was also Stewart-Haas Racing's final race as the team is set to cease operations now. The entire weekend, the team shared tributary posts on social media, and after the end of the race, their drivers went three wide on turns 3 and 4 at Phoenix, as a showdown to the team's legacy.
However, Ryan Preece was not included in this as he was the only SHR driver not present with his teammates to give a tribute to the team. Recently, his onboard post-race was revealed, where his spotter could be heard asking him about joining his teammates. Preece evidently said in the video that Josh Berry (#4 driver) said the team wouldn't do it.
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"I don't think we're all doing that. I mean, I don't think the four is doing it, right? Yeah, no. He told me. The four told me no."
Reacting to the video, Josh Berry shared a three-word comment under this post, he wrote:
"Now play mine."
Josh Berry clears the air with Ryan Preece after Phoenix incident
While Preece's comments about Berry telling him that the team was not paying a tribute likely suggest a heated environment between the teammates, the latter cleared any misunderstandings regarding the issue.
It is likely that there was miscommunication amongst the teammates after the race. In another comment, Josh Berry dismissed any controversy, claiming that he is good friends with Ryan Preece. Furthermore, the 34-year-old stated that his spotter later told him that the teammates were lining up, which Berry thought to be an instruction from the higher authorities at Stewart Haas Racing.
"There’s really nothing to this. Ryan and I are good friends. Eddie mentioned them lining up, so I thought there may have been direction from a higher power. We ride side by side for 50 ft and stop and back up because no one wanted to be in championship celebration."
Ryan Preece also replied to this comment, writing "This," with an upwards pointing emoji, likely agreeing to the comment.
As Stewart-Haas Racing's Cup Series stint comes to an end, Josh Berry is set to move to Wood Brothers Racing in a multi-year deal, he will be driving the #21 car, replacing Harrison Burton. Meanwhile, Ryan Preece's deal with another team is yet to be finalized.
Preece ended the 2024 Cup Series season in 26th position with 584 points, while Berry came 27th with 579 points.
