“We went to total junk” - Josh Berry reflects on late model struggles at Florence after adjustments backfire

NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry reflected on his frustrating late model outing at the Florence Motor Speedway after a tire change and adjustment backfired, drastically worsening his car’s performance in the latter half of the race.

Even though the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has ended, Berry is still involved in racing in the offseason. He took part in Saturday’s South Carolina 400 at Florence, where he racked up a P25 finish. He was charging hard in the first half of the race and running inside the top-five before losing spots late in the race.

In the post-race interview with Frontstretch's Trenton Worsham, Josh Berry said that his initial performance was solid but ultimately faltered due to misjudged adjustments. He admitted that to match Dale Earnhardt Jr. and eventual winner Treyten Lapcevich’s pace, his team made the adjustments.

Speaking on what went wrong at Florence, Berry said:

“Yeah, I mean, the first half of the race went pretty well. I ran hard, probably too hard, but I wanted to keep track position. I wanted to push my car and see how it was and get a good gauge of that for the second half of the race.

“Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) and the #77, with class of the field for sure, we weren't quite good enough probably to run with him unless we made our car a good bit better. But, yeah, we put tires on it, made a small adjustment, and went to total junk. I don't know. I just honestly kind of speechless, not embarrassed, speechless; I just couldn't get to the back fast enough.”

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Josh Berry reflects on Stewart-Haas Racing after their final NASCAR season

The 34-year-old Hendersonville, Tennessee, native began his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career with Stewart-Haas Racing this season. Driving the #4 Ford, Berry scored two top-5s and four top-10 finishes and ended the season in 27th place in the Cup Series championship standings.

After the Phoenix championship race marked the final race for SHR, Josh Berry expressed heartfelt gratitude toward the team for their unwavering effort and support in his first Cup season.

“Man, this is just such a special group, and I can’t say thank you enough to everyone at SHR for all they did this season. We had some really tough circumstances and a lot of uncertainty, and the No. 4 group still showed up and gave it their all, and I am just so thankful,” Berry said (via NBC Sports).

As SHR shut down after the 2024 season, Josh Berry joined Wood Brothers Racing’s behind the wheel of the #21 Ford in the 2025 season.