Josh Berry, driving for an wounded Chase Elliott, finished 29th in Sunday’s Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Elliott, who was coming off a runner-up finish previous weekend at Car Club Speedway, suffered a fractured tibia in a snowboarding incident Friday in Colorado. Hendrick Motorsports has not stated a timetable for Elliott’s return.
More: Las Vegas Cup results
Berry, who competes entire-time in the Xfinity Sequence for JR Motorsports, experienced run only two preceding Cup races. Both of all those have been in 2021, earning this weekend his very first time in a Next Gen Cup car or truck. Berry ran 26 laps in follow ahead of qualifying 32nd.
Berry finished two laps guiding Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who won the race.
“Good position, buddy,” crew main Alan Gustafson told Berry on the radio soon after the race. “Sorry about that mess there with the throttle and every little thing else.
Said Berry: “I come to feel like that genuinely variety of harm me at the conclude. I felt like I was starting off to make some progress. I really do not know no matter what took place that was there, just got throwing me off.
“Honestly, it was a great deal of enjoyable. I know it was not what we wished, but I experienced a excellent time. I required some more yellows.”
Berry had talked previously in the race about challenges relevant to the throttle. Berry and Gustafson conversed all through the race about how Berry was driving.
“Josh did an remarkable job for us, provided the situations, given the fact that he’s not ever been in one of these Up coming Gen cars and trucks prior to,” explained Jeff Andrews, president and common manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “Really, really satisfied with what he did for us these days. We’ve received some items to operate on. We feel we experienced a very little little bit of an issue there. It was producing a minor bit of situation with his throttle throughout the race. We have got to get it mounted and remedied, but actually, definitely happy with the job he did for us.”
Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman is aware of the troubles Berry faced this weekend. Bowman drove pick races in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s automobile in 2016 when Earnhardt was out just after suffering a concussion in a crash.
“It’s a challenging predicament to stage into,” Bowman explained before this weekend. “Obviously we experienced some results when I stuffed in, but it’s truly difficult. It feel it is only gotten more durable with the Next Gen auto coming in.
“The Xfinity motor vehicle utilised to be so very similar to a Cup motor vehicle, and now they couldn’t be extra distinctive in how they generate and how you can method how to aggressively drive them. Furthermore, when I arrived in, I experienced a few decades of Cup experience now.
“So it’s surely distinct, but I assume it is a good opportunity for Josh to master and see how Hendrick Motorsports operates the matters that we do and to be portion of an group like that. Even though it’s by means of a circumstance that no person wishes, I assume it is one thing that you can develop as a racecar driver from discover and exhibit all people what you’ve obtained.”
Hendrick Motorsports has not said who will push the No. 9 motor vehicle beyond Sunday’s race at Las Vegas right until Elliott returns. Andrews claimed the workforce will have to have to make a final decision Monday to have the driver’s seat in the motor vehicle ahead of the hauler leaves on Tuesday.
In all seriousness, the help I’ve obtained in excess of the previous few of times is considerably better than I deserve. I want to thank absolutely everyone who has lended it over in any sort!
Let’s give @joshberry and the @NAPARacing group some adore these days! #di9
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) March 5, 2023
