NASCAR’s recent decision during the Round of 12 opener at Kansas to park driver Josh Berry after a Lap 1 accident has sparked substantial backlash.
The multi-car wreck resulted in several flat tires and light damage to the rear of Berry’s No. 4 Ford after contact with Harrison Burton. NASCAR’s ruling to remove Berry from the race after this incident, deeming his car ineligible for a tow back to pit road for tire changes, has led to significant controversy.
Speaking to the media following the backlash, Cup Series managing director Brad Moran explained on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, as quoted by NBC Sports:
“It didn’t feel right or look right, but [the rule] was done correctly. Again, it’s something we’ll review over the winter, and it may change.”
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He added:
“The hit was hard enough on [Berry’s] car to lift the car off the ground, slam it down on the ground.
“Once you’re involved in a [Damaged Vehicle Policy] accident — and by the way the [incident data recorder] did go off, so it was significant incident that [Berry] was in — if he couldn’t drive the car back, he was out due to DVP.
“We don’t inspect [the car], obviously on the side of the track. We haven’t got that ability, but the indicator is, you drive it back, you’re good [to continue]. If, however, he just spun and had four flat tires, he would have been towed to pit road under yellow under the flat tire recovery program. But it’s really clear on our recovery program in our [Damaged Vehicle Policy] that if you’re involved in an incident, you have to be able to get your vehicle back to pit road.
“If it’s just sitting there flat tires, you spun out, we’ll even give you a light scuff [in contract], that would be one thing, that vehicle would have been towed in. … From the reports I had the car really wasn’t damaged and probably could have participated. We never want to take vehicles out of the race and that is our rule. It’s similar to what happened to [Ryan Blaney at Watkins Glen], but he did have a mechanical issue. Unfortunately, you just don’t have the ability to inspect that. It’s more if the car, if they can drive it back or not.”
Rodney Childers, Berry’s crew chief, and former driver Kenny Wallace were just two of those who raised concerns over the decision.
Childers posted to social media:
“I’ve seen a lot of things over my 25 years in the Cup Series, but that’s the most screwed up thing I’ve ever seen or been involved with. All we needed was tires with air in them. And how many times have we drug cars to the pit stall to put tires on them. Why today?!”
I’ve seen a lot of things over my 25 years in the Cup Series, but that’s the most screwed up thing I’ve ever seen or been involved with. All we needed was tires with air in them. And how many times have we drug cars to the pit stall to put tires on them. Why today?!? 😡
— Rodney Childers (@RodneyChilders4) September 29, 2024
Wallace explained, also on social media:
“This is wrong.
“So, I don’t like this because NASCAR designed this car. From day one, I said, ‘they gotta fix it, I don’t like this turtle shell.’ But I figured three years later the car would be fixed. Okay, listen, this is a no-go. This is where the Hermanator don’t like this. It’s like what old Sterling Marlin said years ago, ‘A man oughta be able to spin out every once in a while.’
“Come on, alright NASCAR I know you’re watching this. It happened to Joey Logano [Ryan Blaney] he’s got, I mean here’s where you’re putting the drivers, you’re telling the drivers they have to be perfect and they cannot…
“So, I mean you’re telling these drivers they’ve gotta be perfect, that’s really hard to do. You can’t tell the drivers don’t spin out because if your tire’s flat you won’t be able to come back. They got this one wrong. NASCAR got this one wrong.”
