Josh Berry enters this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway with momentum.
While he has yet to record a top-10 finish aboard the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford this season, his pace has been on the rise.
Starting at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway three races ago, Berry qualified second and ran within the top 10 for the majority of the day before finishing 12th.
Last week at Richmond (Va.) Raceway, another short track, Berry was competitive as he finished 11th, his best effort of the year.
With Martinsville being the third short track in the past four races, Berry feels confident he and the No. 4 team can carve out more success.
“I think it should be another good opportunity for us to build on the success we’ve had at the short tracks this year,” Berry said. “Martinsville has been a good place for me in the past.
“I feel like if we can continue to carry the momentum we have had at some of the other short tracks this year, there’s no reason we can’t go contend for a win.”
Berry’s confidence should come to no surprise as his roots are in asphalt late model racing on short tracks. On top of that, his breakthrough victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series came at Martinsville in 2021 driving for JR Motorsports. As well, Berry won the annual 300-lap late model stock car race at Martinsville in 2019.
He landed a full-time ride with the team the following season.
In addition to his triumph in 2021, the 32-year-old boasts two additional top-five finishes in the Xfinity Series at the track nicknamed “The Paperclip.”
Berry believes “just having patience” gives him an edge at Martinsville.
“There are so many situations where you can get into trouble early in the race and just having the patience to keep the car clean and be smart because those races are just so long,” Berry explained.
“This weekend will be the longest race I have run there by far, so having the patience and discipline to be smart early will help me and the No. 4 team work our way through the race and hopefully be there at the end.”
Berry is 23rd in the standings after seven races, however, two top-12 finishes in the last three races may be a positive trend for the rookie driver.