Josh Berry’s ride still seems to have some of Kevin Harvick‘s old spark. Last time out at Richmond, Berry shot up to second place in the second stage, way back from 30th. And this go-around, he started strong in seventh, keeping steady in the top-10. But, with less than 100 laps to go and after a pit stop under green, he got slapped with an uncontrolled tire penalty.

What looked like a possible top-10 finish turned into a total bust, dropping him to 25th. Chiming in on the mess, Kevin Harvick’s old pit boss, Rodney Childers, who’s now in Berry’s corner, called their pit road performance a disaster zone. So, is it time to shake up the pit crew?

Is Josh Berry’s team thinking about shaking up their pit crew?

Josh Berry kicked off in seventh and was cruising in the top 10, wrapping up Stage 1 in ninth. Denny Hamlin and then William Byron scooted past him, snatching P7 and P8 positions respectively. He ended Stage 2 in tenth, keeping pace. But trouble hit when Berry got called back to pit road for an uncontrolled tire, knocking him two laps down.

Rodney Childers, weighing in on the situation, said, “We’ve had a really good car last two weeks. Pit road has just been a complete disaster. I had a guy get her and been out last two weeks and I don’t know if that’s what kind of deal or what I don’t know. We have been running a good car, he has been doing a good job and honestly it should have been top-5s in a row. And they have kinda thrown him away.” As Childers continued, he seemed clear with his stance, “That’s not what #4 car is about. We definitely got to get things better and get back on track.” 

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However, when asked if changing the pit crew could be a solution, Childers indicated it’s not, saying, “I mean the group we have was the number one last year so yeah we got to put things behind and move forward and it’s not a big problem. It’s a whole lot out of the world, so we just gotta keep it good.”

But still, does this mean Josh Berry’s shot at ‘Rookie of the Year’ is starting to look doubtful?

If #4 misses out on the Rookie of the Year title, his pit crew might have to shoulder a good chunk of the blame

Josh Berry’s not just there to participate; he’s eyeing top-5 finishes left and right. Thanks to his hustle, post-Richmond, he edged past another contender for the Rookie of the Year title, Carson Hocevar, in the standings. Yet, Richmond was a mix of good(s) and bad(s) for him—between driving a car that had eyes on the prize and some off-track drama.

He was hanging out in the top five and ten most of the night until a painfully long 16-second pit stop and a follow-up fumble cost big time, nudging him down to 11th place. Not the dream finish, but hey, it bumped him up five places in the points ladder.

Even after Martinsville, Berry’s at the front of the rookie lineup, sitting at 23rd, with Carson Hocevar not too far behind at 25th, and Zane Smith and Kaz Grala trailing further back to P35 and P33 respectively. But with the gap between Berry and Hocevar narrowing again, a lot of side-eyes are being thrown at Berry’s pit team. Makes you wonder, right?

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