Although the name Myrtle Beach 400 is now obsolete, the 0.4-mile, progressively banked Florence Motor Speedway remains one of the most unique tracks out there just by how it incites side-by-side racing. This track is about to witness the prestigious South Carolina 400 unfurl tonight as Josh Berry will race against his former boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Just 15 miles south of Darlington Raceway, this track will feature Josh Berry driving the #62 Late Model for the legendary Kevin Harvick. It is also the first time Berry will be driving a Ford Mustang. It looks like Kevin Harvick plans on putting more than just Ford drivers in his program. Needless to say, Berry’s upcoming Ford journey with Stewart-Haas Racing is getting off to an early start with this race.

Josh Berry opens up about his chemistry with Rodney Childers

A driver needs to remain in proximity to the crew chief for a lot of reasons. Luckily, it appears that Berry already shares a good bond with his soon-to-be crew chief when he starts driving for Tony Stewart‘s #4 Cup Series team in 2024. In a conversation with The Guardian’s Matt Weaver, he reflected on his communication with Rodney Childers.

Josh Berry said, “I think it’s good. I felt really good about everything about that. Obviously, he is a high-level crew chief, won a ton of races, I mean, I have a ton of faith in him and so to be able to spend some time with him…we’ve always had a pretty good relationship, and coming to do this reaffirms all that.”

Finishing first in practice, the 33-year-old was extremely grateful to Kevin Harvick and DeLana Harvick for this opportunity. He felt like he had made a lot of improvements since his run at Hickory last week. “I feel like we’ve had a good day; a good weekend,” Berry told Weaver. He said, “Car has been fast, we’ve had speed. Just about putting together all the pieces to make sure that we last.”

Watch this story: Kevin Harvick’s Last NASCAR Race

However, he would have his own set of challenges in the 250-lap-long feature. And it’s not racing his old boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr. It’s more about the strategy and the nature of the race itself.

Berry gets real about his upcoming challenges

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The biggest challenge that this track will give the drivers is its unique attribute; except for the front stretch, there is no outside wall. Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion Josh Berry told NASCAR, “It’s unusual the first time you go there and experience it. But after a while, it’s no big deal. It’s a really fun track.”

Even if that’s not a big deal for Berry, this race is a 400-mile-long struggle. And that comes with its own downsides. More distance results in more tire damage and hence, pit strategies should be devised with utmost care. Berry said, “It’s a long race, a lot of tires fall obviously… lot of strategy involved so we were just making sure that we got all the pieces in place to race good tonight.”

Moreover, Berry will also face the defending champion, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen. Carson Kvapil, who just defeated Queen in the CARS Tour championship, will also make his start tonight.

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However, he has high hopes for his run. Having someone like Rodney Childers on the team is indeed reassuring. “(I) really appreciate Rodney’s effort in this. The Cup Series is such a grind; for him to come race with us here these next couple weeks has meant a lot to me. It’s a great opportunity for us to work together,” he added.

It’s only a matter of a few hours before the racing community gets to see how Josh Berry’s late-model stock car racing venture pans out for him. Stay tuned to FloRacing for their exclusive live coverage.