Ryan Blaney has confirmed that he and Josh Berry have spoken following their controversial clash at Martinsville, but the conversation has not completely repaired the damage. While Blaney described their discussion as a good one, his latest assessment of their relationship suggests that the incident has left a mark that will not simply disappear after one phone call.
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“Yeah, he and I spoke. You know, it was a good conversation and stuff like that. But yeah, I mean, what NASCAR decided to do, it’s their judgment. Personally, I feel like that’s the right call that NASCAR made. It was just trying to set a precedent of, ‘Hey, this is not okay,’ and they did that. So, yeah, moving forward,” Blaney said in a clip shared by Bob Pockrass on X.
The two drivers are connected through the same organisation, as they both drive for Ford-powered teams, with Wood Brothers Racing sharing a technical alliance with Team Penske. The connection, however, changes when Berry departs to join Legacy Motor Club in 2027.
On the question of where the incident leaves their relationship, Blaney did not suggest everything was back to normal.
“Yeah, I think it changes a little bit. It’s not on fire, but it’s not rainbows and sunshine, either,” he admitted.
That distinction matters. Blaney is not describing an outright breakdown in communication, and he acknowledged that the conversation with Berry went well. But the incident has changed how he views their relationship, at least for now. The fact that they have spoken does not mean the frustration has disappeared, particularly when Blaney still appears surprised by the decision Berry made during the race.
The disagreement began during the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville. Blaney made contact with Berry in the middle of the corner, after which Berry appeared to brake-check the No. 12 Ford. The resulting damage left Blaney struggling before he spun, effectively ending his afternoon.
Blaney’s account has consistently been that the initial contact was accidental and relatively light. He reiterated that point when explaining why Berry’s response surprised him, while also bringing their previous relationship and organisational connection into the discussion.
“Very surprising, especially given the circumstances. It was kind of incidental contact, really, that he and I had there in the middle of the corner. It was pretty light. So, yeah, that surprised me. But he made that decision, and it is what it is. Being an affiliate and a teammate, and having had a good relationship, I was pretty surprised,” he explained.
Berry initially offered a different account of the incident, saying Blaney had got into him and that he was trying to gather his car after being pushed out of the groove. When asked whether he had deliberately brake-checked Blaney, Berry denied doing so. However, the aftermath went beyond the competing explanations given immediately after the race.
Berry subsequently reached out to Blaney and Roger Penske, among others, to address the situation. He acknowledged that he had intended to send a message, but regretted how he handled it. That effort to speak directly with the people affected by the incident helps explain why Blaney could describe their conversation as good without suggesting that the relationship had been fully restored.
Wood Brothers president Jon Wood also confirmed that the two drivers had spoken, while acknowledging that the discussion was unlikely to change Blaney’s perspective on what happened.
NASCAR, meanwhile, made its position clear on Tuesday. Berry was fined $50,000 and docked 25 driver points for his actions against Blaney. The penalty was issued under the rulebook’s section covering actions detrimental to stock car racing.
Carson Hocevar received a separate, heavier sanction after his incidents with Austin Cindric, including a $100,000 fine and a 25-point deduction.
Blaney agreed with NASCAR’s decision, seeing it as necessary to establish that using the car to retaliate is not acceptable. His comments also came against the backdrop of another high-profile confrontation involving Hocevar earlier in the season. At Bristol, Blaney and Hocevar’s on-track clash spilled into a physical altercation on pit road, bringing considerable attention to the tensions surrounding the young Spire driver.
Jeff Burton’s subsequent comments about Hocevar’s Martinsville punishment offered another perspective on the wider issue. Burton argued that missing the Homestead finale could serve as a wake-up call, giving the driver an opportunity to understand the responsibilities that come with competing in the Cup Series.
His comments were primarily about Hocevar, but they underlined the broader concern around conduct that crosses the line from hard racing into something more deliberate.
The Martinsville incident also revived questions about the changes NASCAR made to the short-track package. The removal of the front bumper Y-brackets and high-density foam was intended to reduce the severity of impacts, but it has also left the front of the car with less structural support. Blaney believes there is room to address that without reversing the changes entirely.
“I feel like we can add some structure back to them. You know, at least just like a thin bumper bar that will bend; right now, there’s just nothing there. It’s just body panels with no structure holding them. Even if you kind of lay on a guy a little bit at Martinsville, you can see it bowing,” he said.
He acknowledged that drivers had previously called for NASCAR to take material out of the front bumper because the impacts at short tracks were too severe. The governing body responded, but Blaney believes a flexible bar could provide a compromise between the previous construction and the current setup.
NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell’s comments at the November 6 State of the Sport address suggest that further refinements remain possible. O’Donnell dismissed the prospect of a new-generation car arriving anytime soon, explaining that the focus is on making adjustments to the existing model rather than introducing another costly platform. He also stressed that NASCAR continues to evaluate the car and will keep making changes where necessary.
That leaves two issues to be addressed after Martinsville: how NASCAR continues refining the Next Gen car, and whether Blaney and Berry can move past what happened between them.
Blaney appears prepared to move forward, but his own words make clear that the relationship has changed. A conversation has taken place, NASCAR has delivered its penalty, and the drivers can get on with their seasons. It just does not mean things between them are quite the same as before.