The NASCAR Xfinity playoff opener at Bristol was an emotional rollercoaster for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his team. Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, and Josh Berry were JR Motorsports’ contenders in the playoffs. Notably, Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself made a part-time entry in the No. 88 car, marking his return to Bristol after retiring in 2017.

In a surprising turn of events, Justin Allgaier secured the race win for JRM. However, early in the race, the team faced a heart-wrenching incident where Josh Berry was involved in a collision that involved three JR Motorsports cars. Unfortunately, Josh Berry received blame for triggering this unfortunate incident. Nevertheless, Josh Berry had a strong response for those who pointed fingers at him, which leads one to wonder, was it really his fault?

Josh Berry responds to the haters

On Lap 167, a pivotal moment unfolded during the race when Josh Berry, battling for eighth place, made contact with his teammate Sam Mayer. This contact set off a chain reaction of events. Berry’s car got out of shape and subsequently collected another JR Motorsports teammate, Brandon Jones. It appeared that Berry and Mayer made contact on the straightaway just before the turn. This contact might have led to Berry’s tire issues, starting the unfortunate incident.

Fans expressed their disappointment, particularly because the collision led to three of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s cars being taken out of the race. Two of those were playoff cars. Many blamed Berry for causing this heartbreak for Dale Jr.

In response to the criticism, Josh Berry took to X to defend himself, stating, “Tough night. RF went down. I’ve worked for @JRMotorsports since 2010 if anyone thinks I just went in and piled 3 of our cars in the wall for the hell of it in the playoffs because we may have banged doors then can’t help ya”

Ty Gibbs’ team also showed support for Berry, emphasizing that he didn’t do it intentionally.

Josh Berry emphasized that he did not intentionally cause the incident. He, like any driver, would not do anything internally to harm the team during the playoffs, he said. Berry attributed the incident to a prior contact that led to the pile-up.

Bristol is a track known for such contacts, and Sam Mayer reiterated this point when questioned by Bob Pockrass about the initial contact. Mayer expressed his disorientation, as the incident resulted in a significant loss with three of their team’s cars being eliminated from the race.

Another Heartbreak for Dale Earnhardt Jr at the later stage of the race

Trending

“My Body Needed Time”: Tony Stewart’s Wife, Leah, Discloses Her Roadblocks to Motherhood Amid Racing Dilemma

Reality Struck Shane van Gisbergen Has His Playoffs Chances Cut Short Even Before His Full Time Debut in 2025

Joe Gibbs Racing Potentially Blocking Truck Series Phenom on Denny Hamlin’s Radar After On-Track Bad Blood

“There Was No Money”- Kyle Busch Reveals Mechanic Father’s $32K Sacrifice to Boost Kurt Busch’s Career

NASCAR Insider Urges Rick Hendrick to Rope In ‘Next Kyle Larson’ After $100,000 Win

Dale Earnhardt Jr. began the race from the 15th position and impressively took the lead from his driver Justin Allgaier, and led for an astonishing 47 laps. Unfortunately, his day took a dramatic turn as a fire broke out in his car, forcing him to exit the race just 30 laps before the checkered flag.

Watch This Story: Denny Hamlin Doesn’t Think Ross Chastain Has Changed Despite His Brutal Response to Rick Hendrick

Dale Earnhardt retired with smoke in his car, pulling over near the inside of the track and escaping from his vehicle. His uniform bore a burn mark from the incident. He mentioned that the fire intensified as soon as he stopped the car. He expressed his disappointment over the turn of events and had hoped for a top-5 finish or even better.

The race saw three out of five cars from Dale Jr.’s team ending their race due to a crash, with one of them catching fire. Ultimately, Justin Allgaier emerged as the race winner. It was indeed a dramatic day for Dale Jr. and his team. Do you think it’s Josh Berry’s fault?

READ MORE: “Dale Jr Warned Me at This”- Kevin Harvick Spills the Beans on the Reality of Life as His Retirement Approaches