NASCAR is finally back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to race at the iconic oval, but it was far from a fairytale debut for AM Racing driver Josh Berry. The 33-year-old’s No. 15 Ford Mustang was involved in a 12-car wreck on the very first lap of the Pennzoil 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, sidelining him along with Sam Mayer as well as resulting in several damaged vehicles trudging along the 2.5-mile track.

Competing in only his second Xfinity Series race of the season after Pocono Raceway, Josh Berry was forced to finish in 38th place due to an early DNF. Lamenting his disappointing debut at Indianapolis, Berry pinpointed aggressive racing as the reason for his race ending early. Did he just call Mayer aggressive?

Chaos at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The wreck occurred in the first lap when Sam Mayer spun in the middle of the track after contacting A.J. Allmendinger’s No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro. As a result, Sam Mayer’s spin caused some massive collateral damage, with Jesse Love, Jeremy Clements, Sammy Smith, Parker Retzlaff, Jeb Burton, Chandler Smith, Conor Daly, Kyle Sieg, Joe Graf Jr., and Josh Berry being caught in the crossfire. The incident forced Sam Mayer and Josh Berry to finish 37th and 38th, respectively, as both drivers were forced to retire early.

When asked by Frontstretch if he was heartbroken to not even get to the second lap of the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Josh Berry laughed and replied, “Didn’t get through the first lap technically. Didn’t make it through Turn 3. It’s just, everybody is so aggressive, you know, track position is so important. We saw how it ended for a lot of people. It’s just tough, right? We got to race hard on these restarts and unfortunately, we didn’t make it out.”

Speaking about the incident that wrecked his race, Josh Berry said, “It looked like Sam [Mayer] got put in the middle and just got loose, made contact with the 16 and just got loose. We just all stacked into it. Really couldn’t see it until I was in the back of the 81. Just unfortunate right? Just the wrong place at the wrong time, I have a feeling this race will be crazy. It looks like, especially on the restarts, just how the pack is. Be interesting to watch for sure, but I hate that we really didn’t get to race today. I thought qualifying in the top 10 was a really good result for the 15 team, and was excited to race today and see how we did.”

Josh Berry, who finished 27th in his only other Xfinity Series race this season, qualified in 10th place at Indianapolis, hoping to secure the team’s second top-10 finish in the last three races. Driving the No. 15 Viva Tequila Seltzer Ford Mustang, he delivered AM Racing’s best qualifying result of the season at Pocono Raceway by finishing 14th. However, Berry was the victim of a flat tire at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ as well, which impacted his track position and his ability to make up places.

It’s easy to understand why Josh Berry feels heartbroken about not being able to compete on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval. Considered one of the most iconic racetracks in the world, the Pennzoil 250 took place after a three-year-long break from the oval layout of the track. It’s a track that NASCAR drivers dream of racing on, and the fact that Berry couldn’t even make it to Lap 2 will be disappointing. As things stand, his Xfinity Series journey hasn’t gone as planned, and the 33-year-old will hope for better luck in the Cup Series.

Berry to feature WNBA star on his Ford Mustang at Brickyard 400

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While his Xfinity race may not have gone as planned, Josh Berry can make amends at the 2024 Brickyard 400 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Driving the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing, the hood of Berry’s car will feature an image of the iconic Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark. But that’s not all!

The No. 4 Mustang will also feature a special paint theme from primary sponsor Panini America, who recently released the Caitlin Clark Collection, with ‘Raining 3s’, one of Clark’s trading cards, being shown on Berry’s Ford.

Just like Caitlin Clark, Josh Berry is also a rookie in the NASCAR Cup Series and is currently in contention for the Rookie of the Year title. With five races remaining before the playoffs begin in Atlanta, Berry will hope for a strong finish to the season, with the dream of making it to the postseason. “The No. 4 team has a bunch of really smart guys putting together strategies, building fast cars, and giving me a chance to go race hard,” he said. “We set off this year with the goal of winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award and we are close to that.”

With Josh Berry making his way into the Cup Series in style at Indianapolis, he will undoubtedly hope for a better outcome than his Xfinity DNF. Ranked 21st in the driver standings with two top-five and four top-ten results so far, Berry will hope to maintain his spot at the top of the Rookie of the Year standings until the end of the season.

However, with five DNFs already in the Cup Series, he cannot afford an early retirement again. Do you think Josh Berry will win Rookie of the Year? Let us know in the comments!