First, he lost the pole position, and then he lost his dreams of creating a three-win streak at Southern National Motorsports Park’s Thanksgiving Classic race. Set to step into the shoes of Kevin Harvick in the upcoming Cup season and collaborate with the veteran driver’s crew chief, Josh Berry was gunning to make it a hat-trick of wins at this event. However, things didn’t kick off too well for him and his crew chief, Rodney Childress. Their journey began on a shaky note, and Berry’s third-place finish ultimately fell short of the Childress’s high expectations, leaving a sour taste in his mouth.

When quizzed about the race’s fairness and any potential missteps by the drivers, Josh Berry chose to take the high road with his responses. He diplomatically pointed the finger back at his own performance, suggesting that the key to a better outcome lay in improving his car, rather than placing blame elsewhere.

Josh Berry claimed that he finds the racing rules a tad intricate

At the Thanksgiving Classic, Brenden Queen clinched a long-awaited victory, but it wasn’t without controversy. In the heat of the final laps, Queen made a few bold moves, bumping into both Berry and Kaden Honeycutt’s cars in a do-or-die attempt to take the lead. When quizzed about possible foul play, Berry skillfully sidestepped a direct accusation.

He reflected, “Myself personally if I could replay it I think I was too patient with 45 and a double zero on the restart there side by side. I could have put them three wide and I just didn’t want to do anything. I just didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize our car, but this guy’s either. […] And I was able to get around him and then, you know, he got back into me, I got back into him, we were kind of crossing each other over. […] Sure, you know, I’m not gonna call it bare foul. I think I could have done some things better I think we could have the car a little bit better maybe we could get away”.

He continued, “You go into the motions, all these rules, I mean the strategy and everything. I’ve done this a lot but I haven’t really, you know, haven’t raced in the years and Rodney and all these guys are learning on the fly too. Some of these rules are complicated and pleasing and figuring out how to manage all that”.

As Josh Berry was hot on Queen’s heels, their tussle opened a window for pole sitter Kadan Honeycutt to join the fray, making it a thrilling three-way showdown. Honeycutt’s attempt to take the lead, however, was thwarted by the Queen’s aggressive defense. He was far from thrilled with Queen’s tactics in the final stretch.

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But the disappointment wasn’t just Honeycutt’s burden to bear. Rodney Childress, Berry’s crew chief and Harvick’s former pit boss, echoed the sentiment. Matt Weaver’s tweet captured Childress’s thoughts: “Rodney Childers told me he was disappointed but he was also just a race fan for the final 30 laps. Called the battle ‘awesome’”.

Kadan Honeycutt, however, seemed more fired up than anyone else on the track. While Berry, finishing third, was seen cherishing the moment with his daughter in his arms, he was far from pleased, sending a stern message to his fellow competitors.

Kaden Honeycutt issues a warning to Queen and others about the upcoming races

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Kaden Honeycutt, known for his clean racing style, was clearly ruffled by Brenden Queen’s aggressive moves in the last lap. Climbing out of his car, Honeycutt didn’t hold back his feelings.

Honeycutt then laid down the gauntlet for future races. He said, “I promise you, the first person who runs into me is probably going to go head-on into the fence. I’m tired of getting run over. I feel like I’m probably one of the nicest people in the field, and I’m done with getting done dirty. I caught them from probably four seconds back and didn’t touch either one of them. And as soon as he had the opportunity, Brenden ran straight into me.”

As per racingamerica.com, visibly upset with the outcome, Honeycutt expressed, “It hurts for a lot of different emotional reasons. I’m not really going to say, but I’m telling you, if the piece of dump truck didn’t run into me going into [Turn] 1, that’s the only opportunity he had after he raced Josh. That’s why his nose looked like the way it did. I’m done getting run into.”

Read More: Josh Berry Fires Shots at Southern National Motorsports Park As Repave Attempt Threw a Wrench in His Strong Suit

Switching gears, how did you feel about Josh Berry’s performance with the former crew chief of Kevin Harvick, in their corner? Do you see them shaping up as a formidable duo for the 2024 Cup season?