Rodney Childers Expects the Worst as Josh Berry Aims to Ace After Major Track Change for Southern National’s Thanksgiving Classic

As the 2023 season draws to a close, 28 Late Model Stock Cars have entered the Solid Rock Carriers Thanksgiving Classic at the Southern National Motorsports Park with the expectation of ending the year on a strong note. The event has been the unofficial final race of the season for many drivers throughout the years, with Denny Hamlin scoring two wins along with other notable drivers such as Scott Riggs and Lee Pulliam taking it home.

The event is due to witness a staggering 230 entries this year for the three-day long race weekend. Whilst the competition is fierce for Josh Berry, especially with Deac McCaskill hopeful he can deliver a dominant performance at his home track once again, the biggest threat to Berry’s Thanksgiving plans comes from an unlikely cause, as his crew chief fears that let the resurfacing of the track creates a high likelihood of mayhem during the weekend.

Rodney Childers fears that the Thanksgiving Classic could be a slippery slope for Josh Berry

Ahead of the weekend’s shenanigans, track officials have opted to repave the top groove at Southern National and use PJ1 Track Bite and resin to increase the traction drivers can expect from the lower grooves. With the Legends division on Friday and Saturday night hosting more than 50 entries, the addition of resin and the repaved surface could be crucial to creating competitive racing to give the fans a brilliant end to the season.

However, Rodney Childers believes that track owner Mike Diaz’s decision could end up backfiring if not carried out with the necessary precautions. Replying to a tweet regarding the ongoing work, Childers shared his fears, “Just put sealer on the top where it’s black, and resin in the 3rd lane..It has a great opportunity to be a disaster without a vacuum truck and something to keep the resin area cleaned off. If it gets a lot of stuff stuck to it, it will be like ice..🧊 Praying for the best! 🙏🏼“

The SHR crew chief was doubtful if the plan would work without using an Air Titan and other measures to keep the track free from debris. If the freshly laid tarmac or resin attracted enough dirt, the result would be equivalent to building an ice-skating rink! With Childers having his questions regarding the outcome of making track changes so close to the weekend, Josh Berry’s chances of sealing a third victory could go up in flames if there is even the smallest of errors in estimating the grip levels expected.

Only recently did Josh Berry and Rodney Childers reflect on their chemistry together, speaking about how races such as the South Carolina 500 have been crucial in helping strengthen their bond and figuring out what communication guidelines work best for the new driver-chief pairing. While Childers thinks the surface work at the track could throw a curveball at them, the Thanksgiving Classic could be the perfect scenario to put Childers and Berry under some pressure from the slippery track to develop their working relationship together.

Despite Childers’s fears, Berry is excited to end things on a high note

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On the other hand, Josh Berry is firing on all cylinders ahead of the Solid Rock Carriers Thanksgiving Classic. The new face of Stewart-Haas Racing wants to one-up the man he’s replaced by bagging that third win and believes the track in North Carolina creates for some exhilarating races. The event was off the calendar for 2020 after COVID-19 took the world by storm, but the love drivers have for the Thanksgiving Classic has made sure it remains on track to be an annual affair.

As reported on NASCAR.com, Berry reflected on his enthusiasm to end the year, saying, “It’s another prestigious race. With the NASCAR schedule opening up, there are fewer and fewer opportunities to go do this stuff. That one always fits us, but Southern National is a fun track. For us, it’s important to support these guys and these race tracks when they put on these big races. It’s important for the sport as a whole.”

The #4 SHR driver reflected on how important it is for him to win one of the last few races with Kevin Harvick Inc. and was optimistic about the team’s ability to get on top of things, “We’d terribly love to win one of these last three races with KHI. We know it’s going to be tough, and it’ll be a process getting everything tuned like we want it. I’m excited for [Sunday] and we’ll see what we can do.”

READ MORE: Kevin Harvick’s Former Crew Chief Lets Slip Communication Barrier With Josh Berry Amidst Uncertainty of His KHI Future

It looks like there might be some further work required on communication between Berry and Childers because they have wildly different expectations for the upcoming weekend. Have the track officials done a good job or will Rodney Childer’s worst fears come true for Berry?