Josh Berry and the No. 21 DEX team saw their six-race streak of top-10 finishes come to an end following a late-race multi-car incident in Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, resulting in a 28th-place finish.
Berry and the DEX team showed the speed to contend inside the top 10 throughout much of the afternoon despite a race that featured a track-record 18 caution periods.
After starting 16th, Berry gained four positions during the opening 45-lap segment to finish 12th. The No. 21 DEX Mustang Dark Horse continued its climb during Stage 2, spending much of the segment inside the top 10 before Berry crossed the line fifth to collect six stage points.
A quick four-tire stop during the stage break put Berry fourth for the ensuing restart, and he continued to run among the top five as the final stage unfolded. During a caution at Lap 156, Berry and Kyle Larson remained on track to inherit the top two positions. Berry battled Larson side-by-side for the lead for several laps before settling back into the top three.
Berry made his next stop under caution at Lap 170 and continued to position himself for another strong finish while navigating a race filled with incidents and restarts.
His afternoon took a turn when he was collected in a multi-car incident on a restart with 17 laps remaining. The damage to the No. 21 DEX Ford Mustang sent him behind the wall for repairs, but the Wood Brothers Racing crew was ultimately able to get Berry back out on track with just a few laps remaining to finish the race in the 28th position.
Up next, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race.
