RICHMOND, Va. — Interim No. 9 crew chief Tom Gray had some fun with interim driver Josh Berry over the team radio during pace laps Sunday. Much had been made about Berry’s knack for racing on NASCAR’s smaller ovals, and Gray piled it on with his pep talk.
“All right, Mr. Short Track,” Gray said. “Let’s show ’em why they call you that today.”
By the end, Berry was beaming with a career-best runner-up finish in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400, the highlight of his brief substitute stint driving Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 9 Chevrolet. The Xfinity Series regular recovered from an early spin, then took advantage of a pit-stop strategy call that bounced right to finish off a Hendrick 1-2 behind teammate Kyle Larson.
RELATED: Richmond race results | At-track photos
The result came in just his sixth NASCAR Cup Series start and his fourth appearance with the No. 9 team as a sub for Chase Elliott, who has been sidelined since early March with injuries from a snowboarding accident.
“I mean, it’s just super-awesome, you know, just to be considered for this opportunity, let alone have a couple good finishes out of it now,” Berry said. “I think you just never know what can happen, really.”
Berry started 30th in the 37-car field after Saturday practice and qualifying were washed away by rain. His efforts to make up much ground were stymied by a spin in the 95th of 400 laps when contact from Ryan Blaney’s No. 12 Ford sent the No. 9 Chevy spinning at the exit of Turn 4.
After a pit stop for fresh tires, Berry was 35th. “We were struggling a little bit,” he said. “We had been in the pack, got tight, and I think Blaney was coming through the field and just got into me. It just was really light. I don’t think he meant to do it or nothing, but he did.”
Berry’s rally was incremental through the longer green-flag runs, and most teams were set for a two-stop strategy that would split the final stage into thirds. Gray opted to keep the No. 9 out longer for the final scheduled stop, and by Lap 357, Berry cycled around to lead the first laps of his Cup Series career.
When the yellow flag flew for Tyler Reddick’s Turn 2 spin with 30 laps remaining, Berry was one of the prime beneficiaries. He was on the front row for the final two restarts and brought the No. 9 home for a podium.
“At the end of the race, it was a team effort, and it certainly was. He had to help hold up his end of the bargain, and he did that. So yeah, that’s what made it work,” said Gray, a senior engineer pressed into duty atop the pit box in place of the suspended Alan Gustafson. “Then, at the end there, we were banking on a caution, and even without a caution, I thought we were gonna still finish pretty well. Those other guys got smart when they saw us with the strategy, so we kind of had to do something different. It all worked out really well, so it was good. And kudos to him. Like I said, he’s a big part of that.”
Berry also cheered the decision to make an alternate plan with pit stops down the stretch.
“These guys, you know, they thought outside the box, and that’s what it takes in these races,” Berry said. “I think you never know what could happen. If you do the same that everybody around you does, then you’re gonna finish with them, and they made a bold call, a couple bold calls — one that kept us on the lead lap early in the race and that one at the end to get us some track position.”
MORE: Race Rewind: All the key highlights
Berry has helped to earn his keep as the team’s pick for Elliott’s stand-in. The 32-year-old veteran had already impressed many after his call-up by JR Motorsports to the Xfinity Series ranks after years of dominating on the Late Model circuit around the Southeast, and he competed for the Xfinity championship in last season’s finale.
Among those taking notice was Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports’ vice chairman, who kept close tabs on Berry’s lap times through the race and lauded how he was able to manage his tires. He also touted Berry’s work ethic and his preparation, saying that his recent performance in the team’s equipment provided a true measuring stick for his driving talent.
“It seems like the longer the race, the better he does,” Gordon said. “We’re really happy with the job that he has done. Certainly, everybody has known his talent watching him in other forms of racing, late models, and the Xfinity Series. You have to put him in other cars with other teams and other people to really see how far he could take it. I think he’s got a future in the Cup Series.”
As Berry fielded questions about his banner day, he also received congratulations from a line of well-wishers — third-finishing Ross Chastain and Hendrick Motorsports executives Chad Knaus and Jeff Andrews. Among those was Gordon, who clapped his hand on Berry’s back and offered an embrace.
“That must’ve felt good, huh?” Gordon told Berry. “You fought hard for that one.”
It wound up being a full-circle moment for Mr. Short Track.
“Jeff Gordon was my hero when I was a kid,” Berry said. “I mean, it’s pretty amazing, man. One of the first races I remember watching was the ’97 Daytona 500, and that went pretty well for this company. So to be able to drive for them and finish second place, it just really, just exceeds all of my expectations out of this deal.”