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NASCAR insiders, Austin Cindric react to Chase Elliott-Josh Berry incident at Gateway

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones11 hours agobrianjones_93
Josh Berry (6)
Aug 31, 2025; Darlington, South Carolina, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Josh Berry (21) drives down pit road on the first lap during the Cookouts Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Chase Elliott made contact with Josh Berry at the NASCAR Cup Series Gateway race, and the wreck hurt Berry’s chances to advance in the playoffs. On the Door Bumper Clear podcast, NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi, NASCAR driver Austin Cindric and Freddie Kraft, the spotter for Bubba Wallace, shared their reactions to Elliott contacting Berry.

“Josh Berry, poor guy, can’t get a break,” Kraft said. “It looked to me like a racing deal. I know Chase got in there hot, got a little loose. They were three-wide getting in there. It’s just kind of everybody going for one spot at the same time.”

Bianchi then shared his thoughts on the wreck. “It wasn’t intentional. It was an accident, and Chase went in there hot, slid up the track, and got in the 21 (Berry),” Bianchi said. “It sucks for the 21, start your playoff back-to-back wrecks, and you’re effectively in a must-win position now. Six DNFs this year on accident, so it’s kind of a microcosm of their year and where it is.”

More on the Chase Elliott-Josh Berry accident

Kraft then asked Cindric how a driver bounces back from being in a wreck and out of a race. “You kind of just have to look forward,” Cindric said. “With what happened there, I think you see that happened once a year at that track, and just guys diving off in the inside of somebody and getting loose. Even in this car, it’s possible. I don’t see there’s any negative intent there. It’s just if you’re Josh, how do you accept that?”

The wreck happened when Josh Berry was running 15th in the 35th Lap. He hit the outside wall after Chase Elliott bumped him into Turn 1. Berry’s No. 21 car took a lot of damage, leading to his day ending early.

Berry clinched a playoff spot after winning the Last Vegas race in March. With him finishing 36th at Gateway on Sunday and 38th at Darlington last week, Berry will need to essentially win at Bristol this Saturday to advance to the second round of the playoffs.