Berry, Wood Brothers are not done winning – Blaney
Yesterday at 01:01 PM
Josh Berry has a fan in Ryan Blaney.
Berry has established himself well at Wood Brothers Racing and as a teammate of the Team Penske trio of Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric. The two organizations work closely together as alliance partners, including Berry being involved in the weekly debriefs. This week’s gathering came after Berry earned his first Cup Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Although he has the least experience in a Cup Series car compared to his teammates, Berry is not afraid to speak up in the meetings. It's a characteristic Blaney really likes, and the 2023 series champion believes Berry is going to be a great asset to the group as the year progresses.
"We had the conversation when he first came in (where) it's like, hey, just be open about things," Blaney said this week. "Don't be afraid to speak up, because everyone is here for a reason. Every driver and crew chief is sitting in here because they're really good at what they do, and your input matters. Don't be afraid to say your input if you think differently, or if you guys are on a different path. How is that path going?"
It’s the first year for Berry driving the iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang for the Wood Brothers. The opportunity to have access to the resources of Penske and its drivers was something Berry felt was going to be essential to his growth as a driver. With that comes confidence that he can be successful.
Blaney described Berry as a "fast" driver who is "incredibly smart." Plus, the decision to pair Miles Stanley, a longtime Penske employee who Blaney is familiar with and believes in, with Berry on the car as crew chief has proven correct.
"Everyone is different in how they describe things and how they go about their craft," Blaney said. "I'll just say it: it's been great to work with Josh. He's been a lot of fun to work with. I had a great time with Harrison for a few years as well, and he brought a ton to the table, a lot of information, and Josh is the same way. He brings a lot of information. He's completely in it, and it's been fun to get to know him; I didn't know him very well before he got over to the 21 car.
"So, it's fun to sit in all the debriefs with him and just kind of pick his brain (as) somebody new and different. Like this person maybe thinks a different way than me, and he'll bring stuff up that makes me double-think. It's like, OK, maybe I'll put this into my brain and also calculate how he's thinking because everyone's brain operates a little different."
Berry is the first from the Ford camp to win a Cup Series race this season. Blaney and Logano lead the way in the championship standings at seventh and eighth, respectively. Cindric is 21st in the standings.
The two organizations qualified all four cars for the postseason last year. It was the second time in the elimination era it's happened; the first time being in 2020. Having all four cars contending as the year continues, and the Wood Brothers running to the same level as its alliance partner, is possible in the eyes of Blaney.
"I would think so. I would hope so," he said. "That's what we're all for – Penske has three cars, but the Wood Brothers are very, very close to us. They do a lot of work out of our shop, a lot of Penske personnel are in that car, as well as a lot of Wood Brothers folks that have been there a long time before the Penske partnership. That's where that thing should run. That thing should be contending for wins; that group deserves it, and I'm sure you're going to see some great things out of them.
"They're not done winning. People were excited for them to get 100, and they'll continue to rack it on. So, that was cool. I went to victory lane Sunday and stood there with Eddie when the car got there. It was cool to share that moment with him again; I love going to victory lane with Eddie. So it's always nice seeing those guys doing well."
