By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Josh Berry’s resume would indicate he’s a top-shelf short track racer, but the JR Motorsports driver may need to expand that profile.
Berry’s No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet led a commanding 65 laps en route to the win in the Alsco Uniforms 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday – his second victory in the last three races on the high-banked 1.5-miler.
Berry took the lead from A.J. Allmendinger with 34 laps remaining – the pair racing hard side-by-side at the front of the field on a late race restart. Berry even got shoved into the outside wall before recovering and moving into the lead for his fifth career win.
The Las Vegas native Noah Gragson – who led a race best 87 laps and earned his season-leading 14th stage win – finished second, 1.125-seconds behind Berry. Justin Allgaier was third, solidifying a JR Motorsports 1-2-3 podium-sweeping effort.
The win is hugely significant, earning Berry the automatic position in the Championship 4 in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 5 – his first opportunity to race for the season title.
“I think I hit the wall like 12 times,’’ Berry told his team on the radio during the cool-down lap.
When the 31-year old Tennessee native ultimately climbed out of his Chevy at the finish line, he took time to remove his helmet – standing alongside his Chevy and soaking in the importance of the day and the championship implications – far removed from his job as a bank teller years ago.
“I was a little bit tight off (Turn) 4 the whole time, and [Allmendinger] left me a lane but nothing extra, but I wasn’t letting off,’’ said Berry, who hadn’t led a lap in the last six races. “That was for a trip to Phoenix and I was willing to hit the wall or whatever. We’ve had a tough couple weeks or months, but we knew we could do this if we were at our best.
“Had a caution with 30 to go and was able to wrestle the lead away from those guys and build enough of a [points] gap to keep it,’’ Berry said. “I tell you, I’m just speechless.’’
Berry’s NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway also capped a memorable afternoon for Chevrolet. It marked Chevy’s 500th all-time win in the series and it clinched Chevrolet’s sixth consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series Manufacturer’s Championship.
Allmendinger – the regular-season champion had to pit under green flag conditions…
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