Josh Berry Echoes Ryan Blaney’s Views on How NASCAR’s New Format Will 'Change the Dynamic' Between Drivers

Despite winning his NASCAR Cup Championship in the three-race elimination format, Ryan Blaney had recently stated that respect between drivers had eroded under the playoff system, since everyone does everything in their power to secure a postseason berth.

He hoped that the reintroduction of the Chase format would demand consistency across the board, hence reinstating respect among drivers on track. His successor at Wood Brothers Racing, Josh Berry, aligns with the same line of thinking. During the press conference held after the Cup Series test session at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Berry addressed questions regarding changes he noticed during the test, along with his take on the Chase format.

When asked about his perspective on how he can foresee racing changes week to week, as well as the risks drivers used to take solely to gather points under the Chase system, Berry responded by referencing Blaney’s comments while offering his own assessment.

“I saw Blaney make that point, and ultimately I agree with him. I think we’ve seen times when some moves have gotten made, and it’s always, ‘I’ve got to win.’ I think that will change the dynamic a little bit. Wins still mean a lot. Winning in this series is a big deal. But it’ll be interesting to see if that changes a lot of people’s perceptions of how they race, especially when you look at superspeedway races and things like that.”

There is always a difference in the mindset of drivers who need to win outright compared to drivers who enter the risky tracks like Superspeedways, including Daytona or Talladega, and view a top five and a solid haul of points as a satisfactory result under the new system. From Berry’s point of view, the revised format aims to value both consistency and victories, which could affect how drivers approach the schedule.

Although it cannot be accurately predicted how those elements will play out on track, the underlying structure dictates that drivers will limit their bad days if they want a chance to advance into the 10-race long ‘playoffs’ and contend for the championship over the final stretch. In the new system, finishing races will matter more, and putting together a clean result will take on increased importance.

The changes could also influence how the leading cars handle risky scenarios at the front of the field. Rather than attempting moves that could jeopardize their afternoon, there may be instances in which maintaining position and banking points might be the preferred outcome.