Event: Autotrader 400Date/Time: Sunday, February 22, 2026, 3 p.m. ETLocation: EchoPark Speedway, Hampton, GeorgiaLayout: 1.5-Mile OvalTV/Radio: FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio With a top-10 finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 in the books, Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team head into the second race of the 2026 season carrying early momentum that has been hard to come by in recent years.Despite the team’s rich history at Daytona – including five Daytona 500 victories – the Wood Brothers had not recorded a top-10 finish in the 500 since 2018, when Paul Menard crossed the line sixth. Berry’s ninth-place result not only ended that drought but also positioned him 12th in the Cup Series standings heading into Race 2. That early points cushion carries added significance under the current championship format, which no longer includes a win-and-you’re-in provision for the season-ending, 10-race, championship-deciding Chase.Berry said the focus now shifts to building on the speed shown in Speedweeks as the Cup Series moves to EchoPark Speedway for Sunday’s Autotrader 400. The 1.54-mile track, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, has taken on a superspeedway-style identity in recent seasons, putting a premium on drafting, execution and track position.“I’m proud of the speed we showed at Daytona,” Berry said. “The 21 team brought a fast Ford Mustang, and we were able to put ourselves in position throughout the week.“That’s something we want to carry into Atlanta. We qualified well there in both races last year and had cars capable of running up front, but the finishes didn’t reflect the speed we had.“Atlanta races similar to Daytona now, so hopefully we can build on what we learned last week and put together a complete race.”Berry’s qualifying efforts at Atlanta last season underscored that potential. He started third in the spring race and second in the summer event, but incidents in both races prevented the team from converting that speed into the finish it deserved.There is no practice scheduled at EchoPark Speedway prior to qualifying, which is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. ET. Sunday’s 400-mile, 260-lap race is slated to begin just after 3 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX. Stage breaks are planned for Lap 60 and Lap 160. Saturday, February 21Josh Berry will participate in a 15-minute Q&A session at the Ford Stage at 1:00 p.m. in the fan zone at EchoPark Speedway.  Josh BerryAge: 35 (Oct. 22, 1990)Hometown: Hendersonville, TennesseeCrew Chief: Miles StanleyIG: @joshberry88X: @joshberry |
