| With the first race of the Playoffs behind them, Josh Berry and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team are looking ahead to World Wide Technology Speedway with a clear goal: climb back into contention and keep their push toward the Round of 12 alive. Berry sits 16th in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings, 19 points below the cutoff with two races remaining in the opening round. The Enjoy Illinois 300 is the second stop in the Round of 16. After this weekend’s race, the series will head to Bristol Motor Speedway, where the bottom four drivers in the standings will be eliminated while the top 12 continue their championship quest. Berry knows that the 1.25-mile track near the Gateway Arch in St. Louis requires precision from both the driver and team. “I think that each round presents its own challenges,” he said. “I think you look at Gateway as a short track, but kind of a faster short track. Strategy and fuel mileage can be so important there, so there are things that can definitely go awry.” The weekend schedule begins with practice on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by qualifying at 5:40 p.m. ET, both airing on truTV. Sunday’s 240-lap, 300-mile race is scheduled to begin just after 3 p.m. ET on USA Network. Stage breaks will fall at Laps 45 and 140 as Berry and the No. 21 Ford Mustang team look to make up valuable ground in the standings. |
