Track Specs: Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway, .400-mile oval/225-lap feature
Berry’s finish: 2nd
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 23, 2020) – Josh Berry went to Florence Motor Speedway on Saturday hoping to end a spectacular 2020 Late Model Season with another victory, and for most of the race it looked as if the 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion would do just that.
A late-race surge by Ty Majeski was too strong for Berry to fend off, and the 30-year-old Tennessee driver settled for second in the inaugural Charlie Powell Memorial South Carolina 400. Ironically, Berry and the No. 88 JR Motorsports team helped Majeski change engines prior to the start of the race.
Berry put his No. 88 All Things Automotive/iRacing Chevrolet on the outside of the front row for the 225-lap, $10,000-to-win grind around FMS’ .400-mile oval and quickly swarmed past polesitter Matt Cox before the first lap was in the books. Lee Pulliam moved up to challenge Berry for the lead and the pair battled at the front for most of the first 100 laps, with Berry leading the majority of them. Majeski worked his way from 14th at the start to second behind Berry in the waning laps before the lap-100 break.
At the lap-100 break, teams had 15 minutes to make adjustments and change tires before heading back out for the remaining 125 laps to determine the winner. Berry dropped back a bit out of the top five to conserve his tires for the end of the race, as did Majeski.
Berry soon worked his way past Sam Yarbrough to regain the lead at lap 180, pulling Majeski along with him. With 27 laps remaining, Majeski dived to the inside of the No. 88 and out-dragged him off the corner to take the lead. Berry made several attempts to take the lead back before the checkered flag, but ended up second at the finish. Yarbrough, Pulliam and Nolan Pope rounded out the top five.
It was Majeski’s first Late Model Stock Car event, as he normally competes at the Super Late Model level, and the time spent dogging Berry during the latter stages of the first 100-lap segment and the second half of the 125-lap run to the finish paid off, he said.
Josh Berry, driver No. 88 All Things Automotive/iRacing Chevrolet team
“We had a really good car in practice during the daytime. I feel like we lost a little bit when the track cooled off, and we just got too tight at the end. We made some adjustments at the break, but we just didn't hit it right. Overall, we had an unbelievable season, and I can't be too disappointed with finishing second. I just have to thank all of our guys for all the hard work all year long, and our partners All Things Automotive and iRacing for the support.”