Race Report: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Event: Dollar Tree 301

Location: New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire

Date: Sunday, August 23, 2026

Start: 2nd

Finish: 3rd

Josh Berry and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team extended their streak of consecutive top-10 finishes to four with a strong third-place run in Sunday’s Dollar Tree 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Berry, who started a season-best second, led four times for 73 laps and scored points in both stages en route to his best finish of the season and eighth career NASCAR Cup Series top-five. The third-place result was also his best since finishing runner-up at New Hampshire a year ago.

Sunday’s race began on a wet track, with Berry maintaining a spot inside the top five on rain tires through the opening 41 laps before the field transitioned to slick tires.

After the switch, Berry initially slipped to the back half of the top 10 but worked his way forward late in Stage 1 to finish fifth, earning six stage points.

During the stage break, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team elected to change only right-side tires, putting Berry eighth for the restart behind six drivers who stayed on track. He steadily worked his way forward and took the lead on Lap 92.

Berry paced the field for the next 56 laps before eventual race winner Ryan Blaney moved ahead late in the segment. Berry finished Stage 2 in second, collecting nine additional stage points.

In the third and final segment, Berry returned to the lead three more times for an additional 17 laps before making his final pit stop for four tires and fuel with 75 laps remaining.

He lined up 11th for the ensuing restart and quickly began working his way back toward the front, moving into third with 35 laps to go. Berry continued to close the gap to the leaders over the final laps before taking the checkered flag in third.

“It was a lot of fun,” Berry told reporters at the track. “Our car was really good. The guys did a great job. We had a solid weekend from start to finish and led a lot of laps.”

Berry credited the team’s recent run of strong finishes to improved speed and better fortune after several promising performances earlier in the season went unrewarded.

“It feels nice to capitalize on it,” he said. “I have four top-10s in a row, and it really would be five if it wasn’t for getting wrecked at Wilkesboro.”

Berry and the Wood Brothers team now head to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400, the finale of the 26-race NASCAR Cup Series regular season.