“It’s not really a veteran move”: Sam Mayer calls Josh Berry out after major NASCAR Xfinity crash involving 3 JR Motorsport cars

Several pairs of championship-contending teammates, including Josh Berry and Sam Mayer, were involved in collisions during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs' opening night at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

JR Motorsports teammates Josh Berry and Sam Mayer crashed at Turn 1 on Lap 167 due to a flat right-front tire, eliminating both from the race. Brandon Jones, who narrowly missed the playoffs in the previous week's race at Kansas Speedway, was also involved in the incident.

Later, on Lap 217, Sheldon Creed made contact with his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill, causing the latter to spin and crash into the inside wall at Turn 1. This collision took out three cars at once, with Berry's tire trouble being the result of intense racing between the teammates.

According to Yahoo Sports, Sam Mayers said about the incident:

"I got to talk to Josh so I’m not gonna say anything stupid now. But a very frustrating and unfortunate way to end a solid day. We were getting better and better as we went. I think by the end of it, we were gonna be right there and able to make something happen."

"I don’t know if we had race-winning speed yet. We didn’t survive long enough to tell but just unfortunate. He said he cut a tire down so that’s just part of it. But I mean, racing that hard at the end of Stage 2 for no reason, I mean, it’s not a veteran move in my opinion. But what do I know I guess"

The close-quarters racing caused Berry's right front tire to rub against Mayer's car, leading to the tire's failure and the subsequent collision with Jones.

"We're just racing, and I was hugging the inside line" - Sam Mayer

Mayer and Berry discussed the incident in the infield care center before speaking with reporters to explain what happened.

The pair have a longstanding relationship that began during Sam Mayer's early days in late models, with Berry serving as his mentor over the years.

This close bond could potentially facilitate quicker resolution of any issues compared to a less familiar connection. Berry confirmed this by highlighting the challenges of racing on Bristol's high banks:

"I mean, there’s no ill intent there, right? I mean, we’re just racing. I was running to the bottom. He’s running the top right. Like I said, without seeing if there was some prior contact or something that cut the tire down or what, right, but yeah, I didn’t just go in there and wipe him out.”

The team meeting at JRM is expected to be challenging, and the same goes for RCR's meeting.

Creed drifted up on the exit of Turn 4 and made slight contact with the left-rear corner of Hill's car, causing him to slide. Hill, the Regular Season Champion, chose not to speak to the media after being assessed and released from the infield care center, but Creed shared his perspective on the incident.

At the end of the night, Hill remains in fourth place in the points standings, holding a 17-point advantage over Creed, who currently occupies the final position above the potential elimination cutoff.

Creed is indeed in eighth place for the provisional Round of 8, while Sam Mayer is in tenth place, trailing by ten points. Berry is in twelfth place, trailing by twenty-four points.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs will continue at the Texas Motor Speedway on September 23.